Paint Correction Step By Step TUTORIAL On How to Fix Bad Paint Job Or Faded Paint Finish

In this video I'll show you how to fix heavily orange peeled paint job that we got by using some cheap Chinese paint guns. This tutorial can also be used to make old, faded car paint look like new again. Also I'm going to test out another tool to see if it can speed up our color sanding process. And at the end of the video I'll show some glimpse into our next project which happens to be a Rolls-Royce Ghost.
Tools used:
Makita Buffer - amzn.to/3gClPkE
Assorted Grit Wet Sanding Paper - amzn.to/3jpeAhz
Orbital sander - amzn.to/3hA70jI
Orbital sander with water feed option - amzn.to/2FZ2pJV
3 Step Cutting/Polishing Pads - amzn.to/32CbCPX
3M Perfect-It 8oz Buffing & Polishing Compound 36058, 06093, 06097 - amzn.to/3gF08jJ

[@lorenzorodriguez2700]

Great vid! I am a paint tech in a high production forklift plant and one thing i enjoy about your vids is that you are great at explaining every process to a t!! Keep up the great videos!! Stay safe😎

[@fix206]

Thanks Lorenzo, glad you like the videos. Figured I would share the knowledge that I've acquired over the years, so watching my videos would be more than just passing time for someone, but hopefully folks would learn a thing or two after watching 👍

[@BrucePierson]

Nice tutorial for anyone wanting to do this type of work at home. A couple of tips: When using the buffer, always make sure that the direction of rotation of the pad is going off the edge of the panel and not onto the edge of the panel. This prevents the pad grabbing and making a nasty mess. Also, air tools are perfectly safe for use with water, but it should be mentioned never to use electric power tools with water. This is just common sense, but not everyone has common sense. Overall, the repair turned out really good, even with all the extra work. Your next project is going to be very interesting, seeing how you fix this more severe damage. Stay safe and all the best from Queensland Australia.

[@fix206]

Bruce, you are correct on all of the points. I know there are things that I missed that I should have mentioned in the video. But the way I see it is not my last video so I'm sure I'll cover all of the points later on down the road. And I do like a challenge when it comes to restoring body panels instead of replacing them. I am a perfectionist and I feel that with each restored panel I sharpen my skills even further. Even though this is just a hobby I still take it very seriously, I would like to think of my skill level being above amateur so I guess I would put it into a "Professional" category. But I strive to take it even further, my goal is to be the "Master" at this 😎

[@BrucePierson]

@@fix206 I think you are past being "professional". The term that can be applied to you is "Multipotentiality". It means the ability and preference of a person, particularly one of strong intellectual or artistic curiosity, to excel in two or more different fields. (Wikipedia). You've certainly demonstrated that with your videos. I try to be a perfectionist myself and we have a saying here in Australia, that if a job is worth doing, it's worth doing right. Looking forward to seeing what you do on your next project.

[@fix206]

I took it to the next level in the Rolls-Royce video. I spent quite a bit of time to make it literally perfect, not that my friend demanded the perfection, but the fact that this was a high end vehicle that was even cut and buffed from the factory. So I felt an obligation to level up on this project. I can honestly say that that is the best job I've ever done and results will speak for themselves once the videos are out

[@PhillipHall01]

Fellows have yall tried the electric orbital polisher/sander? I bought one from Harbor Freight and it leaves a mirror finish, elementing swirl marks and less chance of burn throughs! So easy even my stuff looks pro and that's saying a lot! lol Phillip Hall

[@noahbolt]

Incredible! The final product after using a cheap Harbor Freight gun and a good polishing job got you a result that's better then what came off the assembly line. Really good job!

[@fix206]

Thanks man! Appreciate it !!

[@williamfrance856]

Can’t wait to fix up my Lincoln LS. It has some minor paint that needs done as well as a little body work. I’m going to do it all myself because I was told I can’t. I’ve worked in a body shop doing some pint prep and cutting when I was in my late teens and early 20s back in the 90s. This guy would paint show cars without a booth and make the cars look like glass every time. He used to preach.. it’s all in the prep, materials used. Takes patience and know there is a correction for any errors made. If you remember these things your finished product will stand above all others who do not. He was in his 70s then and had been working body work and paint for over 40 years. He was a master.

[@fix206]

You can definitely do some good work without a booth, both is a plus but not a must !! Good luck on the Lincoln project !

