Safest swirl remover for soft Acura paint

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emaxxman

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I'm not new to detailing but new to using abrasive polishes to remove swirls. I just got a new 2010 Acura TSX. From my understanding, the Honda/Acura paint is water-based and extremely soft. In fact, there are a lot of very minor swirls already (despite using the 2 bucket method along with ONR/Gold Class soap in a foam gun). The car is black and sits outside year round.

I'm going to try using Poorboy's Black Hole glaze first to hide the swirls. What would be the saftest, i.e. least aggressive and newbie friendly swirl remover that I can use if the glaze doesn't work out?

Also, ideally, I'd like to get to get something that can be used in full sunlight. I will try to stick with polishing in the spring if I can but I don't have a garage to use.
 
glaze isn't a bad idea. Direct sunlight, softer paint - maybe Optimum Polish with a finishing pad. Optimum poli-seal, poor boys...these are sun friendly polishes. It's tough to keep a black DD car swirl free even if the paint isn't soft.
 
The Poorboys Black Hole (as you already know) is just going to fill, not fix. That's its job though. That may be all you want since this is a daily driver that sits out.

As far as a mild swirl remover that is easy to use - I think the Wolfgang Finishing Glaze (it is actually a light polish) would do the trick. The stuff is easy to work with IMO.

If you wanted to get more aggressive, you could use the Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover as well before the FG.

You might also be satisfied with a product such as Swirl-X that is very user friendly.

DLB
 
I should add that I have a PC and the following pads:
Lake Country flat orange pad - never used...bought it when I had my old 98 Accord.
Lake Country white polishing pad - used it along with some Meguiar's polish (m80?) on the Accord.
Lake Country grey finishing pad - use/used it to apply EX-P, NXT to Accord and current Odyssey.

Lake Country CCS red pad - used it to apply Klasse sealant glaze to new Acura. Bought the red because I didn't want to chance the grey pad marring the black paint.
 
DLB said:
The Poorboys Black Hole (as you already know) is just going to fill, not fix. That's its job though. That may be all you want since this is a daily driver that sits out.

As far as a mild swirl remover that is easy to use - I think the Wolfgang Finishing Glaze (it is actually a light polish) would do the trick. The stuff is easy to work with IMO.

If you wanted to get more aggressive, you could use the Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover as well before the FG.

You might also be satisfied with a product such as Swirl-X that is very user friendly.

DLB
Click to expand...

Can Swirl-X be used with a PC?
 
emaxxman said:
I'm not new to detailing but new to using abrasive polishes to remove swirls. I just got a new 2010 Acura TSX. From my understanding, the Honda/Acura paint is water-based and extremely soft. In fact, there are a lot of very minor swirls already (despite using the 2 bucket method along with ONR/Gold Class soap in a foam gun). The car is black and sits outside year round.

I'm going to try using Poorboy's Black Hole glaze first to hide the swirls. What would be the saftest, i.e. least aggressive and newbie friendly swirl remover that I can use if the glaze doesn't work out?

Also, ideally, I'd like to get to get something that can be used in full sunlight. I will try to stick with polishing in the spring if I can but I don't have a garage to use.
Click to expand...

I have two NHBP Acura's and don't consider either's paint to be "extremely soft." Not to say their paint isn't softer than some other car brands or even other black Acuras, but I've used everthing from M20 to Meg's UC with a DA, polishing and finishing pads. None of the product/pad combos were so aggressive on my "soft" paint that that I did more harm than good. A car's paint hardness and reaction to a particular product/application technique can vary not only between car makes, but within brands and like colors.

Whatever you decide just do a small test spot first, least-to-most aggressive product/pad combo and judge for yourself what works best. :xyxthumbs:
 
gjohn28 said:
A car's paint hardness and reaction to a particular product/application technique can vary not only between car makes, but within brands and like colors.
Click to expand...

That is a very accurate statement. Generally speaking, it's not a good idea to make broad sweeping statements about paint hardness or softness about any one model or brand of vehicle.

The best way to find out if you're cars paint is hard or soft is to go out into the garage and start working on it and see what you can do.

gjohn28 said:
Whatever you decide just do a small test spot first, least-to-most aggressive product/pad combo and judge for yourself what works best. :xyxthumbs:
Click to expand...

Great advice! :dblthumb2:


Can't remember how many people I've walked through a process to undo all the damage they did to their car's paint by not doing a Test Spot first but instead applying something to the entire car only to wipe it off and find out it made the paint look worse.


I always read on forums, people stating Honda's have soft paint. I never go by that kind of information, instead I wait till I'm doing a test spot on the actual car and determine the softness or hardness from my results.


:)
 
I have a '08 TSX and both M205 as well as the Menzerna polishes work very well for me. UF on the rotary brings the gloss up another notch too.
 
One last question (not really related to the polishes). Is it possible to create "clear coat failure" thru polishing? My Accord had extreme clear coat failure in its last 2 years. This was about 2 years after I had last polished it with M80.

That is why I am sort of apprehensive of polishing my brand new car.
 
emaxxman said:
One last question (not really related to the polishes). Is it possible to create "clear coat failure" thru polishing? My Accord had extreme clear coat failure in its last 2 years. This was about 2 years after I had last polished it with M80.

That is why I am sort of apprehensive of polishing my brand new car.
Click to expand...

Good question.........I'd like to know the answer to this as well.
 
emaxxman said:
One last question (not really related to the polishes). Is it possible to create "clear coat failure" thru polishing? My Accord had extreme clear coat failure in its last 2 years. This was about 2 years after I had last polished it with M80.

That is why I am sort of apprehensive of polishing my brand new car.
Click to expand...

How old was the Accord and were you the only owner?

