So I've got a black roof that was relatively swirl free until today. Now it looks like it was dried with sandpaper thanks to mountain view mini. Don't ever let them wash your car. I spaced out and forgot to tell them not to.

Anyway now that I have a bunch of extra work, I was thinking of using scratchx from meguiars. Would this be the best way to rehabilitate my roof? Or is there an easier/better product? I definitely want to use a product that REMOVES the swirls rather than covering them up. I've read through posts here and it seems that scratchx will do the trick. But since I'm lazy I thought I'd ask if there was a better/faster product to use... otherwise I'll just use the old elbow grease method.

Thanks!

 

scratchx will definitely work for swirls. will take elbow grease though, as
you mentioned. sorry to hear about your car.

 

Yeah, I remember when this happened to me :(. I ended up having to order some stronger polish and use a light cutting pad and the followed up with a finish polish to clean it up further.

 

Get a PC to do the work if you don't already have one. If you do have a PC use the correct pad and polish comb, not ScratchX.

I tried to get rid of swirls with ScratchX and it was better but not perfect, maybe not even good depending who you ask.
With a PC I was able to get rid of the swirls very easy. The investment is worth it.

 

I will second thulchatt on getting a PC. I bought mine from Griot's Garage and it has paid for itself. Literally. First time I used it, my car turned out so nice my neighbor wanted to hire me to do his car. I told him I'd do it for free, but he insisted on paying me.
It's also "idiot proof". It would be hard to do any damage. But we're talking about a quality Porter Cable random, not a drill with a buffer pad attached! Griot's also sells the polish in 3 different levels, light, medium and course depending on how bad the swirls are. I would also avoid ScratchX unless you really have a deep scratch. Swirls are almost microscopic but really show on black paint.

Good Luck!

 

With a stable like "The Wheel" has it should be apparent that he knows what he's talking about. I bought a Griot PC but haven't used it since our weather doesn't favor winter polishing. I know the dealers think that a car wash is a courtesy but for an enthusiast it's a horror. I once forgot to tell them not to wash, but believe me you won't forget again!

 

you sure about that, freez3? you dont need a stable of cars
to be an excellent detailer.

 

So sorry to hear about your paint!

As has been mentioned already, a PC, with the right pad and polish, is likely the only way to physically remove all of the damage. Certainly though, you can get rid of at least some of it by hand with some serious elbow-grease and time.

I know you don't want to just cover them up, but you are likely to have at least a little damage left after a hand-application... in which case you might want to consider a filler/concealer type of product as your finishing step.

If you have a PC (or can borrow one), you can physically remove the swirls quite easily. (for step-by-step PC instructions, click here: PC Polishing Instructions)

For hand polishing:

Use either Scratch-X or Prima Swirl and be sure to work each section for several minutes before re-loading on the polish. Ideally, use a cotton-covered or microfiber-covered pad (sponge) to help beef-up the polish just a tad.
It quite a task to do this by hand, but at least it's a small area to work on!


For PC polishing (aka a Porter-Cable Random Orbital Polisher or similar, such as the Dewalt version... NOT a 10" "buffer" type of machine):

Use Prima Swirl and the white pad (Paradise/Lake Country brands).
Work each 2'x2' section (or slightly smaller) for 2-4 minutes at a time.

Note that you may only need the "lighter hand" of Prima Finish instead of Swirl; however, as long as you work it long enough and pair it with the white pad, Swirl will definitely work and then you only have to use 1 product instead of experimenting back and forth with both. That said, if you already have Finish, use it with the white pad first and then jump up to the orange pad if you find it's not quite enough.

Neither polish contains any filler/concealer chemicals so you'll be abrading and fixing only- no eye-trickery.


Good luck!

-Heather

 

thanks guys. So scratchx maybe won't work. I still need to get some anyway because it seems my rubber shoes install scratches on the piano black ring on the lower portion of the drivers door. I know in another thread someone told me Scratchx would work there. Would you guys also agree? Or is there some better plastic polish out there?

 

scratchx will work on your roof but you need to use elbow grease
and effort...and i feel like im repeating myself all to often.

it's easy in the way it's readily available anywhere and it's like $8.
ive done my entire car with scratchx by hand. nowa days i use
my RO and griot's polishes, but hey, that was after the fact i spent
a couple hundred dollars which ended up a few grand...

for your interior you can try plasticx but that's even milder than
scratchx so it could take a long time. since the piano black is a
painted surface thats why i mentioned try scratchx. plasticx is
more for lenses and clear plastics.

btw, make sure you use a foam pad, not a cotton pad as
cheap cotton pads can haze the paint.

goodluck. also do a search... all of this has already
been discussed many times.

