SteveWs6

iTrader: (1)

And my car is black. It looks AMAZING in the shade. A very deep shine and it is really nice.


I washed it very thorougly, used Meguiars Ultimate Compound (to try and clean the paint up before waxing) and then waxed it using the Collinite 845 insulator wax. Well I did more damage than good with the Ultimate Compound. I did it by hand though.

What do you guys recommend to get these swirls out? They are kinda like a "hologram"

Never using compound on my cars again lol leaving it up to the pros from this point on.

Adam1982

iTrader: (6)

What did you apply UC with? You probably wont get holograms out by hand but you will need to get a polish or something less aggressive than UC and a pad to match. Good luck.

TechCam97

iTrader: (5)

Looks like now is the perfect time to learn! Go get a buffer, some pads, and some product and find some stuff to polish. I was pretty lucky, I had a spoiler left from my old 99 Z28 and a couple old parts from a second gen Trans Am I once had. I've been practicing different stuff with those panels before I start using everything on my main vehicles. Lots of good information on this site!

LetsRide

iTrader: (3)

Yeah you should've used a polish, not a glaze, to get rid of swirl and halogram look. Don't give up just get the right tools to fix it. Simple mistake you made and easily fixable.

jlcustomz

My preferred meguiars product, Which other professionals agree is great on black paint is meguiars diamond cut. It starts out as a cutting compound & wears down into a glazing compound as you use it. I use full rotary polishers for heavier faster cutting which takes more care & skill, but use a random rotary or da polisher for lighter stuff & finalizing. Also keep in mind that different foam pads have different cutting levels with the black 3m or equivelant waffle style pads being the most gentle.

You possibly used too much pressure by hand & maybe too rough of an applicator. Also compound may have gotten too dry during use.

xBrandonx

iTrader: (11)

You weren't using your finger tips to apply pressure were you, that could leave some ugly marks.

I used Ultimate Polish then Ultimate Wax on my Black Trans Am and it turned out pretty good for doing it by hand.

why87

I encountered a similar problem on my mom's trailblazer. Whoever detailed it previously (I believe the dealer she bought it from) hologram'd the **** out of the hood. I have a PC, and cut it down with Meguiars 105 on a black Lake Country pad, then hit it with Meguiars 205 on another black pad. Holograms were gone and cleared the paint up a ton.

SteveWs6

iTrader: (1)

I used the UC by hand, with a microfiber applicator. I really should not have even done it since my paint wasn't really in that bad of shape. I haven't used a buffer or any type of tool on my car and I almost refuse to due to the fact that it is black. I used a moderate pressure but did not push very hard on my paint, I am pretty gentle on it out of habit.

I may just see how much someone would charge to buff it out or whatever. I appreicate the advice guys. If theres anything I can do by hand I am willing to try but if its something I have to bite the bullet and have a pro fix, it is what it is, my mistake.

JD_AMG

Color is irrelevant, paint is paint and all corrected the same.
A porter cable DA polisher will NOT damage your paint. Do a search, this topic is extremely common. Its actually really easy/simple, just very time consuming, but do it you will not regret it.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/appearanc...es-thread.html
Read through the first 10 pages or so of this thread, TONS of good info:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/appearanc...-detailer.html

RedHotG8

iTrader: (1)

Ultimate compound should be used with a buffer. I buff my car with it and it looks great.

Sickness7

Junkman has a helpful thread for this problem.

jlcustomz

If you learn the benefits of proper power buffing, you won't regret it . Remember that most top end paint jobs get SANDED and buffed for the smoothest finish. While colorsanding is a challenge for the inexperienced, cleanup with a da buffer can be done repeatedly for years without damage.

While paint is paint & many different products give similar results, we all get our preferred products through time. Nothing wrong with meguiars ultimate, it's just more of a consumer version of their product than some their others like 105 & 205, which is a newer marketing campaign than the older diamond cut. By the way, 3-m has owned meguiars for years &sees more professional shop uses these days.

If you're just scared to fool with paint, let a pro buff it & use claybars for ocassional extra cleanup before glazing or waxing.

websdown

I have used both 105 & 205. And ultimate compound and ultimate polish with great results on a black car and truck with Porter Cable 7424 and Lake Country Yellow/Orange and White pads. They were my first two detailing projects i did. They both took about 12 hrs each. I think if you go much faster the 1st time you don't get it all. Just go to Auto Geek or Junkman they will teach you a lot ! Good Luck.

dkkc

3m swirl remover or any brand an foam fine polish pad.. on low speed buffer..orbital will work if u have the time.(very slow) finish with micro fiber towel an quality wax it will be perfect

ponchjoe

X2, always works for me!

99monguse

This is a common problem with inexperienced people trying to "rub out" their paint. Clear-coat paint requires it's own methods, especially BLACK.

1) throughly wash the cars painted surfaces with DAWN dish detergent; this will strip any waxes off the paint.
2) clay the paint using a lot of lube.
3) I rewash after the clay, but you don't have to.
4) mask off a small area

You always want to use the least aggressive products.

5)start off with the least aggressive polish (not compound) and maybe an orange foam pad. Being that you don't have a lot of experience, get yourself a dual action polisher(Porter Cable 7424, Griot Garage 6", or the Meguiars DA). The dual action polishers will NOT harm your paint, no matter how hard you push.
6) Once you prime the pad, use speed 1 to spread product over an area about the width of your shoulders, maybe 2ft by 2ft.
7) set speed to 3-5 pending machine being used and amount of damage
8) you want to cover the area in verticle then horizontal passes, overlapping by about half.
9) after 3-5 passes in each direction, using an IPA, isopropyl-alcohol...spray the area and wipe down with a microfiber; this will remove any oils and show you exactly what you've done.
10) check your work, using a bright hand lamp or the sunlight. If the small 2ftx2ft area is corrected to your liking, remove the tape you masked the area off with and continue the rest of the car using the same method. If you find the damage isn't being removed, you can either increase the polish or pad aggressiveness and try again on that same area.
11) as you can see, paint correction isn't a super easy thing to do, if you don't research the proper techniques. If you get several polishes, pads and a good DA...you'll be fine.

99monguse

If you only have holograms, you can most likely get away with Meguiars 205 and a foam pad. 205 is now sold at Autozone, as is 105...but try 205 first. Don't forget to IPA the area when you're done, to see if you're happy with the results before moving on. Check out www.detailingbliss.com

99monguse

Don't get caught up in the "my polish is better then that polish" stuff...so ma ny guys out there chase the shine...meaning the jump around from this wax to that wax and this polish to that polish...learn to use the product first, get your polishing (buffing) technique down and you be fine. Remember, wax protects and polish shines!

BOBS99SS

iTrader: (2)

your car is black so you will be charged more,ya never know you might be able to buy a whole kit for what a detailer will charge ya,n you get a cool tool,its worth learning n even makes waxing so much better