I've got an 05 on which the paint has been pretty neglected. It's got horrible swirl marks on it. What is the best way to get rid of these. Will a good wax job do it, or do I need one of those orbital waxer machine thingies. I want to stay away from a machine because I've got vinyl stripes on the car and the previous owner said the dealer warned him that they could be damaged if he was not careful. Ive also got a spot on a rear wheel well where some jerk scraped my car in a parking lot. Is this something I could repaint myself or is it best left to a shop? Do we have a "clear coat" paint job, or will old fashioned rubbing compound work. There just minor scratches, but they drive me crazy when my car is clean!! Thanks for your input!!
Posts: 298
Joined: 7/28/2007 From: Sterling, Virginia Status: offline
Try Claybarring your car(removes contaminants from your clearcoat..(yes our cars have a clearcoat), a random orbital machine polisher with a mild polish you can use repeatedly, follow that up with a quality wax or a sealant
I recommend Griots Garage random orbital machine polisher, Griots #3 polish, and GG's Best in Show wax/sealant.
If the scratches are very bad, try #2 polish, then #3 (finer polish) until the swirls are gone, and finish with Best of show wax.
Try to POLISh out the scratches the jerk gave you before you try a "rubbing compound", if polishing doesn't work, you can try a more agressive polish before going to a rubbing compound. You always want to use the least agressive method to remove scratches first. If the scratch went through the clearcoat, paint, and hit primer, touch up paint will be necessary.
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paint swirl marks and scratches - 
