Antique cars are a focal point of the automobile industry, with owners spending thousands of dollars every year maintaining their vehicles. Washing, cleaning and waxing are all important parts of classic-car care. Polishing an antique car can be a timely process, although it’s not a difficult one.
Wash your car before applying wax. A car must be immaculately clean in order to properly polish it.
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Choose a wax designed specifically for automobile paint. A number of waxes contain scrubbing granules that can damage car surfaces, so choose carefully.
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Park your car in a shaded area, preferably a garage or carport. If you wax your car outside, you run the risk of the sun baking the wax onto your paint, which can ruin your paint job.
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Begin polishing at the hood of the car. Apply a thin coat of car wax and rub the wax evenly over the surface of the hood. Allow the wax to dry to a milky color before buffing.
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Apply the buffer to the waxed areas at a low speed, letting it glide over the surface of the car. Take care not to turn the buffer on too high or apply too much pressure, as the buffer can eat into your paint job. Allow the buffer to lightly polish the wax off one small spot at a time, going in the direction of the metalwork when possible.
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Wax the remaining painted surfaces of the car, taking care not to apply the wax to any chrome or rubber surfaces. Always work in one small area at a time, as the wax dries quickly and needs to be buffed as soon as it is dry.
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Polish chrome surfaces once you’ve buffed the car. Apply the chrome polish carefully and rub it in well with a soft towel. Once you’ve coated the entire surface, buff the chrome quickly with a clean towel to bring out the shine.
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Check over your antique car to make sure you haven’t missed any areas. You can repolish any areas you missed by hand to keep your antique car polished and looking its best.
Tips & Warnings
Use caution when running the buffer on your car. Pushing too hard on it will cause permanent damage to the surface of your vehicle.
Do not let the wax get on any chrome or rubber surfaces. The wax can damage these areas.
