scrapface

I searched the site and read several posts about swirl marks and the 3G TL. Not trying to rehash those posts .....

My question is, should I pony up and pay a professional detailer the $$$, or just live with the swirl marks on my NBP 07 TL?

I just purchased the car a couple weeks ago. It wasn't a sunny day when I bough the car. I finally had the car parked outside while the bright sun shined on it yesterday and I saw the swirls. Now that I noticed the swirl marks, it's driving me nuts.

The other option of buying a Porter Cable and doing it myself is not gonna fly. I'm a single father of two young kids (24/7), and I don't have the time or patience for that .

Who out there has had their swirl marks professionally repaired, how were the results, and would you recommend it to others like myself?

UGGGHHH!

Aman

First of all, congrats on the car!

I would recommend it only if you're able to maintain it. A swirl-free car is fantastic, but not if it's taken to the car wash two weeks later and it's re-swirled...

Bruce Banner

iTrader: (2)

I think you can polish those out yourself.

Acura_Dude

^This. And congrats on the nice car!

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

I couldn't live with those swirls. Get them taken care of

scrapface

If I do get the swirl marks professional repaired, how often would I need to wax the car to keep the paint looking good?

Also, would a "no touch" car wash be a decent substitute for a hand wash, or is the soap in most "no touch" washes to harsh?

UA6~RBP

Never take your car to a touchless car wash unless you absolutely need to. The only time I would ever consider it is if you have bugs caked on the front (like you do most often in FL). The brush-less ones aren't as bad, but the same idea goes for those too.

As most would tell you, take the time to wash, wax, and clean your car. You just bought yourself a really nice car, so it will be worth it in the end to make it look good, even if it means waking up early on Sunday to do it!

truonghthe

ok if you bring your car to a professional detail shop the cost would be some where around $80-$120. To avoid make more swirl mark you should use microfiber towel to wash your car and drying with it make sure the washing and drying are two different towel. You can polish it yourself but it will take time and not to mention in some case you will put more scratch onto the car if not using proper pads. To answer to your question I would wax the car about three or four times a year, DO NOT go through a touch free car wash. If you decide to wash your car then just go through the spraying by your self one and spray the car down with soap and water.

Aman

^ IMO a pro will charge you more than $80-120 to get rid of those swirls. At the very least, $200.

From what I've read, general rule of thumb is wash once a week, wax once a month. That's what I did, and it kept my Accord looking great.

Problem with touchless washes is that the soaps they use are harsh enough to strip your wax in a few runs, and constantly using them may dull your paint over time. The dulling is an extreme situation though.

During the winter I would do a touchless wash once every two or three weeks to get rid of the caked on salt, and then a rinseless wash and wax at home.

Sorry if all this sounds excessively complicated. I don't know how young your kids are, but maybe you could turn it into a family event or something

Here's a fantastic article written by one of the best in the business: http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-P...-pearl-part-1/

truonghthe

^^^area where I living in they charge $120 for polish and paint restoration basically for get rid of swirl mark. But I saw it go for cheaper down south like FL or TX.

Aman

Someone charging that little for paint correction would worry me.

scrapface

Agreed. I was planning to spend $200+ to have the job done correctly. I'm hoping that the swirls aren't too deep, and it could be buffed out with minimal passes of the orbital buffer.

Is there anyone out there who has had a detailer remove their swirl marks? How was the experience?

vinnier6

iTrader: (1)

a full correction is going to cost you closer to 400 bucks, that why people learn to do it on their own....if they are charging you less then that, its because they arent doing a correction, they are doing a fill job...

with the info you provided, i would just live with it...one bad carwash, and you will be right back where you started

mY sLOW UA6

So you are saying it is better to use the soap brushin the car wash rather than getting a NO TOUCH spraydown

gonzo08452

Wat?

Carazy

If I were to invest that much for paint correction then I would seek a detailer that is familiar with doing opti - coat 2 which would make future car washes fast with Opt No Rinse.

I am not affiliated with Opt Poly Tech, but I am just learning about their products and how well it works. I like the reviews and will be going that route soon.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

a full paint correction by a seasoned detailer will charge a good chunk of change. it is time consuming and labor intensive, but the car wil lcome out looking awesome. just make sure you find someone who knows what they are doing.

going the PC route and DIY is a rewarding experience. time consuming of your own time, but rewarding. i spent over 12 hrs doing a full detail int and ext over the period of a week on my TL. i didn't have any swirls only random fine scratches here and there.

if time is your issue...take it to someone who does paint correction the right way and then ask them the best way to care for the paint once you get your car home.

touchless car washes uses pressure sprays that may strip the wax off your car. some of the water may also be recycled as well. always hand wash your car for best results using correct techniques and materials. autogeek.net has lots of info on how to's.

Bruce Banner

iTrader: (2)

400 is getting close to the cost of a good paint job for a single panel. At that point I'd just repaint, lol

anx1300c

iTrader: (2)

So you think it's a better financial move to spend several thousand dollars to paint the entire car, rather than spending <$500 to make the paint look as good as new? Not following your logic. I don't think many here will agree with you.

pttl

Yeah...so for the 400 dollars he can have a nice shiny door. This sort of thinking, doesn't really go too well on the Wash and Wax boards. Just fyi.

