The appropriate sandpaper grit for repairing clear coat depends on the extent of the damage and what you're trying to achieve. You'll generally use a progression of grits, starting coarser and moving to finer ones.
The
1995 Ford Ranger paint code TR refers to Medium Graphite Metallic
Clearcoat, also known as . It's a popular color for this model year and
is available from various retailers like ColorRite and
medium-graphite-metallic-for-ford-ford-tr-m6712
https://www.google.com/search?q=touchup+paint+ford+TR+medium+graphite&oq=touchup+paint+ford+TR+medium+graphite&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i65j69i60.19038j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Here's a breakdown:
For deeper scratches, imperfections, or "orange peel" removal (requires more clear coat thickness):
Initial sanding: You might start with 600-grit sandpaper (wet sanding is usually recommended for clear coat). Some experienced detailers might even use 400-grit for significant runs or deep imperfections, but this requires extreme caution as you can easily cut through the clear coat.
Progression:
After the initial coarser grit, you'll progressively move to finer
grits to remove the scratches left by the previous, rougher paper. A common progression would be:
800-grit
1000-grit
1200-grit
1500-grit
2000-grit or even 2500-grit / 3000-grit
For light scratches, hazing, or preparing for polishing (less aggressive):
You can often start directly with 1500-grit or 2000-grit wet sandpaper.
Then, you'd typically finish with 2500-grit or 3000-grit before moving on to polishing compounds.
Important Considerations:
Wet Sanding: Always wet sand clear coat. This lubricates the sandpaper, reduces heat, prevents clogging, and minimizes the risk of burning through the clear coat. Use plenty of water and keep the surface wet.
Sanding Block:Use a sanding block or pad to ensure even pressure and a flat finish, especially when removing imperfections like orange peel.
Avoid using a power sander for initial clear coat work unless you are
very experienced, as it's easy to remove too much material.
Progression Rule:
A good rule of thumb is to never skip more than one grit in your
progression. For example, after 600-grit, go to 800-grit, not directly
to 1500-grit. Skipping grits can leave deeper scratches that finer grits struggle to remove, leading to more work and a less desirable finish.
Clear Coat Thickness:
Be mindful of the thickness of your clear coat. Factory clear coats can
be thin, so aggressive sanding can quickly lead to burning through to
the base coat or primer. If you're unsure, it's safer to start with a
finer grit and work slowly.
Visual Inspection:
Regularly check your progress. You want to see a uniform, dull
appearance with crosshatch patterns from your sanding. Once the
imperfections are gone, move to the next finer grit.
Polishing:After
sanding, you'll need to use polishing compounds with a rotary or
dual-action polisher to restore the gloss and shine to the clear coat. This is crucial for achieving a mirror-like finish.
If you're dealing with severe
clear coat failure (peeling, flaking), you might need to sand down to
the base coat or even primer, which would involve coarser grits like
320-400, followed by proper priming and re-application of clear coat.
This is a more extensive repair.