Ok my car has a really shiny paint job thats one year old but it has hundreds of swirly scracthes in it when you look at it at certain angles. I want to know how to fix this...keep in mind i am not the most experienced guy with paint and body...What do I do???

 

now dont take my word on this... just hoping to get someone else to pipe up I believe that the clay block thing will fix that... either that or make it worse LOL.

 

i have the same problem. glad i came across this thread.

 

spider web scratchign is micro fine scratches from washing the car, a good buff job will take them out and restore the paints apperance.

 

yeah, mine has that spider web appearance too after washing it a few times but I didnt buff it out for a while. After using 3M swirl mark remover polishing glaze on a buffer, most of it went away and with Mothers 3-step wax process, the car was mint looking LOL

 

Is that one product or two?...how much does a buffer usually run u guys????

 

I use Meguiars paint cleaner, Meguiars deep crystal polish, and then finally Meguiars NXT tech wax and it gets rid of it and looks awesome.

 

Hey TunedPort, do you do it by hand or with a buffer??

 

there is a 3m polishing glaze and 3M polishing glaze with swirl mark remover for dark colored cars. 2 different products but similar color and results.

I have a black car and swirls are noticeable.

 

then once u have doen this dry your car with a synthitic chamois instead of terry cloths to prevent this from happenin again

 

what the hell is "synthitic chamois "?

 

Yeah and where can i buy it

 

Never mind my mommy just told me...its a leatherish material used to dry cars

 

I'm currently using "Wizards" products and they are definently amazing. Everyone asks me how I have a black car with not one swirl mark..and all I have to say is "Wizards" Yes, they are expensive products....but..if your car crazy...and want your paint to look the best it can...Wizards is the best...it leaves everyone else in the dust...

 

Actually that would be a 'chamois'. A synthetic 'chamois' isn't really leather like, more rubber like. Should be abel to get either at Walmart.

Kevin D.

 

That makes one hell of an infomercial

 

LOL, you know..your right..haha!

I actually wish I could be like a salesman to this company...I love to try different products..and I have...and this by far..is amazing..especially on black painted surfaces.

Look....I made another one..hahaha

 

Hey where do you get these wizard products from???what product do they offer for swirls..how much???

 

http://www.wizmar.com/

they make anything and everything your car appearance needs

 

yet another briliant marketing idea

 

so what exact product do you use to cure spider webbing...i have a horrible paint color as far as visibility of imperfections as well (maroon-always pretty when it's clean though )

 

if its really bad you need a buffer with a wool pad and some 3M perfect it III, this will leave very small marks so get some perfect it II (swirl remover) and then wax. Expect to spend atleast $150 on all the stuff.. or you could just take it to a detailing place but they probably wont spend alot of time on it.

If its not too bad you can probably just use the swirl remover, or some lighter polishing compound. Just wash your car with dish soap to remove all the wax get some 3M polishing compound and work out out by hand, wax and you should be alright.

 

yeah i heard wizards is the best. Thats what im going to use to get some of my light scratches/swirls this spring when it gets warm agian

 

Yeah i already have the polishing compound(turtle wax) and i am really hesitant in using due to fear of doing it improperly and screwing it up even more...what would be the best way to do it by hand(what materials;what methods???)

 

o and how do you tell how fine the compound is???

 

Actually i just found the Megiaurs Three-Step Cyrstal process in my Classic Industries catalog...what would be a goodhing to use to apply and so on by had???

 

Let me see if I can break this down..lol, "what would be a good thing to apply and so on by hand?"

Well, if your doing it by hand, use some foam 4 inch foam pads, and use Micro-Fiber Towels to remove them. Micro-Fiber Towels are the absolute best towels on earth...the best thing since colored TV.

They pick up absoluetely everything, no smearing, no smudging, and most of all, no scratches.