[@slipknotgogeta]

Your videos are perfect. The paint correction transformation was amazing

[@fix206]

Thank you for watching Benjamin !!

[@The-truth-is-valuable.]

And - again - done, in your drive way. It looks amazing. (I have to do something about my car's paint, especially on the boot lid. The problem is, that I do not want to repaint it now, as I want to have it repainted into a different colour, (from Anthracite black, into a Grey-ish / silver-ish colour) later on. But I have to repair it, as it looks bad. I am going to give it a try, with your directions.)

[@JinchurikiGlobal]

Wounderful work..... Much respect from dubai

[@fix206]

Thank you my friend !!!

[@joanwilliams3221]

Hope you start making videos again soon we miss you out here hope you had a merry Christmas and a great new year

[@fix206]

Thank you for checking on me, all is good here, I actually worked on a video the other day, just didn't get to spend too much time on it. Hopefully I'll have it out soon. Merry Christmas and happy new year to you too!!

[@kevinhintz1903]

I wish you had showed the clear coat blend (rear bumper cover) being cut & polished , to see how well it came out too! 👍

[@fix206]

I went in a bit more detail of the clear blend on the quarter panel in this video... kzbin.info/www/bejne/hHPKnqWOZd2ro9U

[@geoffreyrawlings9736]

Great love your videos explained easy to follow.

[@fix206]

Thanks man !

[@smguess361]

Very good job, All my respect 👍🏻 Loved it, well done 👌

[@fix206]

Thank you! Cheers! 👌👌

[@UNIQUEGrills]

I can almost see my self in it 😂🔥🔥🔥

[@fix206]

🕺🏻😎

[@gobbledygook4000]

Awesome job 👍👍👍

[@fix206]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@grayghost832]

If I ever paint something else I'll probably invest in a little bit better of a spray gun. Used the cheap hf gun on a motorcycle and there's some spots that actually look really good. If it all looked like that I wouldn't even worry about wet sanding etc. It's capable of a quality job but it's tricky to achieve that quality as a beginner. So here I am finding out how to correct orange peel.

[@fix206]

Couldn't agree with you more, you are spot on on everything you said. If you're going to do some painting every now and then and still wanted to keep it on the budget, I would just buy a used good quality paint gun on eBay or something like that.. That way you'll be ahead of the curve without breaking the bank

[@splash5974]

Looks show car quality after cut and buff! Nice work👌

[@fix206]

Thanks splash! 👍

[@asusreviews]

Great job, looks like glass! Maybe you over sanded tho? Should leave a little orange peel behind to match the factory finish IMO

[@fix206]

I probably did over send it, I basically just wanted to show that crappy paint job can still look basically like show quality in the end. I did it more for the sake of the video, rather than trying to match the factory finish on this car.

[@TheOfficialDuBsTeC]

Though you DO wanna have some SLIGHT Orange Peel to prevent little dents and Scratches to be visible on a completely sanded flat Paint you will much easier gains Scratches and Dents and see them cause of the Surface itself. I would go exactly in between from before to after which is like a "nice OEM" finish.

[@fix206]

You are correct, the amount of sending will dictate the amount of orange peel left behind. I just wanted to demonstrate the extent to what you can go so people can see how you can go from real bad orange peel to flat as glass finish.

[@TheOfficialDuBsTeC]

@@fix206 Yeah I understand that point. :) I mean a completely Bentley like flat glass Surface looks amazing though. Great Job.

[@fix206]

Thanks man, appreciate it !!

[@tillmandetailing]

So I went to quote someone for a paint correction on a bird dropping that was left on the car for too long and left a mark, etching the paint. So I was thinking a two-step could get that out, as well as correcting the rest of the hood so it will all match. After signing the paperwork to meet and do the job for her in a couple days, I noticed that it was raised and bubbled, she told me that her husband tried to fix it with paint, and that’s why it looks the way it does. Will my griot’s g9 with a heavy cut compound and cutting pad even fixed the raised spot of whatever extra paint was put on top of the etching? It’s on a dark grey 2019 Chevy Equinox. Will working for hours doing a 2 step correction even work? How do I fix this without taking off the OEM paint? I have pictures I can send if anyone wants to email me with an answer. I can’t find anything on this since it’s an odd situation.

[@edanchavez1862]

Omg thank you sooo much for this vid

[@fix206]

Of course!! my pleasure !

[@destrvktive]

Excellent video thank you

[@fix206]

Very welcome !!

