swirls in paint

[TechBoyJK]

My car is a 2004 model with black paint.

It's had some paint work.. the passenger side front fender, hood, and front bumper cover have all been repainted after hitting a deer.

My car's paint already had some swirl marks before all of this. I went to have the car buffed with compound (the paint looked faded). It still has the swirl marks. However, since it was buffed, it looks shiny like new. Best the paint has ever looked.

The guy who painted it after I hit the deer had offered to buff it for me. (not wax it, just use a compound to remove the dulled clear coat). It's shiny as fxck, but he said I still need to have it waxed, polished, etc.

When I take it up to the detailing shop to have it waxed.. what should I ask of them to try and remove some of the swirl marks? Claybar?

 

[ElFenix]

if it's already been machine buffed there isn't much more that can be done.

 

[Howard]

Clay won't remove swirls. A detailing shop will know exactly what to do, but IMO unless the swirling is bad, or the clear coat is very hard, M205+white pad will do the trick.

 

[thescreensavers]

^ +1

If the swirling is bad M105/M205 combo will be great.

After you polish or buff you NEED to put a sealant or wax ontop, its Virgin Clearcoat!

 

[TechBoyJK]

^ +1

If the swirling is bad M105/M205 combo will be great.

After you polish or buff you NEED to put a sealant or wax ontop, its Virgin Clearcoat!

so since the guy already buffed it.. I guess I should just use the m205 right?

I have an orbital and my roommate used to detail cars. I'm thinking we could do this ourselves.

 

[Howard]

What did your guy buff it with?

 

[TechBoyJK]

What did your guy buff it with?

i think he said finishing compound.. it looks hella shiny so I know it probably removed a layer of clear coat. he said i need to wax/seal it.

 

[Howard]

Wait, so he compounded the panels that you didn't have repainted, right? Did you explain to him what you wanted to happen?

Anyway, you're going to have to compound the paint again. M205 with a polishing pad should do just fine and leave you with a wax-ready surface to boot, but to be sure, post some pics on Autopia.org.

 

[alkemyst]

if it's already been machine buffed there isn't much more that can be done.

Not necessarily. Sounds like they were correcting some defects...if so you'd need to follow up with finer polishes.

After compounding Meg's #83, 80 and #9, either #5 or #7 is a good 4 step process for a swirl free shine.

Follow by a wax or sealant and you are set. Maintain with #5 or #7.

 

[CRXican]

I just got a quote of $360 to correct my paint. Whole car needs to be polished.

 

[thescreensavers]

360 includes exactly what?

 

[RichieZ]

BMW has poor paint with orange peel effect from the factory that also easily picks up swirls. if i remember correctly your z4 is jet black which is widely considered the softest color paint. i used to have a bright red z4 - soft paint too, i learned to live with it.

 

[alkemyst]

the two bucket method works well with cars that tend to swirl....most of the time it comes from washing them. Especially if you go to the lower prices car washes and almost anytime you ever stop at one of those high school bikini ones. If you feel a need to see some T&A up close head to a strip club and valet your ride.

 

[TechBoyJK]

BMW has poor paint with orange peel effect from the factory that also easily picks up swirls. if i remember correctly your z4 is jet black which is widely considered the softest color paint. i used to have a bright red z4 - soft paint too, i learned to live with it.

This.. I have a z4 with black paint. It's an 04. After the guy painted my hood, bumper cover, and fender, I had to pick the car up before he had a chance to finish buffing it. So it had a foggy layer of clear coat on it. He straight up told me he wasn't done with the car, but my insurance company wouldn't pay for a rental any longer and I had to go to work. He asked me to bring the car back up anytime.. I never did until about 8 months later.. lol

So I asked him to buff the entire car along with what he needed to do.

He did, and then told me I needed to polish/wax it after because all he did was buff it with compound to make the paint layer consistent (not verbatim)... I remember him saying something about the paint being "soft" so that makes sense.

The paint looks shiny like new, minus some swirls. His paint work now looks shiny like glass and only at certain angles and lighting can you see some swirls. I guess I'll use that meguairs stuff and then wax it. I have an orbital, and I'd kind of like to do it myself. So I'm going to watch some videos and have my roommate help (since he's done this before).

 

[TechBoyJK]

hey guys.. im about to order some m205 to use on my car before i wax it. I have a rotary.. just not sure what grit pad I should get. Any ideas?

 

[Howard]

What are you talking about?

 

[alkemyst]

hey guys.. im about to order some m205 to use on my car before i wax it. I have a rotary.. just not sure what grit pad I should get. Any ideas?

Really should be using a dual action....

what system you using, stick on pads, lake country, etc?

I use Edge 2000 pads. I'd use a red, white or blue at the most.