[02GT89]

Well like the title says I have alot of swirl surface scratches notorious on black cars but there getting out of hand I can't enjoy looking at my car without noticing them everywhere how do i get rid of these? Do I need pay someone 120$ for a professional detail and buff?


Sent from my Autoguide iPhone app

[FlMuPhi198]

Well I would recommend getting a porter cable dual action polisher to take care of all of them. It would run you about 150-200 with pads and you could fix things for life. Its really hard to mess it up if you watch some how to's. A cheaper alternative is meguires compound, its the best thing for hand application!

[02GT89]

How well will the compound work applied by hand ? And your referring to mcquires rubbing compound?


Sent from my Autoguide iPhone app

[NickPohlAandP]

Originally Posted by 02GT89 ...Do I need pay someone 120$ for a professional detail and buff?...

If you can get a professional detail and buff for $120 you should jump on that. However, at that price, I doubt it's really professional quality. A good exterior detail job (wash, compound, wax, buff) is easily in the $300 range. Again though, you get what you pay for.

[brokenweasel]

Originally Posted by NickPohlAandP If you can get a professional detail and buff for $120 you should jump on that. However, at that price, I doubt it's really professional quality. A good exterior detail job (wash, compound, wax, buff) is easily in the $300 range. Again though, you get what you pay for.

+1 to what Nick said.

Have you checked out the detailing section? Rubbing/polishing compounds are best used by machine, unless you have hours and hours of time and want to look like this:

[cbjohnson9]

^ lefty

[04MidnightGT]

Tired of swirl marks? This is how I got rid of mine-

FIRST!!! I recommend you use microfibers towels only! Others can leave more scratches than they will remove.

1. Wash car (remove all dirt) See Note 1
2. Clay bar See Note 2
3. Ultimate compound (only on faded paint areas/paint defects, skip if N/A)
4. Polish See Note 3
5. Wax (let it dry) See Note 3 and 4
6. Remove wax See Note 3
7. Take pictures and post them on moddedmustangs.com

Note 1 - It really doesn't matter what car washing product you use, just make sure there is no dirt left on the paint and all suds are removed, take your time and don't miss anything!

Note 2 - Take your time!!! This step will probably take the longest out of this checklist, remember to glide the clay across the paint. Too much pressure can damage the paint and not enough pressure will do nothing.

Note 3 - If available use a DA (dual action) orbital buffer machine, with a microfiber bonnet. This will always provide better application than using your hand, plus it will be much faster.

Note 4 - A synthetic wax (not carnuaba) will last longer, but not give the warm look of natural carnuaba waxes. The less I have to wax my car the better.

All the products used in my list are Meguiar's and can normally be found at your local automotive store.

Smooth Surface® Clay Kit
Ultimate Compound
Ultimate Polish
Gold Class™ Liquid Wax



If you care to see what my car looks like after this process just take a look at my signature. Photoshop was NOT used, just a good camera and a clean car.

[N20zuki]

I bought turtle wax black wax kit a few years back, my T/A I had was horrible with swirl marks... That kit strips all wax from your car and then you re-wax it with a wax with black tint and it hides some scratches and removes swirl marks....

[naza]

Head to the detail section, tons of info.

[BTR-75]

Originally Posted by 04MidnightGT Tired of swirl marks? This is how I got rid of mine- FIRST!!! I recommend you use microfibers towels only! Others can leave more scratches than they will remove. Wash car (remove all dirt) See Note 1 Clay bar See Note 2 Ultimate compound (only on faded paint areas/paint defects, skip if N/A) Polish See Note 3 Wax (let it dry) See Note 3 and 4 Remove wax See Note 3 Take pictures and post them on moddedmustangs.com Note 1 - It really doesn't matter what car washing product you use, just make sure there is no dirt left on the paint and all suds are removed, take your time and don't miss anything! Note 2 - Take your time!!! This step will probably take the longest out of this checklist, remember to glide the clay across the paint. Too much pressure can damage the paint and not enough pressure will do nothing. Note 3 - If available use a DA (dual action) orbital buffer machine, with a microfiber bonnet. This will always provide better application than using your hand, plus it will be much faster. Note 4 - A synthetic wax (not carnuaba) will last longer, but not give the warm look of natural carnuaba waxes. The less I have to wax my car the better. All the products used in my list are Meguiar's and can normally be found at your local automotive store. Smooth Surface® Clay Kit Ultimate Compound Ultimate Polish Gold Class™ Liquid Wax If you care to see what my car looks like after this process just take a look at my signature. Photoshop was NOT used, just a good camera and a clean car.

Reps to you for your great advice, I also go to Autogeek's site ( Auto Geek Online Auto Detailing Forum ) and learn from them as well. I purchased a meguires da last summer and used several different compounds and buffing pads to work my way up from the most abrasive to the least.

One piece of advice when putting compounds on your car, tape it up well to avoid splattering compound on your tires and/or plastic trim, it's a bitch to get off either. I taped mine up very well (or so I thought) and found places I missed afterwords.

[99GT35thLE]

I have a black car and I found it is well worth to pay a professional detailer. My detailer does my car once a year, usually every February.

Costs me $240 but it's the best money spent on making my car shine and he does a hell of better job than I could ever do. He can remove every little scratch and make it look like showroom new.

[02GT89]

Around here 120 is the avg for a profession job from the dealer or third party


Sent from my Autoguide iPhone app

[02GT89]

Also thank you for the advice


Sent from my Autoguide iPhone app

[99GT35thLE]

If you can get a professional detail for $120 I would be questionable on that.

My detailer charges $40 an hour and he is really worth it. He was trained by the company that trains the detailers who do the Air Force One.

[02GT89]

That's just what quotes around here the cost of living around me is very very manageable even for someone on a single minimum wage job a 2br 2ba apt is easily done as an example.


