I have tons of them on my 07 NHB TSX and i dont know what to do about them. Can someone give me the step by step to fix this? I might take it to a detailing shop and pay 25 to get it done.

 

The best way is to use a PC or UDM pictured below. You'll will also need polishing pads, backing plate (BP) and a polish with diminishing abrasives. You can view pictures here as to what a machine combined with the proper pads and polishes can do to remove surface imperfections such as swirls, minor scratches and oxidation. The process is listed here. Removing swirls can be done by hand but can be a tiresome and time consuming effort. The result will be an inconsistent finish. The regulars here as well as number of first time users can attest using a machine is the easiest and best method of getting the job done. The alternative is a pro detailer and a full exterior detail can cost upwards of a few hundred dollars depending on the severity of the defects. I'm sure some of the other guys will chime in and you will have a bevy of answers as well as options . . .

 

I just want to add, if you are going to be paying 25.00, the end result will be nothing up to par. I would suggest purchasing a Flex, UDM, or PC. The UDM and PC are pictured above, and the costs vary from 130-160 after shipping. Match the machines with the correct pads and polishes and the swirls will vanish. I'm still considering myself a newbie in the detailing world. But I can assure you it is easy to use.

If you can spend upwards of 200.00 you will save yourself money, and possibly make money if you're up to the challenge.

GOODLUCK!

 

I just ordered my UDM and eagerly await its arrival. Our 2003 MBP MDX has a few light swirls which I'm sure the UDM (with correct pads and polish) will remove. Am I nerv about using it? Yes... but nothing ventured, nothing gained. I bough Sonus SFX2/3 with DAS Orange, Green and Blue pads. If the sonus doesnt cut it (no detailing pun intended), i'll switch to SIP & then 106FF. Good luck!!!!!!

 

Since we're on the subject of buffers . . .

• Porter Cable (PC 7424/7336) - From $99 - $129 (unit only), available in kit form (pads, BP, product) from some of the online detailing sites, prices will vary. Interchangeable backing plates (BP) 4", 5", 6" for use with different diameter pads.
  Specifications
  Rating: 120V AC
  Amperage: 3.7
  No-load OPM: 2,500-6,000
  Spindle Thread: 5/16"-24
  Gear Drive: Spiral / Bevel
  Polishing Pad Size: 6"
  Length: 11-1/2"
  Weight: 5-3/4 lbs
  
• UDM 1000 Ultimate Detailing Machine - Compatible with industry standard Porter Cable 7424 car polisher. Can use the same accessories as the PC.
  Specifications
  Motor: 110 volt, 4.2 amp (500 watt), max unloaded speed 6,000 RPM
  No-load OPM: 2,500 to 6,000 oscillations per minutes (unloaded)
  Spindle Thread: 5/16"-24
  Gear Drive: Spiral / Bevel
  Polishing Pad Size: 6"
  Weight: 6.2 LBS
  
• Flex XC 3401 VRG - Info can be found here and available at Autogeek, Detailed Image and Proper Auto Care. A review of this buffer as well as comparisons between others can be found here.
  SPECIFICATIONS
  Max. polishing pad diameter: 6 in.
  Velcro pad: 150 in.
  Speed without load: 160-480 rpm
  Power input: 900 Watts
  Power output: 590 Watt
  Orbit: 8 mm
  Orbit Rate without load: 3200-9600 rpm
  Weight: 5.75 lbs.
  

 

Pro Post By Haw!

 

Seriously, you might as well take a match to that $25 because it's gonna be a waste.

Either buy the equipment and do it yourself or pay to get it done right. I vote buying your own equipment since it'll pay back for itself over time because this won't be the only time you'll need to do paint correction.

 

Well first off I do not own a garage and second i think i may end up damaging my paint because i have no idea how to do it

 

Its extremely easy. You would wonder why you waited so long if you owned one, most of us have.

 

There are many tutorials available online and here's some videos to start you off . . .

 

Its extremely easy. You would - wait, read what Pat said below

Seriously though, I think all of us were in the same boat - ask Andy or Pat how many questions I asked them and I unsure I was at first. Now, I've got more products / pads than I know what to do with. This was all since August 07. I'm by no means a pro, but to the point, that's how quickly you can get the hang of it and build a wealth of knowledge!

 

I dont own my own garage, and I would just pay and have a professional do it for me.
Just my 2 cents.

 

^^^

I'm not sure you understand the interest / hobby in doing it yourself, most members of Wash & Wax have Once you get into this, well you better have lots of extra cash to spend, haha. Hell, I'm probably one of the few people that washed a rental car when it was below freezing out this weekend (TL is in the shop).

 

Steve, you are a sick individual..........