SweetJazz

Geez everyone! I'll get everyone back on topic.

The OP stated that he is a single father and has no time to polish his car. This is not an option people!

A reputable detailer is going to charge $400-500 dollars to detail your car in its current condition. While NBP paint is soft and easy to remove swirls, a proper paint correction is going to take All day! I would never trust anyone to detail my car for $100-200. One option is for you to negotiate a price that only includes an external paint correction (no interior or engine). This could lower the price a bit.

As someone stated above. Once your car is detailed you will have to maintain it or it will go back to its current look in short order. I would suggest getting a rock solid washing procedure. You can research the online detailing forums including this one for the basics.

Finally, I would recommend that the you take a look in one of the online detail forums for pro detailer's located near your home. Most detailer's post their work online so you can get a sense of how good they are. Send me a private message and I can recommend a couple of good detailing sites.

DSF UA6-7 SQUADRON

remove the swirls its not to difficult if they are fine swirls, looks like micro marring to me. i would try using Zaino Z5 and a soft faom pad buffer at a medium lowish speed you dont want to burn your paint

anx1300c

iTrader: (2)

OMG, that guy is amazing. I like his wit that he incorporated into the write-up as well. Talk about the real deal; his website is awesome too. Autoweek Magazine selected him as one of the top nine detailers in the country. Wish I was closer!

david_vang

i also have an 07 tl nbp and swirl marks the same area as you.

it was bothering me so i just used a microfiber cloth and some meguiars swirl-x... something along the lines of that (can't remember the name).

it did a pretty good job except after i washed it, the swirls came back, but they weren't as bad as before.

and i have some deeper swirls on the hood that the meguiars stuff didn't work at all for it.

SharksBreath

iTrader: (33)

the swirls did not come back...they never left in the first place.

only way to remove marring/swirls/scratches is to use a machine polisher and the appropriate pad/polish combo. you can not do this by hand.

all you did was cover up the swirls/imperfections with globs of scratch-x.

there is PLENTY of info in this section about how to correct your paint.

SweetJazz

TSC17 is on this forum and yes he is a master detailer.

scrapface

Well, at least I know who NOT to go with. I saw this guys add in a local paper for general detailing. Sent him an email on Wednesday evening. Took my kids on vacation Thursday - Sunday. He sent me a nice email while I was gone so I emailed him back one more time. His price was REALLY low, so I simply asked him what kind of pads and/or polish he would be using. I wanted to make sure that he was using quality stuff for a price that low. Here's the response I got back:

I thought his response was really rude. No, I'm not trying to have him "be my teacher"! I don't want to do the job myself, that's why I contacted him. Look's like I'll keep looking for a detailer that I actually want to deal with.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

<<<<<<<<Quote:
Tuesday, July 3, 2012 4:00 AM


There are plenty of websites or go to school like I have to learn what I do. I have gone in depth enough about what I do. Im not going to be your teacher, you need a job done, you contacted the right place. You are clealy wasting my time. Your initial contact was a weel ago. And now you continue with more questions. Move along.

Ryan Bulinda
CRC Mobile Detailing, LLC
Brighton MI, 48116

I thought his response was really rude. No, I'm not trying to have him "be my teacher"! I don't want to do the job myself, that's why I contacted him. Look's like I'll keep looking for a detailer that I actually want to deal with.>>>>>>>

^^what kind of shit ass response is that??? he needs to go to customer service school. that is completely unprofessional and not a way to build business. you asked a simple question and should have answered in a manner that reflects professionalism. this guy has none.

find another detailer that wants to be helpful and willing to do the job right without being an ASS. if he has a review page i'd go and bash the guy. that kind of stuff pisses me off. NOBODY esp a potential customer should be treated like that. you asked a simple question...he gave an asshole response. k...bye....(flip bird) and take money somewhere else to someone who cares.

customer service...going down toilet across all industries.

Bruce Banner

iTrader: (2)

Hey alright, MI members in here.
Off topic, but we should have a summer meet!

pttl

oofff. what a response.

Just a suggestion. If you are having difficulty finding qualified detailers in your area, to do a paint correction, you might consider trying it yourself.

That is how I got into doing it. I'm not in the exact same boat as you, because, there are fantastic detailers within 1-2 hours of me. But I did have a NBP 3G TL...so, yes, I know the paint issue well with that car.

But, I just was fascinated looking at the results that people here on W&W were getting. So I read, and re-read, these threads, took notes on various products, asked questions...still do to this day...and now I can take car of the paint on my own vehicles. It's pretty fun and very rewarding. Plus now I have people asking me to "help them out" with their cars

Just read and gain some knowledge. Watch some videos. You'll be pretty safe using a Porter Cable 7424 polisher. There are plenty of people here who are more than willing to share their experience with you.

Good luck!