This is my free autocross beater. As you can see the clear is in pretty bad shape. I realize to truly repair this it needs to be repainted. I'm not interested in it looking like a show car but is there anything I can do to make it look better than it does? If not, that's just the way it'll stay then!
My E24 has peeling clear. I blow off the loose stuff with the air compressor and polish it with a cleaner wax. It does a pretty good job of making it look better for a couple of months.
That sounds pretty good. The part I'm most concerned about is the big white spots on the trunk.
Is the paint worn through to the primer in those areas? If so, there is no polishing that out.
Mask off the trunk and hood and paint them semi-gloss black, just like all the cool kids do. 
Alternatively, see if you can find a can of touch up spray to match. It won't be perfect, but it will be better than the piebald look.
In reply to Toyman01: nah, that's just the clear. The base coat hasn't started wearing yet.
In reply to DanielCut:
Then I'd hit it with some rubbing compound and see what happens. It can't get worse.
Plastidip? Its not just for stance tards.
There is a trick for this, I got it from the mercedes yahoo group, who got it from a rv site.
It involves pealing back the clear as far as you can (all the loose stuff), feathering the edges, cleaning with tsp (I skipped this), magic eraser, bar keepers friend, rinse well, then several coats of red max pro high gloss floor wax. I used this on my 300d Benz and my xplorer 228 rv.
Edit: Here is the procedure, easier than it reads:
Restoring the finish of an older RV using Red Max Pro:
Materials: -Red Max Pro (Step 3) Low Maintenance Floor Finish* (available only at Lowes, about $16) -Bar Keeper's Friend (powdered) -TSP (Trisodium Phosphate, powdered) -3M scrubbies (white, fine) - Microfiber rags (white or laundered) -Latex gloves Preparing the surface is the most important part, since anything left on the surface will be sealed under the Red Max Pro acrylic coating, and improper prep can also result in peeling/flaking later. I repeat: The prep-work is the most important part! Do not try to cut corners here. The cleaner your RV is, the better your final results will be.
Step 1: Start by washing your RV well as you normally would, making sure to include the roof, and rinsing well from the top down.
Step 2: You now want to remove any and all stains, soiling, oxidation, and chalkiness from the surface. Dip a white 3M scrubbie into water and then liberally sprinkle Bar Keeper's Friend (BKF) on it. Scrub the surface of the motorhome, rinsing the scrubbie and re-applying the BKF often. Do small areas at a time, rinsing well with water and a sponge as you go ( I used a "flow-thru" brush attached to a hose to rinse the BKF residue thoroughly).
Step 3: Next you want to make sure that there is absolutely no remaining wax on the RV, since any residual wax can cause the Red Max to peel and flake. Mix up a bucket of TSP (1/2 cup) in water (2 gal), and use it to wash the entire RV again. You can use it with a carwash brush, a sponge, a pressure washer…anything you would normally use to wash your RV. Rinse well as you go, then rinse again and let it dry completely. You should now be left with a clean and smooth (although dull) wax-free surface. Congrats, the hard part is done!
Step 4: Now comes the easy part. Shake the Red Max Pro (RMP) well, and pour some into a shallow container (a pie pan works well). Fold a microfiber rag to about hand-sized, dip it into the RMP (trust me, use gloves!), and squeeze out the excess. How much/how wet? You want it more than damp, but less than dripping. Now simply wipe down the surface of the RV with the wet microfiber rag. Don't try to apply a heavy coat or try to "rub it in"; just wet the surface (imagine wiping off a layer of dust with a damp rag). It really doesn't matter whether you wipe horizontally, vertically, or in circles, and don't worry about overlaps; RMP is very thin/watery and you are just trying to "moisten" the surface. Work your way all the way around the RV. The thin coat of RMP will dry very quickly; long before you've gone all the way around it will be dry and you can immediately start on the next coat.
That first coat will likely look really bad; streaky, blotchy, shiny in some places, dull in others…don't panic. Each additional coat will start to even it out and build up a deep layer of shine. By coat 3, you will be grinning ear to ear. And coat 4 (or 5?) will be the icing on the cake. Not only will your RV shine like it hasn't shined in years, it will be a deeper color as well*. Even old, faded graphics will have a new lease on life! All for less than $30 total!
*Note: This procedure will slightly change/darken the color/shade of your RV.
Things (I learned) to keep in mind:
-Don't use new colored microfiber rags until they have been laundered, as the color may bleed.
-Don't try to "over-apply", or try for a heavy coat, or you will get runs. The thinner, the better. Remember, you're just trying to "moisten" the surface with each thin coat, nothing more. If you are getting a lot of runs, you're applying it too heavily.
-Be careful around window frames, locks, latches, etc., as the RMP is very watery and will have a tendency to gather and cause runs. RMP dries fast, so keep an eye out for any runs and give them a quick wipe before they start to "set up".
-Some older, deteriorated graphics may "bleed" color onto the rag and surrounding areas. If you notice any bleeding during the BKF or TSP stage (steps 2 and 3), then give a quick wipe of RMP across the graphics prior to step 4, which will seal them up. Then go ahead and apply the RMP to the entire RV (including the now sealed graphics) as per step 4 of the tutorial.
-After each coat, go around and open/operate all hatches, locks, catches, etc. The RMP acrylic coating can sort of "glue" them closed.
-You can also do the window frames (avoid the glass) and other painted metal areas; in fact, I did my entire Class C cab since, like the rest of my RV, it was also very weathered and dull. Came out great!
Maintaining the Red Max Pro finish:
Now that your RV looks like it has a new, clear coated paint job, you'll want to maintain that new finish as long as possible, right? Well, good news. With Red Max Pro, that's easy to do as well. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This will give you a 20 ft, or less finish, note as stated, anything left on the car will be sealed in under the Red Max, so make sure it is clean. Once done, re-waxing is a snap as there is no buffing any residue off.
I don't suggest doing this on a car with a good finish, I would think the magic eraser/3M scrubbie may put swirl marks in a car with a good clear coat, although the RM would fill them in, if you ever went back to regular wax, it may show them.
Steve
Vinyl wrap or plastidip
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