do i need a machine polish?

funyfarm

funyfarm

New member
didnt want to hijack another thread so...



i have a 2009 metallic black challenger and i am trying to get out some fine swirls in my paint. when i use a cleaner wax they are gone, or actually masked a little i guess, for a whole two or three days.



if you run your fingernail over the paint you can feel the scratches slightly.



i dont have a buffer and dont really want to buy one,



any chance a clay treatment and high quality polish/wax or whatever, hand applied, might ease my frustration? or,honestly, am i chasing a dragon without using a buffer?



these swirls are driving me crazy and theyre not really that bad. im fearing that my otc mf wash mit and mf towels are part of the problem...but im going to upgrade them as well
 
09%20srt%20challenger
 
MeanGreenClean said:
didnt want to hijack another thread so...
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Ah, is is a follow-up to the other thread, right?



if you run your fingernail over the paint you can feel the scratches slightly.
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IF you can feel 'em that way, they're on the deep side and I'd sure want to be using a machine to correct them. But OTOH, I can't see 'em in those pics.



i dont have a buffer and dont really want to buy one, ..
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I honestly think you'll need one to correct the issue. Guess it boils down to "how much do you care", not like it *has* to be corrected, despite what being on Autopia can get you thinking ;)



But if they bug you enough, get the polisher.



BUT#2..



..these swirls are driving me crazy and theyre not really that bad...
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Well there you have it, they *do* really bug you. But they *are* that bad in the sense of what it'll take to fix 'em. Being that you can feel them, I really don't think that a filler/concealer approach is gonna work out all that well for you.



BUT#3...

im fearing that my otc mf wash mit and mf towels are part of the problem...but im going to upgrade them as well..
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I bet the wash *technique* is more to blame than the wash/dry media. Hey, it's tricky! Dirt is abrasive...how to a) dislodge it from the paint, and then b) move it off the paint without causing scratches :think:



IMO, until you figure out a wash regimen that doesn't instill marring, there's not much point in correcting things (as it'll just get marred up again shortly).



So I'll sorta backtrack and wonder out loud how a filler-rich product, topped with a good (durable, dirt-shedding) LSP might work out for you while you work on the wash technique. Sounds like concealing *does* make things better, you just need to find something that'll last longer.



What about doing the car with something like BiltHamber AutoBalm, or Autoglym Super Resin Polish, or something along those lines, and topping it with a Collinite wax or FinishKare FK1000P? I'm doing something like that on some can't-be-corrected panels and it's workign OK...not perfect, but OK. FWIW, I'm using 1Z Wax Polish Soft topped with Collinite and it's good enough on a dark blue paint that tends to show flaws almost like black does.
 
yes. follow up thread.

and yes they do bother me. if its not the dang landscapers blowing grass on my car its the trees sapping on it, but thats another rant and i did already win one battle with a badly sapping 9 foot shrub :)



autopia hasnt really made me worry about the scratches, its actually privided me with a sufficient vehicle for my evergrowing ocd with my clean car,lol.



i get compliments everywhere and actually dont care for them. i clean it for me. theres no better feeling to me than looking down at the hood through the dash or the back quarter panel in the drivers side mirror and seeing that silky smooth metallic black paint shine. i got this car in black bc i thought thats the way it looked best, but this is my first black car and way more of a pita than my hunter green eclipse



technique has been improving. i prolly should use a two bucket system with a grit guard. im not going to lie and say i havent in the past (twice about two years ago) taken it through a drive through wash on a road trip. and i also only switched to mf drying instead of chaomis about 8 months ago



ive never heard of the products you referenced in the last of your msg, bc im kinda a newb to this, but am going to look into them.



i live in an apt, have covered parking, but using a buffer is not really going to happen soon



definately need to grab some high quality mf, the 600 gram weight ones probably



thanks for the thorough reply, i really like this site
 
I don't see much damage from the pics, but if you need a non machine solution Meguiar's Ultimate Compound which can be store bought would probably do the trick for you. You will have some really sore arms afterwards though.
 
dont really mind the sore arms, once i get a place w a garage i can get a buffer i suppose.



the scratches are slight, but in the direct sun they show themselves



i just want to get them as minimized as possible then seal or coat the heck out of it and keep it maintained often
 
MeanGreeenClean- If anything needs clarification, please don't hesitate to ask. yeah, some of my go-to products might be a bit, uhm...uncommon.



IMO it's not really a matter of sore arms, but rather of getting decent results in a *remotely* timely manner. As in, "how many hours are you gonna spend per panel? And I don't mean just three or four!



