First attempt

[cpolito2]

at detailing my truck..being the idiot i am i was in a rush washing it last week and now its full of swirl marks...

I do basic soap washes all the time but I've never really got down to waxing etc.

Any tips ?...my dads got a buffer and I have some mcguires liquid wax and other random cleaning stuff my brother got me when i first got the truck.

Ive looked over the websites for beginners but a list of supplies for maybe a buff/wax/polish would be nice..also how easy could i mess it up more?

Thanks in advance

[Tweaks]

I think we can all relate to this so you know there is going to be some good advice on how to undo what has been done and learn some good cleaning habits for the future.

First things first. You need to understand just how the act of washing your truck caused the swirl marks. It's common for debris from the surface of the truck to get embeded in the device you are using to spread the soap and clean the surface with and if the debris is gritty and hard enough, it will just scratch away while you think you are doing the finish a favor. Sometimes the sponge or wash mitt or whatever can make matters worse too. I try to find soft cotton mitts to wash with now after years of using cheap sponges. I avoid brushes on paint at all costs.

The drying phase can be harmful too. I now use a synthetic chamois called the "Absorber" but have had a lot of luck with some regular cotton towels that have a soft and absorbent feel to them. Cotton towels tend to leave a lot of lint behind and that's why I switched my method of drying.

The surface is clean and dry, but you can clearly see swirl marks. Depending on how deep they are, this can determine what sort of polishes or compounds you should use. Chances are good that you just need to properly polish the surface and then follow that up with a sealent or wax.

I'm in my infancy of experience with my new Porter Cable 7424xp buffer but I can tell you that after a decade or more of always doing this stuff by hand, the results do not compare. If you have access to a good buffer and pads, you will get the most out of a polish or compound designed to remove swirl marks and your shoulders, arms, and back will thank you for not abusing them.

My best advice would be to search youtube for detailing how-to's and you will find examples of paint in similar coondition and you can watch what methods folks use to correct the paint.

I've helped wet sand scratches out on my own truck and have learned how to take those dull sanded spots and turn them back into a mirror shine. Explaining all the steps here would be impractical so see what you find on those youtube videos and that should help you out a lot.

[dozerboy]

There is a link to a site I posted in the sticky here that is very good for tips and such.