removing swirl marks

[interceptor]

I picked up a new '13 SHO. It has been on the dealers lot since December, and had obviously gone through a few dealer lot washes. It is white, but in the direct sun you can see a lot of swirl marks in the clear.

 

I've been reading up and watching videos on the net. The Adams stuff seems pretty good. I've been watching their videos on getting the marks out by polishing with the Flex and Porter Cable. I've also seen the Meguiar's DA system.

 

Can I go wrong with either one? Can I screw up my paint and take off too much clear with either Adam's or Meguiar's? I have no experience in polishing, should I just leave it to a professional if I can find one I can trust? I'm inclined to try it myself, as I'm not sure I trust anybody else. I am definitely not going to have the dealer "fix" it.

 

Thanks for the help.

[Crash712us]

Random orbital polishers are very safe. Great thing about adams is they have many how to video's to teach and show you how to polish your car every step of the way.

[mjhpadi]

I've never had great success with Meguiar's stuff when it comes to swirl remover. If you are using Adam's I would start with the clay bar, follow that with Revive (which is more of a cleaner then a polish). Those steps will left a really clean surface to use the Swirl & Haze Remover, and follow that up with the Fine Machine Polish. I would say once you go over the swirls with the S&HR give the finish a good look to make sure you've got them removed, if some remain, go over those spots again. If you have some fairly heavy duty swirls you might want to start with Severe Swirl Remover first. Just FYI, I always use Revive to remove the residue left after using the clay bar. Adam himself was the one who taught me that trick.

[SD13SHO]

I had a similar problem, but they were scratches from some idiot using a broom to push snow off the cars. The hood, trunk and the black plastic on the on the doors was bad. I was going to take it back to the dealer, but decided to

work on them myself. I did use Mcguiar's Scratch remover (ScratchX 2.0) with my orbital buffer. It was cold, even in the garage and I need to do more work but, 99% of them are gone. I will finish it up this week when the temps go up. This is something you can tackle yourself, if you don't mind putting in the time. I spent four hours working the hood, which was the most scratched, the top of the trunk and spoiler, I hand rubbed the plastic trim on the doors, and they turned out great. The advice given above (mjhpadi) is spot on. Take your time and don't rush it.

[interceptor]

I've never had great success with Meguiar's stuff when it comes to swirl remover. If you are using Adam's I would start with the clay bar' date=' follow that with Revive (which is more of a cleaner then a polish). Those steps will left a really clean surface to use the Swirl & Haze Remover, and follow that up with the Fine Machine Polish. I would say once you go over the swirls with the S&HR give the finish a good look to make sure you've got them removed, if some remain, go over those spots again. If you have some fairly heavy duty swirls you might want to start with Severe Swirl Remover first. Just FYI, I always use Revive to remove the residue left after using the clay bar. Adam himself was the one who taught me that trick.[/quote']

 

Thanks for the detailed response. I really can't screw this up if I follow the video, can I?

[interceptor]

I had a similar problem, but they were scratches from some idiot using a broom to push snow off the cars. The hood, trunk and the black plastic on the on the doors was bad. I was going to take it back to the dealer, but decided to

work on them myself. I did use Mcguiar's Scratch remover (ScratchX 2.0) with my orbital buffer. It was cold, even in the garage and I need to do more work but, 99% of them are gone. I will finish it up this week when the temps go up. This is something you can tackle yourself, if you don't mind putting in the time. I spent four hours working the hood, which was the most scratched, the top of the trunk and spoiler, I hand rubbed the plastic trim on the doors, and they turned out great. The advice given above (mjhpadi) is spot on. Take your time and don't rush it.

 

 

My car came from a dealer that gets a good amount of snow. The dealer I purchased from actually did a trade to get the car. I wouldn't be surprised if mine were broom marks too. I saw the ScratchX 2.0 at the store. Might be worth a shot. And my black b pillar area is scratched to hell too.

[83racecrew]

My car came from a dealer that gets a good amount of snow. The dealer I purchased from actually did a trade to get the car. I wouldn't be surprised if mine were broom marks too. I saw the ScratchX 2.0 at the store. Might be worth a shot. And my black b pillar area is scratched to hell too.

I have similar issues on my 2013, B pillar included.

2 passes of Adam's severe swirl followed by swirl and haze, then fine machine polish and 95% of everything is gone. The only thing left is the deep scratches.

If you use the Porter cable, which is what I used, you have maybe a 4% chance of messing anything up. None of the products are that aggressive that you will burn anything.

[mjhpadi]

Thanks for the detailed response. I really can't screw this up if I follow the video' date=' can I?[/quote']

 

No, all of Adam's products are gentle enough that it's almost impossible to mess up the finish, and if you follow the video, you shouldn't have any problem. Just one hint is to just do a small area at a time and then you can do a bigger area as you get more comfortable, I usually start with a 2ft. X 2ft. area to get the feel of what it's going to require to get it looking good.

[interceptor]

Here is a crappy pic of the black. The rest of the car is like this, but impossible to photograph because the car is white. So using Adams, are you pretty confident I can get this out?

 

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[83racecrew]

All the swirls that make the flash look like a spider web? Yes. A deep scratch that goes further into the clear, not as likely.