[@gghffgbddghhhffgfffg4671]

مبدع في العمل....عمل متقن 👍👍👍👍🥰🥰🥰

[@fix206]

👍👍👍

[@MegaMajormax]

Any particular motion you follow for sanding? Have you tried using a DA instead of the rotary for the buffing after the sanding?

[@fix206]

If you are going to be sending by hand then I would do it in a crisscross pattern, same way as you would send body filler and primer... I would just stick to a regular buffer for buffing

[@MegaMajormax]

@@fix206 Cool, thanks for the info! FYI Eastwood sells a sander that also sucks in water to self wet when sanding. I was thinking of trying that (though it's more expensive). As for the DA vs rotary, I was planning to use a compound and my DA since I already have that from paint correction. I want to avoid buying another tool for paint correction. I actually have a rubbing compound, polish and glaze system that can get out 1000 grit sanding marks. Thanks for sharing your knowledge so far. It's been great to watch your videos!

[@fix206]

I own an inexpensive sander that I use for wet sanding the clearcoat, whether I am prepping the panel for paint or doing final cut before buffing... I used it in this video of mine and there is a link to that sander in that video's description : kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqbco4yAmNKkprM

[@BrucePierson]

P.S. Typo in your description where you said color sending process.

[@fix206]

I was typing up the description late last night, was pretty tired. I do see it now, thanks for heads up 👍

[@CristianGarcia-dn5fm]

What size compressor you use ?

[@fix206]

60 Gallon

[@vw66noelopez]

What Compressor did you use?

[@fix206]

I actually sprayed that car while using my old compressor (60 gallon devilbiss) that I have since replaced with a better one that I've recently built... Old compressor was just OK but not great. It was VERY loud and not very efficient, new one is MUCH quieter and builds air pressure like a champ ! I've filmed the compressor build, I'll have posting a vid of that build sometime down the road...

[@zkramez]

Can I use a DA instead to buff and polish?

[@fix206]

I mean if it really came down to that you can even put some rubbing compound on a rag and do all of the buffing by hand. But if will take for ever and your arm will be sore for days. If you're in a pinch, you can just pick up a cheap buffer from Harbor Freight and that will work better then the DA

[@zkramez]

@@fix206 I did a test panel last night. Came out amazing! Did it all by hand. Might fall off later 😂

[@fix206]

Right on man, you can do just about anything by hand. Generally just takes a whole lot longer and requires a lot more energy :-) don't worry though it ain't gonna fall off later !!

[@rrr...512]

Supper

[@fix206]

Thanks!!

[@ronyhyper]

W

[@fix206]

R

[@sidneythomasparker121]

Started okay at first. Don't use Flatting machines!! It takes time to get a finish like that. Should have pride and joy when doing a job like that.

[@fix206]

Thank you Sidey... Once the job is done and looks good it very rewarding to take a step back and see the final result... I take pride in what I do !

[@owenparker6651]

Very nice tutorial and you certainly cannot argue with the perfect result. I notice you put the buffing compound directly on the vehicle rather than the buffer pad. I've never seen that or done that. Is there a reason you do that or is it just simply a personal preference/habit?

[@fix206]

I suppose it's a personal preference, in any case that's how I was taught to to do it about 20 years ago or so. And so far this technique hasn't let me down

[@owenparker6651]

@@fix206 I didn't see how it would make a difference, but I wanted to know for certain that there wasn't an actual reason. Thanks for appeasing my curiosity! :)

[@zeecee5881]

Hi there - Quick question, since everything is sped up. Is this supposed to take a long time to do? I tried buffing, but I did not get a high polish, and I was afraid to wear down the paint. So, I don't know how much compound to use. Should I use water with the compound? My results went from a little semi-shiny to scuffed to a few spots with white rings around a few areas. Also, how do I handle the folds in the hood where the levels change - I don't want to polish of the paint from the corners. What angle do you hold the buffer at - a more flat side or a slight angle. What am I missing? I'd really appreciate your advice. Thanks

[@JohnLothe]

You're a legend, Been bingeing your content and consistently you do a wonderful job. Thank you for sharing

[@fix206]

Thanks John !I appreciate that! I try to make my videos as educational as possible.

[@briannthara9109]

Man don't you ever stop making videos. You're by far the best teacher I have seen so far

[@fix206]

Thanks man, got more videos coming here real soon !!

[@PhillipHall01]

I agree brian, Fix is an excellent teacher as well as a top quality video maker.... Phillip Hall

[@eastcoastken]

Why do you out the compound on thw car directly and not the pad?

