Re: [VAC] Hello!

[tylerbears@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Hi Jim and Jan,

Your questions are similar to those asked by many of us at one
time or another. Regardless of the answers you select, there 
are tradeoffs involved. Perhaps the tradeoffs should be in 
the equation before you search for the answers. Two examples:

Our '77 31' had the clear coat removed and reapplied10 years ago.
The price was $2,000+- to remove and reapply. To my way of 
thinking, that translated $1,000 to remove and $1,000 to reapply.

Now, 10 years later, the reapplication is starting to peel. If I
had chosen to remove the old clearcoat and NOT put on new 
clearcoat, I'd have had to rewax once or twice every year for 
the price differential. BUT -- I chose to reapply new clearcoat 
and not do the yearly rewax job.  Was it worth the $1,000?

My circumstances are no different today than then -- EXCEPT
I'm out $2,000+- AND there are several areas of clearcoat which
have two layers of clearcoat (10 years ago, the job was not done
to my exacting preferences). Implications?  Satisfied customer?

Next -- hold that concept in mind and scroll forward.

In October 1999, I found a '63 Flying Cloud that had been 
used only for rallies during the last 12 years and was highly 
roadworthy. When I called the owners and before I bought 
the Airstream sight unseen, one of the answers I got from 
them was, "No, it does not have clearcoat on it and the 
surface is a chalky aluminum color. I've never polished it 
because it always looked fine to me"

No other answer could have been more desireable to me. 
With the benefit of ** MY 20/20 HINDSIGHT, I WANTED ** our 
third restoration effort to begin without clear coat and to 
end without clearcoat. I certainly don't want any of the
questional quality (1990s era) clearcoat on our Flying Cloud.

Whatever shine I eventually get will be of my own doing and 
whatever shine I continue to have will be of my own doing. 

Jim and Jan, it's like most things in life. What's YOUR
preference? How satisfying do YOU think polishing YOUR 
Airstream will be to YOU? How much effort do YOU want 
to put into removing the old clearcoat? What kind of 
feelings do YOU want associated with YOUR Airstream?

Take your time, do the homework necessary to learn how to do 
the job correctly (and safely), select the weather conditions
to facilitate your efforts. Schedule the job among the other 
jobs you'll be doing anyway. Once you have finished it, you'll
always have a sense of personal pride in what you did and a 
profound feeling of accomplishment when you see yourself
in the shiny aluminum mirror reflection. 
Terry