 

haha, great... reminds me of NASCAR, when the winner goes on and on about his junk

good stuff

 

Here's my recipe:
1) Wash car
2) Clay bar car using Zaino Z18 Clay Bar to remove any left overs (wax, dust, etc.) after washing the car. Use a solution of water and a cap-full of Zaino Z7 Car Wash in a spritz bottle as lubrication for the clay bar.
3) Apply Meguiar's #9 Swirl Remover using back and forth motions only. Remember that this is an abrasive. You are removing the "bigger" swirl marks, but leaving behind smaller ones.
4) Wash car using Zaino Z7 Car Wash. At this point you should commit to using 100% Made-In-USA Cotton towels or Micro-Fiber towels when you wash your car (not abrasives like sponges and brushes).
5) Clay bar car again using Zaino Z18 Clay Bar in order to ensure complete removal of the Meguiar's #9 Swirl Remover.
6) Apply Zaino Z5 Polish for Swirl Marks and Fine Scratches. This fills in the remaining swirls. You can apply layer upon layer of Z5 until you are satisfied with how the swirls look on your car. However, you must allow sufficient curing time before applying the next layer (24 hours or so). If you use Z5 in combination with the ZFX Flash Cure, you can apply three layers of Z5 a day.

-emerson

 

Microfiber towels are a MUST. Buy a bunch, and keep them, cause they are washable too

 

clay bar will not remove swirls.

you will need to use a polish on the paint to hopefully remove the swirls. start with a finish style glaze. i use wizard products on my paint personally.

once you've done the best you can if necessary you may need to use a tougher form of glaze like a turbo cut. i wouldn't recommend using this if you don't have experience already so this step is useless i suppose for the average person.

remember that most glaze/polish compounds really only work when they are heated up so the use of a buffing wheel is recommended but again a caution to the wise as in experience could burn through your paint.

once you have most of your swirls taken out proper paint care is essential. do a search to find out some ideas of my own to keep you swirl free.

had the paint for almost 7 years and virtually swirless....

 

Yeah sorry i wanted to squeeze that question in just before school and was in a hurry
Anyways i will definantly use micro fiber towels to dry the car from now on to prevent this disater
hey Kandied nice car..

What should i order from wizards..a paint cleaner,polish/swirl remover,and a wax??

 

Should i get the scratch remover..would it be too harsh or would the shine master polish be better???

 

Sorry I'm not familiar with the Wizards products but definately DO NOT USE TURTLE WAX POLISH its complete junk it will just scratch your paint even more. Use Wizards or 3M.

 

ok i will just continue using the turtle wax to clean up my stock rally wheels...good for that at least!!

 

ok i just said to myself "don't be cheap, do it right" so i ordered the polish slear as well scratch remover from wizards..ill tell you all how it goes maybe in a week or so!

 

If it was me I would use 3M foam pad polishing glaze on a dimple foam buff then polish with formula113, when washing I would use a good car wash shampoo then spray with BeadX and dry with a soft cloth.

 

your drying with a cloth... doesn't matter how soft it is you will leave scratches.

 

agreed

 

Opppps!!!I ment i wil scrub the car and take polish of with the micro fiber towels..will this be ok???O and i already bought chamois as well to dry with.

 

I use the same process, and am very happy with it.

I've heard many good things about Microfiber but personally I don't like them. I follow Meguiar's reccommendations and use 100% Terry cloth towels.

I always move the towels in a linear motion. By doing so you'll remove finer swirl marks better. As well I've found that a circular motion may not remove marks or add more swirl marks.

 

Gr89RS,
You should check out this site: www.adamspolishes.com
They actually have a stand at the Orange County Swapmeet. They are cool and can answer all your questions on the spot. I just started using their products and I'm happy with the results. Everything I bought from them has worked as advertised. I also use the porter-cable orbital polisher (model 7226 sp) which is kind of pricey but I got excellent results from it. I worked on the wife's black 2001 Montero Sport which was swirled up really bad and now it looks brand new with a super mirror like finish. Hope this helps.

 

Hold on... there's a lot of confusing things going on in this post....

First thing is you don't build up polish on the paint. Polish is a fine abrasive that physically smoothes out the paint. Same with rubbing compound (it's just coarser than polish). Wax is the only thing that you'd want to build up on the paint... and that purely only for protection of the paint when you're finished. If you're very good at buffing and polishing, wax isn't necessary to make the car shinier... all it does is protect the paint. So if you have a show car like Kandied's, wax isn't necessary. After you polish, you rinse the car again to remove any remaining polishing compound.

