I purchased an '02 Limited Ultimate Excursion this summer, and since it's used primarily for vacations and boat/toy pulling in the better weather months, it will see mostly down time and storage for the winter. This will give me plenty of time to do mods and get this thing back to looking closer to a new one.
What do you recommend for getting swirl marks and light scratches out of factory Ford black? This truck obviously didn't get a lot of loving hand washing and needs some attention. I tried a little Meguiars Paint Cleaner (that's part of their 3-step process) and it didn't seem to be effective as I'd like on it. I've heard of clay bar but haven't ever used it.
Any help or suggestions greatly appreciated....
Jim

Jim

Depending on what the light scratches/swirl marks look like a clay bar isnt going to help you.....

allot of black vehicles have swirly looking scratches in the paint when you look at them with the sun directly reflecting off the paint.....

If the sun relection is not what your talking about here is my suggestion without using a high speed buffer....this is the DIY at home fix....

First you will need at least an orbital waxer, you can buy them cheap at Wal Mart, OReily's Auto Parts and so on for like $20-$30. Make SURE you get a couple of extra bonnet covers for the orbital buffer.

Then, you need to buy some product....you will need a good compound wax, a good polishing wax, and then a paste hand wax. I would suggest using 3M Marine Boat Hull Restorer for your compound.....It works GREAT on cars with light scratches....Use your orbital waxer to apply it and remove it, remember to use a clean terry cloth bonnet cover for each application and removal......this process is called "Cutting".

Now that the truck has been cut, it needs to be polished to bring out the depth and luster in the paint. Using a high grade polish (not meguires) apply it to your truck using the orbital waxer......take your time in this step of the process....your time and effort will show great if you polish the truck really good. Once your done remove the polish and move on to step 3....

You have now cut the paint, polished the paint and now you need to wax it with a good paste wax to seal in the results of your work.....

I personally apply all of my paste wax by hand using the supplyed applicator. Rub that baby down like you were out on your honeymoon night all over again..... Once you have applied to wax let the truck sit in the garage a while......I will usually let my wax sit on the vehicle for an hour, maybe 2 hours... Remove the wax with the orbital waxer.....

If done correctly the truck will look awsome....

I'm not a huge fan of the Meguires products....they cost allot of money and the finish will only last unil the truck gets wet again...

3M Finesse-It is a great final finish for removing the swirls. Klasse wax, then their sealant for a final finish. Use it on your wheels too- the brake dust hoses right off. Klasse lasts a LONG time too. $$ though.

Dong's post is spot-on. We have 5 black cars & trucks- they look great but there's no shortage of work in keeping them that way.

Use a Porter Cable orbiter # 7424 with a compounding pad and 3M Perfect-it Swirl Mark remover

Then use a polishing pad with Poor Boys SSR1

Then use another polishing pad w/ Poorboy's Polish with Carnauba (Blue)

Then a finishing pad w/ Four Star Ultimate Paint Protection (two layers)

Finally put a coat or 2 of Natty's Blue or S100 wax.

All products should be removed using clean microfiber towels.

To make paint look like new, it's all in the prep. Make sure in step 1 that you get all the swirls and scratches out. It will take some time. Same w/ step 2 & 3, take your time as it will add depth and make your paint look wet. The sealant and wax will then be incredible - I promise.

Here is where you can get products: http://www.pakshak.com/shopbybrand.html

For more info, this is like an OSO for detailers:
http://www.poorboysworld.net/board/

Have fun!

if you've never used a buffer or an orbital...DONT START ON A BLACK TRUCK !!

Good point. I neglected to point this out in my post- I don't do this myself- this is what I have done by professionals. I've burned my share of little crescents into paint jobs.

You have mail.

I have never heard of someone burning the paint with a orbital buffer....but I think for the most part we got him the idea....

jafo, they are many answers. I owned a black truck for years. If you machine polish you will needed to hand rub to remove swirls. I found the old fashion way, by hand works very well. Try meguirers fine cut cleaner # 2 by hand, follow with your favorite wax.
Jim

Thanks for the responses so far- I DO have a good orbital buffer and have used it quite a bit without any burning problems. Although I was in the car biz in the late '70's, I had my own team of detailers, so I wasn't doing the work myself. Plus, paint has changed an awful lot since then...

Am I dealing with a clear coat on this truck? If so, how aggressive can you actually get with scratches in it?
We have a late model black Pontiac Bonneville; it's paint is in better shape than the Excursion, not that the X is that bad, and the Bonne seems much glossier. I have used the Meguiars cleaner then excalibur wax on the Bonne, and it came out great.
At least time is on my side, and I don't mind (and actually prefer) hand polishing. The Excursion is parked in my heated shop for the winter just waiting for me to dump a lot of time and money in it....