Traffic53

any opinions on this stuff? i used regular wax a few weeks back that did wonders for removing the swirl marks (griots, best of show). i now need to do some touch-up on various body panels. but as i'm soon ready to apply some Rejex, i was wondering if i should try the 3m stuff or stick with wax to get the paint looking like it should before rejex application.

mac993

just used the 3m product this weekend before using Rejex, worked great.
BTW if you stick with the griots to remove any swirl marks remember to remove it before putting on the Rejex. Good luck.

STLPCA

Mike
3M SMR (2 types for either dark or light cars) is a polish which should be followed by a protective coat of wax/sealant. It is not a finish product. I've found it to be very effective at removing swirls & light scratches, especially w/a PC. It may leave a haze on a dark car. I follow it w/Pinnacle Paint Conditioner to remove any haze on my black car. Next is a finish coat of whatever wax/sealant you like. If you use SMR for touchups, it will remove whatever paint protection you've applied which will then need to be reapplied.

mnmblu

Yep, works great. But remember to always use the mildest product first and work your way up the the heavier abrasives as needed only.

MIK911

The 3M swirl remover (for dark cars) was too abrasive for me. Used it on my black car, and it left more swirls/light scratches.
I had better luck with Blue Coral "Utrafine Polish", but i can't find this product anymore--anyone know where i can get it?

btw, i followed the 3M swirl remover with 3M Glaze, then plain carnuba wax. I was not happy with results

Mike

JasonF

I had good results with SMR with my guards red C4; I felt that it removed about 85% of the swirls on my car and I decided not to get too abrasive with other products that may "cut" more since my car is not clear coated. I followed the SMR with Menzerna Final Polish II and the results were stunning. A coat of Blitz Wax to top it off and my car looked new.

Since these multi-step processes can be very time and labor intensive, you may want to buy a Porter Cable and a set of pads to save some serious arm strain!

akolodesh

I have found 3m more effective when utilizing a PC. I have personally found best (and easiest) results by claying followed by a coat of Klasse All in One, A coat of Klasse Sealant, and a final coat of p21s Carnuba. I have always gone for ease of use as a priority and the Klasse AIO seems to go on and off much easier than the 3m product.

PedroNole

Can you provide the actual name of the 3M product for us newbies....

TheOtherEric

The actual name of the product is "3M Swirl Mark Remover," and you can get it at Pep Boys. I also have found it to be useless if done by hand, but I did my entire car with it and an orbital polisher and the results were amazing.

Crimson Nape Racing

Mike - being that you are already a Griot's user, you may want to try their fine hand polish. I use it on my black car (by hand) and it does it a very good job. I used it on the wife's indy blue Mini before Rejexing it this weekend. To bad it couldn't remove the scratches left by the kids scooter handles.

chris walrod

3M's 'Perfect It' and 'Perfect It 2' work really well. Its more abrasive than SMR though. Great for polishing after wet-sanding.

Traffic53

excellent. thanks for the advice. i'll be putting some of commission's recommendations into effect immediately.

GabiOsz

what is clay?

PedroNole

A chalky substance found predominantly accross the southern U.S. Early settlers in the Southwest used it for building homes and fashioning household items. It is usually orange/red in color and becomes very sticky when wet but dries to a hard yet somewhat brittle texture.

I just couldn't help myself....

p_carfan

Try http://www.bettercarcare.com/articles.php?articleId=14