detailing help please!

[zachary]

I have never buffed a car before but think I need too, it looks like someone wiped it down with a not so soft towel, it is not bad or deep just can see the swirl marks on the surface...was thinking about buffing the car, but really just want it to have a smooth clean surface......would a good wash wish a sponge and wax work? claybar? suggestions wanted!?

[Shoot To Kill]

i'm no expert.

but washing with a sponge is your first mistake. all the sponge will do is trap and collect the dirt and cause more swirls.

clay bar will help some but not remove the swirls completely.

the absolute easiest way to get this taken care of, is to hand it over to nick, pay him his money, and let him work his magic.

:D GL!

[FoxBodyMike]

I have never buffed a car before but think I need too, it looks like someone wiped it down with a not so soft towel, it is not bad or deep just can see the swirl marks on the surface...was thinking about buffing the car, but really just want it to have a smooth clean surface......would a good wash wish a sponge and wax work? claybar? suggestions wanted!?

I recently buffed my car, 1st time to ever use a buffer on anything, and it turned out okay, i learned as i went, i did not ruin anything but the end result was so,so i got rid of alot of surface scratches and etches, still need to go over it again and then polish the shit out of it..

If you are working on something important i would suggest paying someone to do it for you so you don't take the chance and ruining your finish.

[89gt-stanger]

I have never buffed a car before but think I need too, it looks like someone wiped it down with a not so soft towel, it is not bad or deep just can see the swirl marks on the surface...was thinking about buffing the car, but really just want it to have a smooth clean surface......would a good wash wish a sponge and wax work? claybar? suggestions wanted!?

If your surface is not smooth, clay barring will create a surface that is smooth as glass, removing bonded contaminants. Claying will not remove swirls.

If you plan to do any reconditioning, I would highly recommend washing with dawn, to remove wax and oils from the surface, leaving nothing between your compound/polish and the surface.

If you want swirls removed, you will need a d/a or rotary, depending on how bad they are.

If this is a car that you don't mind screwing up on, go ahead and try working on it. If you do mind, have Nick schedule you in, he's great! :wink:

[zachary]

If your surface is not smooth, clay barring will create a surface that is smooth as glass, removing bonded contaminants. Claying will not remove swirls.

If you plan to do any reconditioning, I would highly recommend washing with dawn, to remove wax and oils from the surface, leaving nothing between your compound/polish and the surface.

If you want swirls removed, you will need a d/a or rotary, depending on how bad they are.

If this is a car that you don't mind screwing up on, go ahead and try working on it. If you do mind, have Nick schedule you in, he's great! :wink:

i live hundreds of miles away from him, just needing input on how to...

[Nick Chapman]

i live hundreds of miles away from him

I travel :D

Honestly, there is no way to explain it all to you over the net, and grantee great results. If you've never buffed a car before, I suggest you practice on your mom/girlfriend/dads/friends ride, then tackle your own. Or get a scrap hood from a junkyard and practice on that. There is so much to learn when buffing your car, so many tools/products to buy. You'll probably be in a little over $300-$400 just in material and tools to do it the right way.

Get on youtube and search for video's. There are a ton of them on there. At least that will get you started in the right direction. But be careful, there is a lot of bad advice out there.

Nick

[zachary]

I travel :D

Honestly, there is no way to explain it all to you over the net, and grantee great results. If you've never buffed a car before, I suggest you practice on your mom/girlfriend/dads/friends ride, then tackle your own. Or get a scrap hood from a junkyard and practice on that. There is so much to learn when buffing your car, so many tools/products to buy. You'll probably be in a little over $300-$400 just in material and tools to do it the right way.

Get on youtube and search for video's. There are a ton of them on there. At least that will get you started in the right direction. But be careful, there is a lot of bad advice out there.

Nick

haha thanks, ok so lets uncomplicate it, and say a good cleaning!

[5.0_CJ]

i'm no expert.

but washing with a sponge is your first mistake. all the sponge will do is trap and collect the dirt and cause more swirls.

clay bar will help some but not remove the swirls completely.

the absolute easiest way to get this taken care of, is to hand it over to nick, pay him his money, and let him work his magic.

:D GL!

keep your sponge clean and you'll be fine, true for anything you're using to clean with.

[Nick Chapman]

keep your sponge clean and you'll be fine, true for anything you're using to clean with.

Exactly!

And I'd ditch that sponge for a good microfiber or Lambs wool wash mitt. Those are going to be your best bet. Then invest in a Grit Guard. This will help separate the dirt in the wash bucket.