Buffing out old lacquer paint
 

I am buffing out an older lacquer paint on my 67 LeMans. It's coming out OK but having trouble getting the sheen to improve. The paint is extremely oxidized but buffing out pretty good. Lots of black color coming out on the buiffing pads. I am using Meguiars mirror glaze number 7. But when I follow up with Maguiars number 3 it actually dulls the paint rather than bringing out more sheen. This has me baffled? Any suggestions? I'm using an orbital buffer.

I have had good luck with adams brand blue compound and white polish, however I have not used it on lacquer

Your first passes ...should be with a Heavy Cut Compound ...on a rotary Buffah and wool pad.

Then go to a foam pad on the rotary ...with a polish

The use an orbital buffer with a finish polish.

I gave up on that McGuire crap years ago....it has a bunch of fillers in it.

Check out the 3D products...Not 3M...3D

If you're brave enough. Sand finish with 3000-5000 wet sandpaper. Then compound with wool pad and McGuire's Ultimate Compound.

You got it backwards. Use #3 first and then #7

You need a rotary buffah ...for the first 2 steps

Then the orbital buffer for the final step

I'm not a professional and don't want to invest in too much equipment that I may never use again. I have two orbital buffers one 7 inch and a 2-4 inch. If I take off too much I'm into the primer pretty quick. I am having pretty good success using the orbital buffer with a foam pad and the Meguiars number 1 and nothing else. I'm not going for show car finish the paint has some patina I am happy with how it's coming out.

Watching this, my '67 is a super faded Signet Gold, about the same as yours. The #3 is the more aggressive of the two Meguiars, but for this work (beyond most driveway wax jobs) you are going to need the pro compounds, worth checking a local paint jobber.