I have an old beater 91 EB Bronco that mechanically is in almost new shape but the paint was faded bad. It is the Midnight Blue and Tan EB and the blue was almost white from fading. Since I couldn't find anybody I felt comfortable in letting them paint the old girl so I decided to try a major clean and wax. Well she got a major scrubbing and then I used Meguiars Cleaner to get the oxidation off and she started looking pretty decent. Not wanting to use any type of wax as I don't have time to do this every month, I went a search for something different. Something like what I have on my Lincoln. An 89 LSC that still looks like it just drove off the showroom floor and it hasn't seen a bath in almost ten years. It has a polymer finish on it and NOTHING will stick to it including dirt. But I haven't been able to find this same polymer finish or one like it until now. I found Liquid Glass. It goes on so easy you just know it can't work- it's too easy. Let it haze and dust off the haze with hardly any effort at all. My Bronco looks like new. It has a no streak mirror shine that is unbelievable. Even the neigbor stopped by wanting to know who painted my truck.
Obviously, I just did this today. It took 2 1/2 hours from cleaner to finish. I don't know how long this will last but if it is like the finish on my Lincoln I'll never have to be bothered with "waxing" again and a wash job is nothing more than spraying it with a hose and wiping dry with a towel. If you have a vehicle that you want to look like it is wet but don't want to hassle with doing a wax job every month, this is a smart choice.

 

Can you list what products you used exactly? and what order?

My 84' could use a good cleaning and something to bring back the faded paint, but I just haven't really looked too much into something to bring the paint back to somewhat of a shine, or at least back to its right color.
Probably doesn't help that I take it in the sand pits every week and get it dirty, but would like to see it clean once lol

 

The first thing I did was wash the truck with Armorall car wash and used a scrub brush on a pole. After it dried, I used a trick one of my guys said to use and that was WD-40. I used that by spraying it on and wiping it off. A lot of the dead paint came off with the WD-40. I washed the truck again with Dawn to get the WD-40 off. After it dried I used the Meguiars Step 1 cleaner to get the remainder of any dead paint off. The truck started out looking like this:


The paint is a dark, dark blue and the truck was a faded purple. After the cleaner I applied a coat of the Liquid Glass. It's as easy as it claims on the can. Wipe it on, let it haze and wipe it off. No major work involved, no having to almost grind the haze off, just dust it off. I also came behind the haze removal with a slightly damp cloth to pick up any dust. I gave her another coat today and this is what she looks like now:

Considering the truck hasn't ever seen a garage or ever under a cover and it hasn't been waxed since 1998, I think it came out fabulous. I'm not ashamed to be seen in it anyway. I think I'll be spending a lot more time driving the old girl now. Also, after the second coat the finish feels like it has a coat of plastic on it. It's feels just like my Lincoln. Now if it lasts as long as the finish on the Lincoln, I'll be happy, happy, happy.

 

Thanks for the tips!
It really does look like a fresh coat of paint.
I was informed that my truck didn't even come with a clear coat though, so I'm not too sure what my results might be if I do put the time in to try this (starting to get cold out though).

I remember during the last winter time when there was a light coat of dirt/rock salt?, and somebody decided to write in the dirt with their finger. I am guessing the oil from their finger embedded itself into the paint because it was literally impossible to get the writing to fade away even with washing it (didn't try any de-greaser though- probably should have). I'm sure if I clean the sand off of the truck, with the right light and angle, you can still probably read or see letters on there still from it. Maybe the wd would help replenish some of the life back into the paint as well.

Also, if I rub on the paint with a wet rag as if I was cleaning it, the rag will pretty much turn red (the color of the truck) where it contacted the paint. Is this stuff what you mean by "dead paint"?

 

Yeah, the dead paint is what will come off on a rag leaving the true color underneath. The wash water from the first scrubbing was blue as it came off of the truck. Might want to give the hood a squirt of WD-40 and see what it looks like after rubbing it in and wipping it off. If the paint looks good you can probably save the paint job. FWIW, this Bronco does not have a clear coat paint job either. This unit was involved in a wreck while it was on the freight hauler and came off of the top of the delivery truck. Everything from the doors forward was replaced but they never clear coated the paint. It's pretty thin in spots but you have to really look hard to see it.

 

There are many ways to skin a cat but using a brush on a pole shouldn't be in anyone's detail supply regardless of how soft you think that thing really is.

Just my opinion and sorry to chit on your parade, the truck looks great for the condition but there are other paths to restoring that finish.