Swirl marks

[bwwelk]

Hey i was just wondering , i have a 01 pontiac grand am gt and it has had fine swirl marks in the piant since we bought it little over a year ago , What should i use to take the swirl marks out of the paint???
The swirl remover, fine cut cleaner, compound power cleaner,or the diamond cut compound ???
Thanks Bill

[gb387]

Re: Swirl marks

Originally posted by bwwelk
Hey i was just wondering , i have a 01 pontiac grand am gt and it has had fine swirl marks in the piant since we bought it little over a year ago , What should i use to take the swirl marks out of the paint???
The swirl remover, fine cut cleaner, compound power cleaner,or the diamond cut compound ???
Thanks Bill

Are you going to be doing this by hand, PC or rotary?

[Coupe]

Grandam paint is something i know alot about, considering i own one lol

This paint responds VERY well with the G-100 or PC (whatever you wanna call it) with the megs #83, #80 then #82.

You want it to look the best it can do this:
wash
claybar
#83
#80
#82 or #7
Then a LSP of your choice.

Finished results should be similar to this:

[bwwelk]

by hand probably ,,,,,would that be best ????...

[maintainin]

Howdy. I just registered and I have the same question. I just bought a black 2007 Chevy Impala SS on saturday. I washed and waxed her yesterday using the meguiars deep crystal car wash and a sheepskin wash mit and waxed with NXT generation tech wax. Well, today I've noticed those really fine swirl marks in the paint. I didnt catch them yesterday because it wasnt very sunny, but it is today and you can see them when ithe sun gleams off of it. I would prefer to do it by hand if possible. I'm just not comfortable using a buffer and if it needs to come to that, I think I'll just take it to a pro. So whats the best way to get these out?

Another question, what is really the difference between a wax and a polish. Which would you use first?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Coupe]

Originally posted by maintainin
Howdy. I just registered and I have the same question. I just bought a black 2007 Chevy Impala SS on saturday. I washed and waxed her yesterday using the meguiars deep crystal car wash and a sheepskin wash mit and waxed with NXT generation tech wax. Well, today I've noticed those really fine swirl marks in the paint. I didnt catch them yesterday because it wasnt very sunny, but it is today and you can see them when ithe sun gleams off of it. I would prefer to do it by hand if possible. I'm just not comfortable using a buffer and if it needs to come to that, I think I'll just take it to a pro. So whats the best way to get these out?

Another question, what is really the difference between a wax and a polish. Which would you use first?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Start here, read through this.

paintcare-n-detailing.com

[Edited for commercial link]

[Coupe]

Originally posted by bwwelk
by hand probably ,,,,,would that be best ????...

Doing it by hand would take forever. It takes me 8-12 hours doing it with the PC, couldnt imagine by hand. You wont get the best results by hand imo.

[Zet]

It is possible to remove swirl marks by hand, but as Coupe has written it's gonna take a lot of time and elbow grease. If working by hand, I wouldn't aim for doing the whole car in one day, but instead just a few panels a day. That way you wouldn't get totally exhausted, and tempted to rush the job.

But consider investing in the PC/G100. It is very user friendly, will make the job a lot easier, and provide better results. It will also make taking care of the car in the future a lot easier.

Wax is the last product used, which is why it is often called a LSP for Last Step Product.

Here's a few threads to read:
Meguiar's 5-Step Paint Care Cycle
How To Remove Swirls By Hand
Using the G-100 to remove swirls with the Professional Line

[LiquidBlack]

To remove swirls by hand, you may want to opt for ScratchX.

ScratchX is a product that must be worked in order to break down the diminishing abraisives. So, you work a small area at a time, working the product in until it is near invisible, wiping down the area, and inspecting. Sometimes it takes many re-applications to get the results you want.

[maintainin]

Originally posted by LiquidBlack
To remove swirls by hand, you may want to opt for ScratchX.

ScratchX is a product that must be worked in order to break down the diminishing abraisives. So, you work a small area at a time, working the product in until it is near invisible, wiping down the area, and inspecting. Sometimes it takes many re-applications to get the results you want.

Man, this is scary stuff to a noob like me. Something about mentioning the word "abrasive" when it comes to paint makes me uneasy. LOL

I think I'll give the scratchX a shot first. The car is brand new and the swirl marks are really light so maybe that will do the trick. So let me get this right. I should scratchx it, then polish it, then wax it?

Also, I already got a coat of wax on it. Does this need to come off before using the scratchx?

Thanks for the replies.

[Coupe]

Do yourself a favor and get a G100/PC.
In your situation, the way you explained it i would (if you have a g100/pc):

wash
dry
claybar
#80
LSP of your choice.

[maintainin]

Where do I get a G100/PC?

[tHE_Magus]

you can get one at autodetailingsolutions.com

[LiquidBlack]

Hah, I'm afraid for scaring you. You see, meguiar's has what are called diminishing abraisives. As mike puts it, if you rub a little bit of scratchx between your fingers, it feels like lotion, not like sand. The diminishing abraisives are very very small, and break down as you work them in. It is a very safe product.

[maintainin]

$150 for a G100/PC. Whew. Is there a cheaper alternative that could do the job?