My 2007 Harley has the dreaded swirl marks. I bought some Harly swirl remover and rubbed on it for about 30 minutes. Only about 50% of the swirls are gone. I don't want to use a machine on it. Is there a product that I can use by hand that will remove the remainder of these swirls? I am a novice at this stuff.

 

try another 30 minutes and get the other 50%.

 

to remove swirls...the best product is..."plum crazy" by malco... works like a champ and can be applied by hand.

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product purchase link: http://www.tcpglobal.com/DetailSuppl...mNo=MAL+114708

Malco Plum Crazy is a premium, silicone-free hand glaze formulated to produce dazzling, high-gloss shines on automotive finishes - especially clear coat - following polishing. This versatile formula can be used by hand or machine; it removes minor scratches and swirl marks.

the real key to a swirl free dark car is...to wash and dry the car in the shade. never in the sun...the uv rays cause the swirls.

 

Thanks Andrew, when you say swirl marks are caused by UV rays I was surprised. I always attributed the circular swirls to sponge use, incorrect towels etc. What is the mechanism in which UV light causes these swirls?

 

~ all of the factors you listed are causes of swirls but when doing so in the sunlight things are made to be much worse and more enhanced...

an example... have you ever clean windows in the direct sunlight... streak central... no sun... no streaks...

i'm not sure as far as a technical reasoning for way the uv rays attribute but... the proof is there.

 

I understand. More than likely the reduced drying time causes all these problems to be magnified (less friction- more swirls etc.) Is Plum crazy a filler or does it actually remove the swirls? How much elbow grease is required? Do you know a good online source for purchase? Thx again.

 

this product is a filler... the only way to truly remove the swirl is to get out the high speed buffer with a black foam pad... with a series of products.

the product is easy to use and doesn't require much elbow grease at all.

a source for purchase... and its less than $10 for the product... purchase link below:
http://www.tcpglobal.com/DetailSuppl...mNo=MAL+114708

 

Swirl marks are actually just very fine, very shallow, very hard edged little scratches randomly scattered throughout the paint. The harsher the light source illuminating them, the more they stand out, which is why a black car parked in the shade can look great but as soon as you pull it out into the sun it looks horrible.

Glazes like this Malco product, Meguiar's #7 Show Car Glaze and others do a great job of filling these in and hiding them, but they tend to be very short lived products that will actually wash off quite easily. They also tend to offer almost no protection at all. It's always best to apply a good wax or sealant after using any glaze, unless you're using the glaze just for some added "pop" before a car show. Glazes also have their limits - they can't fill in everything.

I would recommend you give Meguiar's ScratchX a try. It takes some serious elbow grease to remove swirls by hand, no matter what product you're using. The biggest mistake most people make when trying to remove defects by hand is to just wipe a polish on and then wipe it off. That doesn't cut it. Take a look at THIS THREAD from the Meguar's forum showing what can be done with ScratchX by hand. It's a real eye opener.

 

you were correct! ordered it and tried it this weekend- great results.

 

Regarding the effects of UV light on automotive finishes, I've had superb results using the Zaino products and they can be used in sun or shade. All my vehicles are either black or dark grey and I can't see any difference in sun or shade applications. Also, their products last for months and have not washed off for me.