Swirl marks

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imported_Indy YZF

New member
My question is about what autopians refer to as Swirl Marks. I have a White '99 M3 which gets about 15K miles a year, but is parked in a garage both at work and at home. I dont think I have one single Swirl Mark. What I Do tend to get from time to time is some micro scratching in the clear coat...These are the kinds of scratches you cannot see in any sun light, but which appear under the lights of a garage at certain angles.



For these types of micro scratching, would products like 3M SMR be good to use? Or are the SMRs literally for the Swirl Marks I dont seem to get. And if so, would I be better off with a glaze? My problem is that Ive done a fair amount of rotary polishing to remove the scratching from time to time...I ve also had excellent results using a product I never read about here: 3M Moderate Strength Cleaner Wax...I like it because its effective at these kinds of scratching by hand with a fair amount of pressure, and, it doesnt force me to wax right after...And its good for targeting asst scratches here and there...I just use a rubber sanding block with a terry cloth, and apply it with pressure back and forth...Many scratches are well removed this way. But because Ive also used the rotary some on the hood, Im cautious of removing any more paint than I have to, hence my thought of the IHG, followed by my wax of choice.



For wider use than the targeted use my agressive stuff gets (Meguiars #2, PI fine cut rubbing compound, FI, etc) , Im tempted by the 3M SMR, if its as effective on my type of micro scratching here and there, rather than all over...Or, maybe I just go about teh asst scratching where it occurs, and follow up with IHG, and then the WAx?
 
Paul,



IHG and other glazes will fill in micro-marring which is probably what you see under flourescent lighting but not sunlight. SMR will work too but IHG is made for this. It all depends on the paint as some respond well to IHG and some don't. Try some experimentation to see what works for you.



Follow up the IHG with your fave carnauba and you'll have a great shine. It will probably take some serious work to remove and fill all the swirls but I think its better to go mild than whipping out the buffer for more grinding and clearcoat removal.



If you think this is anooying on a white car, imagine if your car was black:scared
 
Drive around town and look at everyones cars....the little small faint lines you see in the paint when the sun reflects on them is swirl marks.



They look like very fine lines.



The darker the color paint the easier they are to see.
 
Exactly why my next car will be white
Click to expand...



Yea Guys, white is awsome...You get zero swirl marks, and as for repairs, well, you wont find an easier color to touch up and polish out.....Ok, so some people think it looks like a refrigerator...That disappears as soon as they view the super charger under the hood, and look at my dyno plot! Seriously though, this is my first white car, and its a pleasure.
 
I have a 3 month old silver Alfa 156. Lilke Paul E, I only see marring under halogens. And even then just 7-8 light scratches about 2 inches long each. And to see them you have to be level with the roofline. I believe the dealer put them there when he used the brush to wash the roof, as I inspected the car under the showroom lights and saw nothing.



I used 3M IHG to mask them for a while, and am now looking for something more permanent. I know exactly where the marks are in sunlight (although I can't see them), and I was thinking of applying 3M Swirl mark remover by hand. Another idea which I read about was to mix a little P21S restoring polish with some 3M IHG.



Any ideas ?
 
mix a little P21S restoring polish with some 3M IHG.
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Thats a trick you got from Larry Reynolds at carcareonline.com...Ive used those guys well before, but Im beginning to wonder...Larry's the guy who says that protectants with polymers in stead of Carnauba are likely to haze and cloud German car paints....Yet, autopians using the big 3 polymers just laugh at this...Does this do anything to Larry's credibility?
 
To be honest with you, finding swirl marks, even on white cars is very easy. That is, of course, under So. California sunshine. Typically they are visible if you place your eye very close to the paint under halogen lighting.



Lemme see if I can snap a picture of my dad's white car that I'm working on.



BRB...
 
Then I must be very lucky..Or very skilled at polishing ;) I can see other surface marring under the lights, but just now swirls....Not that its a big deal...I mean micromarring is micromarring..who cares if the marks in straight, or swirled; they all detract from the look, and should be filled or removed....All it means is that my marks have probably come more from toweling than from polishing.
 
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