Fisheyes

[Stephen Dempsey]

First, I'm NOT a body or paint guy.

Is there any way to get fisheyes out of an older paint job without refinishing the area?

Thanks.

Steve
Lake Ozark, MO
'64C coupe

[Adam Wright]

First, I'm NOT a body or paint guy.

Is there any way to get fisheyes out of an older paint job without refinishing the area?

Thanks.

Steve
Lake Ozark, MO
'64C coupe

Take 10 steps back...

[Stephen Dempsey]

Thanks Adam! I knew you'd have a solution!!!

[Adam Wright]

Thanks Adam! I knew you'd have a solution!!!

I once had a 71 911 that was built to S spec. It was idling kind of high so I called my friend Gerry McCarthy and ask how to adjust the idle, he read me off a 16 point list, that involved the bendable wrench that went through the fan, while adjusting the MFI pump from the back, etc, etc. He paused for a few seconds and then said,
"Or you can turn the radio up."

There is always an easy solution!

[Dan Epperly]

First, I'm NOT a body or paint guy.

Is there any way to get fisheyes out of an older paint job without refinishing the area?

Thanks.

Steve
Lake Ozark, MO
'64C coupe

Depends.
If it's BC/CC you'd have to sand the man out and respray the entire panel. If single stage you might be able to sand them out if you have enough material and then blend in.

[David Seeland]

If the paint is single stage and you have some of the paint used to paint the car, or if you know the paint manufacturer and color, or can get a good match mixed, then overfill each fisheye with catalyzed paint using a very small brush. Then, after waiting a few weeks, wet sand each fisheye very carefully. To avoid sanding through the paint around the fisheye cut a small round hole in some thin tape to get most of the excess paint off and finish sanding with the tape removed. Use progressively finer grits until the last sanding is done with 2000 or 2500. Hand polish with 3M compound.

[Emil Wojcik]

On my MGB there was one small area with about a dozen fisheyes. Having had to repair chips before, I decided to approach them the same as a chip.

Carefully sand only the inside of each fisheye with a small dremel bit. Just hold the bit in hand and twirl the bit in the fisheye to scuff it.

Next, with a small brush and using multiple layers, dab your paint into each spot, building it up until it's higher than the surrounding surface. Let the paint dry for at least a week, longer would be better.

Now the tricky part. Take a NEW single edge razor and wrap three to four layers of masking tape around both ends of the blade so that only enough of the blade edge is exposed in the middle to straddle the now-filled fisheye.

Hold the razor blade perpendicular to the car's surface and carefully drag the exposed part of the blade edge over the raised paint until the masking tape stops the blade from removing any more paint, then remove one layer of tape and repeat the process until you're left with one layer of tape (you don't want to remove that last layer).

Now take a piece of wet-dry sandpaper about 1/4 wide and about three inches long. Hold one end of the sandpaper strip with two fingers of one hand and place the paper over the spot. Place a finger of the other hand on top of the sandpaper, holding the paper down on top of the spot, then slowly pull the sandpaper out from under the pressure of your finger. This will remove what's left of the raised paint after you had shaved it down with the razor. Then you can lightly block sand the spot with wet-dry paper (use it wet) and finish with polish.

I hope that wasn't too confusing. It's actually pretty simple but it takes time and patience if you want the spot completely flat while not sanding through the paint.

If you can't picture what I'm describing just let me know and I'll add some photos of the process.

[Stephen Dempsey]

Dan, David, and Emil - Thank you! Now I have something to try before heading to my painter.

Steve