reviving oxidized clear coat
 

Unfortunately I got a vintage motorcycle to restore the year before I bought my '04 4runner. The poor 4R has sat out in the California and Arkansas sun ever since. I love my 4R and don't want to replace it, but it is looking pretty shabby now.

I can't afford to repaint it properly so I was wondering if a "wet sand" or "color sand" or equivalent by a skilled detailer was worth pursuing to bring back the paint? Or is it too fubar'ed to consider?

I've detailed vehicles for 25 years and have worked at a Toyota dealership for the last year and a half detailing just Toyota products, so I should be able to help you.

First, without pictures, it's very hard to tell just how badly oxidized your paint really is. I highly doubt one year in the sun will have done unrepairable damage though.

Second, I wouldn't recommend doing something like this yourself unless you've done it before. The trick is to remove the oxidation, but not the entire layer of clearcoat. You'd be surprised how fast you can mess up if you don't know what you're doing.

That said, amazing things are possible if you take it to somebody who knows what they're doing. As proof, let me offer up this one that I did a few years back as a favor (and challenge) for a friend.

Before:

https://hosting.photobucket.com/albu...Before2012.jpg

After:

https://hosting.photobucket.com/albu...dAfter2102.jpg

Thanks for your interest and expertise. My 4R has been exposed to the elements for 16 yrs. I totally realize that this is not a DIY project. It requires professional detail skills and experience.

Here's some pix to better illustrate what I'm dealing with. Basically I'm just asking if something less than a complete repaint would be worth the expense.

Oh boy. That's bad. I'm afraid what you have there is way past wet sanding, buffing, and polishing. Sadly, it's time for paint.

Understood. Thanks!

I agree with Too Stroked. Re-painting is the best and most permanent solution.