Hey everyone,

I have tons of swirls on my car and well I know that I have gotten them from lack of care. I want to change all of this and really try and start to treat my baby the way she is suppose to.

I was thinking of getting a PC and doing it myself but I think I am not going to do it good enough. Like I know what I want but I dont always pay enough attention to detail to really do it the way it needs to be done. I was wondering 2 things... 1) how much would it cost to have someone do it for me? 2) would I just look into any shop here in tampa. Of course if hundreds and hundreds of dollars are needed to get my car to a good point then I might reconsider doing it myself but again I dont think it will really pop.

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I would say that its going to costs hundreds no matter what you do.

1. You pay someone to do it. Will range...but probably $200ish easy to rid yourself of swirls.
2. You buy all the equipment needed. This will cost you well over $200 by the time you're said and done, but then you have it all and can do it to your car again and again. Definitely the better cost saver in the long run.

It really just depends if you want to DIY or not based on time, skill(or potential for skill), and patience.

 

Ok, and that is the way I thought about it. It will come to the same cost but when I need to do it again is where having the equipment will save in the long run. So I guess its personal preference. Thanks for the info, I think I will look into doing it myself as I can go back over it if/when I messup and not leave my baby in the hands of a total stranger.

 

I have successfully removed many swirls by using meguires 3 step, along with claybar, and a cheap orbital buffer from auto parts store. You can also try using swirl removing compound that is not industrial, buffer grade. It won't get out deep swirls like buffing compound will but it'll definately reduce the appearance of many of them. Cheap orbital buffers aren't powerful enough to damage your paint too. I mostly use mine just as a removal tool to speed up the process.

 

Meg's 3 step doesn't have any abrasives, how could you possibly remove swirl marks with it?

 

this is what i found from the meguiars website:

Deep Crystal® System Paint cleaner, a non-abrasive paint cleaner, has been improved to deliver even stronger performance with no chemical odor. It safely removes road grime, surface contamination, light oxidation, swirls and light scratches to restore damaged and dull finishes. Prepares all paint finishes for polishing and waxing. For most effective cleaning, use with our Even-Coat Applicator and remove excess product with a Supreme Shine® Microfiber or Ultra Plush Super Terry.

i guess it probably meant light swirls and not really deep swirls or they are lying. i have the 3 step process too but i have not tested it out.

 

It's a very very light abrasive.

It was very noticeable after step 1 on my black car that it removed most light swirls that I had.

Results of my 3 step


The picture cannot do it justice, it had more swirls when I bought it than it did when I owned it.

It even corrected the swirls I got the one time I made the mistake of using the brush at the local car wash. 4 hours of step 1 and a lot of elbow grease, but it got em out.

 

I say if you value your free time to be worth more than $50/hour; I would get someone else to do it. With a Porter Cable it will take some time to get the job done properly especially for someone new to detailing. For an experienced detailer it will be nothing.

I value my time next to nothing so I do it myself; haha. Here is what an Ultimate Detailing Machine can do:

Before:



After:




Took two passes about an inch per second on a Honda; our G35s CC is much harder (will take longer).

 

PC does not have much correcting power so it'll take a while. Also, PCs are pretty noob safe too. It most likely won't ever burn your pain unless the machine goes beserk

 

Nice pics up there.

Personally I don't do it for the cost saving, or put a value on my time. I just like doing it myself, and take pride and joy in making my car look clean. Some prefer to just pay to have it done, and I don't blame them. As long as it gets done...hehe

 

i concur... there is an undefinable satisfaction and pride upon seeing your own efforts come to fruition... but so long as the car is clean, keep it rolling...

 

went out an bought a 3-step maguire's deep clean/wax system. This is what I did:
-washed my car, dried with shammy
-applied first step cleaning system, wiped off with microfibre cloth
-applied the 2nd step wet paint look system, wiped with microfibre
-applied the 3rd step caranuba wax, wiped with microfibre.

the paint and the car looked AMAZING one I was done. Next day I was looking at my car, and in direct sunlight (midday), I see these weird cloudly marks that look like it was a bad buff job. so, I ignore it since the car looks perfect all the time except when there is really bright sun and you are looking at the paint from specific angles.
2 days ago, I washed my car again, waxed (3rd step caranuba wax only) and wiped off with microfibre... the weird buff marks are still there and are now bugging me...

did i mess up my car??? :'(
what can i do to fix this? do i have to buff it out?

btw, the 3-step meg system did not take care of ANY swirls whatsoever.. it's CRAP!

car color: black

 

When you're doing a system like the 3 step you have to be extra careful to make sure you get even coverage and removal over the whole car.

I always spend extra time on the first step to get light swirls out. Polish is tricky and most likely the result of the inconsistent finish. The polish brings out color in the paint and has to go on very light and be removed quickly...it's not like wax, you don't want to get it time to dry on your paint. I also use the orbital buffer as a good means of taking off the product evenly and then finish with a microfiber towel.

To really do it right you need to claybar the car beforehand too. That ensures you've removed all surface contaminates for an even look.

It's all about the application of the product. It takes lots of practice to get right. I've gone through probaly 4 or 5 bottles of each product by doing so many cars and I can tell you with no uncertain terms that your first time will not be spot on.

Also, don't bother using their carnuba wax....go with a better wax like NXT 2.0 or Eagle Nano, Zaino, etc.

To fix the "cloudy" look you'll need to start over. Use dish soap to remove the wax, get a clay bar this time, and be very consistent with your application/removal. Don't use alot of product and remove it quickly.

 

i did one part at a time. i'm pretty sure i didn't let it sit that long... also, i wax the same way... do i need to let the wax dry before taking it off? how long is safe?


so, how badly would i have decreased the life of the paint/clear coat when i'm done re-doing everything?

 

Wax needs enough time to "glaze" before removing it.

Since the cleaner is almost completely non abrasive you shouldn't have reduced the life of your paint at all.