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Getting Swirls off the car

I've been annoyed by these swirls on my car for awhile. I went to a car wash and the pressure on the water spraying thing was a bit high I

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Old 10-03-2011, 01:38 PM   #1 (permalink)
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Default Getting Swirls off the car

I've been annoyed by these swirls on my car for awhile. I went to a car wash and the pressure on the water spraying thing was a bit high I think, now there are swirls everywhere.

I tried looking for an auto detail shop around where I live but I didn't find many good ones at all. I found a popular place called Maaco. I gave them a call and they say they would paint the entire car for $300. I thought to myself, "WOW, that is really amazing to paint the entire car for that much." Then I asked for a bit more detail and he said the $300 was their cheapest paint. I also asked for the most expensive one because I don't want something cheap on the Z and he said it would be around $500 for the more expensive paint.

He also said they don't really just remove swirls they would have to paint the car.

I'm thinking about bringing the car in this weekend to see what they can do about it.

How do you guys get rid of your swirls? I really want want to bring it to Maaco but if that's the only choice I have then I might just have to do it.
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Old 10-03-2011, 01:43 PM   #2 (permalink)
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Watch these videos
Junkman's "How to Completely Repair Your Paint Damage - The Videos!

Buy a porter cable

https://detailersdomain.com/Polisher...its_c_209.html
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Old 10-03-2011, 01:44 PM   #3 (permalink)
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Old 10-03-2011, 01:45 PM   #4 (permalink)
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Old 10-03-2011, 01:46 PM   #5 (permalink)
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A professional high quality re-paint for an entire car runs about $10k. Go to a detail shop to get the swirls fixed, not a body shop and certainly not Maaco.
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Old 10-03-2011, 01:48 PM   #6 (permalink)
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Do your research buddy. Repainting your car would be a horrible idea
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Old 10-03-2011, 03:54 PM   #7 (permalink)
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I have done some research on this.

I thought about getting swirls fixed at a shop which would cost around $100 or so instead of buying a PC ($200+) and doing the work myself.

The problem I ran into was that I couldn't find ANY detail shops around here that only gets rid of swirls. I even called them and had no luck.

Anyways, what do you think would happen if I repaint at Maaco? Would the paint look like crap or something? I wasn't going to repaint the car but that guy said that's all they do at Maaco. So I said I was just going to bring in the car to see if they can get rid of swirls without repainting.
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Old 10-03-2011, 04:20 PM   #8 (permalink)
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$300 to repaint the entire car?!?! I thought it costs at least $5000. Stay away from a place that will repaint it for that low. Repainting your entire car will drop your resale value by quite a bit too. Just go to a good detailer. They will get the swirls out for a few hundred dollars depending on the condition of the clear coat. If you are the type to care about swirls, I guarantee you will regret a shop that will repaint your car for $300 due to quality issues.
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Old 10-03-2011, 04:50 PM   #9 (permalink)
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It you got swirls, you will get swirls again. Why pay someone to get rid of them. Buy a PC and make a hobby out of detailing your car.
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Old 10-03-2011, 04:56 PM   #10 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Strangler View Post
I have done some research on this.

I thought about getting swirls fixed at a shop which would cost around $100 or so instead of buying a PC ($200+) and doing the work myself.

The problem I ran into was that I couldn't find ANY detail shops around here that only gets rid of swirls. I even called them and had no luck.

Anyways, what do you think would happen if I repaint at Maaco? Would the paint look like crap or something? I wasn't going to repaint the car but that guy said that's all they do at Maaco. So I said I was just going to bring in the car to see if they can get rid of swirls without repainting.
Once you see how easy it is to do yourself with the proper tools and polishes, you will never pay someone to do it again.... unless you have serious damage!
You WILL get swirls and blemishes on a regular basis thru everyday driving and use. Be prepared and learn to correct them yourself!
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Old 10-03-2011, 05:06 PM   #11 (permalink)
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUHRnHsSXZU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxwlWijdIxM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9objUFdpsG4

i followed the above videos exactly and this is what i got:

This is 16 year old OEM paint on my 300zx

Door:



Hood:


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Old 10-03-2011, 05:44 PM   #12 (permalink)
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Please, please, please DO NOT take your Z to MAACO or have it repainted at all! Either drive somewhere to find a pro detailer or learn how to DIY with a Porter Cable!
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Old 10-03-2011, 07:39 PM   #13 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Strangler View Post
I've been annoyed by these swirls on my car for awhile. I went to a car wash and the pressure on the water spraying thing was a bit high I think, now there are swirls everywhere.

