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Re: Just bought a black car with swirls in paint Posted by Slaab [Email]  (#1275) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Slaab) on Wed, 17 May 2006 07:47:06
In Reply to: Just bought a black car with swirls in paint, Hood, Mon, 15 May 2006 14:01:13 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
You can use waxes and glazes that fill them, but this is really a temporary fix. As these products wear away, the swirls and scratches will reappear. Black is the toughest color to get looking great - it shows virtually all impefections.
If you don't have a lot of time on your hands, try looking for a local detailer in your area. They'll have the skills, tools, and products to do the job right - it will cost about $250 for a good exterior detail.
Now - to do it yourself, please be patient with me....there is more to it than wash and wax :^)
1st - your wash process...get a good car wash soap and a quality wash mitt. I prefer sheepskin as it does a great job holding soil from the car. Rinse you mitt often - after every panel minimum. Some folks use two buckets, I just spray mine off very well before soaping it up again. A lot of swirls and scratches are introduced during the wash process due to remaining dirt in the mitt being scrubbed against the paint.
Drying - You should use only microfiber towels to dry your car. You can get these at various places, but try to get the most plush you can find. There are great deal available online at autogeek.com and similar places for these and many, many other products. These vary in price. Cotton terry cloth and even chaomois can cause scratching and marring of the paint.
Claybar - These kits can be found at most auto parts and some general merchandise stores for about $15. Even though you just washed your car, it likely has a fair amount of embedded contaminants. Run your hand over the paint, and if it feels gritty (and not smooth), you should clay the car. just follow the directions and use plenty of lube (likely supplied in the kit). It's a bit time consuming for newbies, but you'll be astounded at what is pulled off and how much better the paint feels once this is done. By removing the contaminants in your paint with claybar, you don't run the risk of grinding this into the paint during the polishing process.
Polishing - A lot will depend on how serious the scratches and swirls are. Professional detailers typically use random orbital polishers and varying grades of foam pads and polish combinations to tackle a wide variety of problems. There are so many products out there, but Meguiar's, Mother's, & 3M make good products that are typically available locally. There are a lot of "boutique" professional products available on line from Klasse, Zaino, and Menzerna to name a few. They can get you great results if used properly. Polishes can be applied by hand with foam pads, but polishing out swirl marks by hand can be difficult and tiring. Even a cheap 8" random buffer will get you better results. You should always remove polishes with microfiber towels to avoid scratches and marring. There are several places online selling polishing kits with Porter cable buffer (an excellent tool used by many pro's), pads and polishes for less than $200.
Waxes/sealants - There are more wax and sealant products out there than you can imagine, ranging in price from $10 to hundreds of dollars. If the paint has been clayed and polished well, the waxes and sealants go on and come off much easier, and you get better results. I get good results from Meguiars NXT liquid. Mother's has a simialr product out called Syn wax - i've never used it. These 2 products are not really waxes, but polymer sealants. After buffing off I let it cure for a few hours, and then top it with a pure carnauba wax. Avoid cleaner wax as your last step. I highly recommend P21S and Collonite 845 (both available reasonably priced online at autogeek or other e-tailers) and S100 (try your local Harley dealer). P21S and S100 don't stain plastic trim.
I urge you to check out autopia.org as well. It's a terrifc auto detailing site with many people (auto enthusiasts and professional detailers) to help you out with researching products and techniques. They have a fair # of DIY articles, FAQ's, and product reviews. Check out the click & brag forums for amazing details. You can get great results yourself with a bit of research, and patience. You likely paid several thousand dollars for your car; it's good to invest a bit of money and time.
Good luck to you!
posted by 205.173.9...
, Wed, 17 May 2006 07:47:06 <-- Viewing This Message
, Wed, 17 May 2006 08:58:02, Thu, 18 May 2006 08:05:25
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