Swirl mark removal tips on 2007 used car.

[Vibe_2007]

Bought a 2007 blue Hyundai Tucson with only 44,000 miles on it. One owner vehicle, great condition, etc. But the swirl marks on this vehicle are hideous.

Ordered a Griots 6" DA polisher as part of a kit that has M105 and M205 and the Lake Country pads, along with two blue cobra microfibers. Got it from Autogeeks. Pretty good price at 150 with free shipping after the 15% promo code valid through midnight.

I am just a little apprehensive about using the Meguiars 105 as I know it is the most abrasive cutting compound out there. Should I start with the 205 first or use the 205 to remove any possible holograms caused by 105?

I also own some Meguiars "ultimate compound" I could use as well.

Never owned a DA polishing machine and real excited not to use my hands as much anymore.

Any tips using this Griots machine you have? I read something about using the 105 until you "diminishing abrasiveness". There is so much to learn about this I know.

The paint is a very deep blue color and has a lot of potential.

Thanks BITOGers!

 

[thebeast]

The best thing to do is a test spot. Put masking tape on a flat section of the car in a plus pattern. Use each "square" created by the tape pattern to test a different combination of pad and product. As an example:

Top Left - M105 and cutting pad
Top Right - M105 and polishing pad
Bottom Left - Ultimate Compound and cutting pad
Bottom Left - Ultimate Compound and polishing pad

You could also throw M205 into a different test spot with various pads. Polish each section with the specified combination, remove the tape and inspect with a good flash light directly over the spot or in the sun. A section might come out near perfect, it might need more polishing, or it might remove most of the swirls but not all. Decide what you're happiest with and repeat over the entire car. You want to remove the least amount of paint possible, so only use the strongest combination if nothing else gives you good results.

You might also want to consider getting and using a paint thickness gauge if you don't know the full history or the car, especially if there are buffer trails or other signs of previous polishing/buffing.

All the abrasives you mentioned are non-diminishing abrasive polishes/compounds, specifically SMAT (Super Micro Abrasive Technology) for Meguiar's products. This means that there is no minimum work time for the polish. Some polishes are DAT or Diminishing Abrasive Technology, which means they need a certain amount of work time to break down and leave the best finish possible. That being said, you'll still need to experiment to find the number of polishing passes that gives you the best results with each of your polishes.

In summary, experiment, but be careful. And don't forget to wax/seal/coat the paint after you're done. Have fun!

 

[DutchBrad]

I detailed a 1996 Honda Accord I got for my son. Used Meguiar's Ultimate Compound, wool pad on a rotary buffer. The paint was quite clouded, I was amazed how it turned out. Here is a link to the pictures:

http://i742.photobucket.com/albums/xx66/Dutchbrad/029_zps8f05a103.jpg

I have not used Meg's 105 product. I like the idea above, trying test areas to see what works the best. I waxed the Accord with plain Turtlewax liquid, it still looks good. It has been around 8-9 months.

 

[The Critic]

That's a pretty good price for the kit. Which Lake Country pads were included?

I would probably start with Ultimate Compound on a Lake Country Orange Foam Pad. 3-4 dime-sized drops of product at a moderate speed, light pressure, and 4-6 passes. Wipe off and re-evaluate.

If it is not giving you the results that you want, try M105 with a similar method. M105 has a fairly short buffing cycle and tends to be dusty, so approach it similarly but shorten your work cycle to 2-3 passes.

You'll probably have to finish down with 205 afterwards - on a white polishing pad.

I'd be glad to walk you thru this on the phone if you want.

 

[Vibe_2007]

Originally Posted By: thebeast
The best thing to do is a test spot. Put masking tape on a flat section of the car in a plus pattern. Use each "square" created by the tape pattern to test a different combination of pad and product. As an example:

Top Left - M105 and cutting pad
Top Right - M105 and polishing pad
Bottom Left - Ultimate Compound and cutting pad
Bottom Left - Ultimate Compound and polishing pad

You could also throw M205 into a different test spot with various pads. Polish each section with the specified combination, remove the tape and inspect with a good flash light directly over the spot or in the sun. A section might come out near perfect, it might need more polishing, or it might remove most of the swirls but not all. Decide what you're happiest with and repeat over the entire car. You want to remove the least amount of paint possible, so only use the strongest combination if nothing else gives you good results.

You might also want to consider getting and using a paint thickness gauge if you don't know the full history or the car, especially if there are buffer trails or other signs of previous polishing/buffing.

All the abrasives you mentioned are non-diminishing abrasive polishes/compounds, specifically SMAT (Super Micro Abrasive Technology) for Meguiar's products. This means that there is no minimum work time for the polish. Some polishes are DAT or Diminishing Abrasive Technology, which means they need a certain amount of work time to break down and leave the best finish possible. That being said, you'll still need to experiment to find the number of polishing passes that gives you the best results with each of your polishes.

In summary, experiment, but be careful. And don't forget to wax/seal/coat the paint after you're done. Have fun!


That's a good idea about taping off a few different practice areas. Also, I don't think this vehicle has been polished very often, if at all. The kind of cob webbing looks like 7 years of careless snow brush use mixed in with a great deal of those do it yourself car washes with the gravel encrusted wash brushes.

Great tips! I am going to do what you suggest and see what works the best.

 

[Vibe_2007]

Originally Posted By: DutchBrad
I detailed a 1996 Honda Accord I got for my son. Used Meguiar's Ultimate Compound, wool pad on a rotary buffer. The paint was quite clouded, I was amazed how it turned out. Here is a link to the pictures:

http://i742.photobucket.com/albums/xx66/Dutchbrad/029_zps8f05a103.jpg

I have not used Meg's 105 product. I like the idea above, trying test areas to see what works the best. I waxed the Accord with plain Turtlewax liquid, it still looks good. It has been around 8-9 months.


Nice job on the Honda. The pictures looked great. 1996 is a lot of summers and it looks like you removed tons of oxidation to get to that nice red paint.

 

[Vibe_2007]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
That's a pretty good price for the kit. Which Lake Country pads were included?

I would probably start with Ultimate Compound on a Lake Country Orange Foam Pad. 3-4 dime-sized drops of product at a moderate speed, light pressure, and 4-6 passes. Wipe off and re-evaluate.

If it is not giving you the results that you want, try M105 with a similar method. M105 has a fairly short buffing cycle and tends to be dusty, so approach it similarly but shorten your work cycle to 2-3 passes.

You'll probably have to finish down with 205 afterwards - on a white polishing pad.

I'd be glad to walk you thru this on the phone if you want.


Thank you for the tips!

The kit I purchased has the following for 150 shipped:

1) Griots 6" DA

2) 8oz M105

3) 8 oz M205

4) Lake Country CCS pads in Orange, White, and Blue

5) Two 16x16 blue 70/30 microbfiber towels

6) Free sample small bottle of Pinnacle swirl remover

All in all, I thought I scored a lot for the money. Autogeek has some screaming deals with the promo codes always available.

I was thinking like you were. Use the ultimate compound I have and go at it wit that first to see if results are there.

This vehicle does not look like it was really waxed or polished much at all.

Thank you for the offer of help. I'll definitely keep that in mind when I start the project (weather permitting).

 

[HerrStig]

Remember, you don't "remove" those emarks, you lower the surrounding
surface to their level. Don't get carried away.