Light swirl removal without breaking the bank (or learn to live w/?)

[ravenquest]

I have been totally geeking out here on the site and the forum and i've been really happy with the results.

I bought a used 2014 Mazda3 hatchback with gorgeous 3 stage soul red paint.

1st care routine:

Wash:
Chemical Guys Citrus Wash & Glo w/
Gold Plush Micro-Chenille Wash Mitt- GOLD and 2 bucket system.
Cobra Clay Mitt using the wash as lubricant
Klasse twins for the polish and sealant
Colonite 845 for the wax.

I also used the Dr chip system to fill any of the small chips and scratches.

Overall I am really pleased with the results and have never seen a car that I have owned look better.

Now the more I read the more aware I am of light swirling and am contemplating what it would take to bring the car to the next level.

Here is the condition of the swirls:


https://youtu.be/Q3tSkyS_FWc

The more I read the more i am afraid what the next level will cost.

I don't see myself using a DA in my normal routine but understand it is required to get the swirls out. Before I go down this road, is there a product that reduces the appearances of swirl marks I can apply by hand?

If I do take the next step how can I do it for less than $200?

If I get a cheaper DA offsite (it is fine if it just makes it through just one paint correction process) and use higher quality pads what would that package look like?

I'm guessing I probably only need a very light cutting white pad (maybe a pink pad) and a finishing black pad. Thoughts?

I also read people need a minimum of 6 pads for swirl removal, and 4 for polish, that alone is $100. Are those pads no good after I use them? How in the world does anyone afford to go through that many pads? It seems all the packages for pads only have one or two of each, if you need more pads why is that not explained?

I was looking at the wolfgang duo but is there a good swirl remover and polish that is a bit less expensive?

I'm at the point where if I have to spend $300 to remove the swirls I have to admit i'll just live with the swirls. I may have been happier in ignorance before reading about the possibilities. I mean it's not like I own a $30k+ car that I bring to shows. I just love the car and want it to look the best it can for my budget.

[brettS4]

Honestly, you can polish an entire car with one pad. It'll just take you a lot longer because you'll need to stop regularly to clean the pad and let it cool down a bit.

And the cheap DAs (HF, for example) will do the job. It might bog down a little easier than the pricy toys, and probably will be a little louder and vibrate more. But lots of people use them and get good results.

Sounds like you need an AIO, which I'm not very familiar with. HD Speed seems to be popular lately. But just about every brand has a good product in that dept. A quick search for specific products will get you going fast.

Considering the products that you already have, I'd say you could probably knock out your swirls for $80 if you really wanted to keep the cost down.

[ravenquest]

Any thoughts on just getting:


Lake Country Hydro-Tech 6.5 Inch Foam Pads 3 Pack (http://www.autogeek.net/hydro-tech-pads-3pack.html) 2 Tangerine and 1 Red
Wolfgang Pad Werks Pad Cleaner & Extender Combo (http://www.autogeek.net/pad-cleaner-combo.html)
McKee's 37 360 Corrects, Cleans, Seals 4 oz. (http://www.autogeek.net/mk37-3600-s.html)

Then I can polish with my Klasse AIO on the red pad

Or would it be better to get a Lake Country pink or white pad for lighter cutting to start.

So many choices its hard to know..

[spazzz]

HF da, 5" backing plate, 3-pack 5.5 LC thinpro pads & a bottle of M205.
Whip a coat of your 845 on and call it.

[TMQ]

Spazzz, well said. Some of best work are the simple and basic ones.

Tom

[spazzz]

Yep, the keep it simple thing.
I did forget to type White thinpro pads.

[Eldorado2k]

HF DA, 5" Lake Country backing plate, 6pk Lake Country Flat Foam Pads [3 Orange, 2 White, 1 Black], Griots Boss Correcting Cream or Meguiars Ultimate Compound, Meguiars M205 [optional] and your choice of lsp for protection.

That's $145 including $20 for your choice of sealant and not including M205. $155 including a small 8oz. bottle of M205.

