Abstract: A method and apparatus for polishing the surface of successive automotive vehicle bodies as they move past a polishing station. Rotary brushes are moved into brushing contact with an automotive vehicle body under a regulated pressure. The brushes have bristles covered with abrasive particles. The bristles are made of a consumable material such as nylon so that the tips wear away during use and fresh abrasive is continually presented for polishing.

Abstract: A tack-off machine for automatically removing dust and the like from a series of vehicle bodies of different styles being moved by a conveyor through the machine to clean them for priming or painting. At least one rotary top brush automatically follows the profile or contour of each vehicle body to remove dust from at least the front, any hood and the roof of the body and preferably also any rear deck and the back of the body. To insure cleaning of the front of the body the top brush moves along a path sloping generally upward and in the direction of travel of the body. Movement of the top brush is controlled by a central processing unit in accordance with a profile of the body and in synchronization with the speed at which the body is moved through the machine by the conveyor.