 

I would like to do it myself, honestly. If I had someone who can be there and guide me through the process, damn well I will do it myself. If I did something wrong, there will be a lot more money to spend just to fix it. Beside, I dont have a garage available to do it.

 

ok so final question...is it worth it goin to a pro to do it?..or should i try to learn my self?..i mean my car is pretty bad when the sun hits it..is like wow..even at night..it has it all over the car n it just bothers me like a motherr..so i want to get it done before the summer..so what do you guys think?

 

Yourself..........If you dont learn yourself, you will be dependant upon a detailer as long as you wish to keep it looking its best. Also consider resell value........
If its constantly maintained, you will be happier!

 

There have been a lot of first time PC/UDM users who were extremely satisfied with their results. The PC/UDM is really a simple tool to use and damage can only happen when induced by the user. There are numerous online videos and tutorials to assist you.
The cost of an exterior detail done by a pro can start at about $250 and up depending on what needs to be done. Multiply the cost X 2 (every 6 months), I think you see where I'm goin with this. Yea, there will be an initial expense for the products, tools and accessories associated with detailing. But when the time comes for another detail, you already have what you need and then some. Basically, it pays for itself over time.

 

Haha, yeah I figured only you guys would appreciate that! I gave it another quick wash today. I finally get the TL back Monday!

 

I'm really considering purchasing a porter cable and the products shown in some of the videos, but I was curious what kind of mishaps are possible.

I know that if I go to fast and don't let the polish break down it's called hazing and it doesn't look very good, is there anything else that can go wrong? I'd like to know for two reasons, one to understand potential risks and avoid them and second to ensure that I am especially careful, lol.

 

OK well either of you Professional Detailers could you please just make this really easy for me. Just list the Step by steps and the products you would recomend using to do them with. I just bought a UDM and need to know the pads that go with it but first I still dont know the correct way to wash the car so could you just List out the steps Im tired of reading these dull pages and pages when i learn nothing from it.

Step 1: Rinse
Step 2: clay blah blah blah this form would be really helpfull. Also if u could give me the products you would reccommend using on the car. It again is a NBP 07 car with TONS of swirl Marks. Here is what I currently have in my inventory


12 Pack Micro FIber towels ( small ones )
1x BIG micro fiber towel
ArmorAll Carwash Mix
Windex Auto
Meguiars HOT SHINE
ArmorAll Extreme Tire Shine
I have no applicators. Im on a rather Tight budget so try to keep the products at an affordable level.

Thank you soooo sooo much for any help you guys can give me.

 

Also I need an answer to the following questions:

I have a Wax on the car from the day I bought it (about 4-5 months ago) How do i first remove that wax

IN terms of Purchasing the products you guys recommend where is the cheapest place to buy the stuff



Again, Thanks so much

 

Okay... You'll need a few things:

(1) Wash mits - I bought some from excel and they're super soft - http://www.prestostore.com/cgi-bin/s...5255&pd=138546
(2) Two 5 gallon buckets from HD and a grit gaurd - http://www.gritguard.com/
(3) Car wash - This winter ive been using ONR - Optimum on rinse and wash. In the summer, I use Zaino Z7. There are tons of good ones out there
(4) Polish - Lots to choose from - Poorboys, Pinnacle, Optimum, Menzerna, Sonus, etc. All have their places. Do a search on this site, Autogeek (http://www.autogeek.net) or Autopia (http://www.autopia.org) and go from there.
(5) Pads - I have the DAS Pads and I like them. Lots of people like the Lake County CCS, erasure or edge pads. I think it comes down to personal choice. You'll need two orange, two white and two green or blue - this will get you stared. I say two in case you drop one.
(6) Towels - MF towels are a must. I bought mine from Target - vroom drying towls. They work well and are super soft.
(7) Sealent/Wax - Again... lots of choices. I'm a zaino fan (http://www.zaino-store.com) for the past 5 years and the stuff is great. However, there are so many choices out there which will give you great protection and shine.

I know I missed something... Post a pic of the car so we can see the swirls. This will help everyone make better recomendations.

Good luck and just have fun.

Jeff

 

You should also clay your car after you wash it.

 

Oh yeah... the clay bar part - it was early this morning as I was typing.

 

This is how I started; mask (w/painter's tape) an area of about 2X2 or 3X3. Apply a quarter size drop of polish at the 12, 3, 6, & 9 o'clock position of the pad (Thanks to Patrick). Smear the product over the working area and keeping the pad flat on to the surface, turn the PC on with the speed at 3. Once the area is covered increase speed to 5 and work the PC slowly and laterally overlapping about 50% of the area previously polished. The next pass will be up and down again overlapping 50%. The polish is broken down when it starts to clear/dry/haze. At this point, wipe the area with a MF towel and inspect to insure defect are removed. You may have to repeat the process depending on the severity of the defects. Here are some good pictures of polish breakdown.

