Getting Swirls off the car

Strangler · 10-03-2011, 01:38 PM

I've been annoyed by these swirls on my car for awhile. I went to a car wash and the pressure on the water spraying thing was a bit high I think, now there are swirls everywhere.

I tried looking for an auto detail shop around where I live but I didn't find many good ones at all. I found a popular place called Maaco. I gave them a call and they say they would paint the entire car for $300. I thought to myself, "WOW, that is really amazing to paint the entire car for that much." Then I asked for a bit more detail and he said the $300 was their cheapest paint. I also asked for the most expensive one because I don't want something cheap on the Z and he said it would be around $500 for the more expensive paint.

He also said they don't really just remove swirls they would have to paint the car.

I'm thinking about bringing the car in this weekend to see what they can do about it.

How do you guys get rid of your swirls? I really want want to bring it to Maaco but if that's the only choice I have then I might just have to do it.

tomnavone · 10-03-2011, 01:43 PM

Watch these videos
Junkman's "How to Completely Repair Your Paint Damage - The Videos!

Buy a porter cable

https://detailersdomain.com/Polisher...its_c_209.html

wheee! · 10-03-2011, 01:44 PM

m4a1mustang · 10-03-2011, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wheee!

Werd x2.

Cmike2780 · 10-03-2011, 01:46 PM

A professional high quality re-paint for an entire car runs about $10k. Go to a detail shop to get the swirls fixed, not a body shop and certainly not Maaco.

didymus · 10-03-2011, 01:48 PM

Do your research buddy. Repainting your car would be a horrible idea

Strangler · 10-03-2011, 03:54 PM

I have done some research on this.

I thought about getting swirls fixed at a shop which would cost around $100 or so instead of buying a PC ($200+) and doing the work myself.

The problem I ran into was that I couldn't find ANY detail shops around here that only gets rid of swirls. I even called them and had no luck.

Anyways, what do you think would happen if I repaint at Maaco? Would the paint look like crap or something? I wasn't going to repaint the car but that guy said that's all they do at Maaco. So I said I was just going to bring in the car to see if they can get rid of swirls without repainting.

Rui Z · 10-03-2011, 04:20 PM

$300 to repaint the entire car?!?! I thought it costs at least $5000. Stay away from a place that will repaint it for that low. Repainting your entire car will drop your resale value by quite a bit too. Just go to a good detailer. They will get the swirls out for a few hundred dollars depending on the condition of the clear coat. If you are the type to care about swirls, I guarantee you will regret a shop that will repaint your car for $300 due to quality issues.

Zaggeron · 10-03-2011, 04:50 PM

It you got swirls, you will get swirls again. Why pay someone to get rid of them. Buy a PC and make a hobby out of detailing your car.

wheee! · 10-03-2011, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Strangler

I have done some research on this.

I thought about getting swirls fixed at a shop which would cost around $100 or so instead of buying a PC ($200+) and doing the work myself.

The problem I ran into was that I couldn't find ANY detail shops around here that only gets rid of swirls. I even called them and had no luck.

Anyways, what do you think would happen if I repaint at Maaco? Would the paint look like crap or something? I wasn't going to repaint the car but that guy said that's all they do at Maaco. So I said I was just going to bring in the car to see if they can get rid of swirls without repainting.

Once you see how easy it is to do yourself with the proper tools and polishes, you will never pay someone to do it again.... unless you have serious damage!
You WILL get swirls and blemishes on a regular basis thru everyday driving and use. Be prepared and learn to correct them yourself!

Jeffblue · 10-03-2011, 05:06 PM

i followed the above videos exactly and this is what i got:

This is 16 year old OEM paint on my 300zx

Door:

Hood:

m4a1mustang · 10-03-2011, 05:44 PM

Please, please, please DO NOT take your Z to MAACO or have it repainted at all! Either drive somewhere to find a pro detailer or learn how to DIY with a Porter Cable!

AdamsPolishes · 10-03-2011, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Strangler

I've been annoyed by these swirls on my car for awhile. I went to a car wash and the pressure on the water spraying thing was a bit high I think, now there are swirls everywhere.

I tried looking for an auto detail shop around where I live but I didn't find many good ones at all. I found a popular place called Maaco. I gave them a call and they say they would paint the entire car for $300. I thought to myself, "WOW, that is really amazing to paint the entire car for that much." Then I asked for a bit more detail and he said the $300 was their cheapest paint. I also asked for the most expensive one because I don't want something cheap on the Z and he said it would be around $500 for the more expensive paint.

He also said they don't really just remove swirls they would have to paint the car.

