Newbie Help, Black 06 Ford Escape Swirls

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EOppie

New member
Hey Guys, so I'm a newbie here, but still as anal with car care.



I have a 06 Ford Escape Hybrid, Color Black. Loving the color...hating the swirl marks I am getting. I think that is what they are, I will post some pictures tomorrow once the sun is back out. It looks like little cobwebs all over the surface.



When I first got the car, I was a moron and took it to a car wash and drove it through about once a week...Yeah I know :nixweiss



So I attempted to remove some of it using meguirs cleaner wax and my cheapy orbital polisher...mixed results. I am using a two bucket wash with megs wash/conditioner.



I still have a fair amount of these same marks, however they were reduced. I am looking into buying a PC...but concerned I am going to make matters worse.



What do people reccomend, ruling out paying someone to fix it!



Thanks!



-Oppie
 
Hey guys. So I bought a brand new PC 7424 off eBay today, and now looking for some pads and polishes.



I plan on getting a 6.5 LCM pad set, 1 Orange, 2 White, 1 Grey. As well as a 6 in Velcro backing plate.



As far as polishes/sealers, I am looking for help. I searched around on the forums and could not find too much info on Ford Paint. :nixweiss I have an 06 Escape, color black. Is the paint on these very hard or soft? And then again...what does it matter?



I am looking to get some Klasse AIO, as well as some optimum polish. Is this combo acceptable? From what I can read, Klasse AIO is not strong enough to remove my swirls. Thats why I was thinking the Optimum Polish to use before that, then the AIO and finish with a sealant, and then a wax (yeah...still looking around there).



FYI, I have a mothers clay kit that I would do before the Klasse or polish.



So I guess I am looking like this: :think2



Wash with MegsGC, Mothers Clay, Optimum Polish via PC with LCM Orange Pad, Klasse AIO via PC with LCM White Pad, Sealer via PC LCM White Pad, Wax via PC with LCM Black Pad.







I love the reviews of Zaino...however as a beginner, I don't think I am there yet!



What do people reccomend? :secret



Thanks!



-Oppie
 
tdekany said:
everything looks good. Try NXT wax for now. it also help to cover up some swirls.
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Sounds Like a Plan,



I have some Megs Cleaner Wax...however I know that that is not the correct type of product since the surface would have already been cleaned!



Is NXT Wax going to make the color as wet as with a carnauba (sp) wax? :nixweiss



I don't mind waxing more if it means a better look. I actually enjoy this kind of work :waxing:
 
smprince1 said:
You might need something more aggresive than Optimum Polish if you have swirls ... it is pretty mild. It is good for finishing with PC though.
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So would I want to use the Optimum Polish in place of the AIO?
 
EOppie said:
So would I want to use the Optimum Polish in place of the AIO?
Click to expand...



AIO will not really remove swirls as it doesn't have enough abbrasiveness. It is more of a chemical polish.



Optimum Polish will remove very slight swirls, but you might need something even more abbrasive than that if you have moderate/heavy swirls (e.g. Optimum Compound or Hyper Compound if you want to stay with Optimum).
 
smprince1 said:
Optimum Compound or Hyper Compound if you want to stay with Optimum).
Click to expand...



I am more than open to something other than Optimum, it was just I heard good things about it being easy to use for a beginner, and looked nice on black cars.



So is the Optimum Polish and AIO essentially doing the same thing? Should I replace the Optimum Polish with something else and keep the AIO?



Thanks so much for all the help you guys!



I feel as if I am consulting the Gods of Car Care :bow
 
I think NXT looks excellent. do you need anything stronget than OP? It depends on the paint. Use a cutting pad first with it before you order OC or OHC.
 
