Sanding my cuda's paint to improve its looks?

[longgone]

I was at a cruise in last fall and a guy was admiring my car.  He pulled me aside and said that if I would let a good body shop sand down my car with some 'can't remember what he quoted' but the jest of it was very fine sandpaper and water I gathered..  that my car could look much better.  It's not a perfect paint job and has some blemishes in a few places.  Any rate, I didn't pay much attention as I had my three kids with me who were driving me crazy. 

But now I'm pondering what was he really talking about and what all is involved in what he mentioned?
Is this something any body shop could do?  Something I do myself?  How major or minor of a job is this?

Help out a paint ignorant dummy please...   
-Blueglow

[Chryco Psycho]

not uncommon , sand it down with 1500 grit wet sandpaper & polish it & it will be far smoother
 would I try this myself ....Uh No , I helped when we did my car & still screwed it up , the guy I hired was able to fix it though

[DocMel]

First, what type of paint job do you have ?   Base coat/clear coat?  If so, you have to be EXTREMELY careful not to accidentally sand thru the clear coat.  If you do, that area will have to be re clear coated again.  The base coat underneath is actually very dull.  The clear gives it the shine

If it's a "one step" paint job, that is, the color is the shine with no clear coat, its much more forgiving unless you sand thru the color into the primer or sealer underneath

There really isnt anything wrong with either a base/clear coat or one step paint job.  With the additives and UV protectorants in all most auto paints,  its really just a matter of personal preference
,
Regardless, its more than just sanding.  You start with about 1500 grit, then do it again with about 2000 then use a buffer to buff out the sanding marks, and it usually takes about 2 different pads, and 2 or so different types of compound or polish to finish the job.  And its easy to "Burn" thru the paint with the buffer if not carefull

But it isnt that hard to do.   Just read about the subject, and take careful steps.    Ive seen some average paint jobs really brought out to a great one, or old/faded jobs turn out outstanding and like new again

[73Chally]

If it's base/clear, how many coats of clear are on it, and how long ago was it painted?  If you don't know how much clear is on it, then you'll be walking a very slippery slope, because, like was said before, it is very easy to sand through it, and then you are screwed.  As far as it being easy, I don't think you'll find many people that will tell you that if you have never done it before.  It is incredibly easy to sand through, and also burn the paint when buffing, especially on edges.  You might want to first try a light buffing with a very mild glaze, and see how that looks.

[longgone]

How would you guys go about finding a good shop to do this?  I don't know of any good paint shops as I haven't had anything painted where I live now.  Is this something any body shop could do or do I need to seek out someone who specializes in custom cars and such?
-Blueglow

[73Chally]

Unless there are some members close by, or you have friends that have had paint work done, you will have to do your own research.  A lot of those hole-in-the-wall type places can some really good work, while big name places can do crap work, so don't go just by the looks of a place.  You need to see some of their previous work, get references, look online, etc. but in the end, it's important that you feel comfortable with whomever you go with.

[Sean]

For finding a reputable place to go to, go to a few local carshows and talk to car owners.  Find out who they like and who they recommend to stay away from.  Get a lot of opinions and then make your decision off the feedback they've given you.   

Sean

[matt63]

Some of the higher end detailing shops will wet sand and polish.  You can spend $1-2k on this exercise and possibly more.  Usually they will assess the paint and the defects to see if polishing will be enough or whether wet sanding is required.  I had a black Demon and they guy took 40 hours to do the job.  It made a huge improvement.

[elitecustombody]

Some of the higher end detailing shops will wet sand and polish.  You can spend $1-2k on this exercise and possibly more.  Usually they will assess the paint and the defects to see if polishing will be enough or whether wet sanding is required.  I had a black Demon and they guy took 40 hours to do the job.  It made a huge improvement.

I agree,my average bill to do this is  $1500 and can get up to $2000,which includes removing most of the trim,bumpers,door handles,mirrors,e.t.c.

OP, I know it's not a Mopar, but it'll give you an idea ,here are some pics of a poor paint job I tried to save for a customer, he bought the car as it and wanted me to clean up trash, orangepeel and imperfections ,it came out OK, I managed not to bust through the clear,

before




after wetsanding with 1500-2000 grit




buffed









Keep in mind, most shops would not touch someone's paint job without knowing how much clear is on the car, and if you find one, they may make you sign a waver ,so they won't be held liable if they go through the clear, but guys who specialize in colorsanding and buffing have paint thickness gauge and can usually tell right off the bat if there is enough material to safely sand and polish without burn trough.

If you decide to do it yourself, please do more research and ask questions ,it's very easy to mess up if you've never done this