How to get rid of this

[dantheman]

So the car is a 2003 5 series (E60), color is Amethyst Grey.

The pictures attached are off the boot, haven't been resized, only re-saved for web viewing (by Photoshop). The obvious question is how to get rid of those small, tiny scratches in the clear coat as in the pictures. What are they called anyway?

I have the following: ScratchX, SwilrX, NXT. Will these be enough or do I need a DA or any other tools.

TIA!

[Markus Kleis]

Re: How to get rid of this

They look to be moderately deep swirls to me.

I would start with the ScratchX (if it is the old version), or the SwirlX if your ScratchX is the 2.0 version.

Work a very small area, maybe 1 square foot. Use a foam applicator and work it into that area with a fair amount of pressure. Do this for about 30 seconds, or right BEFORE you think it is starting to get dry and chunk or flake. Then wipe it away with your microfiber towel and inspect to see your results.

If they are not totally gone you can decide to make another pass with the same product, or step it up to something stronger and try again. the idea is to use the least aggressive method that will still effectively get the job done.

[CieraSL]

Re: How to get rid of this

You have what 95-99% of most vehicles on the road have. They are called swirl marks. They are essentially light scratches in the paint, usually caused by improper washing and a host of other things. A great thread for you to read is this one: How To Remove Swirls By Hand. Keep in mind that the car they are working on in the thread has a very hard clear and that the swirls on it are much more severe.

Some great reading:

Meguiar's 5-Step Paint Care Cycle

List O' Links 2.0

Internet Resources for Detailing Newbs

Videos to watch:

How to wash your car show car style

How to clay bar

And don't forget to check out Meguiar's YouTube channel for more vids: Meguiar's USA YouTube Channel

Hope this helps!

[dantheman]

Re: How to get rid of this

Thanks a lot for the pointers!!!

I'll have a read around, and start practising what I've learnt. The weather forecast is fine tomorrow so it's 'car time'!

Thanks again.

[Erik Mejia]

Re: How to get rid of this

Oooh Swirls! Ultimate Compound, and some SwirlX should make these dissapear.

[Erik Mejia]

Re: How to get rid of this

You should probably consider purchasing a DA/ PC polisher. If I had to choose I'd get a Meguiars G110 or the new PC 7424XP. Working with a DA will yield better results than if you work by hand, and it will be faster and less strenuous.

[the_invisible]

Re: How to get rid of this

I have the following: ScratchX, SwilrX, NXT. Will these be enough or do I need a DA or any other tools.

For Random Isolated Deep Scratches (RIDS), your arm is more effective than a Dual Action Buffer.

"I just buffed out my car using a dual action polisher and afterwards I noticed a lot of deeper scratches that didn't come out?

Do I just continue buffing on these deeper scratches to remove them?"

The answer to the above question is usually "no".

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30153

[dantheman]

Re: How to get rid of this

I have been using SwirlX with no discernible results. Maybe I need to work on those areas harder..... Or get Ultimate Compund. I'll be over in the states in a couple of weeks time, so I might be able to get it from WalMart.

[CieraSL]

Re: How to get rid of this

I have been using SwirlX with no discernible results. Maybe I need to work on those areas harder..... Or get Ultimate Compund. I'll be over in the states in a couple of weeks time, so I might be able to get it from WalMart.

Yep, you probably do need some UC. If I'm not mistaken, I believe BMW paint is generally hard, so Swirl X might not cut it.

[dantheman]

Re: How to get rid of this

I tried a combo of ScratchX and SwirlX on my wife's '96 BMW Compact, with Alaska Blue paint.

The paint is in bad condition, the car was imported from Japan to New Zealand as a used import, and it has various scratches as well as the paint was kind of like chipped all over the car, but they were not caused by stones or road debris (acid rain?).

The paint on the bonnet is hard and I've waxed it a few times, but it never feels as smooth as my car (the clear coat is gone?).

So I tried to get some shine back to the car by working on the right rear panel, and the bonnet. I didn't do the whole car because it's winter in New Zealand, and I did want to sit down and relax on a Sunday :-)

I will upload some before/after pictures to show the difference.