It's VERY possible that if you picked up the car used that the previous owner had done some heavy correction and they removed a significant amount of clear

M80 is a mild polish and when used with a DA and a polishing pad will likely not even remove a measurable amount of clear.
 
RaskyR1 said:
How old was the Accord and were you the only owner?

It's VERY possible that if you picked up the car used that the previous owner had done some heavy correction and they removed a significant amount of clear

M80 is a mild polish and when used with a DA and a polishing pad will likely not even remove a measurable amount of clear.
Click to expand...


The car was a 1998 green bought new by me. It sat outside the entire time. For many years, before I knew better, I washed it with dish detergent and automatic car washes and then dried with regular bath towels.

The car in 2000 was polished by a detail shop. My neighbor in our apt complex swept the shared garage, got dirt/sand/dust all over the car. He then dry wiped it down. There were fine scratches all over the car.

The clear coat started to fail in 2007. The roof was almost gone when I sold it last month (Nov. 2009).
 
emaxxman said:
The car was a 1998 green bought new by me. It sat outside the entire time. For many years, before I knew better, I washed it with dish detergent and automatic car washes and then dried with regular bath towels.

The car in 2000 was polished by a detail shop. My neighbor in our apt complex swept the shared garage, got dirt/sand/dust all over the car. He then dry wiped it down. There were fine scratches all over the car.

The clear coat started to fail in 2007. The roof was almost gone when I sold it last month (Nov. 2009).
Click to expand...

At that age being subject to the sun most it's life I'd say it's not too surprising that it failed. It's also likely that the shop removed enough clear in 2000 which allowed for premature failure.

As long as you are only using mild polishes on your new car you are going to be fine using them once or twice a year. It's when you do heavy corrections like a rotary and a wool pad with a heavy compound that you need to be more cautious.

Once you correct the paint make sure you use proper washing techniques so that you don't need to correct very often and the paint should last a long time.:props:
 
emaxxman said:
One last question (not really related to the polishes). Is it possible to create "clear coat failure" thru polishing? My Accord had extreme clear coat failure in its last 2 years. This was about 2 years after I had last polished it with M80.

That is why I am sort of apprehensive of polishing my brand new car.
Click to expand...

Was the car exposed to the sun a lot?

Lots of people polish their car's paint and don't have clear coat failure?


?
 
I, too own a 98 Accord, not green, but Raisin Pearl, I believe is what Honda called. I had clear coat failure on most of the horizontal parts, the deck lid, the roof and the hood. I am the original owner and my car did not sit outside all the time. If you search Google you will find this is pretty typical of Hondas in the 1998 - 2000 range. I read somewhere that 1998 was the first year of a new formula, I don't know if that is true or not. I did polish and wax it on a regular basis, but nothing too abrasive.

My 16 year old doesn't care that the clear coat has failed, he's just happy to have a car to drive.
 
RaskyR1 said:
At that age being subject to the sun most it's life I'd say it's not too surprising that it failed. It's also likely that the shop removed enough clear in 2000 which allowed for premature failure.

As long as you are only using mild polishes on your new car you are going to be fine using them once or twice a year. It's when you do heavy corrections like a rotary and a wool pad with a heavy compound that you need to be more cautious.

Once you correct the paint make sure you use proper washing techniques so that you don't need to correct very often and the paint should last a long time.:props:
Click to expand...

Thanks Rasky. I had a 94 Honda Civic (black at that). I sold it after 12 years and the paint (other than the swirls) still looked very good. It was never polished or wax for that matter and it looked much better than the Accord. That's why I thought over polishing caused the clear coat failure.

I definitely follow the best practices for washing (thanks to the info and advice of everyone here). I use 2 buckets with grit guards. I change the rinse water half way thru the wash. I also respray each panel with soap from my foam gun before I wash that particular panel.
 
Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
Was the car exposed to the sun a lot?

Lots of people polish their car's paint and don't have clear coat failure?


?
Click to expand...

Yes - it was out in the sun for its entire 12 year life.

I have some M80 from about 3 years ago. It was kept in my unheated garage but never froze. Can I still use it? Which is more aggressive, M80 or Swirl-X?

On a side note, I have to admit, I used to read your postings and articles religiously over at Meguiar's Online. I stopped reading these forums for a few years. Weird seeing you here (but with the same great advice and info as always).
 
emaxxman said:
Yes - it was out in the sun for its entire 12 year life.
Click to expand...

While clear coat failure does happen for other reasons it does seem to be more common for cars exposed to lots of sun and outdoor elements.

emaxxman said:
I have some M80 from about 3 years ago. It was kept in my unheated garage but never froze. Can I still use it?
Click to expand...

After shaking the product well, pour some out, if it has a uniform appearance and consistency then it's okay to use.

emaxxman said:
Which is more aggressive, M80 or Swirl-X?
Click to expand...

As stated above, SwirlX is more aggressive or has more potential to be more aggressive. SwirlX is part of the collection of products that use Super Micro Abrasive Technology, or SMAT while M80 uses Diminishing Abrasive Technology or DAT.

With SwirlX, you can stop working it at any point of the paint polishing process, so it's only as aggressive as you work it. Changing pads from aggressive to gentle can have a great affect as to how aggressive or gentle the cleaning action is.


With diminishing abrasive product you must work the product until all the abrasives have broken down.


For your new car, I would recommend the SwirlX over the M80.


emaxxman said:
On a side note, I have to admit, I used to read your postings and articles religiously over at Meguiar's Online. I stopped reading these forums for a few years. Weird seeing you here (but with the same great advice and info as always).
Click to expand...

I had a good run on MOL, AG brings change and challenge.


:)
 
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