bigcypress

2004 dark blue and in the sun i see a few very fine marks in the garage i see none . i'm thinking of trying to make finish even better but feel i am more apt to make it worse which would be upsetting . i've started using adams ''stuff'' but didn't order a product to do what i'd like to accomplish so a mild over the counter product would be nice . worse my lighting is such that i could be trashing the finish and not know it till i back car out into sunshine . patience please and thanks . . peace

cmonkey713

Any swirls, scratches, holograms or spiderwebbing are almost imposable to remove by hand and have any kind of a uniform result on a large surface area. You could spend 40 hours or more by hand and still not get it right. Invest in a dual action (D.A.) buffer, pads and products. Watch the DYI videos provided by forum vendors from Autogeek, Adams and others to learn how to properly use the DA, pads and products.

JoshVette

Invest in a good orbital buffer and a bright LED flash light.


Josh

Kenny94945

I tend to agree...by hand will retain the visibility of some swirls...you need a buffer machine.

As if you haven't tried...IMO a glaze applied by hand may be your best bet for minimization.

Good luck.

bigcypress

thanks guys . thought about a buffer several times but afraid i'd just make things worse .....on an epic scale . also when reading about them it sounds like you need to mask off everything with in ten feet as the ''polish'' is flung by the spinning action . don't know what the user ends up looking like . . . peace......ps . also there are a number to choose from and i tend to make the worst possible choices . and then there's what pad to use and how to take care of it .....i'm 78 and really struggle with new ''technology'' .

0Adam's Polish

Like everyone said you will need a machine polisher. It's just not that hard to do and it is safe on your paint. The machine in this video is a orbital not a rotary. Check out the video and please t
let me know if you have any questions.

cmonkey713

You will not make it worse! Watch the DYI videos and take your time, you will be fine. You must start somewhere.

bigcypress

watched some things on computer about the buffers the day it was recommended . it doesn't appear quite as bad as i visualize it . i'm in the process of selling my ''things'' as i don't want them inherited . so don't know about buying more . i did see a little 4'' hand applicator that struck me as i good idea as it would keep any pressure more even than hand/fingers do . thanks again , you folks are always kind and helpful . . peace

cmonkey713

Forget the 4" hand applicator. There is no comparison using a hand applicator and a DA buffer especially when doing paint correction. GET THE DA!

Patman

You will spend way too much time trying to remove swirls by hand. A DA is the way to go! I have one of the original Ultimate Detailing Machine DA's, which has the stronger motor compared to the newer ones which are simply rebadged Porter Cables. Anyhow, when I first got my C6 (used) in April 2013, the paint was horribly swirled! I think a lot of it was due to the overeager sales guy who told me he did me a favor by clay barring the car. So you can see the before and after results of my efforts and I'm not lying when I said that the only difference between the before and the after was that I made ONE pass with the DA. And I didn't even use anything super expensive either, I actually used Meguiar's Scratch X 2.0! I had the DA set to speed 5 (out of 6) and was using a white Lake Country pad. (sorry these pictures end up upside down, I don't know why this happens from time to time when uploading pics to the forum that are right side up in the originals!)

bigcypress

thanks once again . wife's 2004 is really close to that dark blue and currently looks more like corrected picture than the first picture . EDIT : i've looked further on computer . the griots seems well thought of and a reasonable price . however , pads are a real issue because i haven't a clue what to buy or what to use for each application . also it sounds as though one would need 6 or 8 pads for each vehicle which would almost equal [ i think ] the cost of having it done . wife's cars all look really nice and should only need very light correction which brings up the '' what additional products do i need '' problem . I'M CONFUSED!! lastly , after using ''adams rinseless wash '' i'm giving SERIOUS thought to never ''waxing'' again when her two blue cars are ''perfect'' enough for her . after using the wash i just stand there and shake my head thinking about how hard i used to work to get cars looking that good . . . peace......i appreciate your time and thoughts .

Patman

You definitely don't need 6 to 8 pads at all. In all honesty I could get by with just two pads, I use a white one for polishing and a black one for putting on the sealant. I do have a few extras, but that's only if I want to work on another car while the other pads are still drying from washing them up.

bigcypress

for now can't someone just recommend an over the counter MILD polish . i appreciate the random orbital suggestions and maybe next spring i'll do that but for now i'd like to just use a hand product . . thanks ......ps. i intend to put adams ''sealer'' on also and if i don't buy a polish a might first zaino ''aio'' vehicle .

cmonkey713

Watch the Autogeek website for their DA sales. They traditionally have a big sale on Black Friday where you can save considerable money and free shipping.

Patman

If you are looking for something commonly found that can work when used by hand, Meguiar's Scratch X 2.0 can fit that need. I have used that by hand in small areas (fixing spots by bird bombs for instance) and it can be done, but working larger areas will certainly tire you out.

blueray16

True that actual paint correction is the correct process.
However, I was able to achieve a visible improvement with hand application of two coats of Zaino Z5 Swirl remover,which rather than remove the swirl marks, fills the finer swirls creating a level refective surface. Then followed with a final coat of Z2.
I've since sold the car so no pictures but I would estimate a 25 - 30 % improvement overall. I was happy with the results.
Might be worth a shot with nothing to loose but a few dollars and a couple hours in your driveway.
I also use Scratch x for small scratches and scuffs with good results but never considered it for entire car.

bigcypress

just sold my left over zaino including a new bottle of z2 . all i have left is some zaio and lots of z6/z8 . . . peace