E30 Zone

I have a convertible in maccu blue in its many owners it must have been through a car wash and has these slight marks in the paint that look like swirls if you know what I mean? as if A light brush or cloth with a tiny stone or bit of dirt inside it has cleaned your car.
Is there anything you can by from halfords I or somewhere similar to remove this or tempory remove.
cheers

If you havent got a machine polisher then Meguiars scratch X is probably your best bet - its a mild abrasive which is intended to take out this sort of defect.

Cheers
Pad

do a search mate am sure there is some good advice on how to deal with paint swirls

I'm a detailer - Scratch-X will be bloody hard work and very expensive to do a car with. Its really aimed for spot repairs, where you might be able to get rid of a little scratch here and there.

If you want to improve it by hand, a good combination is the Autoglym Super Resin Polish which has a light cut to it, but more importantly has optical fillers that will help to hide the swirls. It won't last long on its own, so use the Autoglym Extra Gloss Protection afterwards. Its a very good sealant that will give you a crisp glossy reflection. Apply it as thin as you can, gently wiping onto each panel. Leave it for at least 60 minutes to cure, buff off then apply another layer.

To properly get rid of the swirls, they need to be machine polished out with a suitable product. Thats where people like me come into it! Once thats done, you can seal or glaze the paint to improve the colour and shine, and prevent fading (depending on the colour of course), then apply a good carnuba wax for durability.

Get in touch if you want to know anymore.

carnuba wax for durability???

uh-oh, battle of the detailers!

Yep, something like Collinite 476s would be best, although 845 or 915 would be good too. 476s will last a genuine 6 months (2 coats applied thinly), maybe even longer depending on what the car is subjected to.

Of course, not every carnuba is that durable.

i think thats very very optimistic .
collinite is up there with the best waxes but 6 months??

why on earth would you use bargain bucket autoglym and then top with as far as waxes are concerned a top shelf product

super resin has an extremely light cut tho this is due to the high content of salt and chalk
nasty stuff

jon

hi mate if you want to pop down to my bodyshop in maidstone il give you a demo with great american product we have and when u see it youll want whole car done lol

01622840084

9 - 5 weekdays

Stuart

You've a right to your opinion Jon, of course, but I think you are somewhat misguided.

Autoglym is not nasty, its a readily available off the shelf product that can be used to get a decent result when working by hand. It does have a very light cut, you're right, but it also uses optical fillers to help mask the swirls. I addresses them by removal (I generally use Menzerna, Pinnacle and Chemical Guys products), but if you are not using a machine your best hope is to make them because you've no chance of removing them.

Collinite will last 6 months without a problem, on a car that lives outside and is used daily, being washed once a week with a good car shampoo. Thats a fact, not my opinion. I will say that to work its best it should go ona properly prepared surface, but thats the case for any product. Its certainly not a top shelf wax - it looks ok, but is great for protection. Come the summer months using something that will compliment the asthetics is a better idea, but will need topping up regularly.

misguided.................hum

autoglym is nasty............fact.there are far better products in this price range that give better results



menzerna products are top notch.they give a very very good clarity tho dust a little
i have been using some prometheus products in the last week or so for the first time and they give same clarity but seem to dust far less.

personally i feel optical fillers are a no go.i remove rather than fill but like you say by hand this is nigh on an impossibility though the fillers only rid very very fine marks
my reference to top shelf was not to the qualty of the finish but to the fact that as a product and what it achieves its way above autoglym standards.

i agree with what i think you are saying about the fact that the better finishing waxes are far less durable and hence topping off has to be a regular occurence

what e30 do you have?

jon

I still swear by John's advice to use Zaino ZPC for getting rid of those bloody swirls

Is this still the case or is there now something better John?

c76jon wrote:misguided.................hum

autoglym is nasty............fact.there are far better products in this price range that give better results



menzerna products are top notch.they give a very very good clarity tho dust a little
i have been using some prometheus products in the last week or so for the first time and they give same clarity but seem to dust far less.

personally i feel optical fillers are a no go.i remove rather than fill but like you say by hand this is nigh on an impossibility though the fillers only rid very very fine marks
my reference to top shelf was not to the qualty of the finish but to the fact that as a product and what it achieves its way above autoglym standards.

i agree with what i think you are saying about the fact that the better finishing waxes are far less durable and hence topping off has to be a regular occurence

what e30 do you have?

jon

Just bought myself a cheeky little 1990 325i Touring. Wanted one for bloody ages, this one came up and was pretty darn straight so snapped it up. I needed to fill a hole left by my E36, this is just the ticket.


I love the Menz gear, I've found the key to little or no dust is to use so little product its almost unfeasible - but it works well, still giving good work time.. Pinnacle stuff is excellent for a lack of dust too, both the Advanced Swirl Remover and the Advanced Finishing Polish make regular appearances in my work, more so with the rotary than the PC. I've not heard of prometheus, where is it from?

You lads know your stuff. Suppose you would have to see a car to give A price but can you lads pull out dents as well. cheers

I don't do dent removal, although its something I will look into in the future, if I stay in this country (looking to emigrate). But general detailing, swirl removal, restoring faded and oxidised paint etc etc, thats my thing.

I've not heard of prometheus, where is it from?

Hi mate, you get Prometheus from www.pro-detailing.co.uk

pm me for more info...

