Best method to remove buffer marks

[RexDodge]

Hi Guys. So this is my daughters Acura TSX. She bought some discount coupon for a "hand wash and wax". I cautioned her about having anyone wax her black car. She confirmed with the shop owner that it would be a hand wax and not a buffer job. Well as you see by the picture...it was buffed by a goon with little or no expeirience. I saw this when she brought it home and pointed it out being very sensitive to not say I told you, yadda, yadda. She called the owner and he said they would make it right. Took it back in and when she picked it up they walked the car (in sunlight) and she thought it looked good. When she got home it sat in the driveway for about a week. Then she drove it on a rainy day. I got home that afternoon from being gone about a week so I have not seen the car since the detail shop worked on it for the second time. I thought it had not even been touched from the first time! Swirl/buffer marks all over the darn thing! I show this to my daughter and she is livid. It's like whatever they put on the car to make it look better washed off while driving it in the rain. I did some research on the shop and the owner. This guy and the shop are a piece...of work. Many complaints and I find out the business license (and most likely insurance and bond) are expired. I took the car to a trusted body shop that has done work for me and they say the marks should come out. I then go to the shop and they offer to do it again. No way am I having them touch the car. They won't budge and won't pay for the repairs. I will end up doing this myself. I have buffed many cars but only a few black vehicles as I know my limits. I am in the middle of preparation for said daughters wedding and that means cash is non existent so taking the care to be buffed is not happening. Can you guys (whom I trust more that anyone) give me some tips on getting these marks out? It really looks like they are in the clear. Thanks

[theastronaut]

I used to detail cars, and this is a common problem I had to deal with. The low cost detail shops use a quick/heavy cutting polish or compound then covered up the swirls with a glaze that hides the scratches tempoarily.

You'll need an orbital buffer and fine polish to remove those. It will be a ton of work, but you may also be able do it by hand depending on how severe they are. The best I found was Griot's Garage who offers a random orbital buffer, foam pads, and polish/wax kits. I had alot customers come to me after doing the same thing your daughter did- use a cheap place that left swirls- and two weeks later they'd have their car at my place to fix (using Griot's products) what the "bargain" shop messed up.

Here's their website:

http://www.griotsgarage.com/

And the kit I'd reccomend. It's $199.00 but worth every penny. You said that money was tight, but this is cheaper than paying a good detail shop to fix your paint. You could try doing it by hand first but it that doesn't work you'll need a buffer, and these are the best at a good price.

http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/...ortby=ourPicks

Here's one of their videos on youtube showing their orbital buffer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m7Lp...ature=youtu.be

[custom1970]

If you go to the thread above titled "going to a detail class tonight" it has a link on it to the class detailing class i went to. My Firebird was covered with whirl marks. The link even will have the video of what we did. But basically, we clay barred it, used a liquid compound, then a polish then the wax/sealer. It came out incredible!! All the stuff came from Auto Geeks online, they have a forum where you could also post your question and there's lots of experts on there that could help you. Hope this helps

[jhaymon]

well it hard to see in a pic, but look more like cheap bulk wax smearing and/or an orbital polisher with left over wax on the bonnet. defiantly doesn't look like a actual buffer was used(there is a big difference in a buffer and a polisher). to detailer a polisher is considered a hand wax. and there is nothing wrong with using one provided the bonnet is new. most places will try to wash them and you just cant do that. i can buy a pack, thats 5 terry cloth bonnets, for 3 bux if i buy in bulk. the wax most places use is a liquid that come in a gallon for 30-50bux. it's then diluted and put in a spray bottle and can be used on about 200 cars that look like crap. i buy a can of hard shell turtle wax for 4 -5 bux and can do 20-30 wax jobs that look like they were put under glass. i can keep all my cars clean and waxed for less than a hundred bux a year. you spend that on one detail job. more if it's actually done right. detail shop rip people off. im so sorry your daughter had to learn that.

try washing with dawn and hand drying it. then go back with a quality carnuba wax. turtle wax, mothers, eagle..ect.

[oldspowered67C10]

Id be willing to bet they used a wool bonnet and didnt clay bar first. Id try to cut out the swirl makes with a buffer equipped with a finishing foam pad and some"swirl remover" type polish followed by a glaze. If the swirls dont come out w/ the finishing pad/swirl remover set-up you may have to move up to a more agresssive compound and a light cut foam pad.

[truckdude239]

i run a detail shop the trick is to clay bar it first and get ti good and clean when we buff a car there is a special chemical called swirl elimater that we use with our gem orbital buffer ive never had a complaint specially with the black cars

[Lee H]

I'm kinda late to the party but I'd use the least aggressive compound first. I've had great sucsess with 3M Perfect It, ultra fine and a Dewalt polisher. Sometimes I have to use Perfect It compound, just a little, and then ultra fine. Using the correct pad also makes a huge difference.
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[RexDodge]

Originally Posted by Lee H

I'm kinda late to the party but I'd use the least aggressive compound first. I've had great sucsess with 3M Perfect It, ultra fine and a Dewalt polisher. Sometimes I have to use Perfect It compound, just a little, and then ultra fine. Using the correct pad also makes a huge difference.
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Always looking for new methods! Thanks for the tip.

[scapegoat67]

I have removed swirl marks by hand with a can of meguirs cleaner wax .