Firstfives.org

The answer is don't go there. Think driving in places with a winter, no, rust will win. That's that. Write it down.
In the event one is eccentric enough to decide on restoration, the correct answer is money. Find the shop, communicate the dream and write the check on the happy day of completion. Trusting (?) all of the rust has been properly cut out, panels replaced, back to like new condition.
However, my sickness for DIM, (witted) doing it myself with Bondo and rattle cans has increased my education. It happens my '79 (COM May 2002) has a Mayko black squirt job. The car is a driver.
Did anyone know there are 300 colors of black ? Whatever the actual number I was so informed today. Not thinking about it I assumed all other colors, including whites, would be subject to factory match codes. Expect having to get the correct paint or see the result of the patch attempt.
Now I know. Mayko black is a unique blend of orange peel, dust specs,... not easily matched with just a can of gloss black enamel from Gizzy's Auto Parts.
Just passing it along.

This reads like a reply but feels like a painful admission. Thank you for your honesty.

Truly, it (and we) will rust and decay and become dust one day anyway. Enjoy it, drive it, keep it driving and comfortable and you've done it and you well. I am sure you have learned a lot. Perhaps the time spent and $$$ was just therapy for you. My wife bought a shitty condo, it became her MBA.

Moving along in the econo rattle can resto therapy...

Is anyone up on the differences in buffing, polishing sauces ? As in the multitude of choices out there, sales pitches, descriptions,... and costs ?

For example : A bottle of Meguire's medium to fine polishing compound $17.95, an equal amount of Turtle Wax polishing compound $5.95. 3M features even more advertising superlatives for their sauces.

Flummoxed, I asked the auto parts store expert. " It's all the same stuff."

Yes ? No ?

Thank you.

Black is "usually" just plain black, and easy to match. Contrast that to white which has a near infinite number of white whites, blue whites, yellow whites, gray whites and combinations thereof.

Polishing compounds? They're not all the same. Different degrees of fineness/coarseness, they can also differ in how they go on, how they break down and just plain how well they work. Meguires makes good stuff, as does 3M. Turtle Wax isn't generally great quality. My current favorite is Race Glaze leveling compound. It does a great job and works quickly, at least the old bottle I've been nursing for years. On the other hand I don't like Race Glaze polish, it doesn't seem to work as well.

Yes, they will all work. But they're not all the same.