The only page that mentions Prosthesis or whatever its called is http://www.pro-detailing.co.uk/manufacturers.php?uid=8, and there are no products available, just some sales guff that could have come from the back of almost any bottle. And that seems to suggest thats just the abrasive, not the product, is that right?

Would have to agree with the comments on SELOC, that website needs some heavy tweaking (but its a good start for a new one).

i guess thats why he said send a pm???

Probably, but he also put a link to his website there, and on another forum. I would have liked to just have a look at the products available, I don't have specific questions right now.

ShineOn wrote:The only page that mentions Prosthesis or whatever its called is http://www.pro-detailing.co.uk/manufacturers.php?uid=8, and there are no products available, just some sales guff that could have come from the back of almost any bottle. And that seems to suggest thats just the abrasive, not the product, is that right?

Would have to agree with the comments on SELOC, that website needs some heavy tweaking (but its a good start for a new one).

That 'sales guff' was written by me and doesn't come from the back of any bottle. I am employed by BMWs global Laboratory department and I am based at Goodwood where i look after paint quality on the Rolls-Royce range as well as over-seeing the release tests against BMW standards for new materials one of which is this 'prosthesis' stuff which we use BECAUSE IT WORKS. don't take my word for it though, people in an equivalent position to me at Bugatti, Lotus, Ferrari, Daimler Chrysler, Lamborghini, Maserati, and VAG seem to agree with me. In a production environment the efficiency and performance of polishes is absolutely critical in reducing process times. This is why the quality and uniformity of size of the abbrasive particles in Prometheus products make them very reliable and efficient.

You say you like Menzerna? well Prometheus is not a million miles away from Menzerna but optimised for hang-time and minimal-dusting. It no coincidence that misguided John reported EXACTLY that from trying the samples I sent him without being told that these were exactly the two aims of this product range in addition to the obvious.

The reason these products are not listed on my site is because the demand from Pros has been massive and the start-up stock went before the website went live. I am expecting more in the next week or so but they are having trouble keeping up with demand from OEMs....

Prometheus is a brand name of Visomax and refers to the whole range, not just the abrasive products. There are also sealants, quick detailers, and all the necessary pads and m/f cloths

All the best - Nick

Shine on - If you give me your email address I will send you a pdf with info on the Prometheus range...

Any other questions I will also try to respond to...

Cheers - Nick.

maybe you too are misgiuded nick..................its not a bad club to be in

personally i think t-cut will achieve the same results if not better

a nice smattering of any autoglym product will then remove all stone chips and dents and last at least 3 years and 2 re-entries into the earths atmosphere

jon

Thank you Nick. I wasn't trying to get your back up mate on purpose - I'm sorry if I offended you. I had no idea what you do for who, so how or why should I doubt it? I went to the site because I do use and like Menz, and would be interested in alternatives to try and see how they compare for effectiveness, value for money, ease of use, etc. The explanation you have put here would be good on the site, because in my opinion it doesn't read well at the moment.

I look forward to seeing the range on the site in due course then - I guess its only good news that you have sold out already. Will you be offering a sample service as some retailers do?

Cheers,

Paul

Cheers Nick.

Jon, out of interest, are you actually a detailer or a supplier of detailing products?

Non taken Paul! I appreciate your comments on the site and I look forward to having these products back in stock asap - they are fantastic believe me....

I could send you a sample from my 'persy' but I'm pretty low and have 430 Berlinetta to do next week which, despite being less than a year old is in real need of some of this stuff!

The way the site is programmed means that if an item is out of stock it doesn't appear on the site at all, that way I don't have to spend 2 hours a night refunding peoples money!

pm me if you require anything else from the site....

Cheers Nick

Cue photos of Johns EvoII....

oh you know

i m kinda misguided and just have a little "valet" now and again



















jon

Thanks to the wonders of the internet, I can't make out if you are having a bit of a giggle, or you're a sarchy twat.

But I'll risk it and go with having a giggle - that M3 is horny beyond belief! May I ask what exactly you've used to achieve that finish? The depth and clarity of the reflections is stunning, and the paint looks wet enough to dive into. Good job.

I'd still say that if you were being sarchy

well my misguided products dont contain any salt or chalk so theres no autoglym im afraid

yes im being sarchy and having a laff

the word twat is offensive and as you dont know me its probably better you dont use it



do i do this for a living ...no

i just want the most perfect finish possible

if someone shows me how to better what iam able to achieve already with anal lube and cillit bang i would try it..........i wouldnt diss it until i knew for myself it didnt work.Its not accurate to take others findings ,promote them without having experience wether it be good or bad

one word for you if you want proper results................................

ZAINO!!!!!

i thank you for yor comments about my car

jon

You could have cleaned it Jon

For your info, Shineon & NicoG, Jon is the resident clean freak on the zone. He has advised me many a time and the advice has always been 110% usefull.

The problem with forums is it is hard to judge how certain things are said, Jon seems to know what he is talking about imo, I will continue to bow to my little shrine in my garage, praying for god-like cleaning abilities like Jon.

Jon - couldn't you have found something better than a Smart car to stick in front of that black mirror you try and pass-off as a car?

I am under no illusions as to Jon's skill and I love zaino, that's why I sell it. I like to think I'm reasonably well qualified to talk about BMW paint as they employ me as a paint specialist...

I totally respect Jon's position - he doesn't need words because the results don't lie. Nick obviously knows his stuff from his background.

I'm just a pleb who has spent a lifetime enjoying making cars look beautiful and happen to be good at it