The Mother of All "How to Remove Swirls for Novices" Thread!

[Junkman2008]

Originally Posted by RealmSteel

Well I just watched the first two videos and got to say, they were great.
Cardinals game is getting ready to start, so the others are going to have to wait.

Good luck to your Cardinals. My Cardinals beat Pitt this weekend so I'm happy!

[MayZ]

Well, I've received some of the products I'll need to work on my Z06. I got the juice, towels, and still waiting on the machine and pads. In the meantime, I thought I'd practice cleaning first.

So I picked my daily driver, a 2010 Kia Forte. Believe it or not my daughter has been in 3 accidents with this car. The finish felt like sand paper, even though it looks OK.

I'm using the clay that comes with my Adams kit. BTW, for all of you detailing buffs, you can buy all the clay you'll ever need from Michaels Arts and Crafts store. Your ladies will know where the place is.

Here is the car before/after day 1 of claying the finish . . . it also feels alot smoother, but not new car smooth!

[Junkman2008]

Hell, even new cars don't feel smooth unless you touch them as they come off the assembly line. Once they have been delivered to a dealership, they are rough as hell.

[Royhldn]

Junkman going to pick up my first vette, a 2001 coupe, this week. I watched the video very informative can you tell me where I can get the detailed spray concentrate? I've got some work to do this winter. Thx!

[Junkman2008]

Originally Posted by Royhldn

Junkman going to pick up my first vette, a 2001 coupe, this week. I watched the video very informative can you tell me where I can get the detailed spray concentrate? I've got some work to do this winter. Thx!

Welcome to the forum.

Google is your friend. Here you go.

[c6vettedude]

This Summer, I'm going to watch your entire collection Junkman. Last summer, I dove head-first into paint correction, but things didn't turn out as I'd hoped. I purchased some of the Adams products, but they didn't get the job done. I eventually brought some stuff that was a bit more hard-core, but I still couldn't remove a great deal of the swirls.

One day while applying some wax on the trunk area, I didn't notice that a small piece of debris had gotten trapped in the rag that I was usning to apply the wax. Yep, scratched the entire area...only surface scratches though. I tried using the PC to remove the scratches with "no joy". I eventually took the car to a body shop where I had a friend used his Rotary and very light grade of sandpaper, which brought back the original show-room depth, clarity and shine.

I plan to have the whole car done Professionally this summer, then use my PC to maintain the finish.

Thanks again for all of the info!

[Junkman2008]

Sounds like your process lacked one very important thing: technique. You could use 40 grit sandpaper in a bottle and not remove one scratch if your technique is flawed. If I can remove the scratches that I put in my hood from dancing on it, your scratches don't stand a chance with a solid technique. The videos show it all.

[c6vettedude]

Originally Posted by Junkman2008

Sounds like your process lacked one very important thing: technique. You could use 40 grit sandpaper in a bottle and not remove one scratch if your technique is flawed. If I can remove the scratches that I put in my hood from dancing on it, your scratches don't stand a chance with a solid technique. The videos show it all.

I had been doing a lot of research on detailing, including looking over some of the stuff you put up, along with some other professional detailing sites. My car is an 06', and it had never been polished before with a buffer, plus had sat out in the weather for a long time before I purchased it. It does have a nice shiny appearance, but up close and personal, you can see the the water spots that lay below.

I also didn't spend enough time polishing, the first few times I polished it, so I made it a point to take my time in and really work the "products" in. I do have a lot of experience with the PC, but perhaps what's needed for this job is the Rotary. I watched the guy at the body shop with the Rotary and sandpaper,.. in less than 30 mins, the paint was flawless. Though it didn't have that great shine since the only thing he did was polish it.

Some suggested that the paint needed a chemical wash to help release the "metals", since it sat so long...probably around sprinkler systems.

Either way, your tutorials will be a big help and I'll be using them as a guide this Summer.

Do you have a collection of Tutorials on DVD for sale? That way I don't have to worry about internet and I can study them while travelling.

[Junkman2008]

Originally Posted by c6vettedude

... I watched the guy at the body shop with the Rotary and sandpaper,.. in less than 30 mins, the paint was flawless. Though it didn't have that great shine since the only thing he did was polish it.

Here's where I can tell you haven't been through my videos. All of the shine that your paint will have comes from POLISHING. So many people who are new to paint care have been conditioned to think that WAX is what is used to make paint shine. The is TOTALLY incorrect. Wax may or may not somewhat affect the appearance of your paint (that's a totally debatable subject that gets debated daily on detailing forums), but the actual SHINE of your paint completely comes from polishing.

