There's so much info in these threads, but I couldn't immediately find a good answer to my question, so here goes.. I've had my 09 tsx washed a few times by the dealer when it's been in for service, and I'm starting to think it's a mistake to have them do it. I have some definite swirl marks and scratches now, and they are especially noticeable in the sunlight.

it's the end of winter now, and i have to admit my car's pretty dirty. What do I need to do to gear it up for the summer, and get these swirl marks and scratches gone?

 

Heres a quick read PointQ

 

Along with the products you'll be buying, you'll need the knowledge and technique on how to use them properly. To get this, you'll have to do some researching... happy reading!

 

never never never never never never never ever ever ever ever ever let your dealer or any quick type car wash, washer your car......EVER!!

i only hand wash my car myself, and i have machine polished my car to just about total perfection...i took my car in for warranty work, they washed it and swirled it to be damned....results were me repolishing the whole car out for 6+ hours to fix the damage they did in 20 minutes of shitty washing....i called and complained, but not one phone call was returned....

 

That's the way it is. I worked at an Audi dealer and this guy's A6 had notices on the RO, and two signs in the car (one on the dash, the other on the console) NOT to be washed. And it still got washed! I thought the guy was going to blow a coronary.

Those courtesy washes are for people who don't give two shits about their cars and it's one of two times it gets cleaned annually.

 

try the meguairs line... i've used it and got some amazing results....
check this link out...
http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/sho...imate+compound

 

My gf just bought a CRV, and my buddy's gf just bought a Scion XD, both black. I looked at their paint and couldn't believe the swirls just from being washed and kept on the lot, terrible

 

dealers lots suck lol they actually had dudes come around with a pressure washer and spray the cars on the lot then just shammie them. not even wash them lol terrible

 

but these marks arent un-fixable right? i have had my NBP TL for a year now, been to the car was with it 3x, each time i ask them not to dry, as i will do the same with my own WW towels, but there are still swirls, plan on getting them out in the next week or two

 

no, u can fix this.... u need to look at my comment up above... there is a link for the meguairs line..... they start with the most aggresive to least aggresive... u need an oribtal buffer... which meguairs sells..... u most likely need there scratch product.... it will do miracles.... pm me for more info..

 

My understanding is you don't WANT to start off with the MOST aggressive. You want to leave as much clearcoat as possible to get the job done. Do the least abrasive polish and see if it clears it up...then seal it.

I may be wrong, but don't think so.

 

not trying to buy an orbital buffer right now, got bills to pay homie...gotta do it by hand

 

Trust me, doing it by hand is not fun. Plus, if your time is worth money, you're wasting money doing it by hand. Just save up for the PC and it'll make the job a lot easier and save a ton of time.

 

I'm gonna go the way of the zaino a la "sans buffer" as well. Wish me luck! Lol..

We'll see how it works out...if it's still obviously swirled then I'll buy a PC and call it a day.

 

agreed. And on top of the researches & reading, you'll also be spending lots of time to actually wash / polish it up. And you really need a good day (ie. warm, not too sunny yet not rainy) to help ya out! Good luck & happy washing !

 

when i do a full polish and detail on my car, it usually takes 2 days...about 6-8 hours totall...

 

I have an NBP and now that the sun is coming out I have noticed that this past winter has made my paint an ABSOLUTE DISGRACE. Seriously... like I dont even want the car anymore it is so bad.

I'm scared to use a PC or orbital buffer because I have heard that if not used properly it can actually damage the paint. Is this true? All the detailing i've done has been by hand so I have zero experience with a buffer. I don't mind doing it by hand if it means not risking damaging my paint; I also don't mind spending money on a buffer if it means getting a top notch detail without damaging the paint. What should I do? Exceldetail please feel free to chime in here...

 

If you use a common sense approach, the PC CANNOT harm your paint. As mentioned above, hand polishing can be grueling. Results can be disappointing, although you can make significant headway by hand, but it takes time and labor. With the help of Lake Country, I have a set of hand polishing pads, designed for those who arent ready for a PC or any machine use, or just simply cant afford it right now.
They are made of the same material as the Erasure pads, but just the right size for hand. Something to consider until your ready to make the PC leep.
Excelerators and proper polishes, compounds, & sealants can CERTAINLY take you a step ahead, and a cut above whats available OTC.

 

I like the meguiars stuff for the avg discount shop availability, but ive been through a ton of the mirror glaze stuff, and i rarely get results that i consider outstanding. Honestly, some of the stuff just seems rather "safe". I would reccomend trying some other stuff. My decision to buy a lot of the stuff they sell is biting me back now, as I have a lot of money in it, and I will HAVE to replace with stuff i see as a good replacement. Im trying to read a bit about what successes people have had with certain things, and relate them to the cars that I am trying to clean up, so I am trying to remain patient. I wish I wouldnt have assumed that local stores would be a good idea, it seems like nothing good has come to me when I am the least bit impatient.
Dont get me wrong, I am not a pro by any stretch, rather just a beginner at using some of these different things. I just thought it would be easier to buy the stuff locally.

My concern isnt the quality, that seems fine. I read a ton on the forum they have available, and compared my damage and swirls to many other people. I attempted to recreate the results they have with very little cutting if possible and work my way up. I tend to see that i can't get the same results, and I have tried to replicate every step they take. I wind up using more abrasive stuff, and even then, hardly anything comes out.

 

It really just comes down to experience and technique. I could totally do top notch work (as well as many other detailers) with Meg's products alone. However, I prefer to use other brands than just Meguiar's alone.

 

Hey we all started somewhere! I started with the Mirror Glaze 1-2-3 punch and Mothers products. I got so fed up, I ended up becoming a detail products distributor!!!

 

i was a first time user of my pc and some different pads and polishes about a ago, and i had great results right out fo the gate....you need not worry about messing anything up and get into the pc world right now and fix up your black beauty....

 

I ended up going the Zaino route, in addition to adding Z-PC (mild abrasion) by hand. I definitely lessened the scratches (and killed my right arm) and ended up with a beautiful coating of z-2 after z-5pro. I'm happy with it seeing as how I never look at my car under a 500 watt bulb but I probably would go the way of the random orbiter polisher to get rid of the scratches first if I were to start again. I just didn't want to incur the cost of a PC since I'm a beginner and am happy with how it came out and probably won't have to put so much effort into subsequent layers of the zaino.

 

Owning a PC will really put into perspective, what you've been missing, doing it by hand. By no means am I saying if you dont have a PC "forget it", obviously hand work is rewarding and a huge difference. The PC would be 10 fold that.

 

Hmm...yep...I'm now seeing that.

Thank you for all the tips you gave me originally.

In reading the threads something about the Zaino ended up tempting me to give it a whirl "sans porter cable". If I had to do it all over again, I would probably opt for a cheaper product and the PC. Now that I have put my blood sweat and tears into the first steps (wash, clay, light abrasive, polish + sealant) though, I have to say that I am impressed with what I bought though. Then again, I DID spend 11 hours and touch my car, bumper to bumper 18 times in total (including buffing off and the depth enhancer in between).

Should have split into two days!



-Jeremy.