pictures

L

Lone Wolf

New member
Im trying to get rid of some major swirls on a white 1995 Contour. You cant feel them but there are tons. Ive tried #9 2.0 with the PC/yellow pad about 4 times and it didnt do much good. I think I will need FI II. Should I try SMR before the FI II or is it the same as Meguires #9?? What about Perfect-It compound..Im assuming that is more abrasive than FI II??



Thanks!!



BTW--PC 7424 is AWESOME!!



:D
 
Well you CAN'T feel the swirls at all but the #9

didnt do any good. I followed Carguy's tech and applied alot of pressure and gradually went lighter but nothing happened:(
 
Step up to the Finesse-It II that should help the problem. It may take several applications to remove the marks, and if there is a haze left polish it down with a finer abrasive like SMR.
 
My bad. I read it wrong. Been looking at this tiny monitor all day.



Listen to SL He is pretty swuft and knows what he is doing. Go harsher if the light stuff don't work.



Good luck;)
 
Meguiar’s #9 2.0 is similar to 3M SMR in abrasive-ness, so step up to the Finesse-It if multiple applications of #9 doesn’t work.



Or it might be that you’re too picky… in a good way that is. Any car will have a small bit of swirls or marring… its just whether you can see them or not. Are the swirls you’re trying to remove under regular lighting conditions… or are they only visible with fluorescents?
 
I would hold off on the Perfect-IT II and try applying the SMR by hand with moderate pressure. Use front to back motion. The follow it by using the yellow pad and a glaze product before waxing the surface.



If this does not work out, I'd then step up to Perfect-IT II by hand, followed by SMR on a yellow pad with the PC. Top off with a good quality glaze and finish with wax.
 
They are visible under regular lighting..The car is white so you can only see them at certain angles but if I shine a flashlight close to the surface at the correct angle you can see them clearly..I dont expect tto get them all out but I think I should be able to get alot of them..
 
I had the same problem (SMR not removing scratches) so I went to FI2 with my PC and the Meguiar's yellow pad. The FI2 worked better but it wasn't magic; I still see a few scratches that will prolly have to be removed by hand.

After the FI2 step you'll need to redo the SMR step as the FI2 will leave swirl marks. But look at the finish closely before the SMR step. You may not need it as your car is white and might hide the light swirls (of course, you will always <em class='bbc'>know[/i] they're there and this could lead to a loss of sleep, no appetite, lethargy at work, etc).

My car is dark green and if the FI2 steps with the PC doesn't do the trick, I'll have to bump the Defcon meter up another notch. That means a rotary buffer. Only a rotary will generate enough heat to remove the visible scratches. This is one of the few negatives of the PC; not enough speed to do every kind of job.

Let us know how things work out. Anyone can make a new car look great - it takes talent and hard work to bring an old car back to life.
 
Like I said before I don't expect miracles but I think even I should be able to get alot of them out!! The #9 2.0 worked great on my 2001 Red Dakota but those swirls were very light..



Can't wait to get my Blackfire order so I can try it on the fire engine..I mean ahh...truck!!!



:p
 
Can someone who has used both of these products please comment on this? I'd love a comparison. Maybe if #9 is less effective than SMR it would be great for removing SMR hazing after applying by hand?
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by puterbum [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>Can someone who has used both of these products please comment on this? I'd love a comparison. Maybe if #9 is less effective than SMR it would be great for removing SMR hazing after applying by hand? [/b]</blockquote>
I've used both products and I'm a now a steadfast 3M product user. I think the issue that most have with SMR is that you really have a hard time doing repairs by hand. I strongly sugges that you use at a minimum, a PC.

What I use after 3M SMR is Meguiar's "Show Car Polish" and that really gives the paint a nice pre-wax/sealant finish.

Again, I'll stress that I gave up on "by hand" it just is too much work and the return is always less then 100% not matter what product I use, or what the directions state.

Stick with 3M it's a better product.
 
Technically, the 3M is a better product in swirl removal but as the others have said, you might have more severe swirls that a product such as #9 or 3M SMR cannot remove and you would have to go to a product like FI II or as bret said, go to a rotary buffer. :D
 
I've used all 3 - that is, Meguiar's Original #9, Meguiar's #9 2.0 and 3M SMR. #9 2.0 is the best, 3M SMR is second best. I explained why (my opinion only, of course) in previous posts.



Agree with the majority of comments above - if SMR (either kind) doesn't help, you need to start with FI-II. However if you saw no difference on a WHITE car after what you tried, my guess is you have pretty deep scratches that you probably cannot fix yourself. Either a rotary with rubbing compound or wet sanding may be required.
 
Doesn't Meguiars also have a product similar to FI-II? I've been trying to figure out all the different products from their website, but so little real information is provided (just look at their Professional Surface Prep page!) that it's hard to tell.
 
That would probably be Meguiar's #2 Fine Cut Cleaner. Pretty close to FI2. I've used both and think that #2 is more aggressive at the beginning but mellows quickly while FI2 is a bit more consistent throughout. But others may have differing experiences.
 
Thanks! That looks like just the thing I'm looking for! I think some of Meguiar's [professional] products deserve more of a look than we give them here (just IMO). The 3M stuff is great but soem of the Meg's stuff is designed for use by hand and seems to work comparably.



Bret: I don't suppose you used the #2 by hand did you?



I'd love to hear Scottwax's opinions here....Scott I'd be glad to send you a bit of SMR to use on a test area of a car if you haven't tried it yet to compare.



Justin
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by jn328i [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>Doesn't Meguiars also have a product similar to FI-II? I've been trying to figure out all the different products from their website, but so little real information is provided (just look at their Professional Surface Prep page!) that it's hard to tell. [/b]</blockquote>
Yes "Fine Cut Cleaner" is about the same in abrassives as 3M Perfect-IT II. However, the thing that is great about 3M is that the stuff stays where you put it. If you happen to be working on a vertical panel it stays put.

"Fine Cut Cleaner" runs all over the place, it's very runny. I like a thicker product. Also you need to use more of the Meguiar's product to get the job done, thus spending more money.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top