S4_dukar

I buffed my car because of the waterblade boo-boo accident. Now Im trying to clean up the swirl marks left behind. I am using the 3M Swirl Mark Remover (39009) with very little success. I am using a microfiber towel to apply and remove the stuff and I still see swirls. Even though the swirls are only visible in direct sunlight at an angle, there are still swirls on the buffed panels compared to the rest of the car, which so happens to have 2 coats of Z5 Zaino on it.

My question is does 3M Swirl Mark remover leave fine swirls in the clear? Because that is what I am witnessing right now. Is there any finer compound polisher that I can use before the Z5 goes on?

Vrm Vrm

HD Cleanse is good, but I thought Z5 helped reduce swirlies.

S4_dukar

Z5 does eliminate swirls and minor scratches over time. But I want to eliminate any flaws on the clear before I rezaino the surface.

wanabe

s4_dukar:
z5 wont remove swirls- it just covers (fills and mirrors) them...
3m should remove them, but it will also remove your zaino.
i have only used the 3m with a porter cable- that combo removed swirls from my daughters early '90s black car in one attempt.
the 3m will first remove the finest swirls and eventually the largest (after enough rubbing). my recollection is that you have to break down the compound to get the complete swirl reduction (harder to do by hand than by machine).
what kind of machine are you using?
be sure to follow the 3m directions carefully...

Muz

I hate to say it but a correctly used orbital should not leave swirl marks, it should remove them.

S4_dukar

Anyone in So. Cal want to help me?

boiler

See if you can talk wanabe into helping you with this problem.

I can't understand how you were geting swirl marks from an orbital polisher. Can you tell us what you were using, besides the 3M SWR? I was very impressed with my Porter Cable orbital polisher and how it removed my swirl marks and scratches. I used 3M SWR, as well????

Good luck,
Bob

Muz

I can help you from the southern hemisphere.

It cost me $80 AUD to have a professional buff my car after getting scratches from trying to remove solidified tree sap about 18 months ago. That's an investment of about $43USD. It's well worth it for the peace of mind and a good result.

Also, avoid your rubber trim when buffing

bash

S4, the 3M Swirl Remover For Dark Colored Cars will work but it is a VERY gentle abrasive, imo. I recently de-swirled most of my car and some areas took almost five passes before the swirling softened. I was using a Porter Cable. Give a few more passes would be my advice, especially if you are doing it by hand.

amartin

The CORRECT product to use:

3M Swirl Remover for [insert here: Dark/Light] Cars

Apply with a random-orbital MACHINE buffer.

Its VERY gentle and will leave the clear-coat looking like GLASS.

TAKE your time, and buf GENTLY, don't push down, let the machine work.

Trying to do this by hand would be a serious ass pain IMHO.

-- Aaron