Remove Swirls

[Fink132]

Yes, yes, I know there is a wealth of information on forums and sites like meguiars.com and the like, but I want to know YOUR tried and true ideas on the best way to remove swirls in the paint. I don't know whether to buy the meguiars scratch X 2.0 or the swirl remover or the ultimate compound. Seeing as I have both scratches and swirls in my paint, I want to get the best product for my money. The scratch X says it removes swirls, and the swirl X says it removes scratches. I know about the CG swirl/scratch remover as well.
With that said, what do you recommend?

Ya, ya I know someone is going to say "these products do not REMOVE scratches, they merely conceal them" so, save your breath, cause I already know

 

[87lc2]

Are you doing this by hand, DA Polisher, or Rotary? Makes a big difference in which products to use. I will assume you're working by hand. I actually just did a 2000 black GT 2 weeks ago that looked like total crap for a friend. It has scratches, swirls, and worst of all, acid rain etchings. I did the whole car by hand using ultimate compound followed by swirl x then nxt 2.0 paste wax. the car came out amazing. the swirls and most scratches were gone. only thing it didnt get rid of were the etchings, they looked better, but not gone.

The key to the ultimate compound by hand is to work small areas at a time with a good amount of pressure. make sure to use your hand on the applicator pad rather than your fingers to apply the pressure. if you use your fingers, you will get horrible marks in the paint (ive seen it done before) use a good amount of pressure and on your last pass ease up a bit and the compound will "glaze up" and be very easy to remove. good luck!

 

[Fink132]

Thanks for the input. Originally, I was going to do it by hand, but now I'm thinking of picking up a Porter-cable 7424XP and just trying that.
I bet I will get much better results even by just waxing and polishing then I ever would if I did it by hand

 

[87lc2]

yes, you will get dramatically better results with a PC that by hand. I was slow to get one at first. I used to do entire cars by hand. Got good results, but not perfect. I did my 87 GN with the PC the day I got it and I could not believe the results. It was easily the best car-care investment I've ever made. Just get the PC with some Meguiars 105/205 and you will be floored with the results. Good luck!

 

[Fink132]

Awesome advice. Thanks. I've been doing a lot of research online about the PC and a guy on youtube has it nailed. Junkman2000 is the username. Shows complete instructions on how to properly use the PC and also how to achieve a great finish (the guy is my new detailing god--sorry SRThandz). The guy does EVERYTHING to and on his gorgeous corvette. Check it out

 

[Fink132]

I ordered the PC 7424XP kit with 5 free pads and the pinnacle conditioner/cleaner as well as the XMT (pinnacle) 360 swirl/scratch remover stuff bundled with the XMT wax. I cannot wait to use it!
I told my buddy that I'd give him a free exterior detail when I got it so I didn't have to figure things out on MY paint (its ok cause his truck is a POS already and I'll avoid all the rust spots)
I've watched endless videos on the PC 7424 and it sounds like the best machine out there definitely for novices such as myself. I'll post pics of the stuff when I get it to let you have a look at it. I'll also post before and after pictures of the truck and you can see how I made out with it.

 

[seths99cobra]

try 3m's buffing products they may cost a bit more but they are well worth it three easy steps white pad and white compound, then the black pad and black compound then the blue pad and blue wax compound that you barely polish on and let it sit a few minutes wipe off. i used this stuff for three years its really great. i use it on mine once every six months and keep the black scratch x on it 2x a month. just my 0.02

 

[Mikes433]

You guys are on the right track with the Porter Cable 7424XP. If anyone is serious about keeping their as clean as it was new or bringing the "pop" back into your older paint then it all starts with learing how to polish with the Porter cable. The Buffer is one of the easiest tools to achieve the greatest results without any worry of burning your paint. Lake Country is the brand of choice for pad selection and the selection of polish's , glazes, sealants and waxes are mind boggling. There is somthing for every situation depending on your paint correction needs.Remember to always start with the least aggresive polish and pad combo and work your way up until you get the look you are after. Maintaining your finish seems like it the hard part since most swirls and scratches come from improper wash techinques which are self induced by the person washing the vehicle. Always use the two-bucket method with grit guard. If you have never used it then you will be surprised at how much dirt and debris you are dipping that mitt into as you are trying to clean your car.Have fun, as it can turn into a hobby after awhile. If you are looking to upgrade your cleaning arsenal then this is a must check site.

detailedimage.com/wax.php?id=12560&url=detailedimage.com

 

[AdamR]

Technique has more to do with not swirling a finish or fixing swirls the product does, We use high speed buffers with foam pads.

We start with Maquires 205 polish and a yellow pad buffing at about 1400rpms then switch to a black pad at 900rpms still using the 205. finally we apply a good coat of wax with a cycloe dual head polisher.

The biggest part is to keep the buffing pad flat.