[mhouston23]

My new Elise came from the dealer with a pretty significant swirl problem. I think the dark color (Persian Blue) of the car makes it much more obvious than a lighter color.

So, I purchased this kit:

XMT Porter Cable 7424 Intermediate Swirl Remover Kit FREE BONUS

and spent about 8 hours in the garage working them all out. Under garage lighting (about 4 - 60 watt bulbs), the paint looks like a pure smooth ocean of flawless blue.

BUT, get the thing out in the bright sunlight and it's LOADED with SWIRLS STILL! I'm about to just give up on the whole fight. I followed the online tutorial videos and obviously achieved some decent results in some lighting.

Anyone know how to truly get the job done?

 

[mrcarcrazy]

My new Elise came from the dealer with a pretty significant swirl problem. I think the dark color (Persian Blue) of the car makes it much more obvious than a lighter color.

So, I purchased this kit:

XMT Porter Cable 7424 Intermediate Swirl Remover Kit FREE BONUS

and spent about 8 hours in the garage working them all out. Under garage lighting (about 4 - 60 watt bulbs), the paint looks like a pure smooth ocean of flawless blue.

BUT, get the thing out in the bright sunlight and it's LOADED with SWIRLS STILL! I'm about to just give up on the whole fight. I followed the online tutorial videos and obviously achieved some decent results in some lighting.

Anyone know how to truly get the job done?

product I've had great luck with is Meguires scratchX - the trick is small amounts, in small areas at a time...and work the same area until the stuff is pretty much gone (diminishing abrasive, the "grit" gets smaller and smaller.)

It takes a lot of time (W/ a PC on a Lotus you shouldn't have spent anywhere near 8 hrs.) I do everything by hand still, and I took out miles of scratches on my elise after I bought it. (Previous Owner made a habit of keeping the car under a cover...but didn't clean the car first, and I suspect his "washing technique" was just as horrendous). I spent 5.5hrs going over it with ScratchX, then NXT wax...all by hand. this is a tiny car!

What kind of cloth are you using to wipe/buff off? I wonder if your not adding new scratches?

autopia.org - great people w/ lots of knowledge!

 

[mhouston23]

I used microfiber cloths to wipe off the product once done.

The system I purchased is a 3 step process, each step requiring about 5 minutes for a 18x18 inch area. The time spent adds up quickly.

 

[mhouston23]

I actually used ScratchX (applied by hand) after a clay bar treatment. It improved the paint by about 20%, but there was still a lot of work left to do, so that's what brought me to the Porter Cable.

If I'm adding scratches, you sure can't see them in garage lighting.

 

[tesprit]

Consider purchasing Adam's (one of LT's sponsors) polishing products. Here is a link to a "How To" video of their new Gen 2 pads and polishes made for your Porter Cable. http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f219/adams-gen2-how-video-pop-some-popcorn-67627/ Their products work amazingly well and time and again I have been able to fix bad cases of swirl marks with the Adam's swirl killer set up.

 

[glb]

8 hrs??? Were you applying it with a Q-Tip?

It's easy:

Get 3M Imperial Hand Glaze, read directions. Do NOT let it sit and dry.

Instructions, purchasing (my fav place for such): carcareonline.com


gd luck

 

[mhouston23]

8 hrs??? Were you applying it with a Q-Tip?

I'm telling you, 15 minutes per section. You can't say I'm not dedicated to the cause

 

[mhouston23]

Consider purchasing Adam's (one of LT's sponsors) polishing products. Here is a link to a "How To" video of their new Gen 2 pads and polishes made for your Porter Cable. http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f219/adams-gen2-how-video-pop-some-popcorn-67627/ Their products work amazingly well and time and again I have been able to fix bad cases of swirl marks with the Adam's swirl killer set up.

That sure looks a whole lot like what I just did!

 

[mhouston23]

One difference is that I was using the PC at a max OPM of 5... he's maxing it out at 6.

I might try that and see what happens. Also he stresses confirming results with one section before moving on. Perhaps I should have moved the car out into the sun before spending all day on the rest!

 

[tesprit]

One difference is that I was using the PC at a max OPM of 5... he's maxing it out at 6.

I might try that and see what happens. Also he stresses confirming results with one section before moving on. Perhaps I should have moved the car out into the sun before spending all day on the rest!

Yes, give it a try again and only do a small spot to make sure you are getting the desired results.

As far as I can tell though, the main reason the Adam's system works is that the pads and polishes they sell work especially well together. I tried a lot of different pad systems and polishes before I tried Adam's and they all failed where the Adam's stuff worked right the first time and with less effort.

What is really a shame is the way Lotus delivers their cars with the paint in such a sorry condition! I'm still trying to remove some major paint defects caused by the buffing Lotus did to my car when it was new as well as I am still trying to remove all the hardened white compound their buffer flung everywhere including the interior!

 

[mhouston23]

As far as I can tell though, the main reason the Adam's system works is that the pads and polishes they sell work especially well together. I tried a lot of different pad systems and polishes before I tried Adam's and they all failed where the Adam's stuff worked right the first time and with less effort.

Understood. Unfortunately I've already invested some money in these pads and polishes which have received excellent reviews as well.

 

[mhouston23]

Here's the bigger question: Is no swirls in strong sunlight even possible?

 

[tesprit]

Here's the bigger question: Is no swirls in strong sunlight even possible?

Yes, it really is possible. I have used the Adam's stuff on a couple of dark colored cars as well as a black car and the swirls were gone when the car was outside in the sun. I actually do my detail work under some very harsh fluorescent shop lighting that brings out every defect in the paint and swirls look even worse in this lighting than out in the sun. Once I push the car outside for the final look around there isn't a swirl to be seen.

 

[mx1]

You might try Zainos wax. They have several varieties. It is the best I've used in 35 yrs of waxing.

 

[Sh4rkattk]

I think what your seeing is the spider webbing and that cannot be removed. Swirl marks are more hazy. Let me see if I can find a picture to show what im talking about.

Spider webbing

Really bad swirl marks.

 

[mhouston23]

Perhaps, but these swirl removal systems claim to remove spider webbing as well.

 

[Sh4rkattk]

There is no way to remove spider webbing as it is in the paint. Where as swirls are on the surface of the clear.

 

[mhouston23]

I'll have to see if I can post a good pic of my paint in the sun tomorrow.

 

[mhouston23]

All of my swirls have resembled more the red paint example you posted. It's just that now they only show up outside..

 

[Sh4rkattk]

Yeah that usually means spider webbing and no matter how hard you try to buff it, it won't come out.