Swirl marks revisited

[Spotty-Dog]

I`m in need of some help here with some obstinate swirl marks. Some background: I`m pretty new to sophisticated detailing but willing to listen. The vehicle is a 2004 FX45 and is about 7 months old. I`m admitting to have caused the swirls probably from using an imitation chamois and/ or terry cloth buffing. These are the steps I took and photo evidence step by step (all with Meguiars products):

1) washed using Gold Class

2) clayed using QD as lubricant

3) #9 with orange LC pad

4) #9 with white LC pad

5) #82 with white LC pad

6) NXT with Meg 9006 pad

7) #26 with grey LC pad



All products were removed with MF cloth or bonnets. You will see that there is improvement but not elimination. What did I do wrong? Thanks



First image: after clayinghttp://www.spotty-dog.com/FX45/clayed.jpg

[Spotty-Dog]

Swirls revisited:



2nd picture: After first application of #9 with course pad



http://www.spotty-dog.com/FX45/9course.jpg

[Spotty-Dog]

3rd Picture: #9 with white pad



http://www.spotty-dog.com/FX45/9white.jpg

[Spotty-Dog]

4th picture: after #82 with white pad



http://www.spotty-dog.com/FX45/82white.jpg

[Spotty-Dog]

5th Picture: left half done with NXT using Meg. 9006 pad



http://www.spotty-dog.com/FX45/NXTlefthalfgrey.jpg

[Spotty-Dog]

6th picture: after #26 applied with grey LC pad



http://www.spotty-dog.com/FX45/26grey.jpg

[Spotty-Dog]

Final: after the long thread on reflections/sunlight - the deceiving indoor picture showing all is (apparently) well!



http://www.spotty-dog.com/FX45/shade.jpg

[Accumulator]

Spotty-Dog- Cool vehicles you have there :xyxthumbs



Marring removal is a *LOT* harder than people often expect, especially when working without a rotary, let alone on black, which shows every flaw.



Disclaimer: the following is just IMO.



Even with the coarser pad, the PC/#9-#82 combos are *very* mild. #82 is sorta the "clearcoat-oriented" version of #9; it`s a little stronger but not much. You need something more aggressive, and IMO something more fool-proof for use on black. (I guess I`m feeling paranoid this morning :D - so I`ll add that yeah, clear is clear whether over black or any other color and yeah, plenty of people do fine with Meg`s stuff).



Just getting more experience will help you get better results, but using more newbie-friendly products will help a *LOT*. I suggest that you order the three 1Z polishes (Ultra/Extra, Paint Polish, and Metallic Polish). Get some fresh pads (two cutting, maybe three polishing). Use those on the PC, and top them with your #26. I`ve found these polishes to be *so* much easier to use than [many other products] that simply switching to them can result in dramatically improved results.



You *could* try Meg`s #83, then follow up with the #82, but IMO it`s not *nearly* as user-friendly as the 1Z stuff. Nor are the other products I often recommend, such as 3M`s PI-III line.

[PFDarkside]

#83 and #9 function very similarly. I used #9 on my black T/A with an LC Polishing pad recently. What I noticied is that it took care of the small swirls nicely, but the large swirls were very apparent. I was afraid of the #83 DACP, but I tried it anyway on the spoiler this weekend. Wow. All I have are polishing and finishing pads, but two applications of the DACP w/Polishing pad eliminated the swirls. Some scratches are still apparent in the right light, but the swirls are gone.



I think you need to try DACP with the polishing (if that doesn`t work, step up to the DACP with the cutting) then go #82 with polishing ( to eliminate the micro marring DACP will cause) and you should be good to go. I finished with #81 Hand Polish and #26 High Tech Yellow wax and the spoiler looks awesome. I can`t wait to re-detail the rest of the car with the same process.



Basically, go one step past what you`ve been using. Your process was 3 steps of very similar cutting ability.