Greetings from downtown Thornbury (1200 people...1 stoplight).
I have a nice mid-grey metallic '04 G Coupe that has some very, very light swirl marks in the clearcoat. They look like little spider webs & you have to get them in just the right light to see them. But I think I'd like to get rid of them in order to have the paint look as good as possible. I also have a bunch of chips etc, but other than a repaint I don't think I can do much with them.

I've read a bunch of the posts, looked at videos on YouTube,etc. but I'd appreciate any advice you can give me on the following.

I've clayed, glazed, paste waxed & Final Inspectioned the car & it looks damn good.....but the swirls are obviously still there. Someone gave me an unused 10 inch Wen orbital waxer/polisher with cotton & wool bonnets (I think it's a low-end Crappy Tire product but I'm afraid I'll screw up the car if I use the wrong stuff with it or don't handle the polisher properly.

So.......can I hand buff the swirls out or is that just too much work? (I'm 76 & I don't want my neighbours asking....."who's that dead guy on the hood of that shiny G35?) If I should take it on what product(s) should I use? If not, should I use the buffer & if so, what products should I use & with which bonnets?

I appologize for being so windy but I'll appreciate any help you can give me...maybe I should settle for the very nice shine I have now.

Thanks. Bill

 

Welcome Bill. Many of the guys here like to use the Porter Cable as it will not damage the paint. If you do a search for Porter Cable on the form you'll find lots of info. Check out the detailing thread at the top as well some of our detailing meets.

 

we got our most senior member
welcome to forum, check out the main detailing section on the forum, or search for swirl marks, u will find out a lot of information.

or wait for our member kevin a.k.a picus to shine on the thread with his valuable information )

 

Lol I have a new signature

 

OK....thanks for your responses. I searched Swirl Marks (thanks for the suggestion) & I've started working my way thru' the responses that came up.
It appears I'll have to buy a pc & a gaggle (there's aword you don't hear too often) of polishes, etc. & living on a Canadian pension doesn't make that too easy.

I appreciate your help & welcome any further thoughts anyone has.

I love the car & I do want to keep it looking good.

All the old farts I hang with are envious as hell.

Bill

 

http://www.eshine.ca/

 

Ah... Thornbury is a nice little place! How is the water temp, can I still go for a swim?

 

Hi. It's an absolutely fabulous day up here.....the sun is shining....our Fall Fair is in full swing but.....if you were to venture into the Bay... I think a certain part of your anatomy might just disappear on you.
Have a great day &......be well. Bill

 

Hey Bill - removing swirl marks by hand is very, very difficult. On modern paint I am going to go on a limb and say it's all but impossible to do with any sort of consistency; in a lot of cases you'll end up with some areas looking worse than before.

On the RO's from Canadian Tire; they can work for applying sealants/waxes but generally don't have the mechanical power to break down abrasives properly. You can see where I am going with this. If you're going to DIY you'll save money in the long run just buying a Porter Cable, backing plate, a few pads and compounds/polishes. You can get starter kits from eshine.ca: http://www.eshine.ca/porter_cable_74...183.php?cat=28

If you are dealing with what are truly "light" swirls on the car you'll probably need something like the following to deal with it:

A PC & BP
At least 1 orange, white, and grey pad (though I would strongly advise 2 of each or more, it will let you continue working without constantly cleaning the pads).
A medium cut compound, like Menzerna Super Intensive Polish, Meguiars #83... A light cutting polish like Meguiars #205 or Menzerna Final Polish (or PO106ff).
Some time.

As for how to do it, start reading!: http://www.detailedimage.com/Auto-De...ide/Polishing/

That's the best online guide I know of on how to use a random orbital. If you have questions let us know!

P.S, I can't end this post without mentioning that in a lot of cases it is easier/more cost effective to have the car professionally detailed, then maintain it yourself. Yes, I know, I'm a self serving SOB.

 

Thank you very much for the good advice.....you may have saved my wife from widowhood, altho' there are times she may have thought that would be OK.
Do you know if I might be able to find a used pc & if so, where?

I appreciate your expert advice &.........I'll take it!

Bill

 

I just ordered the porter cable 7424xp swirl buster kit. Its a great value and it gets you all your tools you would need to get a good start. You would just need to choose your polishes. If you head over to eshine.ca and take a look at the articles there's one there called my new polisher which explains all the different pads and gives a few scenarios at the bottom. Check it out and come back on here with some feedback! Another thing, shipment is very fast with these guys, I had all my stuff in 2 days!

 

That is an excellent article & explained in very clear terms a bunch of stuff I needed to know. Thank you.
I now have to decide whether I can/want to make that kind of investment in getting rid of those swirl marks & scratches. I spend 4 months in Florida each winter so maybe I'll do it when I'm down there.
Thanks again.
Bill

 

Love your enthusiasm for getting and keeping a nice car. G/L and best wishes on going down the road to learning and practicing top notch exterior reconditioning and maintenance on your car. It's the best thing I did as far as cars go for many year.

Driving the car down to Florida for the winter and using your PC there is a great idea.

 

Hi Bill,
Nice to see someone posting from Thornbury.
I know the area well and have worked on the dam up there.
We do the automation controls for the gates.

...next time I'm up I'll drop you a line first.
Maybe we can get together at Timmies

I'll probably be up sometime towards the end of Sept.

..cheers, from another old fart.

 

1 pass with a porter cable and 105 meguires compound!