Help I think I screwed up my paint

[strivingfirst]

Alright all,

I was hoping to get some input from people who know how to fix this.
When I was home on leave from Iraq, I got the great idea of detailing my truck. Since its a big a$$ truck i decided that using a professional buffer/polisher would be the easiest route. Since I have no real experience using such a machine I "self educated" myself with online how-to videos. I tried to be careful, but I ended up getting swirl marks on pretty much the whole truck. Now it doesn't look like it went through to far into the clear, but I dont know how to fix it and im worried about screwing it up even more.
I know there's a bunch of suggestions online, but i wanted to know the best route to get this fixed without breaking the bank.
I dont have pics because Im back in Iraq and the truck is in storage, but i will be coming home soon and wanted to get this done when i got back. BTW its Dark Blue Pearl Metallic paint

Thanks for any advice,
Dom

[jrod80]

I would take it to a professional body or detailing shop and see if they can fix it.

[hammett88]

ditto.. it'd be worth the money having a professional fix it rather than risking making it worse and being out of pocket even more

[cotton]

Well, if you did get into the clear to much, look at the bright side. Now, you can have the clear sanded off, clear coat it by a professional and you should no longer have the orange peel look.

[cj performance]

I did same thing to my transam. Except it went deep.. took to a professional and they got the swirls out

[Need4racin]

join meguiarsonline.com and post pics there.

[bigcountrysg]

Swirl marks are from not moving the buffer wheel enough. Using to aggressive compound. Which actually cut into the clear coat.

Take it to a professional body shop. They should be able to buff out the swirls and it will be worth the money you spend on it.

[Spatel23]

my .02

I wouldnt take it to a body shop

Im really picky about paint myself and body shops are notorious for screwing it up more than fixing it. The wash/detailer is usually just a high school kid earning extra money......body shops paint....most are not experts in paint correction

I see that you are from New York.....that is a good thing here.

There are many high end detailers in your area.....youll just have to ask around and find the right one on the internet.
I use a local guy here.......google wordofmouthdetailing in memphis,tn for someone to compare against.

This is the only guy I let touch my truck and although this kind of service is EXPENSIVE its worth every penny. A full detail on my CC runs $400!
He is known throughout the whole southeast and Ive met guys at TS that brought their other vehicles to him.

I assure you this will turn out to be a blessing in disguise once you find the right detailer in your area.......the truck will look 10x better than it ever did.

When you start calling detailers in your efforts to find the right guy........here is one thing that will tell you if they are good or not.

On the initial wash.....do they use two buckets? one for water and one for soap, both with grit guards on the bottom? If they reply yes......you are on the right track.

Do they dry with microfiber or leather chamois? Microfiber is the way to go here.......chamois are a thing of the past.

One more thing.........any reputable detailer will not give you a price over the phone once you explain your trucks current condition. The good ones will have to physically see it to see how bad it is and how much time and effort it will take to fix it.

Good luck and let us know how things turn out!

[strivingfirst]

Thanks for everyone's input. When i get back its going to be on the top of my list. In all honesty its probably not that bad. Most people dont notice unless I point it out; however Im a sucker for attention to detail.

I do know how to hand wax and use some mild abrasives so I'll try that first and see how it turns out.
Thanks again,
Dom

[08 Black Cummins]

Spatel23 is right on. Not all detailers are created equal. I wont let anyone touch my trucks because I have yet to find someone who even knows how to wash correctly, let alone compound, polish, and wax. My adivce would be to check out autogeek.net. You should be able to learn all you need to fix your problem on there.

Just don't be fooled; you can take your truck to someone and they can put enough wax on it to cover a lot of your mess up, but when the wax wears off your problem will still be there. Do some research between now and the time you get back and you'll be a lot better off doing it yourself.
If someone paid you $400 to detail there truck would you? If so, learn how to do your own and save your money.