What is a good product to get the swirls out of the paint from washes and such? I am waxing the G in like 2 months..will that help it?

Not sure if this would be the place to ask, but would it be okay to leave my car cover on during the rain? Or even if it's windy? Because was afraid that the cover might damage the paint if it's too windy. The cover that I'm using a NOAH cover made by CCC



Waxing won't do anything to fix swirls. You're probably going to need a DA polisher (Porter Cable 7424) along with some pads and some polishing compound. I've been using Meguiar's M105 in combination with M205 and have gotten pretty nice results.

It's a cheaper alternative compared to others. There's guides on the detailed image site that explain how to do everything.

Also the new paint correction system by Meguiars looks really interesting and you could also try that out too instead of that^

Normally I use one of the following combinations:

M105 - orange pad
M205 - white pad

OR

M105 - cyan pad
M205 - tangerine pad

I think your problem may be that you are starting off with such a strong pad (surbuf) with the M105 that you are leaving a lot of haze for the M205 to fix.

to be honest, i havent really noticed much hazing. i expected it with the surbuf, but i just dont see it. ill have to do a comparo and really look at it under the lights.

thanks for the tip!

To remove swirls, not just hide them, you'll need a quality polish. Polishes require more pressure and passes to be worked in to the surface. Therefore you can do it by hand but the results will be limited compared to an application with a buffer. If you want to try it by hand use the Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205 with a foam applicator with medium pressure.

If you want to try a buffer the Porter Cable 7424 XP is a great choice and very easy to use. It's completely safe even for first time users and you can expect great results on your first try. Check out these awesome deals on a buffer, pads and a two step polishing process.

DI Packages Porter Cable 7424XP, Meguiar's Polishes and Hydro Pads Basic Kit
OR
DI Packages Porter Cable 7424 XP, Meguiar's Polish and Hydro Pads

Both kits give you everything you need for an outstanding polishing job that will make the clear coat optically clear again. It will safely remove the swirls, oxidation, etc. that make the clear coat look dull over time. After this apply your favorite sealant or wax to enhance the shine you just created and to protect the finish. We generally recommend a sealant because they are so durable compared to waxes. My favorite sealant is the Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger (applied with a blue pad or by hand) because it looks amazing and protects for about 4 - 6 months.

If you have any questions about these products or any part of this process please don't hesitate to ask. Take care!

If you want help observing your paint check out one of the Brinkmann lights like the Brinkmann TuffMax Dual LED Pivot Spotlight. This one is really good at spotting haze. Good luck!

The problem is with all car covers if and when there is dirt trapped on your paint or underneath the cover and the wind blows it has a good chance to mar your paint. The more wind the more likely you are to see some add ultra fine scratches. Granted exposing the paint to rain and nature's elements is also not great so there is no easy answer here.

Greg @ DI

I attempted to clean my headlights yesterday and can't seem to get the results as good as others have been getting. First attempt, I wetsanded the headlights using 600-800-1000-1500 sand paper. Then used rubbing compound and then meguiars plastiX. It was still cloudy looking because of the sand paper. So I don't think I used enough water when I was sanding for the first time. This morning, after reading some stuff, I attempted it again with the same methods but I let the sand paper soak in water for a good 10minutes and used plenty of water. Then used rubbing compound and plastiX last and it came out better but there's still some of the scratches from before. If I took a picture, it would be hard to tell i think. What should I do now?

Yeah I figured all the same :(. I ended up just taking it off because the wind was getting pretty crazy. The car cover wasn't really flapping alot, but it was filling up with air and moving around a little bit. Better for it being exposed to the elements than risk getting scratches that way I suppose.

Thanks for the input though!



600-800 seems like too much.. when I did it I used 1500 and 2000 and I just spent alot more time on it to even out everything. If you're going to apply the rubbing compound and plastiX by hand then make sure you put a good amount of pressure and a good amount of time on them headlights. If they're still sort of foggy and the headlights feel smooth as if there's nothing on them at all then it might be fogging up on the inside. I have that problem on my passenger headlight :(. You'd have to find a way to get into the inside of the headlight to clean it out.

I'm going to attempt it again this sunday. Should I just start with the 800 then 1000-1500-2000 wetsanding? Or just do 1000-1500-2000. I want to get rid of the 600 and 800 sand marks from the first time so I want to make sure I do it right. Thankse

You should not be wet sanding with anything more aggressive than 1500 grit. I would start with 1500 if they're REALLY bad. Normally I do 2000 or 2500 then move to 3,000 and finish with a fine polish to bring back clarity

It's only bad on the passenger side. I'll start with 1500 and work my way up to 3000. Should I use rubbing compound and plastix after or just plastix is ok?

Also, starting now with 1500 grit will get rid of the older sand marks? I'm guessing I just have to wetsand longer and it'll go away

Water marks
 

I have two water marks on my hood that i cant seem to get out. They are only visible at certain angles but i would like to know if there is anything i can use to remove them? i have a 05' G35 Sedan in Liquid Platnium.

I was always under the impression shine on leather is good, but ive also read that it can be bad. Should our leathers not have shine from the products we use. I have noticed in brand new cars at infiniti all their leather is clean without shine...my question is shine or no shine? any products on the shelf at the local parts store you would recommend for leather or just the leather rejuvenator or whatever it was you had recommended in the past?

You started pretty aggressive so expect to work harder to buff out the haze. I would follow up the 1500 with 2000 and 2500. 3000 probably won't be needed but you may want to keep one handy. Meguiar's 2000 Grade - Unigrit Finishing Sand Paper
Meguiar's 2500 Grade - Unigrit Finishing Sand Paper
Meguiar's 3000 Grade - Unigrit Finishing Sand Paper

After that you may need a stronger polish. I personally like to use the Meguiar's and Menzerna polishes I use on the paint on my headlights as well. Try the M105 and the M205 and it should come out looking better.

Check out these Ask A Pro articles for added info:

http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-P...ation-process/
http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-P...s-on-a-budget/

Good luck!

Greg @ DI