Turtle Wax Results..

[boebr1]

Very effective at polishing is 1000 or 2000 grit wet/dry sandpaper, use circular motions, or a da polisher to do this, and do it with a steady trickle of water flowing. this will get you a mirror like finish, it will knock off all the high points and such to the clear coat. i used cheap black spray paint, sanded with 1000grit wet, then dried, sprayed with clear coat, resanded between each coat, did 2 or 3 coats of clear, and produced stunning results on a black fender on a 78 ford... put the professional paint job to shame... nicest looking part of the truck

 

[speedracerbubba]

Very effective at polishing is 1000 or 2000 grit wet/dry sandpaper, use circular motions, or a da polisher to do this, and do it with a steady trickle of water flowing. this will get you a mirror like finish, it will knock off all the high points and such to the clear coat. i used cheap black spray paint, sanded with 1000grit wet, then dried, sprayed with clear coat, resanded between each coat, did 2 or 3 coats of clear, and produced stunning results on a black fender on a 78 ford... put the professional paint job to shame... nicest looking part of the truck

Just don't go too far, which is very easy to do on contours (though it did look kind of cool with the shiny primer spot )

 

[resistance]

Very effective at polishing is 1000 or 2000 grit wet/dry sandpaper, use circular motions, or a da polisher to do this, and do it with a steady trickle of water flowing. this will get you a mirror like finish, it will knock off all the high points and such to the clear coat. i used cheap black spray paint, sanded with 1000grit wet, then dried, sprayed with clear coat, resanded between each coat, did 2 or 3 coats of clear, and produced stunning results on a black fender on a 78 ford... put the professional paint job to shame... nicest looking part of the truck

Congrats, that sounds cool. But I'm reluctant to use even rubbing compound, let alone sandpaper..

Even so, if it were only one small area of the vehicle, perhaps I'd give wet sanding a try. But sanding the whole truck.. No that's something I can not do.

 

[HoosierJeeper]

How much would it run you to get a detail done to your KJ, resistance? Let them get all the swirls out and such, and then you could just maintain it from there? Just a thought.

 

[resistance]

The exterior detailing costs $150 with ordinary car care services and $200 with well known ones.

It's not only about the price though. I really enjoy learning and working on things like these on my own. Besides, despite being professionals, I've seldom seen them providing that mirror like finish. I don't know, perhaps I wasn't lucky enough to see one of the successful results.

On the other hand, I watch amateurs doing the wetsanding and/or compound+polish+wax on Youtube. The results are UNBELIEVABLE...

 

[HoosierJeeper]

Have you asked around in your area to see what's the preferred brand in your country?

 

[resistance]

You mean car care services? Yes, the best ones are Ziebart, 3M, Autowax and Sonax.

I've also talked to a car paint repair service to learn the products they prefer as compounds and polishes, waxes. They buy in bulk and don't use any of the over the counter products. They prefer brands that I've never even heard of.

 

[HoosierJeeper]

How easy is it to get 3M products there?

 

[resistance]

Couldn't find any local dealers in my area, but it's possible to buy them online.

I'm continuously reading/watching how to videos about the subject, and it looks like I have to apply rubbing compound to get a scratch/swirl free surface.

Don't you agree?

 

[HoosierJeeper]

Yes, a compound is needed to remove scratches.

 

[67Customs]

Couldn't find any local dealers in my area, but it's possible to buy them online.

I'm continuously reading/watching how to videos about the subject, and it looks like I have to apply rubbing compound to get a scratch/swirl free surface.

Don't you agree?

I am a professional detailer on the side and I also spend quite a bit of time answering detailing questions on another site. This comes up quite often.

Rubbing compounds, like the Turtle Wax Rubbing Compound, are only going to do more harm than good. They are junk. You are rubbing liquid sandpaper over the surface of your vehicle.

The new Meguiar's Ultimate Compound is a much better option, but it still isn't going to remove any of the deeper scratches/swirls. You will be appying it to the surface forever. It is a product that you have to work. You can't just wipe it on and wipe it off. If you have no other options but to do it by hand, then it is most likely the best option. But don't expect over night results. You are going to ave to work this stuff into the clear 1ft x 1ft section at a time. If it were me, I would shoot for one panel an evening.

You can achieve a decent surface by hand, but it is going to take a long time.

Here is a great link for you...
Autopia - Polishing Paint to Perfection

Notice in that link that he only suggests using a rubbing compound for spot use on problem areas. Never use a rubbing compound to do the whole car. It will kill some of the gloss.

Ultimately, if you want the best surface, a machine is what you need. However, those POS 10" random orbit buffers at Pepboys isn't going to do anything for you. You need a machine that will generate enough heat to break the polish/compound down. A good dual action is what a newbi needs. Something like the Porter Cable 7424.

Whatever you decide to do, I can get you links on how to proceed.

 

[resistance]

Thank you, 67customs.

Well it's been while since all these happened.. Since then, I did a lot of research on scratch, swirl and chip repair, touch up paint, wet sanding, etc. I also purchased a machine buffer(Einhell) with 150 mm pads and 75 mm spot pads. I also did practice. It's a long story; but now I can do some repair job myself

As for the Turtlewax products, especially the Scratch and Swirl Remover.. I was wrong about it. When I tried hard by hand it didn't work; but with the machine buffer, it definitely works wonders

As 67customs said, all I needed was a machine buffer since the beginning.

 

[jeepchic79]

It's not so much paste vs. liquid, but just the quality. Some are available as both.

What brands can you get over there?

I used that nu stuff thats good for 50 washes it does a decent job ... But im sure next time i`ll pay for some one else to do that crap lol