Very common question we get all the time. Swirling on a paints finish is what can really make or break a good looking car and a show car finish. There are ways to remove (permenant until more appear usually due to improper washing and drying) them and hide them (temporary).
First things first. The only thing that will actually remove a swirl or other imperfection in the clear coat for good is by using an abrasive polish on your paint. Anything else, like a glaze, will temporarily fill in the swirls but the fillers wash out after a heavy down pour or a few washes.
Full steps would be:
Wash & Dry -> Clay (if needed/optional) -> Cutting Polish -> Finishing Polish -> Glaze (optional) -> Sealant and/or Wax
Two ways to tackle the abrasive polish are either by hand or with a buffer. You will definately achieve better results with a buffer, preferrably the Porter Cable 7424. Cheaper buffers may not have the power to generate enough heat to truely get rid of imperfections so do not be surprised if the $20 Harbor Freight buffer does not get the job done.
By hand you can get ok to good results, but not nearly as good as with a Porter Cable and the proper techniques. Ideally if you go the hand application route, I'd suggest the following:
Lake Country Hand Applicator Kit
Poorboy's SSR 2.5
Poorboy's SSR 1
This would give you optimal results by hand IMO. Other polishes are designed to work specifically with a buffer and will not give you the results you are looking for by hand. The hand applicator is ideal because you can disperse the pressure thru a 3.5" surface area rather than your finger tips. You can generate more heat and the results will be better. For under $60 your paint will look significantly better. Follow up with the proper sealant or wax.
With a buffer, I'd suggest the following:
Porter Cable Buffer Complete Kit
Menzerna Intensive Polish
Menzerna Final Polish II
This has been yielding some of the best results for us and works wonders on the paint. You can realistically expect to get out anywhere from 70% - 90% of the imperfections, depending on how much time and how many coats you can spend detailing. This package obviously is significantly more but I at least wanted to put the option out there for others to view.
Quick answer on the differences between the waxes and sealants:
Traditional Wax - usually carnauba based that have a great shine and more gloss and depth than a sealant but lacks long durability. Typical durability is 2-8 weeks for a true wax. Can be layered.
Sealant - usually polymer or acrylic in nature and have tremendous durability compared to a traditional wax. Typical durability is 3 - 8 months depending on how many layers of protectant you put on. Great reflective characteristics and good gloss and depth, however not quite as good as a carnauba wax.
Cleaner Wax - a non-layerable chemical polish that generally has no abrasives and leaves some protection behind. Great for removing oxidation on old faded paint.
Thats really all there is to waxes and sealants, the rest would be considered different types of polishes or glazes. You can put a sealant down first for underlying protection and a wax on top for enhanced gloss and depth, however it does not work the other way around. A sealant will not bond on top of a carnauba wax and you will sacrifice durability.
Hope this answers your question. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any other questions you may have. Keep an eye out for our new website which will thoroughly explain the entire detailing process from head to toe.
Sincerely,
George @ Detailed Image