Got the swirl marks out but now have straight scratches?

[BrianMcLeod]

Hey how is everyone so I have been trying to get my dad's truck (2006 dodge ram) looking good. I do the washes and everything.

I got the swirl marks out but I can notice some scratches that go straight. The truck looks good but I know they are there and it bugs me!

The process I did to get the swirl marks was a flex speed 5 with an orange pad and m105 and a white pad to finish out with m205.

I was thinking and it could maybe be my wash method I do since it is a work truck and goes on dirt roads

I foam it with two bucket system let it dwell and then go at it with a mitt

Here are some photos I also notice it in this truck that I do not notice in any other jobs I have done. Also I don't notice it in the sun it looks good but only a certain light

Thanks for the help I know it was a long read!

[DaveT435]

In the picture it actually looks like you just didn't get all the swirls. Looks like the deeper part of them is still there. Can't see the picture real good though...

[BrianMcLeod]

In the picture it actually looks like you just didn't get all the swirls. Looks like the deeper part of them is still there. Can't see the picture real good though...

Under the sun it looks find matter in fact that side got wiped my a bush so have to get those out but they are not that deep any tips would you just try it again? Feel like I'm grinding away the clear

[mwoolfso]

Under the sun it looks find matter in fact that side got wiped my a bush so have to get those out but they are not that deep any tips would you just try it again? Feel like I'm grinding away the clear

Those swirls look very circular in nature. Did they look like that before you polished?

My thought right now is to try speed 6 with 105/White and inspect afterward. If they are reduced but not eliminated then try 105/Orange. The goal is to eliminate those swirls as much as possible but with maximum 15lbs of pressure. If the swirls are gone then go straight to the finishing polish (205/White) but at speed 4; that will bring back the gloss.

In general as you are finishing both steps reduce the pressure for the last 2 passes, this way you will minimize post-polishing defects.

[DaveT435]

If you want the scratches out you will have to take some clear off. If it's a concern you can measure the paint. Chances ore you just didn't get the whole swirl out the first time even though it looked like it in the light you were working in. What kind of light do you use to check your work?
From the pictures that is what it looks like to me...maybe someone else will see something I'm not seeing and chime in.
Sometimes the sun...like swirl finder lights...has to be at the right angle to see a defect. A lot of colors around dusk is the best time to see them (that has been my experience with white)

[BrianMcLeod]

How much is a good paint measure saw some that were $$$ did compound like 2 time and afraid I'm gonna get clear coat failure. The light I used was a light I bought from the store need to buy one from Ag but the light I was using is an outside light so it's above

[Kengo123]

If youre worried about clear coat failure then just keep it waxed and fill the existing swirls. Its a work truck right?

[Mike Phillips]

I was thinking and it could maybe be my wash method I do since it is a work truck and goes on dirt roads

Just make sure when you move the mitt over the paint you don't SCRUB the paint with zillions of passes.

If this paint is polished and waxed it should only take one or two passes of a wash mitt to loosen any surface dirt so it can be washed off. The fresh coat of wax makes dirt come off easy.

Now if there is dirt on the surface and you make lots and lots of passes with the wash mitt the you'll loosen the dirt and scrub it against the paint and end up with washing swirls and scratches.

I talk about this in my how-to book. There's a section on washing cars and how most people, (not saying you're one of them), but how most people don't THINK when they wash their car the just go through the motions and too often they go through too many motions if you know what I mean.


Real easy to troubleshoot the paint.

Place a tape-line down on the section you took a picture of and buff on one side of the tape-line with the M205 and a polishing pad.

If the scratches are gone that means they are shallow and you probably are inflicting them when you wash the car.

[BrianMcLeod]

ok thanks everybody for the help ill let yall know how it turns out!