I hope I do not need anything stronger. I do have swirl marks which are visible under direct sun. I was hoping the OP with a LCM orange pad would be strong enough.



after the AIO, what works well to seal it? I like the idea of waxing after sealing, just to get more of a wet look. I just want to make sure it would be strong enough since we are beginning to enter the winter season here.
 
quick ?, on the Optimum website i was reading about the OC and OHC. it says to use them with a rotary at 1000 to 1400 rpms. does that mean that you can not use them with a PC or by hand? I know that some polishes need that speed of a rotary to break down the chemicals by the heat it generates. so just wondering if a PC would be sufficient. thanks.
 
Yes you can use OC via PC, you will just need to work it longer to break down the abrasives, compared to using a rotary.



I would try to keep it simple, this being your first detail with the PC. OP is a good choice, try starting out with this on a polishing pad (LC white) to see what it does to the swirls. If needed you can then step up to an orange pad, still using OP. You might want to get another finishing pad, in case you need a final polishing with OP using that.



In this process I don't see the need for AIO though. And unless you are spreading the work out over more than one day, I would suggest going straight to a sealant after polishing.



NXT will make the paint look darker, and will protect the paint for quite some time. Though many think it looses some of it's initial look after a few weeks. You can top your choice of sealant with wax if you like, but first try to see how you like two thin coats of the sealant by itself :cool:
 
I thought that OC would not leave the surface ready for a LSP such as NXT, thats why I thought I needed the AIO.
 
Eoppie, someone may correct me, but my understanding and use of AIO is separate from the use of a finishing polish. The AIO is not abrasive, and will not 'clean up' the finish after using something like a compound or whatever you may need to remove swirls, that will inevitably dull the finish a bit. You'll need to use a finishing polish (OP should work) to get the paint to pristine finish/gloss. At THAT point when the paint looks perfect, I would either go straight to wax, or AIO/Sealant. My understanding is that the AIO preps the paint with an acrylic layer that helps SG bond and last longer. I never apply SG without first putting down a layer of AIO. On the other hand I finished a panel the other day with OP via PC and then Souveran which looked great, but surely doesn't have the durability of an AIO/SG ('klasse twins') application. You'll get the hang of it. I think your bigger challenge that lies ahead is in the swirl removal area.
 
EOppie said:
I thought that OC would not leave the surface ready for a LSP such as NXT, thats why I thought I needed the AIO.
Click to expand...





Search around. The OPTIMUM brand of polishes are the most user friendly in the industry.



Even OHC will leave a ready to wax finish. Not every time but most of the time. With the PC, no issues at all.
 
I did a bit more reading and from what I can learn this is what I came up with.



I should start with OP with a white pad and see if that cuts well enough to remove the swirls...if not, step up to OP on a orange pad which should get rid of them....if not step up from there.



After OP, NXT and a carnuba if I am looking for more.



I plan on claying and putting a coat of megs cleaner wax on it today since I can't wait for the PC to arrive to wash and polish...car is disgusting! I know I will need to clay again before the PC...but I still have to order products and wait for the PC.
 
Lightman said:
You'll need to use a finishing polish (OP should work) to get the paint to pristine finish/gloss. At THAT point when the paint looks perfect, I would either go straight to wax, or AIO/Sealant. My understanding is that the AIO preps the paint with an acrylic layer that helps SG bond and last longer.
Click to expand...



Well now I am mulling over in my mind on whether to buy AIO and SG, or just stick with OP and then to NXT...my cart at topoftheline.com is getting quite $$$...still need to do a bit more shopping!



Well out to wash/clay...and I have my camera with me! So keep an eye out for some pictures :)
 
Once you've gotten your polishing stage complete, the klasse twins are a time tested combo, and do a great job. I use them often. While I know that they won't produce the absolute most brilliant finish like souveran or the likes will they do look great, so I chose aio/sg because of the durability.



Depending on the swirls, I don't think OP and an orange pad on your PC is going to be enough to remove them all. They'd have to be very light. I've used OC and even OHC and an orange pad with my pc on several vehicles and have not been able to remove all the swirls, only the light ones.
 
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