Ensure the polishing pad is making 100% contact with the surface and try not to tilt the pad in any way. Usually, the weight of the PC provides sufficient pressure when polishing, however some folks like to apply about 4-7 lbs of head pressure giving a little more bite. I'm sure some of the other guys will chime in on the processs.

 

Hawhyen,
Do you put a quater size drop at the 12, 3, 6, 9 postions when you first start out to get the pad lubricated and reduce the amount on subsequent areas? I always start with a quater size drop in the middle and then reduce that to a dime size as I move on but I'm always looking for ways to better my process.

Thanks.

Jeff

 

Wash & Dry

• 2 ea 5 gallon buckets, one for washing solution and the other for rinsing
• Wash Mitts preferably Sheepskin . . . I usually use 2, one for the top half and one for the bottom half
• Car Wash . . . what you have is fine
• General Purpose MF towels . . . for the door jambs, inside of doors, hood and trunk channels, wheels, etc.

Claybars

• Light grade claybar . . . Mother's, Megs, Clay Magic can be found at most auto parts stores (Kragen, AutoZone, etc.)

Polishes

• Cleaners/Cleansers - general cleaning, cleans paint and removes oxidation, provides gloss & reflectivity . . . Megs, Mothers are OTC and most others mentioned are available through online sites
• Diminishing Abrasives - used for paint correction (swirls, minor scratches), some of the Megs lineup are OTC and specialty products from online sites. The severity of the finish determines what is needed.

Pads

• See this thread for descriptions, don't know if they're available locally

Sealants/Waxes

• Too many to mention . . . Megs NXT, Mothers Reflections and Duragloss (105 & 111) are OTC, forum favorites like UPP and Optimum available online.

Miscellaneous

• Applicators - 3.5 in. foam applicators available at stores
• MF Towels for buffing - check Target (Vroom) and KMart (Viking) also Sam's and Costco as well as local auto parts stores

 

I should have said a nickel size drop for that 2X2/2X3 taped area. Sorry 'bout that. When I first start off, I use quarter drops to do a larger area and then reduce the amount as I move from panel to panel. I might try the 2 4 in line method and see how that goes.

 

Thanks sooo much

 

Using a product like Klasse, Zaino or just normal wax will make a HUGE difference in reducing the visibility of swirlmarks and spider webbing.

I used a UDM to polish out my car the best I could a few months ago. I didn't go too crazy trying to get rid of any traces of spiderwebbing, I wasn't willing to shave off a ton of clearcoat (mine are pretty deep tbh). It looked like porcelain but after bringing it to the hand carwash, and do it yourself ones it pretty much stripped off all the wax exposing the sharp edges on the swirlmarks and it just looked like ass. After a quick claybar and a literally 30 minute rubdown with Klasse All in One (spread and wipe, no dry time), it looks like new again. You can barely see it even in direct sunlight.

 

are most polishes abrassive? i am thinking about using Meguiar's deep crystal system polish, but Im afraid that it wears away the clearcoat.

 

You have to watch what the manufacturer calls it. Duragloss calls there sealants, polishes. Although they do not contain abrasives, they do contain cleaners. We like to refer to polishes as any "diminishing abrasive paint enhancing product which will assist in minimizing or removal of unwanted swirls and/or scratches, and oxidation".
Paint cleaners on the other hand have been known to have been called polishes also. Polish, by itself means to make smooth through attrition. So technically, a paint cleaner "could" be called a polish.
The Megs DC is a chemical cleaner..........
And you have PLENTY of CC on your car. Using a PC or UDM will not harm your CC. (Unless its compromised already)

 

Ok so I guess my question would now be, is there a way to get rid of swirls with out using a UDM?

 

You can do it the old fashioned method, by hand. Be forewarned, it is time consuming, very tiresome and the results may be inconsistent.

 

so by hand i just need a microfiber applicator pad and i just do what?

Wash
Clay
then what are the steps here
Wax

 

I bought megs

Paint Cleaner
Polish
Wax
Clay Bar

I washed car/dried car then i used clay bar with instant detailer as the lubicration. then used paint cleaner then used polish and nothing happened.. idk why can anyone help

 

Was that you who called Friday evening??

 

Yep thats me. Just waiting on the clear from my dad to get the UDM Pads and Polish

 

Here's an excerpt from Paintcare & Detailing . . .
Polishing By Hand
Polishing by hand can provide decent results but is also limited in it's correcting abilites. I don't recommend using anything more aggressive then a medium abrasive polish, especially on dark colored cars.

Method

• [*]
• [*]
• [*]
• [*]
• [*]

BTW, what Megs polish did you use? Also, you should polish first then use the paint cleaner if you desire, however it's unnecessary. An abrasive polish should remove the imperfections and oxidation.