I tried looking for an auto detail shop around where I live but I didn't find many good ones at all. I found a popular place called Maaco. I gave them a call and they say they would paint the entire car for $300. I thought to myself, "WOW, that is really amazing to paint the entire car for that much." Then I asked for a bit more detail and he said the $300 was their cheapest paint. I also asked for the most expensive one because I don't want something cheap on the Z and he said it would be around $500 for the more expensive paint.

He also said they don't really just remove swirls they would have to paint the car.

I'm thinking about bringing the car in this weekend to see what they can do about it.

How do you guys get rid of your swirls? I really want want to bring it to Maaco but if that's the only choice I have then I might just have to do it.
Repainting a car b/c it has swirls is like buying a new car every time you need an oil change. Its pointless because it will just happen again and needlessly expensive since the fix is easy and not much money.

A simple correction of the paint, by yourself or a professional detailer, will cost a fraction of a new paint job. Paint correction is not rocket science, but the thing you need to learn first is how to prevent/minimize swirls b/c even if you do find a pro to handle it for you if your wash and care routine are not correct you're just going to swirl the paint up again.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zaggeron View Post
It you got swirls, you will get swirls again. Why pay someone to get rid of them. Buy a PC and make a hobby out of detailing your car.
detailing can be a fun and rewarding hobby. If you're really into your car it can be very enjoyable.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Strangler View Post
I have done some research on this.

I thought about getting swirls fixed at a shop which would cost around $100 or so instead of buying a PC ($200+) and doing the work myself.

The problem I ran into was that I couldn't find ANY detail shops around here that only gets rid of swirls. I even called them and had no luck.
Any shop that says they'll correct your paint for $100 is either full of it, or going to make your paint looks worse. A quality professional detail is going to run you closer to $250 starting for someone who genuinely knows what they're doing.

As far as not finding a shop that would get rid of swirls... thats the first thing a detailer should be able to do or they're not detailers. Might need to look harder or do more research b/c it sounds like you contacted a bunch of hack jobs.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Strangler View Post
Anyways, what do you think would happen if I repaint at Maaco? Would the paint look like crap or something? I wasn't going to repaint the car but that guy said that's all they do at Maaco. So I said I was just going to bring in the car to see if they can get rid of swirls without repainting.
A professional, high quality paint job, is going to run you around $8-$10,000... maaco will spray your car with single stage paint, not do proper prep, not mask door jambs, etc. Theres a reason they're cheap - they do crap work. As with anything in life YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.
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Old 10-03-2011, 08:34 PM   #14 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dylan@Adams View Post

As far as not finding a shop that would get rid of swirls... thats the first thing a detailer should be able to do or they're not detailers. Might need to look harder or do more research b/c it sounds like you contacted a bunch of hack jobs.
yea... a lot of people's idea of detailing a car is like... slopping some crap fake wax on it and some armor all on the tires. My idea of washing a car is more time consuming and yields a better result than what most people (who have no idea about cars) consider having their car 'detailed'
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Old 10-03-2011, 08:43 PM   #15 (permalink)
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I need to do a paint correction on my 135i ... I paid my detailer to "detail" it and he did an okay job, cut swirls in half, but obviously he doesnt have the time in the day to do nuts on just the correction stage.. he told me $250 to really work at it, and he may need the car over night ... he takes about 8 hours on a regular detail... if anyone needs someone in Long Island let me know...

I think I am just going to get a PC and go at it myself... jeffs results seem amazing and my car isnt swirled nearly that bad.. the trunk and rear bumper area are the worst areas and will require a lot of work..

Jeff I am sending you a PM
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