what am I doing wrong?

[AndyC]

Spent 8 hours on my car yesterday and not too happy with results; here`s what I did.



SSR3 applied with orange pad. Started at #2 to work product in, sped up to #5/5.5 and worked product right in then removed with MF



DACP with white pad at #5.5. Worked in until it disappeared then remove residue with MF



FP with Megs yellow pad at #4.5/5. Still not sure about this stuff - seemed to work better on bonnet (sorry, hood) than anywhere else.



I`ve still got minor swirling and marring all over car - nothing horrid but I know the marks are there. They look worse under halogen than natural daylight. I followed a lot of DACP/Menzerna threads to get the best result and I still think the DACP worked well but the steps either side don`t seem to be working too well.



Am I using too many steps/products?



I`ve added a coat of EX-P and topped with P21S which has left a nice deep rich finish but I know when (if?) we get some sun those swirls are just going to be soooo visible!

[EldoradoBill]

I have the same problem. After I get done detailing my car in the garage it is perfect no swirl marks .. nothing. But as soon as the sunlight hits it i can start to see the swirls again. What is the deal. I used mezerna, and 3m Perfect it II SMR and then used 3m showcar glaze then top it off with 3m prefect it hard wax. The car looks great in the shade. The jetting factor is way up. Then I back it in the sun again and there are swirls. All MF towels were used.:nixweiss

[jfelbab]

Originally posted by WetBlackGti

I have the same problem. After I get done detailing my car in the garage it is perfect no swirl marks .. nothing. But as soon as the sunlight hits it i can start to see the swirls again. What is the deal. I used mezerna, and 3m Perfect it II SMR and then used 3m showcar glaze then top it off with 3m prefect it hard wax. The car looks great in the shade. The jetting factor is way up. Then I back it in the sun again and there are swirls. All MF towels were used.:nixweiss



Buy yourself one of those halogen work lights mounted on a tripod. This light, like sunlight, will let you see the swirl marks. Florescent light is good for seeing what you are doing but it does little to show paint defects.



Under the halogen light you will be able to see and therefore remove the swirls.



You don`t really need the dual halogen lights a single will do if you have adequate florescent anyway. I`ve seen them for as little as #19 at Sears.

[Jesstzn]

Originally posted by AndyC

Spent 8 hours on my car yesterday and not too happy with results; here`s what I did.



SSR3 applied with orange pad. Started at #2 to work product in, sped up to #5/5.5 and worked product right in then removed with MF



DACP with white pad at #5.5. Worked in until it disappeared then remove residue with MF



FP with Megs yellow pad at #4.5/5. Still not sure about this stuff - seemed to work better on bonnet (sorry, hood) than anywhere else.



I`ve still got minor swirling and marring all over car - nothing horrid but I know the marks are there. They look worse under halogen than natural daylight. I followed a lot of DACP/Menzerna threads to get the best result and I still think the DACP worked well but the steps either side don`t seem to be working too well.



Am I using too many steps/products?



I`ve added a coat of EX-P and topped with P21S which has left a nice deep rich finish but I know when (if?) we get some sun those swirls are just going to be soooo visible!



I have never used SSR3 but DACP on a yellow pad is pretty agressive for me .. also aren`t you going a step backwards going from DACP on white to IP on a yellow pad? Just a thought

[AndyC]

Maybe I`ll stick with the DACP/white pad combo.



I was actually using FP not IP, to achieve a final gloss prior to sealing/waxing.

[Jesstzn]

Originally posted by AndyC

Maybe I`ll stick with the DACP/white pad combo.



I was actually using FP not IP, to achieve a final gloss prior to sealing/waxing.





Opps my mistake ..



My choise would have been



DACP on a Megs Purple pad



IP on a Megs Yellow to clean up the haze



FP on yellow Megs to finalize it.

[imported_jgv]

SSR3 is very aggressive and it`s meant to e used with a rotary, or it won`t break down properly. Just use the orange pad w/ DACP or IP untill it cleans that mar. Only when your happy with it you should move to FP.

[EldoradoBill]

thanks jfelbab! I`ll try that.

[Matt M, PA]

I don`t know if you can buy 3M products in the UK, but I have found their Foam Pad Glaze for Dark cars to be excellent. I had no luck at all with the DACP.



I used the 3M product this past weekend in places on my Mother`s car and followed with Zaino. Worked very well.

[beanbag]

u can also use a led flashlight to look for swirls

[AndyC]

Thanks guys. I`m going to strip it all back and start again to get the right result for me. The car looks OK but I know the scratches are still there. Will sort some pics tonight and see what you all think tomorrow.