OShea_201

so heres the deal, i own a red 2004 fxa super crew. and for some reason my paint looks awful. when ever i get it washed you can see huge swirls in the paint, especially on the tail gate. ive tried a bunch of different cleaners and gone to a ton of different car washs but every time it comes out the same.... i cant figure it out. so im hoping that someone here knows of some sort of something that i can use to make it look a little nicer.... any advice is greatly appreciated, thanks

madeSICC

they will usually get swirls from using dirty sponges/not enough water when washing by hand. and if you dry with dirty towles or rough towels you will get them too. but yea they is nothing more annoying then having swirl marks all over your car or truck. just make sure whenever you wash your car to use clean towels/sponges and use a ton of water, the 2 bucket system is pretty good too. and if you go through automatic washes make sure they are touchless, and never use the brush of doom at them either. there are a ton of products out there to help remove them, ive always used meguiers stuff and had nice results.

dnlow

You will need to polish the paint with an random orbital machine. Not by hand. I like Griots Garage for machine polishes. I would start with their #2 polish and then finish with their #3 polish. They also have a car care guide that will tell you what needs to be done.

Here are some links...

http://www.griotsgarage.com/category.../car+polishing
/car+polishes.do?sortby=ourPicks

Here is the car care guide

http://www.griotsgarage.com/category...7s+handbook.do

The polish section starts on page 36.

All of this should get you going in the right direction.

Brandon's07

If you do not have the time or the knowledge of using powered equipment on painted vehicles, you may want to find a reputable detail shop or even a body shop. They will cut it and polish it to a nice new shine. They will shoot you straight but it is a little pricey. I had my Tran Am done a couple years back and have had other vehicles done as well. A lot of people do their own, I do my own most the time but my buddy has a body shop and I still pay to have it done with him. It is a lot fo work when done right but the results will be very noticeable. If you do it on your own, I suggest a little practice and then as far as products, I like the Meguiars line. Once you learn how to make it right, your friends will ask you to their cars. Good luck and try to avoid the big chain carwashes. It is not their vehicle and they usually do not care. If you find a good one though, stick with it.

Brandon C.

westtnfx4

Buffing compound and a high speed buffer and she'll look new again!

OShea_201

thanks for the help everyone! im gonna try out some the advice and ill let you all know how it goes.

by the way, has anyone tried out that clay bar stuff? just curious how well it really worksm thanks again

Brandon's07

Clay bar is a great product. Removes all the grime from your paint. After a good clay bar and waxing you should notice some good results as well. I have used it several times. Be prepared for a solid workout and be patient. Work one area at a time and just move thought with detail. All should go well. Remember to wax afterwards though.

Brandon C.

Jackalope

I suggest going to either AutoGeek
http://www.autogeek.net/?gclid=COmyy...FQS2sgod7AJQvw

or Meguiars "how-to" center for detailed instructions on how to recover your paint.

http://www.meguiars.com/howtocenter/

bonez

Check out this thread by mblouir...

https://www.f150forum.com/f33/how-de...-finish-43935/

He has given an excellent write-up with step-by-step instructions (and links to some videos) of how to remove swirl marks and make your truck have a showroom finish.

I purchased all of the necessary equiptment, polishes, etc. and uses this procedure on my truck...and the results were awesome.