1970 Land Yacht polishing supply help

[happydaze]

Help...how do i tell if there is clearcoat left on my trailer...it just looks all scratched up...is that what oxidation is? scratches?...Also since i'm buying the Dewalt at home depot can i get the pads there too or do I have to buy from Vintage trailer supply? I don't care about having a mirror finish...I just want to shine it up a little any help?

[Safari Tim]

If you have some polish you can put a dab on a clean towel and rub the trailer with your finger. If the towel turns black, you don't have clearcoat.

If you do, have clearcoat it will have to be stripped before you can polish.

Oxidation is not scratches. It appears as a dulling of the surface. If the entire trailer is evenly dull, you probably don't have clearcoat. If its splochy (is that a word?) looking, and the top of the trailer looks like its peeling then you probably have clearcoat that is failing. Given the year of your trailer, that is what I would expect.

[05ModPod]

Does it look something like this??
- This is the 1969 we had.

You can actually see some scratches that have gone through the clear coat but not damage the aluminum.

This shows where the clear coat has failed over the years and the aluminum has oxidized.

This trailer will need to be stripped and polished.

You can do various levels of polish - if you want the "clad/clearcoat" look which is not a bad look either - then you could probably do that yourself and then take her in for a new clear coat somewhere - or if you have the skill, tools and location - you could do that yourself too.

Good luck