Swirls - take to PRO or try myself

M

MTO44

New member
My car is about six months old (2002 Dark Blue). I made a mistake in the first month and took my car to the car wash. Never again. Swirls or whatever all over hood. I can only see in direct sunlight or under lights at night. This car is a daily driver. I had someone detail car back in January and he did not get out swirls. Detailer said they were towel scratches. All cars get them. Well, I have tried hiding them with 3M Hand Glaze and the Soverign Wax. Tried the Pinnacle Polish. They are still there. I am thinking about trying 3M Swirl Remover for dark cars. I read on this site that 3M Swirl Revover 2x, plus hand glaze plus Soverign should do the trick. My concern is I am a novice and am not sure that I could do more harm then good trying the Swirl Remover product by hand. Also, car looks great, I just want it to look perfect in the sun. Any and all advice is appreciated. Thanks and have a great fourth of July. Also, if you recommend using a Pro, need a good one in central NJ area.
 
The number of times you will need to use the 3M SMR will depend on the severity of your problem. Search for hand application and read up. There are some very good threads that discuss methods and procedures for hand application.



The real key to the 3M SMR is working the product the correct amount of time. You must work it until it is nearly dry and you see the gloss coming up. It takes longer to work SMR correctly than any other paint product I use, so read carefully in your searches for tips. I think what you want to attempt is a good learning experience for a novice. Just be through, patient, and read read read here at Autopia!





:xyxthumbs
 
Thanks. I don't want to damage the paint. Is the 3M product mild or will it scratch the paint if done incorrectly. Like I said, the car looks great. I just want to not see the fine scratches (swirls) when the sun hits it at the right angle. Any suggestions will be apprecated.
 
The 3M is pretty mild. The abrasives it contains start out harsh (relative to this product) and then break down finer and finer as you work the product in. The idea is that the abrasives remove the swirls and then polish out their own marks as they break down.



The problem most folks have is hazing. The paint has a dull hazy look after the SMR, and the cause is failing to work the product long enough. It is not a permanent condition, and can be remedied by re-applying the SMR and working it correctly until the abrasives have completely broken down.
 
Sam, how do you work it correctly? Put it on with foam pad? Do one panel at a time and use back and forth motions? Medium pressure? Someone said on this forum, you can get rid of haze with 3M IHG. Do you agree? What should I take 3M SMR off with? Microfiber towel or terry cotton? I appreciate your help.
 
Working SMR means to bascially use your PC on it until you break down the abrasives in the polish. This is best accomplished using either a pad similar to CMAs white pad or their yellow cutting pad if you have particularly bad swirls. You should make many passes along a small section first applying moderate pressure and then lighter pressure as the polish is "worked". There should be very little residue remaining when you are done and SMR really shouldn't leave any haze behind.



If you have stubborn swirls, Finesse It-II is a good choice since it has marginally stronger abrasives. I had to use FI-II with the yellow pad to fully tame the dealer installed swirls on my new car.
 
GATORFAN -



What if you do not have PC and are putting SMR on by hand? Can I damage paint? How should I apply?
 
MTO44......If you are patient and take your time, you shouldn't do any damage. Even if you don't like the results, you're not really out anything for trying but some of your time. You can always go to the Pro afterward.



I would use small foam applicators and work in small areas at a time. About 2' x 2' or less is managable. Use good quality clean terry cloth or micro fiber to buff out and work in front to back motions only. No swirling like the commercials on TV show!!!!:nono Keep working the same area until you see enough improvement, then move to the next area. You might want to tackle one panel at a time, and don't over do the amount of pressure you apply.



Before a show a few weeks ago, I spent 4 hours with a PC just on the trunk lid to get it where I liked. Yea, I'm obssesed:shocked
 
SteveL said:
MTO44......If you are patient and take your time, you shouldn't do any damage. Even if you don't like the results, you're not really out anything for trying but some of your time. You can always go to the Pro afterward.



I would use small foam applicators and work in small areas at a time. About 2' x 2' or less is managable. Use good quality clean terry cloth or micro fiber to buff out and work in front to back motions only. No swirling like the commercials on TV show!!!!:nono Keep working the same area until you see enough improvement, then move to the next area. You might want to tackle one panel at a time, and don't over do the amount of pressure you apply.



Before a show a few weeks ago, I spent 4 hours with a PC just on the trunk lid to get it where I liked. Yea, I'm obssesed:shocked
Click to expand...



Good advice, I just have one addition. Start working the product with a firm even pressure. When you see it start to break down, gradually ease up on the pressure and continue polishing until the gloss comes up. I know its difficult to picture what the product is going to look like at the various stages, but once you give it a try you will understand what I am talking about. As long as you use common sense, you are in no real danger of damaging your paint. My preference would be a MF towel for wipe down, but a 100% cotton terry will do as well.
 
Thank you. I am going to try it on my trunk first. See what happens. Tempted to purchase a PC... Any recommendations? Are they very easy to use. After I use 3M SMR, should I use 3M IHG then follow up with Soverign Wax? Is there a strategy to the perfect shine? Again thanks everyone for all your help.:xyxthumbs
 
I would definitely get the PC if you have the means. Swirl removal is much more effective (and a lot less tiring) with a machine. The 7336SP from Lowe's is a pretty decent deal. Then get the pad kit (with the velcro backing plate) from CMA. While you wait for the CMA pads, you can start with the supplied pad. It's not the greatest, but I'll bet even it will give you better results than a hand application would ;).
 
The PC is a great investment. Its a real time saver especially with SMR. It also provides a great looking finish. Costal Tool has put together a nice package with the PC that includes the backing plate and correct counter weight. If you buy from Lowes, you will need to purchase the counter weight somewhere else.



www.coastaltool.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/a/port/pr7424.htm?L+coastest+wxml8329ffd5f9d5+1025770143



Also, the 3M SMR is a polish like the IHG. It is not necessary to use the IHG before waxing, but you will not harm anything in doing so. The IHG may "wet" the paint a tad more than the SMR alone.



Be sure to take some pictures for us to see! :xyxthumbs
 
So does that deal come w/ the correct pads or whatever? I ordered some SMR, and it's been sitting in my room since Monday b/c I don't feel confident enough to apply the stuff yet. I have a black car and the swirls just kill me. I'm very anal about it and I want to get a swirl free finish like you see on the box of the Meguiar's Gold Class box...shiny and flawless. My car looks so good in the sun from a distance, but once you get a little closer, the swirls are awful. So does that PC come w/ the pads and everything I need to apply SMR, polishes, glazes, waxes, etc? You just use that to apply the stuff, right? You remove by hand? Well, actually I'm really confused. The way it sounds, you just keep using it w/ the SMR until it's gone...there's not really a seperate removal step...is that correct? But say if I used the PC for waxing (or should I not do that) would I just apply the wax with it, then remove by hand? I consider myself an enthusiast but w/ little knowledge about proper paint care. So is that PC a good deal? Thanks.
 
The PC 7336SP package from Lowe's includes a 6" counter weight, or at least the one I bought did :nixweiss. You will still need the velcro backing plate though. It comes with one usable pad, although the ones from CMA are much better.
 
Well I tried SMR (dark cars) by hand, followed with IHG and Soverign wax. I can still see the swirls. Not sure if I am confident enough to take a PC to my car:eek: If I do decide to pay a pro what exactly should I ask him to do? I am in Central NJ. Any pro recommendations will be appreciated:nixweiss I want them out.
 
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