[@fix206]

It's just the way I was tough back in the day when I just started working on cars... At the end of the day it really doesn't make a difference if the compound goes on the pad or directly on the panel... Just a personal preference I guess

[@edanchavez1862]

Do you think the paint still holds up years later, I’m worried if I do this to my paint job later down the road i with have problems with my clear coat ?

[@fix206]

You're not sanding all of the clear coat off. You're just leveling out the top layer of it. It will last just fine for years to come.

[@horaceguidry1541]

Great work once again. What type of individual dislikes this!🤔

[@fix206]

Sadly there will always be haters out there that will dislike just about anything :(

[@natashaburrell7615]

This just promotes the cheap gun if you wind up having to cut and buff both guns.

[@fix206]

I suppose in the end you can ditch the paint gun and just use a roller to roll the base/clear on and it'll probably will still look fine in the end if you cut and buff 🤯😂 But in all seriousness I know what you mean, those guns are trash and I personally hate cutting and buffing, so it pays to use a good/professional gun to lay your materials down right the first time and be done aside from maybe some small nib clean up

[@VictorHernandez-tx5xo]

Did the truck on the back get overspray when you painted the car 😁 happens to me once

[@fix206]

I usually either park my cars farther away so by the time the overspray reaches them it's already dry and just settles down like dust that could be easily washed off with water or cover those vehicles with plastic if they are too close to the paint area.

[@PhillipHall01]

Smart move Fix with the air sander. I have seen John Kosmoski do similar. He used a palm sander with 600 grit to go over the orange peel lightly (dry sand). Every once in a while when needed to clean the paper, he would place it on a sheet of 'white' scotch brite pad and hit it just a second which cleaned the (seed) build up off the paper leaving the paper once again clean, smooth, and ready to go 'some more'. Good idea in my opinion instead of throwing the sheet of sandpaper away prematurely before it was worn out.. Phillip Hall

[@fix206]

Phillip my friend, how are you? it's good to hear from you! I've been slowly working on some of the videos but none of them are fully complete yet :(

[@PhillipHall01]

@@fix206 Thanks fix, I am doing well. We must take care of work and our families first. You have already put out a 'treasure trove' of top quality information in the videos you have already posted. That you have more footage to come is awesome! Any more will be bonus! Post when you can enjoy doing so and at your convenience. Good stuff here. Thank you Fix. Phillip Hall

[@cumminsadicts3340]

So my paint is like that with high and low I can see it like I hate it lol , it’s a dark sparkle blue painted for 1300 by a guy I know , so apparently I can do that and it’ll turn it nice ?

[@fix206]

Yep just follow my process and your results will be as good as mine 👍👍

[@cumminsadicts3340]

Thanks man

[@briannthara9109]

Going ahead to like or your videos

[@fix206]

Thanks Brian!

[@mjmjersey]

You are awesome could you recommend a gravity feed spray gun I'm new to this and I want to repaint my John Deere tractor and I'd like to get a good quality gravity feed spray gun but I'm not a professional what do you recommend

[@fix206]

Check out Iwata Kiwami4 guns... Awesome guns that sell for just under $200

[@mjmjersey]

@@fix206 alright thank you will do

[@mjmjersey]

@@fix206 are they available at Amazon

[@hoofixrman]

bravo!

[@fix206]

Thank you!!

[@mjmjersey]

Also if I have rust on something metal like my lawn mower deck do I need to grind it and put something on it before I put a primer or do I just Prime and paint it or just paint it how do I stop the restroom coming back

[@fix206]

Take all of the rust and old paint off and cover bare metal with Self Etching Primer...

[@mjmjersey]

@@fix206 alright. Where could I get the self etching primer is that something Home Depot or Lowe's would have and after that do I put paint right over it or do I put like a gray primer coat on it

[@fix206]

Pretty sure just about any auto parts store will have it in the same department as all of the other spray paint

[@mr2garage]

Just stumbled on your videos and they are great! Love your thoroughness. Quick question for newer than noob like me, is wet sanding necessary? What happens if you just do cut and polish with DA without wet sanding?

[@fix206]

Especially if you are a noob stay away from using DAs. Due to lack of experience you will most likely end up busting through the clearcoat thus ruining the paint job. Even though I've been doing this for a while I still prefer the wet sending just to be on the safe side, it is slower, but you have a lot more control over what it is that you're doing.