Sent from my Autoguide iPhone app

[zinc02GT]

Professional detailing is RARELY priced by the job. Most professionals will price by the hour and only give you a ball park estimate, but it can vary +/- $150 or so.


I normally won't touch a car for less than $500 based off of my hourly price if it's got just medium/heavy swirling. If I have to wetsand or do something way out of the way that price quickly jumps up. Not that I'm greedy, I just feel that my caliber work upholds to my price and I stand by it.

[NoColoradoGT]

Originally Posted by zinc02GT Professional detailing is RARELY priced by the job. Most professionals will price by the hour and only give you a ball park estimate, but it can vary +/- $150 or so. I normally won't touch a car for less than $500 based off of my hourly price if it's got just medium/heavy swirling. If I have to wetsand or do something way out of the way that price quickly jumps up. Not that I'm greedy, I just feel that my caliber work upholds to my price and I stand by it.

+5,000.

Some people think that the fact that I charge $40 an hour when doing paint correction is ridiculous, however, I know that I do quality work and I have won two clients car show trophies from my work, therefore it justifies the price. There's a guy around here that charges $75 an hour though. THAT's insane to me.

Midnight - Danny, Zat and I kind of showed you in another thread that though you're on the right track, there are some flaws to that advice.

02GT89 - If it's bothering you that badly, you might as well check out the detailing stickies and learn a thing or two about paint, and then you can buy the supplies and tackle it yourself.

[sikedsyko]

You have 3 choices here.

A. Pony up a minimum of $500 to get you started in this little hobby called detailing, spend hours scouring the stickys here and a couple of other websites, learn as much as you possibly can, and then go at it. But be warned this is an addicting hobby that can get very pricy very fast. Plus you'll never be able to look at a car the same again. You'll start seeing all the little imperfections you've never noticed before. But in the end, I think its worth it.

B. Find a professional detailer in your area and take it to them to receive perfection, but don't expect this to come for anywhere near $120.

C. Take it to a quickie car wash that does detailing, and let them go over it for $120, and it will look better, but who knows how much better.

[NoColoradoGT]

^^^ What this kid said.

[Zatrekaz]

Originally Posted by FlMuPhi198 Well I would recommend getting a porter cable dual action polisher to take care of all of them. It would run you about 150-200 with pads and you could fix things for life. Its really hard to mess it up if you watch some how to's. A cheaper alternative is meguires compound, its the best thing for hand application!

$150-$200 will not even get you close to all the products you need to do a good, professional level detail. MF alone can be $100, PC $125ish, Pads $50ish, Polishes, Compounds, and such $100 easy, Sealants/Wax $50 easy... see where I am going?

Sure... you can buy second rate products and make it for $150-200, but why spend that kind of money on second rate stuff?

Originally Posted by 02GT89 How well will the compound work applied by hand ? And your referring to mcquires rubbing compound? Sent from my Autoguide iPhone app

Poorly. It will help, but your hand is gonna fall off and the results will not be worth the time and stress on your body.

Originally Posted by NickPohlAandP If you can get a professional detail and buff for $120 you should jump on that. However, at that price, I doubt it's really professional quality. A good exterior detail job (wash, compound, wax, buff) is easily in the $300 range. Again though, you get what you pay for.

I would NOT pay someone $120 to buff any car I own. The cheapest I will do a single stage job is $200. Sometimes I offer it for $150 when I am really tight on cash or it is a friend. Keep in mind, that is a single stage...

Originally Posted by 04MidnightGT Tired of swirl marks? This is how I got rid of mine- FIRST!!! I recommend you use microfibers towels only! Others can leave more scratches than they will remove. Wash car (remove all dirt) See Note 1 Clay bar See Note 2 Ultimate compound (only on faded paint areas/paint defects, skip if N/A) Polish See Note 3 Wax (let it dry) See Note 3 and 4 Remove wax See Note 3 Take pictures and post them on moddedmustangs.com Note 1 - It really doesn't matter what car washing product you use, just make sure there is no dirt left on the paint and all suds are removed, take your time and don't miss anything! Note 2 - Take your time!!! This step will probably take the longest out of this checklist, remember to glide the clay across the paint. Too much pressure can damage the paint and not enough pressure will do nothing. Note 3 - If available use a DA (dual action) orbital buffer machine, with a microfiber bonnet. This will always provide better application than using your hand, plus it will be much faster. Note 4 - A synthetic wax (not carnuaba) will last longer, but not give the warm look of natural carnuaba waxes. The less I have to wax my car the better. All the products used in my list are Meguiar's and can normally be found at your local automotive store. Smooth Surface® Clay Kit Ultimate Compound Ultimate Polish Gold Class™ Liquid Wax If you care to see what my car looks like after this process just take a look at my signature. Photoshop was NOT used, just a good camera and a clean car.

No offense man, but you have some bad info in here. We told you this in the original thread. I am bein as nice as I can, but your spreading misinformed stats that will not work. Also, if you want to get people to see your info, link to it instead of copy/paste everywhere.

Your on the right track, but your guide needs some work. Maybe go read your original post and discuss the points we made.

Originally Posted by N20zuki I bought turtle wax black wax kit a few years back, my T/A I had was horrible with swirl marks... That kit strips all wax from your car and then you re-wax it with a wax with black tint and it hides some scratches and removes swirl marks....

Problem with kits like this, its temp. The swirls will come back.



OP, if you want to do this yourself, your gonna have to invest a good amount of change. My first order was about $250 without a polisher. So, you can say roughly $375-$400 to start.

You can also pay for this to be done... however get the person to show you his work before hand. Look at it in sunlight or with a high powered light source. Also, don't be fooled... a cheap detail job is NOT a deal.