2001 Blazer - Swirls Removed

[kuhlguy71]

Bought the blazer used and haven't had the confidence or know-how to try to fix the problems with the paint. I found Meg's Online just 2 weeks ago and have been reading and learning ever since.

Left side is just a GC Wash. Right side is a GC Wash, #9 by hand, and NXT wax by hand.
http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/gallery/data/500/2070BlazerDriverDoor_015.jpg

I'll have more pictures tomorrow when the sun is out.

I'm going to keep working on this now that I've seen what a little elbow grease and the right products can do. I'll post more pics of my continuing progress here also.


---------------------------
Chris

[NewlyCarCrazy]

Black paint... every detailers nemesis

I would reccomend "Scratch X" followed by NXT. ScratchX is a great minor scratch remover and it can be applied by hand (prepare for cramps!).

The other option would be 90$ on a Porter Cable polisher. It really just depends on how insane you want to be!:xyxthumbs

[kuhlguy71]

I got some pics in the sun. I noticed a huge improvement from the driver door to the rear door. Even the color is deeper!

http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/gallery/data/500/2070BlazerInSun_001-med.jpg
Pardon my spotty windows. Went right to experimenting after drying. :D
http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/gallery/data/500/2070BlazerInSun_006-med.jpg

Question: Should I keep using #9 by hand bit by bit to remove the remaining swirls on the rear door?

Does ScratchX provide more cutting power by hand than #9?

Chris

[Teak]

Looking good. Scratch X is one of my favorite products to use by hand because it works well at remove defects by hand. Try Scratch X and see if it works. I would use scratch X then #9 then NXT all by hand.

Eric

[scrub]

You've made some good progress. I'd second the idea of the PC to speed things up and get the paint to its maximum potential.

Here's a thread on ScratchX. How to remove a defect by hand with ScratchX (http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1516) . This will be very helpful if you choose to try this product.

How has the #9 worked for you by hand?? I've used with PC with OK results.

[Rick]

#9 works ok by hand, but really, like a lot of other pro products, it works much better by buffer, specifically rotary.

[Bri]

I think you've made a pretty good progress! Keep it up! If you're thinking about buying ScratchX, I would suggest you do because I think it's more aggressive when applied by hand... Plus the article that scrub pointed out is geared towards using ScratchX by hand so this would help you out a lot.

Hope this helps...

[Mike Phillips]

Hi Chris,

It looks like your really making some headway with the finish!

http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/gallery/data/500/2070BlazerInSun_006-med.jpg

As scrub pointed out, the how to article for using ScratchX by hand will help you to get great results when using this product by hand. It will be a lot more aggressive than #9 Swirl Remover 2.0 by hand for removing swirls and scratches.

Is this a clear coat finish? Are you pulling black pigment when you're applying and removing the #9 Swirl Remover 2.0?

Mike

[kuhlguy71]

OK, it's now been 1.5 months since those before shots were taken and now I've got a g100 and some #7 added to my arsenal. I had clayed the car just before the New Year waiting for my g100 to arrive. I made time this past weekend to work on the Blazer. Finally!

Here'e what I did:

Wash: GC wash
Clean: #9 via g100
Polish: #7 via g100
Wax: NXT Wax by hand

Now the pictures aren't the best since I didn't have sunshine, just clouds, all weekend. Plus I took them this morning, at 5am, when I noticed that the roads were wet, attempting to capture my results.

There's some dust on the tailgate, but check out the reflection!! (pardon the reflection of the flash on the lefthand side.
http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/gallery/data/500/2070IMG_0202-med.JPG

Here's the same pillar from the before shots above.
http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/gallery/data/500/2070IMG_0200-med.JPG

Lower on the same pillar
http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/gallery/data/500/2070IMG_0199-med.JPG

[kuhlguy71]

...and the hood near the driver side fender
http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/gallery/data/500/2070IMG_0201-med.JPG

This Blazer has NEVER looked this good. My wife said this morning she didn't want to drive it and get it dirty...:( but she has to and it will come home dirty from the rain that wasn't forecasted. At least the swirls are gone!!

[kuhlguy71]

http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/gallery/data/500/2070IMG_0213-med.JPG

http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/gallery/data/500/2070pass_front_fender.jpg

http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/gallery/data/500/2070IMG_0211-med.JPG

[kuhlguy71]

http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/gallery/data/500/2070IMG_0209-med.JPG


This one is the reflection of the clouds with a couple of small rock chips still visible.
http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/gallery/data/500/2070IMG_0210-med.JPG

[scrub]

Great job! The PC and your skill have worked wonders.

Did you ever use ScratchX? I was a skeptic of this product until I used it correctly like the article stated. Big help.

Thanks for taking the time to upload those great pics too.

[kuhlguy71]

Originally posted by scrub
Great job! The PC and your skill have worked wonders.

Did you ever use ScratchX? I was a skeptic of this product until I used it correctly like the article stated. Big help.

Thanks for taking the time to upload those great pics too.

I actually didn't use ScratchX this time around. Just 9, 7 and NXT Wax.

Now that it's all polished up I can see more defects that might come out. Some others won't, but since this a daily driver, it's not too big of a deal. I plan on working on it again in a couple of months, and at that time I will use the ScratchX. BTW, I love the way ScratchX works!!

[tripper_11]

I just can't resist it. I have to say it's awesome improvement!:bow

[travisdecpn]

Great job on overtaking those swirls, the blazer looks great. You may want to look into picking up some #83 and #80 to take on some of the more challenging defects.

[zey]

Excellent job! I find it abit hard to use G100 to polish the pillars since they're narrow. Sometimes I would just prefer to apply Scratch-X on hard-to-reach paint areas. I highly recommend #83 and #80 to everyone who owns a PC or G100! :bounce

[MattN03]

Awesome pics! I'd also recommend # 80 Speed Glaze (with your PC) for a cleaner. It works wonders!! :bow I use #80, DC#2 polish, and NXT wax. As soon as I use up the DC#2 polish, I plan to switch to another Mirror Glaze product.

[kuhlguy71]

Originally posted by MattN03
Awesome pics! I'd also recommend # 80 Speed Glaze (with your PC) for a cleaner. It works wonders!! :bow I use #80, DC#2 polish, and NXT wax. As soon as I use up the DC#2 polish, I plan to switch to another Mirror Glaze product.

:iagree: #80 will be included in my next order and will definitely be used the next time I detail the Blazer. It will also help with some of the problem areas on my Dakota, which will be worked on and written up in about a month or so.

I'm impressed with the way #7 Show Car glaze really glossed up the finish. I may try to do a side by side on the Dak with #7 and DC#2. It's Patriot Blue Metallic so it should be a decent comparison.

AND: THANKS to everyone for their compliments and suggestions!! :xyxthumbs

[Rockpick]

Awesome job there kuhlguy71!!!

Thanks for sharing your results with us!

-RP-

[AutoNova]

Nice job!