If these swirls can come out, then yours can too!

I know this isn't a Legacy, but Brady's work on his Dad's Porsche made me want to post it. I just wanted to remind you that it has been a few months since the spring cleaning details and your cars are possibly starting to look a little worn. If you are holding off on getting a machine because you think they are too complicated to use, then my recomendation is that you stop worrying. They are not hard to use. Get a Porter Cable and get to work. If these swirls can come out then any swirls can come out. Your Legacy GT is a fine automobile and represents a significant investment on your part. I'll bet that most of us can count on one hand how many objects we have right now that cost as much as our cars. Invest some time and money in protecting the value of something that you will very likely sell someday. This forum has amazing advice for you on how to remove this kind of damage and to maintain your perfect looking shine.

 

This 911 belongs to a friend of a friend and has been on my list of cars to do since last fall. It was in pretty sad shape. It took 4 hours on the nose to do inside and out and everything in between. The process was NXT wash, Clay Magic clay, Four Star Medium Cut Compound w/ PC & Edge 2000 Blue, and Wolfgang Paint Sealant. I've got some video that I need to upload that shows a walk around before and after that really shows off the work a little better, but these show it off pretty well. The only thing I realize I missed is the sun in the hood shot to show the swirl removal there. The 4* MCC did a great job at removing the swirls though. It is one of the great unsung products that is out there. My next order of business should be to write up a review on it. I think Danase.com is one of the last places around that I can get it at.

 

Before:

 

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w22/OCDetails2007/Porsche%20911/1-2.jpg

 

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w22/OCDetails2007/Porsche%20911/1-1.jpg

 

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w22/OCDetails2007/Porsche%20911/1.jpg

 

 

 

After:

 

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w22/OCDetails2007/Porsche%20911/2-3.jpg

 

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w22/OCDetails2007/Porsche%20911/2-15.jpg

 

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w22/OCDetails2007/Porsche%20911/2-17.jpg

 

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w22/OCDetails2007/Porsche%20911/2-10.jpg

 

And, of course, the obligitory money shot.

 

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w22/OCDetails2007/Porsche%20911/2-5.jpg

 

Here is a video of the before polishing:

 

Porsche 911 :: Swirled Porsche 911 video by OCDetails2007 - Photobucket@@AMEPARAM@@http://vid172.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid172.photobucket.com/albums/w22/OCDetails2007/videos/Porsche%20911/swirls.flv@@AMEPARAM@@vid172@@AMEPARAM@@172@@AMEPARAM@@w22/OCDetails2007/videos/Porsche%20911/swirls

 

 

And here we are after polishing:

 

Porsche 911 :: Polished Porsche 911 video by OCDetails2007 - Photobucket@@AMEPARAM@@http://vid172.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid172.photobucket.com/albums/w22/OCDetails2007/videos/Porsche%20911/PolishedPorsche911.flv@@AMEPARAM@@vid172@@AMEPARAM@@172@@AMEPARAM@@w22/OCDetails2007/videos/Porsche%20911/PolishedPorsche911

 

Keep in mind that the final detailing hasn't been done in that after video. That is why you see streaks. You'll also see a few scratches that remain. While it looks pretty dang good, when you get the direct sun reflection in any car you will see micro scratches and swirls that don't come out without seriously cutting down the clear. I took out 90% or more of the damage, but the owner didn't want to pay for the extra couple hours it would take for perfection, so he was satisfied with 'good enough'. I don't expect that any of you are satisfied with that and neither am I. But when he is the one with the checkbook you do what the customer says. lol

 

Hopefully this has been inspring and motivational. Get out there and restore your shines. If you are looking for suggestions on what to buy and where, then I can suggest this kit from Autogeek.net. I started shopping at Autogeek years ago and they are still one of my favorites. All that kit is misisng is a couple bottles of XMT1 and XMT2 and you will have everything you need to polish up your car and put an amazing shine on it. I just received my Ultimate Detailing Machine and I can vouch for its ease of use and safeness. Amatures need not fear this machine. This isn't a high speed rotary that will burn your paint. It is actually very safe and yet still highly effective at removing swirls. I used a less powerful Porter Cable 7424 on the Porsche and you can see what kinds of results it produces. So go forth and conquer! ...the swirls, that is.

absolutely fantastic. I tried my first polish today which is the Turtle Wax Ice Liquid Polish. I washed the car, then used the Liquid Clay from Turtle wax and then followed with the Ice Polish. It looks so mirrored. The polish also did wondered for my weather stripping It gave it a great gloss. I am now a fan of polish way more than wax. Thanks for the insight.

holy crap nice work... yet again.

The "Ultimate Detailing Machine" in the kit from Autogeek - It's not a PC from what I can tell. Thoughts as to its quality?

 

Edit: Just saw your review here: http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=65501

 

 

 

-

Jim

I've got a guy near me who is going to take it apart and compare it side by side with a PC. According to David Bynon (the guy who helped build it to begin with) the internals are almost identical and could be interchangable. The only difference is the motor on the UDM is bigger and more powerful than the PC. It is just adding more power to each level, which is needed sometimes. Sometimes you just want to click it up to 7 on the PC and there isn't an option for it. lol I just got my UDM yesterday and so far I can say it is a very similar machine. A little quieter, but otherwise still very very similar.

OCD : I have the PC and White and Green pads. Do I need the Blue pad to remove swirls? Also, can you post a link to a compound that is good to use for swirl removal? I also have a 99 Red Outback that is in need of a serious detailing. The previous owner did wax it but you can tell the paint is dry. Any suggestions?

 

Thanks.

Wow how can I get my hands on that kit?

Nice job there OCD. I bet that extra go go the UDM comes in handy with hard clear

I suppose it could, but I didn't use the UDM on that car. I did use it on a black BMW yesterday though and it worked out great. I can't really tell the difference in effectiveness between this and the PC yet though. I also did a black Altima that could have used a lot more extra kick than the PC was able to produce, so I wish I would have brought the UDM with me on that job for sure. It isn't very often that a car tests the limits of the PC, so the difference between the two machines isn't really going to be felt until I deal with a seriously messed up finish. The thing that makes it a great value right now is that if you order it from Autogeek then you get that foam pad kit and the XMT180 with it. To buy the PC and all that stuff would cost significantly more money. It is so worth it to get that kit while they are offering it clustered together. The stand alone cost of the UDM was supposed to be in the $160 range, but I haven't looked to see what it is actually going for.

Why can't you live out here?

Anthony, those are terrific results. I find it hard to believe that you all with just one polish and a light polishing pad, without leaving some marring behind. Is this what you are talking about in the final detailing that he did not want to pay for? If you did the final detailing, what would your follow up product be?

 

How does SSR2 stack up to the 4* medium compound? That work is definitely inspiring.

 

Edit: Also, an unrelated question, sorta. Detail City lists the green pad as the light cutting pad and the orange pad as the medium cut. Autogeek lists the orange pad as light cut and the green pad as medium cut. Both sell a pc kit with the white, blue and orange pad. I tried to ask autogeek what is correct and he sent me to a website that listed the pores for each of the edge pads, but it did not list the orange pad. I told him that and he hung up on me, needless to say I didn't place my order, @$$hole. So who is right? What pad is the next step from blue? The green pad seems and always leaves behind marring when used with ssr2, I have to follow with ssr1 and blue. REALLY harsh.

Too bad the owner didn't let you polish down to a finer polish. Dummy.

 

Never brought my PC with me from my move. It is in the mail as we speak. Pads and all are ready to go! Even on my brand new 07 Legacy, the paint will benefit from a good PC treatment.