Car wash Scratches

[mywifehatesclowns]

OKay I am stumped and just a little confused.

For one thing I am sorry if I mention someone elses product line but it is what I use.

2003 Trailblazer. Here is the first step I used on the hood

Wash

Clay bar

Auto Magic BC-1 with Orange Medium Cut Buff and Shine Foam at 1200-1500 RPM

Auto Magic BC-2 with Green Soft Polish Buff and shine at 1200-1500 RPM

Auto Magic Paint Sealant

After this...I still had car wash scratches

then

I did it with

BC-1 with a Wool Pad 1200-1500 RPM

STILL SCRATCHES!!!!

so I resort to

Auto Magic Power Cut Plus COmpound with a Wool Pad 1200-1500 RPM

BC-1 with a Orange Pad

BC-2 with a green pad

Paint Sealant

Then only then did the marks come out.

If anyone has experience with this product line and what you think a little suggestions are appreciated.

But I want to know from everyone else.....Have you ever had to resort to compounding to get Swirl makrs and car wash scratches out of paint?

Mind you this is a 5 year old Trailblazer that has NEVER been detailed properly before.

Thanks

[mywifehatesclowns]

I know this is long...but to summarize....I have always just used a aggressive polish from AM and follow up with BC-2 and it works fine! This is the first time I have every resorted to Compound....just need those experinces and opinions.

[Mike T]

Scratches are scratches, no matter how they got there. Sometimes you end up dealing with a tough clearcoat. You said its five years old and has never had any TLC given to it. It must have looked awful, at least in our eyes.

[Sevenrd]

I haven't used the products mentioned, but more often than not the cars I detail require compounding. There have been a few cars that haven't needed it, but they were relatively new.

Years of not polishing/protecting along with improper wash technique causes the swirls and scratches to build up.

[Totoland Mach]

I have a bunch of Auto Magic at the BMW shop: but, I only use their wheel acid, magic dressing, body shine (for clay bar and light stuff), and apc. Those are ok products for production shops like ours, but for paint correction, I use 3M or Optimum compound, 3M glaze or Menzerna 106FF, and Meguiar's #26.

I deal with scratches every day on these BMW's. The compounds and other products have worked well for me.

Toto

[mywifehatesclowns]

I have tried other products and I have fell in love with Auto Magic overall. I tried them all...at least as much as I could afford....the only other that I found decent was Malco.

It is a while Trailblazer, so the scraches are not noticeable to the majority, but like I have said before...Auto Magic doesn't require heat to work, which is normally why BC1 and BC2 or GS1 and BC2 or for last resort New Car Glaze and BC2...those will usually do the trick.....I was just baffled when I could not get these out and had to resort to compounding....it is scary because compounding to me should always be a last resort.

I want to try the XP polish and see how that works as well. Thankfully I have this Trailblzer to experiment on and a Old Black Civic that is almost complete....I will have pictures later.

I am curious...what makes you not choose Auto Magic?

I am also curious Toto...what are your methods when using those products..pad selection...speed...DA or High speed....how many passes etc etc. Because I have noticed a lot of guys who are used to using products that require a little to moderate amount of heat when using a High speed tend not to like Auto Magic because it is sort of a whole new world.

I will admit that it is a slight downfall that there are like 5 products that 'seem' like they do the same thing, but they actually work very differently, which is a big plus, Hard to explain I guess.

I will post some pictures of the work that I have seen Auto Magic do in Show and shine.

[mywifehatesclowns]

One other thing my good man....you use the acid on BMW rims right?

If so then GREAT! I was told NOT to use the acid on them but to use the NON-ACID cleaner....if you use the acid on the wheels that is what I am using from now on!