How to de-swirl a BMW 530i

K

kenwowski

New member
I detail cars on the side for extra cash. I use high quality waxes and sealers and I have had a lot of success with most cars I have done. However, my parents have a dark red 2001 BMW 530i and no matter what I do I can't get the swirls out of the paint.



Is there a better type of polish or wax to use on BMWs? I have a buffer but it does not have variable speed so I only use it to remove the wax or polish. Any tips would be great.



Thanks!
 
you need a polisher....end of story, sorry



how are you "getting the swirls out" on other cars?



what kind of "buffer" do you have
 
I am sorry if I was too vauge in my first post. I have a makita rotary polisher however it is from the early 90s' and does not have variable speed adjustments like some of the newer models. I usually wash and clay the vehicles and then follow up with NXT, gold class or a sealant like rejex. Most of the vehicles I do are newer and do not require full corrections (which I do not have much expertise in) and have always come out swirl free when I complete them. I have read on this site that many have trouble correcting BMW clearcoats and thought there might be a few proven commerical grade products that work better on the german vehicles.
 
You will need to polish the vehicle. Judging from your earlier details, you are cleaning the vehicles and applying a sealant (which is fine for a vehicle that does not need polishing), however you will need to invest in a decent swirl remover polish (Danase Swirl Buster, Meguiar SwirlX, Merzerna, etc) and an appropriate pad choice.
 
like I said I usually don't do full corrections so the only pads I have been using are the 3M foam finishing pads



What kind of polishing pads would you use in this situation?
 
You won't need a yellow unless the paint is really oxidized. I would start with an orange LC pad, or maybe even a white just to see how that works. You always want to start with the least aggressive combo first, and then work from there. But like others have mentioned, you should really get a polisher with variable speed like a new rotary or a PC. PCs are great for beginners. Megs M105/205 is a new combo that detailers really enjoy. Menzerna SIP/Nano combo is a tried and true combo that is great for cars with hard CCs and will leave spectacular results. You should also invest in some new, different pads.
 
kenwowski- If the clear on the 530 is like that on my '97 M3 it's *hard*.



I second the M105 recommendation, and I tried a lot of different products on that paint before deciding the M105 was the best choice. It finishes out pretty well, but yeah...you will need to do a follow-up with something milder.



Yellow cutting pads (and/or the Meguiar's burgundy 7006) might be more than you need, I'd try an orange light cut pad first.



If the paint is *really* messed up, you might need to use something very harsh (I used 3M Extra Cut Rubbing Compound on the Meg's 7006 pad and even wetsanded some areas first) before using the M105. There are cases where "big abrasives" (e.g., the 3M Extra Cut) work better than "very sharp abrasives" (e.g., the M105).



As Totoland Mach would probably agree, correcting BMWs can be a little tricky compared to a lot of other vehicles.
 
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