[Eldorado2k]

.... But that's only if you've got amazing willpower. In reality the detailing bug will hit you and you'll wind up spending like $300+ on a bunch of goodies. Lol.

[spazzz]

Well lets say Ultimate compound and Ultimate polish then. Thats 20 for both and you can get them almost anywhere. I wouldn' t use Ultimate compond without following with a polish to chase the haze away.

I agree with the 6 pack option for pads and thats what I usually will say.
I thought buying my first 6 pack of pads would be all I need. Maybe it is but I sure have bought a lot more since then.

[brettS4]

Any thoughts on just getting:


Lake Country Hydro-Tech 6.5 Inch Foam Pads 3 Pack (http://www.autogeek.net/hydro-tech-pads-3pack.html) 2 Tangerine and 1 Red
Wolfgang Pad Werks Pad Cleaner & Extender Combo (http://www.autogeek.net/pad-cleaner-combo.html)
McKee's 37 360 Corrects, Cleans, Seals 4 oz. (http://www.autogeek.net/mk37-3600-s.html)

Then I can polish with my Klasse AIO on the red pad

Or would it be better to get a Lake Country pink or white pad for lighter cutting to start.

So many choices its hard to know..

I'm not a fan of Hydrotech pads. They tended to fall apart on the first session when I used them. The ThinPros are a huge improvement.

As for what you were looking at, the tangerine Hydrotech are very mild. They have a little polishing ability, but not much. But they would put a nice gloss on your paint after you used another pad to get rid of any swirls.

The red pad would be completely unnecessary if you waxed by hand. Spend your money elsewhere. And you don't absolutely need pad cleaning product. I've never bought any in 15 years. Of course, I only do a few cars a year and I take my time. It's nice if you have it, but not what I'd buy if I were on a tight budget. Buy more pads instead.

McKees 37 360 seems to be a great AIO. Probably just what you want. But keep in mind that it will replace your Klasse (not a bad thing). You could go with just 360 or top it with your Collinite. But that bottle you linked to is tiny. You'll get 3-4 uses out of it. Step up to a regular size.

But I'd go with what spazzz said about the ThinPro white pads. They are very versatile and effective.

[ravenquest]

Thanks all!

I grabbed 2 white 5.5 thinpro pads, a 5inch backing plate, The M205 and McKee's 360 (i'll try both as test spots and see which works best, anyone know which is more aggressive?)

I'll use the Clean on the fly technique Mike posted and also take some breaks for more thorough pad clean and dry.

I'm excited to see the results..

I appreciate all the advice!

[Mantilgh]

Going by Autopia's polish chart, M205 would be slightly more aggressive.

Updated 2/2017: Autopia Polish Comparison Chart! (http://www.autopia.org/forums/paint-correction-and-gloss-enhancement/187053-updated-2-2017-autopia-polish-comparison-chart.html)

[dlc95]

Any thoughts on just getting:


Lake Country Hydro-Tech 6.5 Inch Foam Pads 3 Pack (http://www.autogeek.net/hydro-tech-pads-3pack.html) 2 Tangerine and 1 Red
Wolfgang Pad Werks Pad Cleaner & Extender Combo (http://www.autogeek.net/pad-cleaner-combo.html)
McKee's 37 360 Corrects, Cleans, Seals 4 oz. (http://www.autogeek.net/mk37-3600-s.html)

Then I can polish with my Klasse AIO on the red pad

Or would it be better to get a Lake Country pink or white pad for lighter cutting to start.

So many choices its hard to know..

I love the Hydrotech pads. The tangerine cuts close to the orange flat foam, but finish out super glossy. The pink pads cut much harder to me than the orange pads.

I also use the blue Buff and Shine polishing pads. They work great with M205, and Ultimate Polish.

[ravenquest]

I actually couldn't change my order so I have 2 tangerine and now two white pads. I'll start leat aggressive with Mckees 360 on white> 360 on tangerine > m205 on white > m205 on tangerine. And see where it gets me.

[brettS4]

Sounds like a good plan. Let us know how it turns out!