As someone who worked as the head porter in a dealership...we used to use a
buffer and straight up compound for scratches and the like on brand new
cars. It worked great and looked very nice, no swirls.....ever. Even on a
dark car. The key if you're going to be using a buffer is to make sure your
pads are extremely clean and the finish is cool. If you don't heat the
clearcoat up to hot you won't get swirls. I've buffed just about every
color and never had a problem. My good friend got a pretty sweet trans am
last year-brand new (black of course) and took it to one of those self serve
car washes and used the brush on the paint. Needless to say he scratched
the livin' daylights out of the paint. One long afternoon with 3M stuff and
my high rpm buffer made that black look like a mirror. No swirls in the sun
or anything. He just polishes it regularly and hasn't had them come back
since. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's not the buffer, it's the
person who uses the buffer. If you use a good technique and good products
(I prefer 3M) you shouldn't have a problem buffing even the darkest of cars.
-- -Josh 2000 Dakota CC 3.9L""Saint"" <saint1958@cox.net> wrote in message news:JDEFLJGNMJLMLMJBGHDJGEJACLAA.saint1958@cox.net... > > Paul, can I post this to the RAM board and the Suzuki forum? I think this > post is very enlightening for those like me that seemed to polish a new car > right away. > > ---------------------------------------------------------- > Steven > 2003 Dodge Quad Ram Hemi 5.7 (FOR SALE-wife) > 2000 Dodge Dakota S/Hemi (Some idiot hit the vehicle) > 2000 Roush Ford Mustang (1 of 2 beta vehicles) > 1999 Chevy Astro (A.K.A. GM Junk) > 1993 Geo Tracker (Amazing vehicle that keeps running) > PROJECT CAR: > 1992 Suzuki Swift GT 1775lb) Intercooled Turbo - 350HP > --------------------------------------------------------- > FUTURE PURCHASES: > 04 Dodge Ram SRT-10 or 05 Dodge Dakota SRT-8(replace the Dakota) > 04 Dodge Hemi Durango (replace Hemi- wife) > > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-dakota-truck@bent.twistedbits.net > [mailto:owner-dakota-truck@bent.twistedbits.net]On Behalf Of > Tubamirbls@aol.com > Sent: Wednesday, January 22, 2003 8:23 AM > To: dakota-truck@dakota-truck.net > Subject: Re: DML: paint care questions - Paul > > > Hi Steven > I stopped using a power buffer on my vehicles when I bought a new > Pontiac in 1994. At a most enlightening discussion held by the dealer from > whom I bought that car, they scheduled periodic sessions at night for recent > new car buyers.The dealer had his service department head talk about > maintenance, servicing, warranty application, etc., then regarding > appearance > and upkeep of finishes he had the head of his body shop talk. > The body shop head strongly urged new car owners not to put any > polishes > on their cars for at least 6 months saying that the curing time for water > base clearcoat needed that much. He admitted that some of us could have > bought a car last week that has already sat in dealer inventory for 6 mos so > he suggested we check the build date sticker on the driver's door frame to > gauge our timeline. And when we do begin annual polish applications to make > certain we never use any abrasive product, especially "rubbing compounds." > I have an old Sears/Craftsman power buffer. It has I think about a 10" > bonnet and turns slowly, about 900 or 1,000rpm. I began using it on my > first > car (a'38 Chev) back in the early 50's and each one thereafter until the > '94. > In recent years I use it to polish the hull of my fiberglass sailboat. It > is unsurpassed for boat polishing but the dealer warned that today's auto > finishes (their clearcoat that is) will be permanently swirl-marked if you > use a buffer on them in conjunction with of the typical over-the-counter > finish restoration products. Body shops of course continue to use buffers > but they have exclusive availability to products especially made for low > abrasive action so that the polishing bonnet does not leave swirls. > I'm located in the mild climate of central California. No winter salt > and > sand. Two polish applications per calendar year plus keeping my Dakota in > a > garage have it looking showroom new (it's a white 2k with 47k mi on it). I > wash it using a mild auto wash detergent about twice a month. I use a > polish > product whose name escapes me at the moment but it comes in a bright orange > can-paste or plastic bottle-liquid and is billed to last one year's-worth of > protection. By maintaining a clean and polished paint job I have no need > for > the electric buffer however in previous vehicles with the old enamel or > lacquer paint, the surface deterioration seemed to come no matter what and I > had to use it just to get the dead paint off and down to a polished base. > If you don't own a buffer I suggest you save your money and not buy > one: > Unless you can obtain a cleaning product like the typical body shop uses, > it's a slow turning buffer, you use very soft and fluffy imitation lamb's > wool heads, you have pervious experience using a buffer on a vehicle, and > assuming your truck's finish has badly deterioriated for whatever reason and > no hand applied non-abrasive product will cure it. Whether you electric or > hand apply the cleaner, I suggest you do NOT use the buffer to "polish" the > wax or polish coat(s). Apply and buff those by hand especially in light of > the chance that in doing the cleaning you already have swirl marks. The > buffer when used to polish (with a new and clean bonnet of course) will most > certainly leave more. This advice is especially applicable to any deep > color > finish or metallic color as the swirls tend to be accentuated in these. > > Cheers > > Paul Sahlin > >
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