 

Use turtle wax ((ICE))paste there gone in second very cool product

 

that only covers it up though...

 

Silly ScratchX question - Is there a specific way you are supposed to work it in (up and down, side to side) or does it matter? Depending on where you look, some say it matters, some say it doesn't.

 

Absolutely agree! But if you do have more than one car, it sure makes it easier to keep them looking good if you know what to do when there's a problem. I don't claim to be a professional detailer or know everything, but I did take a car to the national level and win 1st place in Class and Division in Full Concours. Full Concours is where the Judge goes under the car with a white glove and tries to find a speck of dust or drop of oil. (he didn't)
I only cautioned about ScratchX because it can be very agressive and cause more swirls than you already have IF you are not careful. There are better suited products for removing swirl marks, IMO, and that is what the original poster claimed to be the problem. If the swirl marks are deeper in the paint, then something with a more agressive grit will be appropriate.

 

if you think scratchx is an aggressive product then you must have used
the wrong applicator or your elbow grease has too much torque... or
your cars are absolutely in fanastic shape that what i refer to as
haze is your definition of swirl, or my swirl is your scratch. my scratch
is your totaled car.

you mentioned you use griot's. scratchx is about as mild if not
milder than Polish3. polish 3 is course vs scratchx on their standard
foam pad.

dealer induced swirls from my experience require minimum polish3 and
orange pad to begin with.

 

OK..... I admit that my ONLY experience with ScratchX was to try and remove a SCRATCH (not a swirl) on the fender of a Black car. The product did remove most of the scratch, BUT introduced swirls in the paint surrounding the scratch. I then had to use my PC to remove the swirls and finish the fender.
I think you are right though, too much torque in the elbow grease!

 

hummmm... black cars are always more difficult but i have a black
car too and it was the darn cotton pad that i used which caused
new hazes. i switched over to meguiar's standard foam pad and
it took off the swirl and new haze using the same scratchx.

did you use a cotton applicator?

 

I used a microfiber towel with the ScratchX and worked it by hand, which may have been the cause of the new swirls. But this was a DEEEEP scratch that you could put your fingernail in and it took alot of work to smooth it down. The scratch is still there, only I know where to look, but taking the "leading edge" off the scratch made it really hard to see. The new swirls were way more noticable than the scratch!

 

just trying to find the root cause... but sounds like you either had a
bad batch of scratchx (unlikely), you used a MF short thread utility
towel, MF towel had grit, you put too much pressure building too
much heat, or worked on a pretty warm panel to begin with.

assuming it was the scratchx as conclusion without investigating
the other factors is kinda unfair to the manufacturer...

because ive had excellent results with scratchx since almost the
introduction of the product 8+(?) yrs ago using both cotton and foam
applicators. it seems the quality of cotton applicators have quickly
degraded the last few years though... i dont use cotton products
now other than q-tips and shop towels.

 

Isn't Scratch-X supposed to be used in a straight-line fashion when you work it in? So that could induce swirls as well...if that's correct (it's been awhile since I've used it and I don't remember).

 

i use circular motion. straight line would work for tight areas but imho
that generates too much heat. we tend to put too much force when
we motion straight forward. when we do circular motion the applied force
is more evenly distributed due to the use of other muscles in the arm...
if that makes any sense.

also, if it was straightline only i dont think OG would use a pc on his
demo as pc is just hundreds of tiny circles orbiting around a larger
radius.

 

Forget about Scratch X. Scratch X is good for small really fine scratches.

Wash with Dawn. Use PC + 3m 39009 + Orange pad.

I am really picky about swirls, and it works for me.

 

why the hell do all these newbs decide that one needs to spend hundreds
of dollars for some roof swirls the dealer put on? i dont get it.

ofcourse if you already have a RO like us we will pull out our machines and
polishes, but i dont think everyone has the time to spend that kinda money
on something that can be achieved for less than $10 + a few hours work.

anyway...

 

I've only been in twice so far but I've made up a simple mirror hanging sign that says "Please Don't Wash Me." I have said nothing about it, and the car has come back each time just like it went in, moderately dirty.

I think a sign is more easily noticed by all who interact with the car at the dealer and the cleaning guy can see it before he starts washing it.

 

Good point if you are only going to use it once or twice.

However, now that I notice swirls on almost every car I see, I expect to use my PC for many years. Not just to correct the current problems but future issues.

Also after showing my brother-in-law how easy it is to get rid of swirls the PC has become a "family" tool. I only see it when I need it. The rest of the time it is being used by a friend or family.