Wet sanding and buffing enhances a car's appearance for car shows and increases the vehicle's value for resale. Many new cars arrive at the dealership with a finish resembling orange peel. In higher end vehicles like Bentleys and Lamborghinis, dealers hand sand and polish the final clear coat to a mirror-like shine. Less expensive cars are not detailed to this point because the process is labor intensive and therefore not cost effective. However, you can give any car, regardless of sticker price, the high-end finish prized by collectors through the process of wet sanding and buffing.
Fill a bucket and spray bottle with clean water. Use this to keep the car and sanding sponge free of clear coat residue as you work. Position the car in a well-lit, dust-free environment.
Wrap 1,200 grit sandpaper around a soft rubber sanding pad. Keep the pad flat on the surface of the car and use long strokes to sand a larger area.
Rinse the sanding pad often and spray the surface of the car with water to eliminate clear coat residue. Use the soft foam backing pad to get into cracks and crevices. The object is to remove the clear coat finish without damaging the paint finish beneath it.
Switch to 1,500, 2,000 and finally 2,500 grit sandpaper as your work progresses. Wet sand the entire surface of the car with each grit before switching to the next level. The higher the number, the less the sandpaper removes.
Remove the sanding marks using a dry buffing pad. Use a new buffing pad to eliminate swirl marks. Add a fine liquid car polish to a third buffing pad and rub the surface using long, vigorous strokes.
Hand buff to a brilliant shine using several layers of cheesecloth. Depending on the original condition of the car's finish, you can expect the entire process to take from 15 to 50 hours.
