Well, after spending nearly $170 on a PC, backing plates, pads, and DACP, I finally got a chance to use it all today. I`m not impressed. Here`s my story...

My car is a 2000 Grand Prix that I bought used last Fall. While I don`t think the guy that owned it before was too meticulous about it, I don`t think the car was abused either. But it did have its fair share of swirls when it got to me.

I didn`t really think the swirls were too severe, so I started from the bottom of the abrasive scale as most people suggest. I tried Meg`s #9 because I could find it at Pep Boys. I tried applying it by hand, and while it did leave a nice slick finish, it barely did anything for the swirls.

I figured I would need a PC, so I went and ordered all the stuff I listed above. The pads I got were Edge Yellow medium cut and Blue polishing pads. When I finally got everything together after my wash this morning, I went to work on the hood with the PC. I pulled the car into the garage, put the yellow pad on the PC, applied DACP liberally, and set to work. I started out on 2 speed just to spread it out a bit, then kicked it up to 6. After it was full speed I did front and back, side to side and diagonal swipes across the surface. After the white flecks of dried up DACP started to appear everywhere I shut it down and moved on to the next panel. I did the hood in quarters this way, then pulled the car out into the morning sun. My heart sank when I could still see plainly visible swirl marks. They were reduced a bit, but without being completely gone I hardly saw how I could be satisfied.

Not knowing what else to do, I put the car back in garage and broke out the #9 with the polishing pad. I knew something less abrasive wouldn`t remove the swirls, but I thought maybe it would make it look a bit better. I did the hood with that combo, then put on some Vanilla Moose to help hide whatever swirls were left. I put it back in the sun just now, and while the shine looks damn good, I barely noticed because my eyes go right to the swirl marks.

I`m not sure what to do now. I know that DACP isn`t the do all end all solution for swirls, but I was under the impression from these forums that it was about as high as you could go on the abrasive scale without stepping into dangerous territory. Now that its failed me, I`m not sure if I should try blowing more money and take the additional risk of stepping up to something more abrasive, or just accept that these swirls are here to stay, and accept that I spent $170 on a machine and products that made my finish look "a little better".