See if the Ultimate Compound, followed by Ultimate Polish, works for you (do a test-spot).



The LSPs (Last Step Products, i.e,. waxes/sealants) I mentioned (Collinite and FK1000P) should serve you well. I really think that the Autoglym Super Resin Polish topped with one of those just might be the ticket.
 
Short answer is yes. Long answer is definitely yes because there is absolutely no way you can polish the paint as deeply and evenly by hand as you can using a good buffer. Take it from someone who did all polishing by hand the first 10 years I was in business. There is absolutely no substitute for learning how to use a buffer.
 
[quote name='Scottwax']Short answer is yes. Long answer is definitely yes because there is absolutely no way you can polish the paint as deeply and evenly by hand as you can using a good buffer. Take it from someone who did all polishing by hand the first 10 years I was in business. There is absolutely no substitute for learning how to use a buffer.[/QUOTE]



:wow: Do you have Arnold arms now? I cannot even imagine...
 
Can you walk across the United States? Yes, sure, people do it all the time. Is it time and cost effective? No. Same with buffing a car by hand. You'd do better getting a day laborer job to pay for the $100 buffer and then using it the next day.
 
you guys make a good point. i no longer see the need to spend all that time and effort trying to fix this by hand when a machine would do a much better job.i just cant pony up at the moment and i have no way to use it at my current residence, but if the buffer lasts a few years or more i can definately justify the investment once the time is right



i guess ill save up for the griots 6 inch. from what ive read thats the best "starter" buffer..hopefully i can find a sale around christmas. ill have to try and ignore the little swirls for the time being. prolly should divert my attention to cleaning the engine bay seeing as ive had this simple green bottle,unopened,since august.



relatively speaking, i saw a black mercades yesterday and the swirls on that paint made me feel like i had no issues at all. :)
 
Good idea with the Griots. Set up an alert on a few of the deal websites and wait for it to go on sale on Amazon. I like camelcamelcamel.
 
MeanGreenClean- Be a little careful with that Simple Green. There are different formulations of the stuff, but/and some of them really shouldn't be used on vehicles. Aluminum "clouding" is one reason and there are often lots of aluminum things under the hood.
 
MeanGreenClean said:
i guess ill save up for the griots 6 inch. from what ive read thats the best "starter" buffer..hopefully i can find a sale around christmas.
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You don't have to wait for the Christmas sale.

BJ's has the best prices on Griots stuff! They rotate their sales weekly or bi-weekly, so you should see griots 6 inch RO for $89.

goto BJ's Wholesale Club and type Griot in a search box.

Search Results - BJ's Wholesale Club



About a month ago, Amazon had it for $80, but unfortunately Amazon runs such kind of the sale not very often (I've seen it once in last 12 month). So extra $9 saving doesn't worth your waiting time.
 
Accumulator said:
MeanGreenClean- Be a little careful with that Simple Green. There are different formulations of the stuff, but/and some of them really shouldn't be used on vehicles. Aluminum "clouding" is one reason and there are often lots of aluminum things under the hood.
Click to expand...

i have simple green concentrated all purpoce cleaner. 32oz.



havent used it yet, did i get the wrong one or should i be using a different otc for that? i have an expensive engine bay and dont want to mess anything up of course
 
ukie said:
You don't have to wait for the Christmas sale.

BJ's has the best prices on Griots stuff! They rotate their sales weekly or bi-weekly, so you should see griots 6 inch RO for $89.

goto BJ's Wholesale Club and type Griot in a search box.

Search Results - BJ's Wholesale Club



About a month ago, Amazon had it for $80, but unfortunately Amazon runs such kind of the sale not very often (I've seen it once in last 12 month). So extra $9 saving doesn't worth your waiting time.
Click to expand...



wow thats not bad. thanks for the info
 
MeanGreenClean said:
i have simple green concentrated all purpoce cleaner. 32oz.



havent used it yet, did i get the wrong one or should i be using a different otc for that? i have an expensive engine bay and dont want to mess anything up of course
Click to expand...



I'm not really up on Simple Green variations as I simply (heh heh) don't use the stuff these days, haven't for ages.



I wouldn't use their regular green stuff on anything on any of my vehicles, period.



Not sure what a good OTC choice would be :think: Guess I'd go to the local autobody/paint supply store and buy some Meguiar's APC or something from maybe DuraGloss. Don't let them sell you some off-brand that they say is "just as good".



I myself would order a *good* product from Optimum (PowerClean) or 3D (their green APC).
 
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