How do you get your paint shiny?
 

I recently bought a vintage Peugeot on CL. The paint is a little dull. What do you use to get your vintage steel bikes spiffed up?

Clean with microfiber towels and diluted Simple Green. Apply Klasse High Gloss Sealant 1-3 times as you see fit. Enjoy.

Same as my car, polish and/or wax. Takes a lot less time to wax the bike.

Nu Finish, both the original and the Scratch Doctor. I use it on my vehicles and on my turntable dust covers, too.

Easy. After cleaning, I use this stuff. Been using Meguiar's on my cars too since the early 80's.
Meguiars #6 Cleaner/Wax cleans and protects in one step! This liquid car wax is superior to other liquid cleaner waxes because its by Meguiars.

http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/...psfc622ba4.jpg

This paint is forty years old.

http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/...ps15b8afd3.jpg

Wax alone doesn't shine the paint, only protect it. You need to use polish or a combined cleaner wax as footboy does.

If it's really dull (oxidized) I start with fine cut rubbing compound, then McGuires Show Car glaze, then wax. The "cleaner wax" products are a combo of rubbing compound and wax, and work fine on most paints that are only mildly oxidized.

I refuse to buy Meguiar's because of all the hype....even if it's true. I used to use Wax Shop products, but they seem to have disappeared from the market. Wax Depot is offering Wax Shop "replacements".

You'll know what I mean about the hype if you read car magazines, go to car shows or watch car related tv. They even have their own tv show now (Car Crazy, hosted by Barry Meguiar).

That paint is looking sharp! I bought my 80 Centurion several months ago and while I wipe is down it has not had any intensive polishing and waxing done yet.

I am assuming that tearing the whole thing down to frame only is the best way to polish and wax. Sounds like a winter time project.

Pledge furniture polish. A quick spray and wipe and you frame will look amazing; since it's not a wax, you can reapply with no buildup.

[QUOTE=Grand Bois;17054571]I refuse to buy Meguiar's because of all the hype....even if it's true./QUOTE]

Knowing nothing about the hype, I tried the product. It's pretty amazing.

[QUOTE=Roll-Monroe-Co;17054994]I started buying when I started building guitars. Only then did I move on to using it on my car, bikes, etc. :)

I clean the frame with simple green then spray the frame, rims etc with lemon pledge.
You can use expensive Car Wax but it does take time, builds up and you need to use a tooth brush to get the residual wax out of the nooks and crannies.

Lemon Pledge works Great, I know guys that have expensive classic cars and motorcycles that use lemon pledge.
It smells good too but can sometimes attract bees...

might have to pick up some lemon pedge now. i looked around the house, and i didn't find any dimethicone nor polydimethylsiloxane.

I use Finish Line Super Bike Wash. I think it might have waxed dissolved in it somehow. I spray it on, and the dirt jumps off and runs away. It doesn't seem to attach lubricants, either, so I use it everywhere. It works much better for me than Simple Green does.

http://www.finishlineusa.com/images/...amily_1312.jpg

The other cleaners in this vein work as well. Another such product is called Muc-Off.

Scratch X and then wax.

Not sure what "pedge" is, but Leamon Pledge coats the frame with a thin film of silicone that really makes paint on metal shine. As they say, don't knock it if you haven't tried it..

I think the Scratch X helps repair a damaged clear coat. It was the only thing that worked on my dull, spotted finish to bring the original paint color back.

I prefer Leamon Pedge.

Be careful with Simple Green. It can do nasty stuff to aluminum and definitely strips the wax.

oh, snap. i left out the "l," and you nailed me. nice one.

and i wasn't knocking it. i was just having fun with the names of its contents.

I pledge never to use it on my antique furniture. But bikes? Maybe.

Hype? I must've missed something. I first found mine via an auto body guy who did amazing paint jobs. He was right about the stuff.

I mix my simple green 1 pt simple green and 3 parts water, you don't want to use full strength.
I also use orange or lemon oil on antiques, (or even pure cocoanut oil).
Lemon pledge is the best thing for paint on my bikes and my newest Peugeot is 25 yrs old.
It does provide a protective coat and dirt and mud etc slide right off, when I am done riding I have an old rag soaked with lemon pledge in a plastic bag and a 2 minute wipe down always keeps it shiny and looking new.
Simple but effective.

[QUOTE=Grand Bois;17054571]I refuse to buy Meguiar's because of all the hype....even if it's true. QUOTE]

You won't use something that works because there's too much hype? That's ridiculous.