[@iansmith9201]

man this was such an awesome informative video. i might be replacing rockers, and cab corners on a ram soon and kind of want to repaint the whole truck and this is definitely motivating !

[@fix206]

I'll tell you one thing, you will learn a ton during a project like that. With some patience you'll be able to get it done !

[@GeeenJ]

looks good nice job on the cutting & buffing i prefer the lambs wool buff pads not keen on those foam pads i found they dont give a good finish

[@fix206]

Hey, thanks for the tip. I will for sure look into lamb wool pads. I always trying to perfect my technique and if there is a different tool out there that will help me get better end result then I am all for trying it

[@HiMattHigh]

That turned out much better than the ones I used to see at the paint shop I worked at. Guess that's the difference between taking time and care to do it right versus just trying to rush it out the door. Great job as usual.

[@fix206]

Thanks 👍 I for sure put a lot more time and care into these jobs, even if the car is going to be sold off here pretty quick I still get it done as if I want to keep that thing for the next 10 years :-)

[@prophotography]

awesome video - thank you for sharing such a detail set of instructions! I am more encouraged to do this myself rather than giving to a body shop. Thanks a lot and keep the videos coming.

[@fix206]

Glad it was helpful! Go ahead and try it yourself, once you get it down you'll never take your vehicle anywhere else for this sort of work

[@dm-zx7xb]

Another awesome video man! Love the technical details that the other rebuild channels skip out on!

[@fix206]

Thanks man, I figured if someone's going to spend the time watching my videos at least they can learn something new in the process...

[@Jorge_Reckless]

what psi did you use on the air sander ?

[@fix206]

Probably somewhere around 60-70 psi

[@Jorge_Reckless]

@@fix206 yeah just bought it today, anything under 60-70 psi the machine won’t vibrate

[@Jorge_Reckless]

@@fix206 appreciate you

[@fix206]

👍

[@luizhenriqueribeiro1970]

Muito bom os seus vídeos e o seu trabalho, está quase igual eu. kkk... I'm from Brazil...

[@fix206]

👍👍👍

[@lbsautopinturas7329]

I use 2 and e 3 speed. Good job!!!

[@fix206]

I normally have it set to 3 so it doesn't go any faster than that but I rarely pull the trigger all the way most of the time I have it pulled about 3/4 of the way so the buffer is probably spinning between 2000 2500 RPM

[@davidlee-mf5yf]

As usual, showroom quality finish 👍👍

[@fix206]

Thanks 👍

[@Mr_Everyman]

Can't wait for that Ghost

[@fix206]

Working on that video as we speak, should be out in a couple of days... Stay tuned !!

[@frozenstang3868]

Good video man as always. Not sure why youtube puts so many 4 minute adds on some videos but i skipped them all and then let the video run through in a seperate window so you get your revenue

[@fix206]

Yeah, not sure. KZbin just places however many ads it wants and wherever it wants in a video... Appreciate you thanking of me in regards to the revenue 😁 Cheers 👍

[@frozenstang3868]

@@fix206 Its all good. seems the smaller channels get the short end. i cant watch the long ones the days are too short lol but a guy has to eat.

[@myblob123]

Fantastic video!

[@fix206]

Thank you very much!

[@vita8208]

excellent work!

[@fix206]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@robertberlanga7439]

How long did you wait for the clear to dry when you busted and polished it

[@fix206]

If you are air drying meaning if you're letting the paint cure outdoors, in a summertime if it's nice and sunny out you can let the car bake in the sun for a day or two and then you are ready to cut and buff. If you sprayed the car in the winter time and it's overcast out and I would say the temperatures are somewhere in the 40s or 50s, then you may want to let the vehicle sit sometimes for up to couple of weeks to let the paint fully cure before cut and buff

[@robertberlanga7439]

Ok 👌 thank u I'm gonna try it on my ride . In my garage .

[@fix206]

👍

[@florinchimichanga1314]

do you have a tesla?

[@fix206]

Yes Sir, I do !! 😎

[@florinchimichanga1314]

@@fix206 is that a salvage one and you fixed it? If yes could you make a video? Its smart to have a tesla besides being a geek heaven it also have really low running cost like lower than a toyota corolla

[@fix206]

@@florinchimichanga1314 my tesla wasn't salvaged, but I did buy it from the original owner and it was damaged, just never went through insurance company so it retained clean title. I got it for super cheap and I have quite a bit of material on the repair. Maybe I'll put together a video about it one of these days.