I'm thinking about bringing the car in this weekend to see what they can do about it.

How do you guys get rid of your swirls? I really want want to bring it to Maaco but if that's the only choice I have then I might just have to do it.

Repainting a car b/c it has swirls is like buying a new car every time you need an oil change. Its pointless because it will just happen again and needlessly expensive since the fix is easy and not much money.

A simple correction of the paint, by yourself or a professional detailer, will cost a fraction of a new paint job. Paint correction is not rocket science, but the thing you need to learn first is how to prevent/minimize swirls b/c even if you do find a pro to handle it for you if your wash and care routine are not correct you're just going to swirl the paint up again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zaggeron

It you got swirls, you will get swirls again. Why pay someone to get rid of them. Buy a PC and make a hobby out of detailing your car.

detailing can be a fun and rewarding hobby. If you're really into your car it can be very enjoyable.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Strangler

I have done some research on this.

I thought about getting swirls fixed at a shop which would cost around $100 or so instead of buying a PC ($200+) and doing the work myself.

The problem I ran into was that I couldn't find ANY detail shops around here that only gets rid of swirls. I even called them and had no luck.

Any shop that says they'll correct your paint for $100 is either full of it, or going to make your paint looks worse. A quality professional detail is going to run you closer to $250 starting for someone who genuinely knows what they're doing.

As far as not finding a shop that would get rid of swirls... thats the first thing a detailer should be able to do or they're not detailers. Might need to look harder or do more research b/c it sounds like you contacted a bunch of hack jobs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Strangler

Anyways, what do you think would happen if I repaint at Maaco? Would the paint look like crap or something? I wasn't going to repaint the car but that guy said that's all they do at Maaco. So I said I was just going to bring in the car to see if they can get rid of swirls without repainting.

A professional, high quality paint job, is going to run you around $8-$10,000... maaco will spray your car with single stage paint, not do proper prep, not mask door jambs, etc. Theres a reason they're cheap - they do crap work. As with anything in life YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

Jeffblue · 10-03-2011, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dylan@Adams

As far as not finding a shop that would get rid of swirls... thats the first thing a detailer should be able to do or they're not detailers. Might need to look harder or do more research b/c it sounds like you contacted a bunch of hack jobs.

yea... a lot of people's idea of detailing a car is like... slopping some crap fake wax on it and some armor all on the tires. My idea of washing a car is more time consuming and yields a better result than what most people (who have no idea about cars) consider having their car 'detailed'

chuckd05 · 10-03-2011, 08:43 PM

I need to do a paint correction on my 135i ... I paid my detailer to "detail" it and he did an okay job, cut swirls in half, but obviously he doesnt have the time in the day to do nuts on just the correction stage.. he told me $250 to really work at it, and he may need the car over night ... he takes about 8 hours on a regular detail... if anyone needs someone in Long Island let me know...

I think I am just going to get a PC and go at it myself... jeffs results seem amazing and my car isnt swirled nearly that bad.. the trunk and rear bumper area are the worst areas and will require a lot of work..

Jeff I am sending you a PM

10-03-2011, 01:38 PM	#1 (permalink)
Strangler Enthusiast Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: CA Posts: 260 Drives: 10 370z Touring 6MT Rep Power: 16	Getting Swirls off the car I've been annoyed by these swirls on my car for awhile. I went to a car wash and the pressure on the water spraying thing was a bit high I think, now there are swirls everywhere. I tried looking for an auto detail shop around where I live but I didn't find many good ones at all. I found a popular place called Maaco. I gave them a call and they say they would paint the entire car for $300. I thought to myself, "WOW, that is really amazing to paint the entire car for that much." Then I asked for a bit more detail and he said the $300 was their cheapest paint. I also asked for the most expensive one because I don't want something cheap on the Z and he said it would be around $500 for the more expensive paint. He also said they don't really just remove swirls they would have to paint the car. I'm thinking about bringing the car in this weekend to see what they can do about it. How do you guys get rid of your swirls? I really want want to bring it to Maaco but if that's the only choice I have then I might just have to do it.

