Nishiki clean up
 

I recently got a Nishiki mixte that appears to have been little used. Tire tread, brake pads, and chain wear all seem to indicate a bike that has spent most of it's life in the garage. I have stripped everything off the bike to clean, polish, and lube. I am seeking advice on the best way to deal with the painted frame. The finish is dull but very few scuffs and scratches. You can see how shiny the bike was where I took the rear brake hardware off.

What steps would you recommend to wash, prep, and polish the paint finish on this bike. I have a lot of car cleaner, polish, and wax but don't want to make some mistake on the bike.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e9a46a3faa.jpg

As long as the frame doesn't have any fine grit on it, I don't see how you can go wrong using a mild automotive scratch removing polish. Follow the directions. Wax is your choice - I don't think it will make that big a difference as it does for cars that are exposed to the elements all the time.

Dawn soap and warm water to clean the dirt off.. 3M Automotive Rubbing Compound to revive the shine. Add Turtle Wax after the polish job if you want.

if the frame has heavy Grease or algae from years of rain(not your case, but as general info) i hit it with PB blaster first, then let it set for a half hour or so... THEN do the Wash/Polish/Wax thing.

https://www.meguiars.com/automotive/...07-7-oz-liquid

​​​​​​https://www.meguiars.com/automotive/...6-16-oz-liquid

Wax may be enough, if not then a light duty rubbing compound should do the trick after a pass or two.

Agree - the automotive solution is a mild cutting polish like the meguiar products, and a lot of elbow grease. Clean thoroughly (a pack of microfiber clothes from Harbor Freight is useful here) and then apply wax. Not sure how best to fix scratches. I just fixed a finish crack on a guitar I have (this is where the finish ittself cracks, but not the wood underneath). This involves applying cyanoacrylate ("super") glue and then scraping, sanding, and polishing the glue to be level and at the same gloss level as the other finish areas. The CA glue (first low viscosity to creep into cracks, and then medium viscosity to fill) prevents further cracking, chipping, or pealing. But other approaches (like paint!) may work better on a bike.

I would clean it off with automotive brake cleaner and a rag with gloves. Then I would use the steps from the post above mine.

Hello,
I wouldn’t use any abrasive. A good bath with dish soap. Some mineral spirits to remove tough, dried grease/oil followed by a good rub out with Meguiars Ultimate Compound. Then, a good quality automotive wax. This process has worked well for me with many weathered bikes.
Cheers,
Van