Will it reduce the deep ones so they are almost invisible outside? Yes.

[mjhpadi]

Yes, I think you can really get most of it out using Adam's and either the Porter Cable or the Flex...if you don't have a polisher, I would recommend the Flex however there is nothing wrong with the PC (it's what I use..saving now for a Flex). Also I would recommend starting with the Severe Swirl Remover first. Hitting it with that and then stepping up to the Swirl and Haze Remover, and then finally the Fine Machine Polish. Remember to work each product until it flashes (meaning loses it's color and turns transparent) and then remove the residue with a microfiber sprizzed with a touch of Detail Spray. After each step you should see significant improvement in the paint. You may have to go over the same section more then once with the SSR and the S&HR, but the FMP should only require one use. Then you can apply the final steps (I usually do one of the sealants, Brilliant, and then wax). And yes, it is a ton of work, but the finally result should leave you "wowed". Remember to take your time with the first steps and don't apply much pressure with the polisher...let the machine do the work. Let me know if you have any other questions, be glad to offer whatever advice I can to help you. If you lived close, you'd be welcome to come to my place and I'd be glad to show you how great everything works together. Also, it is important to use the correct pad with each product, it does make a difference.

[interceptor]

Thanks a lot guys for all the advice. Much appreciated. I will start ordering my products and watch the videos again.

 

The Flex looks like the cat's meow but is sure expensive.

 

And is this procedure something you can do to a car multiple times during its life when it starts looking rough again? It sucks to have to do it to a brand new car. Just wondering if there is only so many times the paint can take it.

 

Thanks again.

[83racecrew]

With a DA (dual action) like the Flex or Porter Cable, yes you can use it several times over the life.

[mjhpadi]

Yes, the Flex is expensive, but it is very useful and you won't regret getting it. And it gives you more flexibility and can do more things then the PC. Remember to also get some All Purpose Cleaner and clean your pads after use and allow them to dry completely before putting them away. And yes, you can do paint correction anytime the vehicle needs it. However, once you put all the work into it the first time, I'm betting you become much more careful about washing and car washes. Also, Adam's products are not abrasive, so you are not removing any of the finish, hence the reason you can use them without hurting the vehicle anytime it is required. Also don't forget Adam's 110% guarantee...if you're not happy with anything you get from them, they will refund 110% of the purchase price (that way return shipping cost is covered)...I can tell you, I've never returned anything!

[interceptor]

Awesome. I appreciate all the advice guys.

 

I joined up on Adam's forum. I've got a lot to learn.

 

I thought I would just be modding this car. Now I'm going to become a detailer too I guess. I told my wife the new SHO would become a hobby. I guess I was right.

 

Thanks again.

[mjhpadi]

That's pretty much how I got started, wanted to make my F-150 look good, stumbled across Adam's on a truck website, and never looked back. Since I only live about an hour from Carlisle, I went down to help Adam when he had a booth at one of the first shows he attended. Became fast friends with Adam, because he's a really great guy, and from that point I was hooked. Right now I'm home babysitting a sick dog, or I would be working on detailing my SHO right now. But I am going to go over her with Quick Detailer this afternoon since the weather is so nice. You should probably order Quick Detailer by the gallon, I've found that I use it all the time, usually go over the car with it daily when weather permits. Helps keep the dust off and keeps the car looks great.

[Chase@Adams]

Preciate the support guys!! Very cool of you!!

 

Interceptor: You have NOTHING to worry about with the Porter Cable, or the Flex. You'd have to be a complete idiot to "burn" through paint or do ANY kind of damage with either of those polishers. The Flex will work almost twice as fast though, just FYI. So it will be a big time saver. The videos will be a massive help!! Watch them multiple times, as most people do:

http://www.adamspolishes.com/t-videos.aspx

 

ALWAYS work in the order of least aggressive polish first. In other words, start with Fine Machine Polish & the white pad. If a pass of that doesn't make you happy with the results, then move to the Swirl & Haze Remover with orange pad. If a pass of that doesn't make you happy, then bump up to the Severe Swirl Remover & green pad. And don't worry about making "TOO MANY" passes at it. You could make 20 passes (a pass is clarified as working the polish until it flashes) and your clearcoat would STILL BE FINE!! So don't worry about it.....

 

Once you get the results you like, then finish it off with Fine Machine Polish & the white pad. And then move on to whatever protection you desire!! You can always PM me for specific questions or details.

[interceptor]

Again, thank you guys. I'm putting a list together of the stuff I want to pick up. Being Taurus specific here, will the flex cover all the strange contours on the car? Or will I need to hand polish or look at the drill attachment for certain curves in the body?

[mjhpadi]

No, the Flex will cover the whole car...I use the Porter Cable and it covers the car...while I do have the 4" focus pads, I only use them for really tight spaces, like the top of the rear bumper...or if I am concentrating on a small area that needs correction. There are a lot of times I will do the tight spaces (under the spoiler, top of rear bumper by hand....Revive, Sealant, Brilliant, Wax) if I don't feel like messing with the smaller pads. Also once you get the car detailed, it's really much easier to keep it looking good. Many of my details consist of washing, Brilliant, and Wax only, and the car looks great.