As for washing and drying, it seems some people are recommending microfiber towels for both. I personally haven't found anything truly effective and non-abrasive when washing, and would really like to know what is best at this step. As for drying, I was a die-hard believer in leather chamois up until a week ago. I hung up the shammy for, believe it or not, Mr. Clean Auto-Dry. I couldn't believe how well it works when I first tried it on my black car. Wash, mist with auto-dry, drive a couple miles for extra peace of mind, not ONE water spot. Unreal.

Jeff, what did you use to wash your car? Microfiber towel?

 

100%cotton sponge/mit/applicator is what i use to actually wash the car. so long as the suds are great and the paint is wet this isn't a real area of concern...... remember though that when i wash my car there isn't much dirt on it anyhow but even when there is this is what i use.

however, you have to make sure it is real 100% cotton, some will say wool or other materials in there as well which are alot tougher. i also have 3 of these that i use, this is a little overboard but at least 2 is necessary. i have one for the top of the car (from the side molding up), one for the lower half of the car (everything below the sidemolding) and one for the wheels.

the separate paint/wheel wash mit is essential as the brake dust becomes embedded in your applicator and will scratch your paint, it's very hard to wash out as well and is just easier to have two. some go as far as to have separate rinse buckets for this application, i haven't had a problem with just using one but i do fill the 5 gallon bucket twice during one wash.


i've written many responses to car washing techniques in this forum over the years so i'll sum it up. basically no matter what you rub against your paint will scratch. the idea is to do it as little as possible. this can also be helped by using the proper meathods and examining how a scratch is actually viewed.

how many of you wash your cars with circular motions? probably 95% of you, this is at lest 25% of where your swirl marks are coming from.

wash the vehicle in straight lines. use those lines that are least reflective. ex: the hood, roof, and rear deck lid i wash from the nose to the tail in straight lines.....start at the front and draw a line to the back, think of it as painting the fence.



washing the sides of the vehicle (front, passenger, driver and rear) i wash the same way but from top to bottom.... again like painting a fence. these straight lines keep "swirl" marks from happening as your dragging dirt and debrit across your paint. after a few hours of polishing your paint to remove all those swirls try it and you'll see. applying this same meathod to your wax/polish technique will reduce your main swirl/scratch procedures. many of us do more harm then good with these products, particularly when you take them off the car those rubbing in a circular motion are just putting the swirls back in. when you go over the car with wax the compound fills these scratches and the sunlight reflects off the wax making them standout.

now for drying..... this is the last time i'll ever reveal this. i wash my cars with an electric leaf blower. you can't scratch what you can't touch. if i have to absolutely use a material then i use only a silicone grade version of a squeege. i use the one made by california duster company. this is of course only if your paint is in good shape. if your paint isn't in that great of shape then a 100% cotton towel is the cheapest choice or you can get 5 for 5 microfiber towels from walmart which are better. i only use microfiber towels for applying/removing polish and wax products though.

be on the look out this summer for my new drying product, should be 1/3 the size of a leaf blower with a fraction of the cost and noise. no longer will you have to worry about water spots, water run off or swirl marks and the other annoying things left from using towels and other items.


one last note.... get rid of your chamois, they scratch.

 

Ok i just bought chamois I thought the whole point of them was to maintain a scratch free finish..i don't have access to a leaf blower...how bad will the chamois really scratch, are we talking here and there if your not careful or all over the car every time???

 

depends on the chamois as well as the condition of your paint and how you store it. if you have high wax buildup of say 4-5 coats you'll be fine, i won't use them though.

electric leafblowers aren't for everyone, someone asked what i use. if $40-50 is too much to spend to save your paint chances are your paint isn't in that good of shape to need it and following any of the above steps wouldn't be worth one's time. people have been using towels and even chamois for years with decent results, just because i don't believe in them doesn't mean those who do should stop. i'm just one person with his own opinion.

 

is it going to be neccessary to remove all the wax before i attempt to remove the swirls ??(wash with dish soap)

 

I use dawn dish washing soap to remove wax from my cars. I use the clay bar second to remove contaminates from the paint.

 

I just got a silcone "T-Bar" to dry off my car (it's kinda like a big squeegee). It's a lot faster than towels and I don't think it scratches the paint. Anyone else try it?

 

Yep....I have the "california blade" version. I was not impressed with mine and demoted it immediately to shower door duty