Removal of Swirls and Minor Scratches from Car Washes

[bbarker86]

Hi All

I have a black 2009 sedan... I've only had it since December 09 and I notice on the top of my trunk rather large swirls and several small scratches....some a little more noticeable than others.

Also I have a large scratch on my hood...

My question to you guys is... Whats the best method to remove the swirls and the minor scratches....and what would be the best way to remove the scratch on the hood.

I can take pics if you'd like...let me know if that would help you help me:)

Thanks in advance!

[mazdaskit]

search:) its your best friend

[coriolis]

You could bring it to a professional detailer and have them buff the swirls away, though the scratches might or might not be removed, depending on how deep it is.

[5_Alive]

Honestly, I just picked up Meguiars new bottle of Swirl-X.. put simply, it is amazing.. my buddy has a 96 MX-6 that has beat to hell and back paint, and I did half the hood by hand very quickly and it pulled EVERYTHING.. So I did the whole hood with a buffer and the paint just shines now with no swirls.. car is also black..

I paid $8.99 for it at Auto Zone in the states.. I'm sure its available at Canadian Tire or something here..

[SonicBoy]

Black will always show the swirls more than any colour. Scatches beyond the clearcoat down to the metal caanot be readily repaired. You can use touch up and try to buff it smooth however it will be noticeable.

For the fine swirls, they can be reduced and even hidden however on black as mentioned, they will be back.

Start by looking at one of the sponsor's website. e-shine Canada has everything to get you started and his prices are pretty good. There are how-to's there that can give you an idea on what to use and how to do it.

If you are not that handy, you might want to consider taking it to a detailer.

Hope that helps.

[bbarker86]

You could bring it to a professional detailer and have them buff the swirls away, though the scratches might or might not be removed, depending on how deep it is.

How much do you think it would be? Just for the top of my trunk.

[Gizzmo_jr]

Never use the brushes at the coin-op. Bring your own wash mit and wash it later on in the evening when its not busy.
If the swirl is deep enough, we have a couple of sponsors that could help you out.

[aris]

Never use the brushes at the coin-op. Bring your own wash mit and wash it later on in the evening when its not busy.
If the swirl is deep enough, we have a couple of sponsors that could help you out.

+1

[hatthi]

Try Keval at Make It Shine.

[aris]

Try Keval at Make It Shine.

I don't think he does it anymore.

[Default User]

The swirls are in the clearcoat and / or old wax
A mid-to-mild abbrasive cleaner is required to lift the old wax.
once that's tackled, you need to reseal it with a new coat

I never liked the artificial stuff - good ol' Caranuba wax is the way to go.

[BMWWW]

The swirls are in the clearcoat and / or old wax
A mid-to-mild abbrasive cleaner is required to lift the old wax.
once that's tackled, you need to reseal it with a new coat

I never liked the artificial stuff - good ol' Caranuba wax is the way to go.


Sorry, none of that is correct. Please overlook his comments.
If you really want to learn about the nitty gritty, go look at autopia's detailing book (its online).

In a nutshell, you're going to re-level your clear and be taking it down to that of the scratch. Done via abrasive polishes, harsh compounds, then progressively milder and milder. Some wetsanding may be needed.

Don't wax/seal anything until you're satisfied with how it looks after compounding/polishing--as waxes and sealants only 'marginally' hide imperfections. The most professionally detailed/prepared paints are 90%prep, and 10% 'last-step-product' (that would be your wax/sealant)

[Default User]

Sorry, none of that is correct. Please overlook his comments..

In a nutshell, you're going to re-level your clear and be taking it down to that of the scratch. Done via abrasive polishes, harsh compounds, then progressively milder and milder. Some wetsanding may be needed.

sounds a lot like.....


A mid-to-mild abbrasive cleaner is required to lift the old wax.



Don't wax/seal anything until you're satisfied with how it looks

sounds a lot like.......


once that's tackled, you need to reseal it with a new coat

[hatthi]

I don't think he does it anymore.

He still does it. He's just not a forum sponsor for now.

[plontoc]

He still does it. He's just not a forum sponsor for now.

Kaval is still in business and damn good at it. After the gf took my car through a non-touchless wash, I wasn't happy but this is how it ended. We're still happily together...lol.

http://www.makeitshine.ca/Site/Pictures/2010plon/IMG_3549.jpg


http://www.makeitshine.ca/Site/Pictures/2010plon/IMG_3550.jpg


http://www.makeitshine.ca/Site/Pictures/2010plon/IMG_3556.jpg


http://www.makeitshine.ca/Site/Pictures/2010plon/IMG_3561.jpg

[coriolis]

+1 Kaval does a great job. Sadly my car needs repainting and rust fixing, so I'm planning to do that before taking it to Kaval, since it would be a waste.

[taz4432]

That looks amazing!

And the Cayman on his website...the finish is RIDICULOUS.

That's what I'll be doing to my cars this summer =)

[liquidzyklon]

That last picture is amazing. I could swear it looks like a mirror.

Can't wait to do the same to my car once it warms up.

[Zomboomafu]

To remove the swirls, what I do is hand wash ->light wetsand -> buff with really gritty compound -> buff with less gritty compound -> polish
If you don't wetsand and just buff with compound, the swirls will return after a few car washes. However, if you are constantly wetsanding too much you'll eat away at your clearcoat at lot faster