10-03-2011, 01:43 PM	#2 (permalink)
tomnavone Track Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: S.F. Bay Area Posts: 723 Drives: Supercharged 370z Rep Power: 18	Watch these videos Junkman's "How to Completely Repair Your Paint Damage - The Videos! Buy a porter cable https://detailersdomain.com/Polisher...its_c_209.html __________________ GTM Supercharger/HKS Camp2/Berk cbe/Motordyne art pipes/Hotchkis sways/ Eibach Springs/ Black Volk TE37/Bridgestone S-04 Powered by

10-03-2011, 01:44 PM	#3 (permalink)
wheee! A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Mod Capital of Canada Age: 58 Posts: 7,354 Drives: cars. lots of cars. Rep Power: 40182	__________________ H&R / Stillen / Berk / HKS / Swift / Michelin / UpRev / SPC / Amuse Rep / Seibon / Fringe XVO / TWM / more... My Journal

10-03-2011, 01:46 PM	#5 (permalink)
Cmike2780 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Long Island Posts: 5,059 Drives: slowwww Rep Power: 29	A professional high quality re-paint for an entire car runs about $10k. Go to a detail shop to get the swirls fixed, not a body shop and certainly not Maaco. __________________ [09][MB][6-Spd MT][Touring][Stillen Gen III][K&N][Borla CBE][Evo-R] [ArchitTEK Photography]

10-03-2011, 04:20 PM	#8 (permalink)
Rui Z Track Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: (.)(.) Posts: 931 Drives: 8====D Rep Power: 17	$300 to repaint the entire car?!?! I thought it costs at least $5000. Stay away from a place that will repaint it for that low. Repainting your entire car will drop your resale value by quite a bit too. Just go to a good detailer. They will get the swirls out for a few hundred dollars depending on the condition of the clear coat. If you are the type to care about swirls, I guarantee you will regret a shop that will repaint your car for $300 due to quality issues. __________________

10-03-2011, 01:48 PM	#6 (permalink)
didymus Track Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Providence / Boston Posts: 564 Drives: 280 / 370Z Rep Power: 306	Do your research buddy. Repainting your car would be a horrible idea

10-03-2011, 03:54 PM	#7 (permalink)
Strangler Enthusiast Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: CA Posts: 260 Drives: 10 370z Touring 6MT Rep Power: 16	I have done some research on this. I thought about getting swirls fixed at a shop which would cost around $100 or so instead of buying a PC ($200+) and doing the work myself. The problem I ran into was that I couldn't find ANY detail shops around here that only gets rid of swirls. I even called them and had no luck. Anyways, what do you think would happen if I repaint at Maaco? Would the paint look like crap or something? I wasn't going to repaint the car but that guy said that's all they do at Maaco. So I said I was just going to bring in the car to see if they can get rid of swirls without repainting.

10-03-2011, 04:50 PM	#9 (permalink)
Zaggeron A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 1,951 Drives: '10 370ZR '13 BRZ Rep Power: 19	It you got swirls, you will get swirls again. Why pay someone to get rid of them. Buy a PC and make a hobby out of detailing your car. __________________ 2010 Platinum Graphite 370z Roadster:Touring/Sport 2013 Subaru BRZ Limited

10-03-2011, 05:06 PM	#11 (permalink)
Jeffblue A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: NY Age: 37 Posts: 9,192 Drives: Z32TT & 335xi Coupe Rep Power: 38	i followed the above videos exactly and this is what i got: This is 16 year old OEM paint on my 300zx Door: Hood: Last edited by Jeffblue; 10-03-2011 at 05:09 PM.

10-03-2011, 05:44 PM	#12 (permalink)
m4a1mustang A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Northern VA Posts: 55,385 Drives: on two wheels Rep Power: 6963	Please, please, please DO NOT take your Z to MAACO or have it repainted at all! Either drive somewhere to find a pro detailer or learn how to DIY with a Porter Cable! __________________ - Steve Zs & Coffee - Saturdays at 10AM in Fairfax, VA and Columbia, MD (Click the banner!) LIKE us on Facebook!

10-03-2011, 08:43 PM	#15 (permalink)
chuckd05 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: NY Posts: 2,391 Drives: No longer a Z Rep Power: 20	I need to do a paint correction on my 135i ... I paid my detailer to "detail" it and he did an okay job, cut swirls in half, but obviously he doesnt have the time in the day to do nuts on just the correction stage.. he told me $250 to really work at it, and he may need the car over night ... he takes about 8 hours on a regular detail... if anyone needs someone in Long Island let me know... I think I am just going to get a PC and go at it myself... jeffs results seem amazing and my car isnt swirled nearly that bad.. the trunk and rear bumper area are the worst areas and will require a lot of work.. Jeff I am sending you a PM __________________ 09 370Z 6M PW - FBO Best 1/4 mile = 12.926 @ 109 SOLD -- 08 BMW 135i - FBO 12.1@120mph SOLD -- white 09 e92 335 Coupe Mtech - 11.9 @ 119 :-)

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