Maintaining a polished 170

jfeighny · Post by **jfeighny** » Wed Jul 10, 2002 1:29 pm

I am considering a 170 in need of exterior refurb. I am thinking to taking it back to the polished and paint highlights of the original paint scheme. What are the pros/cons of executing and living with this plan?
Thanks
jf

Post by **GAHorn** » Wed Jul 10, 2002 4:38 pm

Con's- It's a lot of work the first time. (Among the choice of surprises available to you when you strip the airplane, you may find someone has covered up hail damage with body filler, or that deep scratches from hangar rash or tool-marks are un-removeable without re-skinning.) It'll require bi-annual touch-up polishing, unless you keep it in a dry hangar.
Pro's- It's one of the few opportunities to really examine your airplane's structural health. It removes all exterior corrosion. It's the way they all left the factory, and it'll look great! See http://www.perfectpolish.com
Although they promote Nuvite, I have used Rolite on mine and am very satisfied.

DensityDog · Post by **DensityDog** » Tue Jul 16, 2002 11:13 pm

JF, how hard it is to return to the original paint & polish is directly related to how corroded/tarnished it is now. If it is already painted all over, might as well go with a new paint job.

I have used the Nuvite and the basic process that the perfect polish people use, and it works quite well on a plane that has even heavy corrosion, it just takes a lot of time.
The results are definately worth the effort, and the shine directly proportional the time spent polishing. I spent 20 hours on the fuselage alone, including the time it took to mask off the paint stripes so that they would not get rubbed off by the buffer. Haven't got to the wings yet, but I will.

knesbitt · Post by **knesbitt** » Fri Aug 02, 2002 12:15 am

I am in the process of polishing mine now and it is a lot of work. One of the good things about restoring one that is painted, assuming there is no hail damage, is the removing of the paint itself helps to remove some of the surface corrision.
Ken Nesbitt

3958v · Post by **3958v** » Sun Jan 25, 2004 1:10 am

I was wondering if everyone tapes off their paint when they touch-up polish their planes. I have just finnished taking a ragwing back to a polished fusealage and red trim using the nuvite process and PPG concept paint. I was very happy with the nuvite web site and product. They say that their "s" grade polish is good for paint as well as aluminum. I tried not tapeing but there is quite a bit of work removing the black haze from the red paint. Tapeing is not much of a problem on the stripes but on the tail number and logos it is about impossible so I was wondering what other guys with polished planes are doing. Thanks Bill K

DensityDog · Post by **DensityDog** » Sun Jan 25, 2004 1:40 am

Good question, Bill. I have wondered too if others tape off their stripes.

I have had the tape pull off some of the paint. I am going to try applying some wax to the paint before taping, next time I polish next to the paint stripes.

Max

zero.one.victor · Post by **zero.one.victor** » Sun Jan 25, 2004 4:28 pm

DensityDog wrote:Good question, Bill. I have wondered too if others tape off their stripes.

I have had the tape pull off some of the paint. I am going to try applying some wax to the paint before taping, next time I polish next to the paint stripes.

Max

OK Dog,we want a firm date when that polish work's gonna be performed! No hedging now--we want commitment!
And we want to see some shine on them wings too!

Eric

DensityDog · Post by **DensityDog** » Sun Jan 25, 2004 5:47 pm

Ahem....well..... I never discuss a work in progress!

Has anyone used the Nuvite F9?

Max

N2865C · Post by **N2865C** » Mon Jan 26, 2004 5:11 am

I just started to experiment with F-9 on some heavily pitted areas under the wings. It is pretty aggressive stuff. I haven't got far enough to have any really good information yet. Call Nuvite and ask them to put you in touch with their sales rep (I have forgotten his name). He will talk polishing with you all day and tell you if he thinks the F-9 is warranted in your particular application. It is so agressive that Perfectpolish.com will not even sell it to you without a phone consultation.
jc

DensityDog · Post by **DensityDog** » Mon Jan 26, 2004 5:48 am

Thanks JC, I will call them. Let us know how the F9 works. I was wondering especially if the swirls are hard to buff out when you get to the final polish stage.
Max

3958v · Post by **3958v** » Mon Jan 26, 2004 11:20 pm

On the subject of polishing, I took my fusealage to the airport last week for final assembly after recovering the wings and polishing the fusalage. Discovered a new problem with polished planes. My AI has a very friendly Doberman but when she walked past my beautiful plane she got real agressive and attacked it to get that Doberman she saw in the plane. No damage done but we all got a good laugh. Bill K.

Dave Clark · Post by **Dave Clark** » Mon Jan 26, 2004 11:48 pm

Of course that's a preview for all the drool you'll have to be washing off anytime you bring it out of the hangar.

zero.one.victor · Post by **zero.one.victor** » Tue Jan 27, 2004 1:42 am

My friend Mike from Richland has a blue & HIGHLY polished 52 B model. He usually gets an award either at Arlington or Evergreen every year for it. He has used several different polishes,I think he uses Flitz now? Whichever brand it is,the last 2 years at Arlington the distributor asked if he could hang a sign on Mike's prop to advertise the polish,in exchange for some free polish.
The airplane always gets lots of droolers,of course Mike has matching accessories (blue tie-down ropes & chairs,and a silver stepladder for dusting off the top of the wings a couple times a day). He spends about a week of evenings every spring to get the shine topped off,and really enjoys when people ask him about it,he figures that they appreciate the work that goes into keeping it extra nice. We always get a laugh out of somebody who asks what brand polish he uses,when the Flitz (or whatever) placard is hanging right there on the prop.

Eric

LouLaSalle · Post by **LouLaSalle** » Mon Feb 23, 2004 5:20 pm

Hi All,

I'm new to the forum, but have owned (and Polished) our 170B for 9 years. It's tough work, and expensive. A decent shine requires 40 hours of work with a Heavy Duty buffer ($300 new). When you get to the tail, the nose is ready to me polished again. My wife Patty(she is a 170 driver& polisher) and I just bite the bullet, and we are having ours painted. It will be an Audi silver with red trim like the original. But, we will be able to wash it, rather bust our bun's polishing. It isn't back from the paint shop yet, but we will let you know the outcome. It's out on Long Island, NY being worked on.

Lou

doug8082a · Post by **doug8082a** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 3:11 am

Lou,

Who's doing the work on Long Island? I'd be interested in checking them out for my upcoming paint job.

thanks,

The International Cessna^® 170 Association

Maintaining a polished 170

Maintaining a polished 170

Pro's and Con's