If you want aluminum wheels to shine, you polish them. If you want leather shoes to shine, you polish them. If you want jewelry to shine, you polish it. If you want glass to shine, you polish it. Polishing is what makes stuff shine. WAX is a protectant. You protect the shine that you get from polishing with wax. So if the guy who took a rotary and sandpaper to your car didn't leave it sparkling like glass, then he didn't finish the polishing process or you have some completely jacked up paint. In my paint correction and sealant (wax) videos, I not only show this process but prove it right before your eyes. Here's a picture of my car after I have just finished polishing it. It takes me about 3 days to completely wax it so I apply wax when I have 3 days to spare.






As you can see, it shines like glass even with overcast skies. Again, there is nothing whatsoever on the paint. I just polished the paint to remove any damage and stopped.

Originally Posted by c6vettedude

Some suggested that the paint needed a chemical wash to help release the "metals", since it sat so long...probably around sprinkler systems.

Don't allow people to talk you into doing something crazy to your paint. All of this fancy speak you hear usually comes from people trying to relieve you of your cash or they don't have a clue themselves. There is no kind of wash that is going to "go into" your paint or clear coat and remove anything. The process to fix your paint is no different than what I explain in my paint correction videos. It may take LONGER for you, but the process is the same. You may need to have it done for you if your technique needs work but I explain technique in my videos so that a caveman can understand.

In detailing, "experts" will make you think that they have reinvented the wheel. Don't fall for it. If the person can't make you understand what needs to be done in simple terms, then that person doesn't understand it themselves. After watching some of my videos, you will completely understand what I am talking about. I can teach this stuff to a 10 year old.

Originally Posted by c6vettedude

Do you have a collection of Tutorials on DVD for sale? That way I don't have to worry about internet and I can study them while travelling.

I can make you a DVD if you like but you can also download them directly from You Tube for free using the Mozilla Firefox addon "Download Video Helper".

[c6vettedude]

You are correct! I didn't think about what I was saying as I was typing. Wax is indeed the protectant, and I didn't get into really learning about "True" car detailing until early last year.

The paint did look good, though he definitely didn't completed the process. He actually wasn't supposed to do any polishing since I didn't have any bodywork done at the shop. He was bascially doing me a favor.. I just wanted those hideous scratches out.

The paint on the car is actually in great shape. When people find out it's an '06, they ask about the paint and are always in awe when they find out it's the original paint. But as the owner, I'm looking at the paint from just inches away trying to find flaws.

I had always gotten an iffy feeling about the chemical wash, so I didn't purchase the kit, but some of the guys who recommended it have been professional detailers for decades and often work on hi-end luxury cars, so I do respect their opinions, but after seeing the rotary and sand paper get everything out of the paint, I knew the chemical wash wasn't needed. You are right in that it just takes a bit more work.

I'll just download the vids you have and do some serious studying!

[Junkman2008]

Originally Posted by c6vettedude

... I had always gotten an iffy feeling about the chemical wash, so I didn't purchase the kit, but some of the guys who recommended it have been professional detailers for decades and often work on hi-end luxury cars...

In this business, the learning never stops. I probably learn something every time I turn on a buffer. So don't allow the years of experience be your only gauge. Listen to the person you're seeking advice from and ask yourself, "Did he explain what he said in a manner that left me no doubt as to what he was talking about?" I've sen guys with 25+ years of experience doing it wrong for 25+ years. You know the saying, "perfect practice makes perfect."

[c6vettedude]

Originally Posted by Junkman2008

In this business, the learning never stops. I probably learn something every time I turn on a buffer. So don't allow the years of experience be your only gauge. Listen to the person you're seeking advice from and ask yourself, "Did he explain what he said in a manner that left me no doubt as to what he was talking about?" I've sen guys with 25+ years of experience doing it wrong for 25+ years. You know the saying, "perfect practice makes perfect."

The industry is constantly changing...new paints, "clears", waxes, polishes, pads, techniques etc.

Normally, I'm only back in the states for a few weeks at a time, so I was always in a rush, but with this being my last contract overseas, time won't be an issue and I can really take my time and get the job done right.

[Junkman2008]

Stay safe my friend and get your butt back here in one piece.

[c6vettedude]

Originally Posted by Junkman2008

Stay safe my friend and get your butt back here in one piece.

Thanks!