Swirls all over the hood.

[KaeROeS]

I just realized today that I have so many swirls all over the hood of my car. During a not sunny day they are almost invisible but in direct sunlight or under a light pole at night they look horrible. I tried so many thing, I clayed the car, followed with meguiars 3 step and they are still there. I`m thinking about using Meguiars ScratchX or ColorX. Will those products make the swirls dissapear? If not, what are some ggod products that could work. I don`t have PC so I`m planning on doing it by hand. Is it even possible to get rid of the swirls without a PC? Thanks

[mr.ikon]

anything is possible, but having one just makes the job a lot easier.

[KaeROeS]

What are some product that could get rid of them?

[tmonsen5]

HA, have fun removing them without a PC. I had tried it for 3 years untill i finally payed up and got myself a PC and all the pads and polishes to go with it.

The best thing you can try is ColorX or Scratch X. I think those are the strongest hand polishes.

[Macruz19]

Search and look for Menzerna, Optimum, Poor Boys, or even XMT. Those are a few that`s talked about a lot on this site.... but of course they all use a machine.



Scratch X by hand is okay, but once it wears off after a few washes or even a down pour, the will reappear again. Most people like to get rid of it for good, while some like to hide swirls or scratches with a filler polish.

[Tim W.]

pc is the way to go man. im new at detailing and i figured it would be best to get a pc which makes the job a lot easyer especially with the write product. if your gonna go by hand tho colorX is decent.

[KaeROeS]

What is the best place I can get a PC from? Can anyone tell me what exactly do I need to get besides the PC itself. Do I really need all kinds of pads? I was looking and I found a Intro Kit. What do you guys think?Is this more than I need to start or this kit is good enough? Thanks



Porter Cable Intro Pad Kit (http://www.pinnaclewax.com/porter-cable-7424.html)

[Dcon67]

That kit looks ok for a starter kit. The bare minimum needed is the PC itself, 1 cutting pad, and 1 polishing pad. If I were starting over, I`d get the PC at Lowe`s (assuming you can still find them there) and a couple of edge pads and the adapter....and don`t forget to save a few bucks for microfibers and polish/wax.

[velobard]

Polishing by hand over a large area is not *quite* and has been accomplished, but it is a daunting undertaking. Have a large supply of elbow grease handy.



A PC is a big improvement and you can take care of minor marring. It also has the distinct advantage of being a rather safe tool to use. DavidB, the owner of this site, is soon coming out with a new orbital buffer and you might want to keep an eye out for that as well.



As for polishing by hand, the best choice I`ve heard for that kind of use are polishes from 1Z. They also work well by machine.

[imported_Neothin]

swirl removal? by hand?



i think not... i`d rather build my arms up in a gym thank you ^^



invest in a pc, pads, and a polish lineup and you`ll be good for a long time to come.

[Tim W.]

i went with this kit Pinnacle Porter Cable 7424 Kit - two huge names in car care (http://www.autogeek.net/pinnacle-porter-cable.html) as you can see it comes with the basics to get started on the car asap. the Pinnacle product also works well as well as the CCS pads. the kit is pricey but worth it IMO :2thumbs:

[Accumulator]

I just realized today that I have so many swirls ...under a light pole at night they look horrible. I tried so many thing, I clayed the car, followed with meguiars 3 step and they are still there. I`m thinking about using Meguiars ScratchX or ColorX.



First, I`d find a way to get the lighting right so you can truly evaluate your progress.



[insert Accumulator`s usual incadescent inspection lighting lecture here ;) ]



Next, you need a *MUCH* more aggressive abrasive than anything you`ve used or considered. Neothin`s right, if you`re working by hand that means something from 1Z and yeah, it`ll take a lot of work. If you get the PC and kit, I`d probably still recommend the 1Z stuff because it`s about as user-friendly as such products get and is thus my usual recommendation to people just getting started with this stuff. Top it with Collinite brand wax and then just work on your wash technique so you don`t have to do it again for a while.



My specific recommendations:



Bad scratches: 1Z Ultra/Extra (forget the current name) with a cutting pad.



Whole vehicle: 1z Paint Polish on a polising pad.



Optional unless you have very soft paint: 1z Metallic Polish with Wax on a polishing or finishing pad.



Different companies have different colors for their pads. But I`d get at least two of each because [stuff] happens and usually at the worst possible time ;)

[coupe]

Scratch X by hand is okay, but once it wears off after a few washes or even a down pour, the will reappear again. Most people like to get rid of it for good, while some like to hide swirls or scratches with a filler polish.





Wears off? Its a light abbrasive hand polish, there isnt anything to "wear off".





IMO the OP needs to learn how scratches/marring/etchings/imperfections are "removed" from a surface first.