Need Help: Body Shop left buffer trails - Need to fix best I can by hand

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odnicla22

New member
Got my uniblack vw back from the shop on a rainy day and didn't notice all the buffer trails/swirls/holograms until a few days later when it was clear and sunny out (it's pretty bad). I don't want to go back because they're far away, what's the chance that they do a better job this time and I really can't afford to be without the car again.



Since I don't have access to a garage/driveway/detail equip. I plan to do my best to remedy the problem by hand when I get some time. It's only the driver's side and I don't mind using something to conceal, rather than correct the problem since I have to do it by hand. I've searched and seen recommendations for PB black hole and NXT 2.0 for similar situations.



I'd like to get a few more opinions, and see if there's something better out there before buying anything.





Thanks in advance
 
Those two are good starting suggestions, Autoglym SRP is another good one for masking. Then as time allows you can get ultimate compound and polish to actually remove them, but doing this by hand is like towing a boat with a bicycle. I'd rather get some overtime in or do some odd jobs for an RO then sweat it out by hand and get marginal results. And swirls always come back, so its a tool that will be useful.
 
I've been using a combo of 2 products from Prowax to hide buffer trails on auction vehicles. So far this has been the best combo I've found, but you would probably need to order online. P-21 Swirl Eliminator and Polish topped with P-80 Golden Mist Carnauba Spray. The P-21 is easy to apply by hand and fills nicely and then topped with the P-80 for even more fill and also adds some decent protection.



Edit: here the links to these products:



PRO Car Beauty Products: P-80 GOLDEN MIST



PRO Car Beauty Products: P-21 SWIRL ELIMINATOR
 
ExplicitDetails said:
I've been using a combo of 2 products from Prowax to hide buffer trails on auction vehicles. So far this has been the best combo I've found, but you would probably need to order online. P-21 Swirl Eliminator and Polish topped with P-80 Golden Mist Carnauba Spray. The P-21 is easy to apply by hand and fills nicely and then topped with the P-80 for even more fill and also adds some decent protection.
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Have you compared them to Automagic BC-2?
 
Thanks for the replies. Since the car is an '02 and it was just machine polished I'm scared to use another polish. I don't want to use anything abrasive that could add to the problem by making more small scratches, which I feel I did using Klasse AIO in the past by hand. Would P-21 or SRP be less abrasive than AIO? I would rather just fill to conceal if possible.



I did more searching and heard good things about CK Vanilla Moose and Prima Amigo for ease of use by hand and filling abilities. Now I feel like Black Hole and NXT are no longer on my list.



I really like the idea of using a spray wax on top, saving my arm. The P-80 sounds good and I also like the sound of OCW.



So now my short list contains: P-21, SRP, VMW or Amigo with P-80 or OCW on top.
 
I wouldn't sweat any AIO usage by hand as reducing the amount of paint on the car, but as Thomas pointed out, post up your location, you might be close to someone with a paint gauge. Don't knock NXT off your list just yet, you have nothing (but time) to lose with it as you can return it if you are unhappy with it. Call me old school/cheap, but I like to exhaust my local resources before I start mail ordering, SRP and NXT can both be had from Pep Boys.
 
odnicla22-Welcome to Autopia!



Sorry to hear your paint got marred up by the bodyshop, unfortunately it's not uncommon.



A few sorta-random thoughts that come to mind:



-If the paint is fresh, some of us would be careful about what products are used on it until it's finished outgassing/curing (about 90 days), not using waxes or sealants (including products like SRP) during that time.

-Autoglym SRP and CK Vanilla Moose are both *more* functionally abrasive than KAIO, but that's not saying much; KAIO is generally functionally nonabrasive on autopaint and I'm kinda :confused: that it apparently marred your car :think:

-If I were in your shoes, and I wanted to hide the marring for now (again, considering that outgassing), I'd probably use one of the meguiar's "pure polishes" like M07 or Deep Crystal Step#2 Polish, or my fave M05 New Car Glaze. Or *maybe* a by-hand application of M09, but it too is more abrasive than the KAIO. During the outgassing, I wouldn't top the product with a wax, but you'll have to redo it after every wash

-If possible, I think out oughta find an Autopian in your area to help get this sorted out, or at least get you started on the right foot
 
The section of the car that is marred was not freshly painted, other parts were from a fender bender. The rear panel is OEM paint, but the door and front qtr panel were painted many years ago when the car was hit. The paint was starting to turn cloudy and whitish which is why I let the body shop polish it. It does look much better than it did esp. on a cloudy day, but when it's clear and sunny it reflects swirls/holos like a disco ball.



When I tried KAIO by hand about a year ago on the cloudy paint it looked good in the shade, but in bright light it was bad. I definitely added more swirls than were there before. I still have some of the KAIO around but I'm scared to use it, I thought it might make it worse. Maybe it was the applicator, my technique or the old re-paint was soft/bad?



I appreciate all the help so far, hopefully I can better the situation or even find a local Autopian as you said that could help me out.
 
odnicla22 said:
When I tried KAIO by hand about a year ago on the cloudy paint it looked good in the shade, but in bright light it was bad. I definitely added more swirls than were there before. I still have some of the KAIO around but I'm scared to use it, I thought it might make it worse. Maybe it was the applicator, my technique or the old re-paint was soft/bad?
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Could have been your applicator or more likely the fact that the paint was pretty oxidised as you mentioned. KAIO probably removed the layer of oxidation and brought out clean paint which amplified the swirls, think about this, have you ever seen an oxidised car with swirls?
 
Good point Dan.



Since the paint isn't all original in the marred areas I was hoping to just mute the swirls/holos from the machine polish and not add to the problem by futzing around with more polish by hand. I figured a non-abrasive with fillers and a good wax would be my best bet. At this point I'd be happy with a warm dark look out of the uniblack, the way it looks in the shade. I don't need it to have a bright, shiny, reflective mirror finish.
 
odnicla22 said:
...Since the paint isn't all original in the marred areas I was hoping to just mute the swirls/holos from the machine polish and not add to the problem by futzing around with more polish by hand. I figured a non-abrasive with fillers and a good wax would be my best bet. At this point I'd be happy with a warm dark look out of the uniblack, the way it looks in the shade. I don't need it to have a bright, shiny, reflective mirror finish.
Click to expand...



While it's not completely nonabrasive, I'd try Meguiar's M09 Swirlmark Remover (kinda a misnomer IMO..), maybe topped with their Deep Crystal Step#2 Polish, topped with some wax. That might give you what you're after with cheap OTC stuff that's not all that tricky to use.



But yeah..be sure your applicators and towels are OK. Get new foam applicators for all your products and some good microfiber towels to buff stuff off with.
 
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