Getting swirls out in emblems

V

Venomv8

New member
Joined
Jan 1, 2017
Messages
23
Reaction score
0
Long time reader first time poster! I tried searching but couldnt find exactly what Im looking for. I have a black Audi Q5 that I just bought and am doing a full detail on to correct swirls and get it looking new again. Ive detailed (not professionally) for about 10 years so I have most of the equipment, tools, products for what I need. However, for the life of me I cannot find something where I can get the swirls out of the paint inside the Audi rings on the back hatch. Initially I had the build up around the emblems that is common I used pinnacle xmt scratch remover to remove the junk and swirling around the rings. However, it keeps leaving more and more swirls. I cant for the life of me get the heavy swirls out from inside the rings. Ive been working just around the emblems for the better part of 3 hours today and it honestly looks almost worse than it did. Ive got the junk from around the emblems cleaned away using q tips and the scratch remover but the swirls remain along with imperfections around the rings where ai used the q-tips. Anyone have any tips or better appicators for tght areas?

Thanks
 
A different polish maybe needed no abrasives.
 
If it's really bothering you take it off and machine polish the area only if the emblem is cheap to replace.
 
Q-tips are going to leave scratches. Either use one bare finger, a small piece of foam by hand or remove the rings to do the work and replace them after. Expect new OEM rings to be $40.
 
GSKR said:
If it's really bothering you take it off and machine polish the area only if the emblem is cheap to replace.
Click to expand...
If it's held by tape, just leave them off. Same problem will occur if you put them back.
 
Not necessarily if you take them off cut and polish by machine .Then apply new one and Becareful in that area when washing.Understand your point,I would only do that if it's horrific looking.He has 3 hrs messing with that area alone.me personally I would rip it off and tackle that area for 40.00.That particular car needs a emblem in that spot.
 
Anyone with experience with either a da or rotary can clean that area up with the emblem still intact.That emblem is solid not like Mercedes.
 
If you don't want to use a machine in that area the edge of a foam applicator and FG400 should get it cleaned up and looking good. I clean up fingernail and ring scratches behind door handles this way. The FG400 cleans the area up in a hurry. If you don't have FG400 and compound you have that finishes fairly good.
 
Sounds like something the Rupes iBrid, a Flex PE8 with a 1" pad, or even a GG3 with a smaller pad (do GG3s have smaller backing plates available?) would be ideally suited for. The iBrid seems to be ideal for this, but it is not inexpensive,
 
Thanks for all the responses guys, Ive thought about taking the badges off but at the end of the day I tackled it trying to salvage the area the best I could. I think after looking I will probably go with what kkritsilas said right above and find a small 1" pad and polisher for it and go that route. This way I at least have it for later use and don't always have to debadge cars to get some results. At the end of the day if Im not happy with it they badge will come off and Ill have to go that route, but Id like to leave that as last resort. Thanks again for the help.
 
It sounds like you've already gotten the crud from around the edges of it... But next time, instead of Q Tips you're better off using a detail brush lubricated with some detail spray to handle that task.

da9e4e944dc000c5c8f68a0bafba4c01.jpg


As far as the emblem, if it's the emblem in the dead center of the trunklid you're more than likely not going to able to simply debadge it. Most if not all car makers bolt that emblem onto the trunk from the inside out, so debadging can't be done unless you get in there and un screw it.

Griots Garage sells a detailing stick system [I couldn't find it here on AG] which is basically a set of thin tubes/sticks that you can wrap the included microfiber socks in order to hit hard to reach corners such as emblems, grills, etc.

You can actually improvise and simply get a firm stick such as a paint brush handle and wrap a microfiber towel around it, dab some compound on the tip and make careful and precise strokes inside the emblem to remove any swirls.. Just make sure to give it some thought and be careful.




Sent from my iPhone
 
I used a boars hair brush with the cleaning spray to wash several times. It wasn't so much debris but was just cloudy and hazed looking and that wouldn't come off. As far as the emblem they are double sided taped on last I knew so you can pry off and then get the adhesive all off and machine correct it all quickly, then rebadge. However I didn't want to worry about getting it back straight and centered as well as buying a new emblem too. I did try the microfiber method like you said, but it isn't seeming to work for some reason. even with that I can't get enough speed and pressure to get the fine swirls out that are right next to the emblem. This is the only part of the car thats bothering me but after doing so much on the rest Id like to have it be good and not the eye sore everytime I see it. Ill look for the stick system you said, Im also looking into the flex PE8 pads in 1" and the backing plate adapter for my drill, that may be the ticket!
 
Can you post pictures of what it looks like?

I dealt with a similar situation for the longest time with my own cars trunk emblem.. It was loaded [at least in my eyes] with gunk and contaminants all around it and inside the nooks and nothing I tried would clean it up. The boars hair detailing brush was useless because it's simply too soft..

It wasn't until I got my hands on the Mothers Detail Brush in my pic that I was finally able to get it fully clean and detailed.

ef6bcfaa4e59fc58e03e17c86595920f.jpg



Sent from my iPhone
 
I think but not sure you may be able to fish line that off without buying a new one just throwing out a idea gd luck.
 
Eldorado2k said:
Can you post pictures of what it looks like?

I dealt with a similar situation for the longest time with my own cars trunk emblem.. It was loaded [at least in my eyes] with gunk and contaminants all around it and inside the nooks and nothing I tried would clean it up. The boars hair detailing brush was useless because it's simply too soft..

It wasn't until I got my hands on the Mothers Detail Brush in my pic that I was finally able to get it fully clean and detailed.

ef6bcfaa4e59fc58e03e17c86595920f.jpg



Sent from my iPhone
Click to expand...
Thats gotta be the cleanest caddy on earth looks fantastic.
 
GSKR said:
Thats gotta be the cleanest caddy on earth looks fantastic.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the kind words, but there's no way... Besides, if you look closely at the reflection you'll spot another Cadillac, it's my brothers car and it's in my hands this weekend. I took care of most of the exterior yesterday, and today I'm going to detail the interior including a full steam cleaning of the leather and shampoo the carpets etc... Once I'm done it's going to be the cleanest Caddy on earth.

a42cc1518e6f42623f6919a7f597af5c.jpg



Sent from my iPhone
 
I can take some pics of it tomorrow hopefully. I ended up buying a flex 1" backing plate and the 1" foam pads to see if that will work. If not I don't think I will be able to get it any better without taking the badges off and doing a complete correction of the area. At the end of the day its going to be way better than it was. Right now as it sits, Ive gotten the crap from around the edges gone, but as I said previous the q-tip with abrasive wax put scratches all around the rings so it looks like absolute crap. Im waiting for those foam pads to come in and hopefully those will be enough to get the scratches out in the rings.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top