swirl marks - good products

[HOLEIN1]

hi there,

looking to polish up my MK4 tomorrow and was wondering if anyone can recommend any polishes to get out teh swirl marks that are all over the paintwork

it looks like some idiot has buffed the roof etc with a heavy cut and polish which has left zig zags all over the car :o

have had a look aroud at some of the top end products such as Meguiars, Auto glym etc etc but not to sure what will work

thinking of getting something like a paint cleaner to get rid of teh swirll marks, and then going over it again with a polish/wax to protect

any suggestions welcome

Dan :)

[gpk_gti]

autoglym,,,,,,I use-

1st- paint renovator

2nd-super resin polish

3rd-extra gloss polish(makes paint like glass!)

ive used them all,,and autoglym imo is the best for the money.


http://www.autoglym.co.uk/enGB/product-quickselectorCar.asp

[BlackVr6ix]

agree 100% with george (the 3rd product is actually called extra gloss protection), however i also find that Meguiars ScratchX works a treat on swirl marks.

[gpk_gti]

n: sorry black! haha you are right..................


I found scratchx a bit rough on dark colours.

[velly_16v_cab]

if you pop along to www.newportedition.com look on the forum under detailing and our club detailer has written a few posts about cleaning and polishing a car with lots of DO's and DON'T, it is worth a look.

there is a thread on there where he polished my Bora where some TRIED to buff it up but all they did was leave lots of swirl marks!!!:mad:

[rayray086]

Meguiars ScratchX worked great on my white car. I could easily see the difference it made, and even the camera captured it.

Before
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2007/10/CIMG5884-1.jpg

After
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2007/10/CIMG5899-1.jpg

Done with a Meguiar hand Applicator Pad and just buffed out with a polishing cloth.

But as George says, it may be quite rough. It's an abrasive polish so if you're not careful or using proper technique, you'll do more harm than good by 'digging' into the clearcoat.

I definitely want to try out some Autoglym stuff though - I've a friend who's a vendor ;)

[BlackVr6ix]

Do it, you wont regret it.

And im sad to say i dont think we will be seeing zymol back in australia for quite some time. there is currently a dispute going on between the amercian company and the australian distributor... needless to say if any of your local auto store have any i'd grab it while you can.

[REDMKVGTI]

Menzerna is what my detailer uses, and swears by. Results are frikin brilliant, but it's not really suited to hand application I don't think.

Personally, I've seen people go way wrong doing their own cutting/polishing, so I pay someone that really knows what they are doing, and have all the right tools. I'm not willing to risk the paint work on this car.

[BlackVr6ix]

cut & polish is different to swirl removing. its like using Ajax when spray and wipe will do!

9 times out of ten a simple paint cleaner (Autogylm Paint Renovator, Mequiars Cleaner Wax, Mothers Carnauba Cleaner Wax) will do a fantastic job at removing build ups of crap and also light swirl marks, and then a nice wax/protectant (Autogylm Extra Gloss Protection, Mequiars NextGen Wax, Mothers Carnauba Wax) will basically fill in all the left over scratches and you will have one smooth and shiney looking car!

[REDMKVGTI]

Filling the swirls (which a lot of products do) is a temporary solution (one that my dealer used it turns out), and in the long run is just a waste of your time, and if your buying products to do that your money as well.

Unless you get something that actually removes the swirls (be it a chemical or abrasive agent) your really not making any progress and will quickly end up back where you started (ie with visible swirls).

If it's build up you have (if your paint work is not perfectly smooth after washing) which most of us including you probably do, look into a clay bar, and a suitable lube to deal with it properly.

Have a read through this page (http://www.waxit.com.au/howto.asp?howto=7) if your after some more info on actually removing your swirls rather than just covering them up.

The other site you might like to go to to get some more informed info is final inspection. (http://www.finalinspection.com.au) It's also worth attending some of the workshops run by them if you are lucky enough to be a Melbournite.

Oh, and dont use Ajax, or spray and wipe on your paint!

:)