DO they work on scratches, and swirl marks? If so, which brand, and how much do you have to use to get a little result?

 

First off (in the future) never have the dealership touch your car finish...ever.

While I used to believe in hand doing everything, fact is a machine can work wonders when done right.

What I did for the swirls was buy a buffer at Sears (11" buffer), and used some Swirl Remover 2.0 (Meguires I think) with it. For prep, wash the car (using a mitt), and then use a clay bar. Wash again, and then start with the buffer.
Followup with a wash again, and apply a thick coat of wax (I like mothers for most of my waxing jobs) and apply it with the buffer (new terry cloth cover).

Picture is the result...

 

GREAT JOB

At least your smart and dont use drive through washing machines.

 

What exactly does a clay bar do?

 

In simple terms. Clay bar is an abrasive. It grinds at the surface of the paint and makes in smooth.

http://www.carcareonline.com

I use 3M Perfect-it compunds and a Porter cable machine for removing scratches. I would recomend that you do everything by hand. I have been buffing paint for years and years, I will be the first one to stand up and tell you that it takes about 2 seconds to ruin the paint job on a car with a machine if you are not REALLY experienced with it's use.


[Modified by matthewk, 3:58 AM 1/2/2002]