bmwr32 said:
I have ruined my cars paint!!!! I have gone through brush car washes, major,major swirl marks, I think I will have my car detailed professionally first, then when I am ready to sell it I'll have it repainted!!! Its not like I'm driving a hard to find musclecar!!! Seriously great post and thread!!!!!!!!
Relax. Don't do anything rash. I once made the mistake of letting a "pro" buff my car's paint.
Never again. When done incorrectly buffing puts odd "waves" on the paint that look worse than any swirl marks.
You can save your car's paint easily, although it will require some time and muscle and products.
Wash
Wash again
Dry
Clay the whole body. This is much easier than once would expect. You will use the lubricant supplied by the clay bar maker. You spray lub, and then rub the clay bar over the paint back and forth. I don't use circular motions here, but some do.
Then use 3M "Perfect it II". It's a bit more industrial but is still gentle enough to use.
Do it by hand. The 3M stuff feels much like a thick liquid wax. It will go on like a wax.
Use clean towels throughout the process. As you apply the liquid you will "feel" the surface go liquidy for a second. Do smaller sections at a time, maybe 2' X 2'. Let it dry and then buff.
Check for swirl marks. You should have removed nearly all of them. Continue with the whole car. If the dry residue is hard to take off the paint, all you need is a bit of water to loosen it up and then dry it up.
This product does remove some of the clear coat, but it has to cause that's where the swirl marks are. They are in your clearcoat. Be assured, the 3M will NOT remove any detrimental amount. I've used it on many cars and have used it at least 3 times on the same spots with no problems. It requires a firm but gentle touch, no need to scrub and be abrasive. Let the product do the work.
At this point you have clear coat and that's all. Most all wax and sealant are gone.
This is a good thing. You will now polish and seal the paint with a polish/sealer.
I like a product called "Liquid Glass". It's a very liquid product that goes on very smoothy and comes off very easily and will not leave a residue on black plastic. To make sure always avoid putting wax or sealant on unpainted porous plastic.
The Liquid Glass is an excellent sealant and polish. If you can, let everything dry for about 1/2 and hour and then apply a second coat of Liquid Glass.
At this point your paint will look quite nice, shiny, liquidy, smooth.
The final step for that deep luster is to wax. Wax give sheen and gloss in a way that polish doesn't. So, by using both you will seal and polish the paint and then wax over that.
I like carnauba wax, which is a natural product. The higher quality waxes contain some carnauba wax and they have a "tropical" smell. Wax does get hot and will fade off the paint depending on you weather conditions. That is why the sealant/polish coat/s are important as they provide protection in between waxing.
Also, remember wax can/will leave a residue on unpainted plastic so be careful to avoid getting it on that material.
Use a LOT of clean towels for removing sealer/polish and wax. Use a cloth applicator and use lots of soft towels to remove the residue and turn the towel often. A lot of people make the mistake of trying to save the towel useage, but that just leads to potential contamination and swirl marks. When done right a towel slid onto the hood will just slide right off cause the paint is that clean and smooth.
I clay and polish once a year and apply wax at least once, but twice is better. If you are really serious about having the best looking paint then caly and polish twice a year and wax every season.
TT
