I have an 01 black TA and the number of swirl marks keeps increasing no matter how hard I try to prevent them (a porter cable can only do so much). Being a clear coat noob, can a fresh new clear coat cover all the blemishes in the paint? How much will a quality clear coat cost?

I also hear it is bad to put more than 3-4 coats on a paint job. How many does a car come with from the factory? If I add a coat on, it wont make the car look dull, will it?

 

Have you tried a high speed buffer with a black foam pad and some 3M buffing glaze? I would bring it to a professional detail shop before painting it.

 

I would do this first. 3m's buffing and polishing compounds kick ***. You can load a car up with clear if you do it right. You just have to do a few coats, let it dry, wet sand it, then clear it again. But your car is black, so you are going to see EVERYTHING.

 

Good point, I should probably bring it to a pro first before I blow some dough on a new clear coat. Although I get great results from a porter cable and Meguiars polishers, its not enough being as **** as I am. I cant stand black

 

ive never found satisfaction with meguiars buffing products especially their diamond cut 2.0 swirl remover. it comes off right after you wash it. the porter cable is a great unit but for bad swirl marks i find this is the best method. this is the buffing method i use for hardcore swirl marks and cars that havent been detailed and need extra care.. everything is the 3M Perfect-It 3000 line and use with a dewalt buffer with a 9" wool pad and 8" foam pads. i do one panel at a time aswell and be sure to use plenty of compound so you dont burn through.i take the extra cut compound and buff with a wool pad at 1800rpm(dont wanna dig in), then i take the rubbing compound at 2000rpm and a wool pad, then the swirl remover and a black pad at 1600rpm, then ultrafina swirl eliminator and an ultrafina pad at 1400rpm, and finally i take a d/a and a 6" black pad and use a the final glaze. thats it for the buffing then i give it a good wash using a microfiber mit, drying with a blower and a cobra microfiber gluzzler towel and give it a good wax.

 

A clear coating will cost about 90% of a full paint job, because all the work is the same minus one step (the basecoat). Try everything suggested above first, or have a professional detailer take a crack at it.

 

Almost exactly what I do...except I use a Makita buffer. After I buff everything, I go over it all again with 3m's hand glaze (sometimes I just use the polish compund instead) with the blue paper towels. I know it sounds bad to use paper towels on fresh paint, but they are one of the few things I have found that leave NO marks.

 

yeah the meguiars hand glaze, and their other products are good. i just dont like any of their buffing stuff. i use all their nxt stuff for cleaning and waxing and stuff like that. but when i first started working in this new shop they had 3M compound and then the meguiars diamond cut 2.0 swirl remover. the compound is great but when i used swirl remover it looked good inside and when i first got it outside. i get to washing it and drying it off and i get it outside i take one last look at it and am like WTF!!!!!!! the diamond cut swirl remover is almost like buffing a heavy wax into the paint. if you appy wax straight on straight off it will cover the lighter swirl marks but after a few washs ull c them again. i usually buff it in with a black pad and then after washing it once u see them again and i have to use the hand glaze to get rid of them. with the 3m system i use i have never had a problem.

 

I have been using Meguiars #80 and #83. The majority of blemishes get significantly dulled after I use the porter cable on it, but most do come back after a bunch of washes.

Thanks for the advice Fast94Z, those instruction sound a little too advanced for me to attempt though.

With a clear coat costing 90% of a full paint job there is no way I would do this before going to a pro buffer first.

 

yeah go to a professional first because i use specific pads made just for the perfect it 3000 line and i also buy in gallon form because i buff my cars and a lot of other peoples cars. but even if you buy in 16oz cost could go up a bit but to me its well worth the buck.

 

3m products are the best to use. 3-4 coats of clear is about all you need any more than that is a waste and is just building up to much material which makes your paint less durable. and later if you ever wreck it, it would be harder to repair

 

dude i have tried hitting my car with the black swirl remover and ultrafina polishes and I can't get it to take the machine marks. I don't have any scratches just swirl marks and I'm getting pissed off!

 

if the swirl marks have been there for awhile they probably arent gunna come out. i did my buddies car because it looked like someone took a dry wool pad to his car. he left it like that for who knows how long and i finally got time to attempt to fix it. i tried everything to get them out and they just wouldnt come out.

 

I'm assuming the swirls are caused by buffing? On the last pass with the buffer, use very light pressure. After that, I put my black foam pad on the DA sander, and go over it with that, which kills most of the remaining swirls. Finally, lay on a good coat of wax. Black is a pain. It looks good in some lights, but horrible in others.

 

yeah swirls normally are caused by buffing. i mean it could be a numerous amount of things like not having enough compound, moving the buffer to slow, using to strong of a compound and then not a strong glaze, having the buffer on 2 high of a speed or on 2 much of an angle. i mean theres a lot of reasons there could be swirl marks. like i said im my process i buff with a wool pad or foam pad(which ever prefered) and compound, then a black pad and swirl remover(polishing glaze) and a black foam pad, then ultrafina and an ultrafina pad, and then hit everything with a d/a and "final glaze" and then a couple good coats of wax. . wash it real good but not applying to much pressure and then drying it with a water blade and a heated blower that i have because towels can catch dirt which in a black car ull see the scratches. i use the whole 3m perfect line in the step by step process they have and i get awesome results every time except of cars that have had rediculous swirl marks forever and havent been taken care of right away and i cant put the time into it because they need their car in a couple of hours. black needs the most car and needs the most attention. also i remember something in here being said about having blemishes in certain spots. in the line of product i use they specifically make a spot repair compound that works nicely.