rclab1

I'm getting the car high speed polished by a autobody shop to try and remove swirls and fine scratches on the car. The auto body shop told me that it will partially remove some of the clear coat to get the swirls/ fine scratches off, after that, they will apply a Polymer wax of some sort.

(they also told me that the polymer wax repells dust pretty well.etc.....?....)

will Partial removal of the clear coat reduce the life span of my paint?


also, after this service is done to my car, I will regularly wax my car (every 2 weeks)
to maintain the shine.....what wax do you recommend,
ie.....Meguiars NXT liquid wax, Eagle ONE Nano Wax.....etc.....


thanks.....please reply.....

jfelbab

Polishing out the swirls with a rotary buffer will usually not damage the clear coat all that much as long as it is done properly and the swirls are not that deep. Keep in mind that the paint on your car is paper thin and that most of the clear coat's UV protection is at the surface. I professional detailer should use a paint depth gauge (an expensive tool) to determine the thickness before beginning. Professional detailers should have one so check with yours to see if he does. This grinding down of the paint cannot be done indefinitely so you should concentrate on your washing and waxing technique to avoid them. Swirls are much easier to prevent than to remove. Rotary polishing, if done too frequently, will lead to early clear coat failure.

Wash using a clean or new sheepskin wash mitt. Replace it every 3-6 months and use the older mitts for wheels and rocker panels. Wash using the two bucket method and equip the buckets with grit guards. Use good quality car wash and not dishwashing detergent. Measure the dilution of soap precisely. Too much will strip some of your wax. Too little will not leave enough lubricity to carry away soil without marring. Dry your car using a couple of waffle weave microfiber drying towels.

Clay your car at least once a year. Buy a clay kit containing the clay and the lubricant. Cut the clay bar into two or three pieces and put the unused pieces in a Ziploc bag. If (when) you drop a piece of clay, discard it and grab another piece. Turn and refold the clay often as it becomes dirty. Clay the horizontal surfaces first then move down. After claying the paint, clay your glass and finally the wheels. Discard that clay and don't try to reuse it again.

Next you can wax. There are a lot of wax systems around but I like the Meguiar's NXT system. I apply the NXT Tech Wax sealant and re-apply a second coat the next day. The thing with a sealant is that they should have some time to set up (cross-link), usually 12-24 hours. They should be kept dry during this period. They actually become shinier when they set-up. Then after every other car wash I apply NXT Booster Spray Wax. This takes less than 30 minutes to do my SUV so it is pretty quick. In both cases apply a very thin coat, the thinner the better. This regular maintenance keeps the paint looking freshly detailed and feeling very slick and slippery. This keeps the dirt from getting much of a grip to the paint which make s the car easier to clean and less prone to swirls.

Remember, anything that touches your paint can cause swirls. If you are wondering about your applicators and buffing towels, use an old CD to test them. Rub them across the CD and if they leave swirls get some new towels and applicators. I recommend high quality (not the wally world) microfiber towels for buffing. For product application use a foam or microfiber covered foam pad.

Good luck.

rclab1

thanks for the Replay JfelBab.....

I appreciate your knowledge on the subject........
the AutoBody shop is charging me $250.00. They are doing the whole entire car,
1. high speed polish buff the car (to take off swirls/fine scratches etc.....)
2. filling up the road debris from rock chips on the front bumper
3. and then putting up that polymer wax....

do you think this is too much.....

or I do that 3 step system ( I can get from AutoZone)
ie....step 1 cleaner wax
step 2 glaze
step 3 regular wax

do you think this will be the same as what the autobody shop is doing?

please let me know......

i also have a sears black and decker buffer (not a rotary)
it was cheap, i got it for around 30 dollars,
where can i get the HIGH END pads (with elasic around it)
so i can use it on this buffer.....?

let me know
thank you

jfelbab

$250 is probably in line. It is what I usually charge for a full, inside and out, detail. Are they repainting your front bumper? If so than that sounds like a very good price. Have you seen their work?

For less money and a little sweat equity you can probably come close to the same results yourself, except for the painting of your bumper.

The buffer you have is not useful for swirl removal.

If you are inclined to do this yourself you chould purchase a Porter-Cable 7336/7424 polisher. Lowes usually has them for around $100. Add to that a couple packages of pads and some polish, wax and microfiber towels and you would be at around $200-$250. Now you could do it yourself several times over.