I wouldl like to get rid of some minor scratches and swirl marks on the front of my car. Now, w/o getting a paint job can I use wet sand paper and then use an orbital buffer to get the front looking like new again? I have tried swirl mark remover and didn't have great results. My car is black Also, how would I go about using the wet sand paper because I never used it before.

Thanks,
TonyP.

 

I am in the same boat as you. Black car with bad bad swirles in it. Im not willing to try it myself bc I know i will mess it up so im gonna take it to a professional that has come highly recommended.

 

No offense, if you are asking these types of questions do NOT under any circumstances try to sand your car. Have a pro do it, wetsanding may not be needed for swirls and scratches ..wetsanding is entirely different than normal buffing, a proper wet sanding and buffing will run between $500 and $1000 .

 

Yup, stuff like this is better left to the pros. A good detailer could probably get the swirls out without wetsanding. I could be wrong, but I though wet sanding was for dull or fading paint.

 

 

Vettes come from the factory with 1 coat of clearcoat and 1 (base) coat of paint (some premium colors may have 1 base coat and 1 tint coat).

It is far too easy for someone without wet sanding experience to sand right thru the paint.

As others have mentioned, take it somewhere and let a pro do it.

 

Do not do it if you dont have experience. You can ruin your paint$$$$$$$$$.

 

i would try polishing compound first. then buffing compound if the polishing compound does not work. still both these methods are best left to pros. very easy to burn through clearcoat and ruin paint. black is a hard color to work with .

 

It's really going to depend on how handy you are and whether or not you are going to want to take a chance. I've seen folks take a car to a "professional" who then proceeded to ruin the paint. You takes your chances...

After listening to the prior posts in this thread, I guess I qualify more as a pro-hobbist since my father and I have been restoring cars for years. With the 1500 or 2000 grit wet sand paper it will be hard to sand through the clear coat to the paint, not that it could not be done.

I don't know how bad the paint on your car is, but under most circumstances, rebuffing the car with a light compound will take out most scratches and bring the paint to life again. The compound will also take off any oxidation build up on the car. Once componded, the swirl marks can be taken out with a dupont or 3M swirl remover.

If you have never done this type of thing before, you should take it to someone. You could burn the paint with buffer wheel as well.

With all that said, if you are a handy kind of person and you still feel you want to give it a try yourself, have someone show you how to do it. You could also start on a very small spot in an unconspicuous part of the car to get started. In other words, don't start on the hood or top fender.

Let us know how you make out!

 

Look at it this way. A professional detailer with gobs of experience= $100-$200 Tops. You with 0 experience will either damage the paint=$6K-$10K to repair or if you're lucky just won't get the results you want. Some things are better left to the pros and not a DIY.

 

This is called color sanding,1200-1500 grit paper is used,but I would not try this if I was you! YOU WILL SCREW UP YOUR PAINT, Find a good paint/body shop.

 

 

Got to agree with this..............

 

Honestly, I'm a professional detailer with a few years of wetsanding/color sanding and buffing experience and I would never tell someone to sand there clear. To me it is nothing, but I have sanded many cars, and have sanded many vettes. First thing useing a DA buffer would take forever, you would need a rotary which can burn paint if not used correctly. Second, buff first with the right compounds and pads before moveing on to wet sanding.

 

adams swirl remover worked well for me

 

Great post

I too have damage to my 2002 vett and also to my 2005 Mustang.

Last year I purchased a new logictech 2 car portable garage to store
My vet and my wifes stang.

The back panel of garage ripped with wind and swept across both hoods most of the winter.

I hand detailed both cars, it's better, But I need to have them properly
taken care of.

Just another portable garage horror story

Filthy PhiL
BLUANGL

 

Thanks for all of the info- I will leave it to the Pros

Thanks,
TonyP.

 

I can tell you NOT to wetsand!! I have a black 04 Z06 and I found a product that is awesome if you have all the tools. I purchased a kit from http://store.bettercarcare.com/son-sfxpol-kit.html .
This kit has 3 stages of Sonus sfx1,2,3 and has associated pads. The first is a cutter type compound that you use with a DA Polisher. I purchased the porter cable brand because all the body shops around here use them. After I used all 3 stages of polishes, all my swirls were completely gone. I know your saying oh they will be back after a wash, but these products completely removes the swirls. Look on their website, they actually have a write up on a 2005 black C6 that had tons of swirls and it looked beautiful afterwards. Also, you can talk with Lynn (the owner) and she can tell you what to do, how to do it,etc. She's also easy on the eyes.
I am very particular about chemicals I use on my vette, and her products are awesome.
Message me if you want more details.

Scott