Is this repairable?

[E300D]

Hello, Im a newbie here.



I did some search on swirl marks and scratches and it seems like swirl marks can be cured.





Now my paint is in pretty rough shape when it comes to swirls. They are everywhere



I need to find the right products and tools to attack these swirl marks although I want to do my howework first so that I won`t damage the paint.



Here are some pics:















Notice the door ding!! (below)







Thanks detailing gurus

[tensors22288]

u can definitly fix it up alot, nothing looks too deep and you could get that thing pretty shiny. dont know what products to go with but somone else can help u with that, deff repairable though

[Bill D]

Welcome E300D,





I think there`s potential for significant improvement but I would say it would need to be done with a rotary polisher to help speed up the job. Those defects look pretty severe and regardless of what machines used, I don`t doubt it`s going to be an exhausting, time consuming project.



I couldn`t say for sure if everything would be removed but I know seasoned rotary users can seem to work near miracles.



Best of luck and nice to have you here :wavey

[E300D]

Thanks for the input.



The previous owner, older gentelman....I have no clue where he washed that car It must have been some el-chepo wire brush carwash.



Its weird how he maintanined the car by the book (mechanical aspect), everything done on time, but the clear coat he just killed!!



Those swirl marks drive me insane!!

[buellwinkle]

Here`s an old E like yours that was in even worse shape. A PC buffer with Meg`s #80 made it look like new. Mercedes has softer paint so it`s easy to polish and also easy to swirl.

[Lowejackson]

Have a look at one of this months entrants to the May Xtreme Detail Contest http://autopia.org/forums/showthread...threadid=55237



With time and patients, I am sure you could turn that paintwork around and maybe enter the Xtreme Detail Contest yourself

[jetskie]

Originally posted by buellwinkle

Here`s an old E like yours that was in even worse shape. A PC buffer with Meg`s #80 made it look like new. Mercedes has softer paint so it`s easy to polish and also easy to swirl.

I had a 1997 C class and found the clear not that soft. If you`re gonna do this yourself I would not bother starting with something so mild like #80. I would probably use #83 or SSR2.5 to start with and a light cutting pad like LC orange on a PC at speed 5 and move the PC slowly 1in per sec. You probably need 2-3 passes before switching to a lighter polish like #80 with a polishing pad to do the final polish. Good luck with your project.

[imported_themightytimmah]

Yes, it is repairable. It CAN be done by PC, it`ll just take a good bit of time and patience. I figure about 10 hours to get it perfect via Cyclo, and a good bit less via rotary. Start with a 1500ish grit leveler (Menzerna PG, SSR2.5, etc), then move up to Optimum Car Polish or Menzerna FPII.

[Mazz]

Easy repaire. Pull out the rotary and it should be little to no problem.

[imported_dpeezy415]

If I was working on that car, I`d start with a medium abrasive (Megs #83 DACP or SSR2.5) and a polishing pad via rotary then go from there.



If I were you, I`d look into a PC and some DACP, followed by #80. The rotary requires some practice and getting used to, while the PC you can use right away.



The power of #80 is more filling than correcting. It`s like makeup for your paint. Once the oils have disappeared, your swirls will reappear. Your best bet is to lessen them so that the light doesn`t refract them so much with the DACP, then the #80 will fill the rest of it.



You`ll be impressed with what you can achieve with these two. And at least two passes will be necessary with DACP.

[paco]

Shouldn`t be too difficult to remove.



By the looks of it, a PC with a polishing pad and Speed Glaze (80). Following up with a finishing pad and Swirl Free Polish would do the trick nicely.



In all, a days work and you should be able to make a 90% improvement.



Fellow Mississauga resident eh ...

[paco]

E300D



Before tackling the swirls, it`s much more important to understand how they got there in the first place. Otherwise, you`ll do (or have some do) a great polishing job to only have them reappear in 3-6 months if it`s something you are doing.



Have you had the car from new?



How do you wash your car (products, approach etc.)?



Have you ever had it "professionally?" detailed?



The reason I said "professionally?" is because not all professionals are good at what they do. A few years back when I lived in an apartment, I dropped off my car with "Fine Details" for a wash.



They ended up swirling the crap out of it with just 1 wash! On a subsequent visit, I had a chance to watch them and wow, where they horrible.



Not only in washing but in polishing as well. Granted, this was the Lakeshore location. I can`t speak for the other sites throughout the GTA.



Note: Fine Details is a significant chain in Mississauga for Automotive detailing.



Paco

[E300D]

E300D



Before tackling the swirls, it`s much more important to understand how they got there in the first place. Otherwise, you`ll do (or have some do) a great polishing job to only have them reappear in 3-6 months if it`s something you are doing.



Have you had the car from new?



How do you wash your car (products, approach etc.)?



Have you ever had it "professionally?" detailed?



The reason I said "professionally?" is because not all professionals are good at what they do. A few years back when I lived in an apartment, I dropped off my car with "Fine Details" for a wash.



They ended up swirling the crap out of it with just 1 wash! On a subsequent visit, I had a chance to watch them and wow, where they horrible.



Not only in washing but in polishing as well. Granted, this was the Lakeshore location. I can`t speak for the other sites throughout the GTA.



Note: Fine Details is a significant chain in Mississauga for Automotive detailing.



Paco

Hello Paco,



The car is a 95 E300 diesel. The reason why we bought the car is because it was 1 owner with full records. I am very heppy with the car so far however the paint (swirls) is just

killing me. The previous owner did everything right to the car except the outside cosmetics.



I believe all of the swirl marks are a result of automatic car washes and some incompetent detailers.



When I wash the car I use 2 buckets one with soap (Meguiars) and one to rinse the wash mit. I then dry the whole car using an orange chamois from Germany (forgot the name of it). I am really careful when I wash the car so that I dont add any more swirls .



I have decided to tackle the paintwork on the car. I dont think that the car was ever clayed or properly waxed.



What I want to do is buy a Porter Cable polisher and use products from eshine.ca to tackle the troubled paint.



This will be a summer project as I dont want to rush anything since I dont know much about the PC, or how to properly use it. First I want to educate myself on the subject.





Now, I have a Simoniz Random Buffer (bought it at Canadian Tire for $50 last year) but I

dont think that it will do the job, hence Ill be getting a PC







So far i am thinking of :



1. Washing the car with a dish soap (strip wax I put 2 months ago)



2 Clay the whole car



3. Use a swirl remover (SSR 2.5 ) (suggestions please)



4. Use a sealant



Now this is just a rough plan that I have, hopefully I can have some input.



I dont have a clue on what kind of pads I should be using.









Thank you.