Swirl marks revisited

[Spotty-Dog]

I'm in need of some help here with some obstinate swirl marks. Some background: I'm pretty new to sophisticated detailing but willing to listen. The vehicle is a 2004 FX45 and is about 7 months old. I'm admitting to have caused the swirls probably from using an imitation chamois and/ or terry cloth buffing. These are the steps I took and photo evidence step by step (all with Meguiars products):

1) washed using Gold Class

2) clayed using QD as lubricant

3) #9 with orange LC pad

4) #9 with white LC pad

5) #82 with white LC pad

6) NXT with Meg 9006 pad

7) #26 with grey LC pad



All products were removed with MF cloth or bonnets. You will see that there is improvement but not elimination. What did I do wrong? Thanks



First image: after claying

 

[Spotty-Dog]

Swirls revisited:



2nd picture: After first application of #9 with course pad

 

[Spotty-Dog]

3rd Picture: #9 with white pad

 

[Spotty-Dog]

4th picture: after #82 with white pad

 

[Spotty-Dog]

5th Picture: left half done with NXT using Meg. 9006 pad

 

[Spotty-Dog]

6th picture: after #26 applied with grey LC pad

 

[Spotty-Dog]

Final: after the long thread on reflections/sunlight - the deceiving indoor picture showing all is (apparently) well!

 

[Accumulator]

Spotty-Dog- Cool vehicles you have there :xyxthumbs



Marring removal is a *LOT* harder than people often expect, especially when working without a rotary, let alone on black, which shows every flaw.



Disclaimer: the following is just IMO.



Even with the coarser pad, the PC/#9-#82 combos are *very* mild. #82 is sorta the "clearcoat-oriented" version of #9; it's a little stronger but not much. You need something more aggressive, and IMO something more fool-proof for use on black. (I guess I'm feeling paranoid this morning - so I'll add that yeah, clear is clear whether over black or any other color and yeah, plenty of people do fine with Meg's stuff).



Just getting more experience will help you get better results, but using more newbie-friendly products will help a *LOT*. I suggest that you order the three 1Z polishes (Ultra/Extra, Paint Polish, and Metallic Polish). Get some fresh pads (two cutting, maybe three polishing). Use those on the PC, and top them with your #26. I've found these polishes to be *so* much easier to use than [many other products] that simply switching to them can result in dramatically improved results.



You *could* try Meg's #83, then follow up with the #82, but IMO it's not *nearly* as user-friendly as the 1Z stuff. Nor are the other products I often recommend, such as 3M's PI-III line.

 

[PFDarkside]

#83 and #9 function very similarly. I used #9 on my black T/A with an LC Polishing pad recently. What I noticied is that it took care of the small swirls nicely, but the large swirls were very apparent. I was afraid of the #83 DACP, but I tried it anyway on the spoiler this weekend. Wow. All I have are polishing and finishing pads, but two applications of the DACP w/Polishing pad eliminated the swirls. Some scratches are still apparent in the right light, but the swirls are gone.



I think you need to try DACP with the polishing (if that doesn't work, step up to the DACP with the cutting) then go #82 with polishing ( to eliminate the micro marring DACP will cause) and you should be good to go. I finished with #81 Hand Polish and #26 High Tech Yellow wax and the spoiler looks awesome. I can't wait to re-detail the rest of the car with the same process.



Basically, go one step past what you've been using. Your process was 3 steps of very similar cutting ability.