I've done all my car detailing by hand using clean microfiber tower yet I've noticed some light line scratches and odd patterned swirls that are only visible in really bright (usually artificial) light.

I'm ocd and it's driving me nuts. I accidently brushed my jacket against the edge of my door and it left a reaallly tiny line in the clearcoat.


Any recommendations how to take care of this? Or is it to be expected? They're few and far between right now...

 

all micro fiber towels are not created equally. Do wash and wax in circular motion. Just go back and forth. Have you clay bared yet? What wax do you use?

 

Sounds like you need to re wax your car. A good wax will protect the clearcoat.

 

I'm using the Klasse twins then topping that off with Optimum Car Wax and Optimum Instant detailer.

I've clay barred twice over the past 7 months and I'm 90% sure my horrible technique with the clay has resulted in at least some of those scratches and swirls.


Towels are these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EFAOD4

 

Do you have grit guards in your wash bucket(s)? That alone makes a big difference.

I wouldn't worry about it too much, just hit it with some KAIO or pick up some Meg's M205 and give it a nice polish once a year. You doing it by hand or with a machine?

 

My black paint is nothing but scratches and swirls

F it

 

Yeah I'm doing it by hand.

I tried to use klasse AIO for some spot polishes but it didn't seem to anything. But these are not deep scratches (can't feel them with your fingers).

I don't like silver/gray, but I understand why people love them....they hide dirt, water spots, and scratches/swirls so much better than my fancy red candy!

 

KAIO is very very mild. I think you'll get better results stepping up to a dedicated polish, so give that a try.

 

I know what you are talking about and it does suck. I had a 69 with a dark burgundy candy paint job. Had to use a 3M swirl remover every time i washed it. Pain right in the *****.

 

I've used 3M Finesse-it for years... Very mild and will remove most all minor surface scratches. It's not cheap but it is excellent. Follow with Klasse, then a day later with a good Wax for excellent protection..

After washing Always dry with air (leaf blower etc) to avoid that extra rubbing step.

 

Klasse AIO will not correct much, if any, scratches/swirling in the paint.

I would suggest picking up a Porter Cable 7424 Optimum kit and using that to correct the paint. If you are OCD as I am about swirls/scratches, then this is well worth the money.

I have owned my car since July and I only wash by hand. I currently see no swirls. I use a lambswool mitt, 5 gallon bucket w/gritt guard, microfiber cloth for cleaning wheels, good high quality microfiber towels/waffle weave towels for drying, Aquawax after every wash, and I only wash my mitts/microfiber together with a little woollite or DP microfiber restoring liquid.

If you only wash by hand, it is something in your wash process that is causing the problem. Could be the drying towels or the wash mitt.

 

A PC is out of the question due to the fact I am in a crowded underground condo garage.

I do my washes by hand or use a touchless car wash. I confess ONE TIME I did use a car wash with brushes and bristles, but I didn't know it had it. I thought it was touchless but by the time I got into the conveyor belt it was too late.

I bought a scratch remover (I forget the name, will look it up when I get home) at an auto store which I remember getting good reviews. Arghh can't remember.


Before I use my scratch remover (or 3M Finesse-it or whatever), do I need to strip away the wax/sealant or will it do that for me?

 

On my Red Candy paint i wash, right to left. I dry, right to left. I put on wax, right to left and remove the wax, right to left. I don't have any swirl marks. I also use a 100% lambswool wash mitt

 

All of us NOVA guys should get together and collaborate to fix this issue

 

I'm not sure why I have a 5.0 when I live in the hellish NOVA area. Guess I wanted the bragging rights. But when it's ALWAYS packed with stop lights every 50 feet (not to mention Asian drivers everywhere*)...you don't get to open her up much or get decent fuel econ.



*I can say this cause I'm part asian.

 

That's why you have to move out to burbs man. I live 6 miles from DC, makes a bit of a difference. Also, it's bragging rights.

I just wish I could keep her clean. I also live in a condo complex and I don't have a garage. Otherwise, it would be a whole different ballgame.

 

I live eighteen miles from DC (fairfax/annandale area) and it's terrrrrrrrrible traffic.

The garage is awesome when it snows/rains, but it's dusty. Gotta California duster it every 2 days or so.

Part of the reason I got a Mustang is cause every rich snob (which is most people in nova) drives a BMW/Lexus/Acura. Booooooooring. If I lived in some rural town I'd probably have gotten a fancy import.

Just tryin' to stand out.

 

Yeah, you should see mine after a new england winter parked outside using brushes to remove the snow . . . it's a crying shame.

(but I still say I'd rather have a stang and drive it through the winter than not have one at all)

I need to do some serious restoration in the spring, whenever that comes . . . right now I still have about 1-1/2 feet of frozen solid snow on the ground . . . and will need to break out all the best stuff when the time comes.

What is a "gritt guard" ? I'm guessing that is a screen that goes in the bottom of the bucket so the grit sinks below and doesn't get recycled into the wash mit? I do use two buckets but don't have a "grit guard", sounds like a good idea.

 

This is key, never use a circular motion.

 

I just thought of something (OUCH!!! I'm blonde).......Is by chance your California Car Duster new? I bought a new one a couple months ago. I let it lay on newspaper for several days to remove the 'special paraffin wax'. It still leaves wax streaks everwhere on my Mustang when i use it. Maybe thats what you are seeing?

When warm weather gets here, i'm going to wrap it in newspaper and let it sit in the hot sun for a couple days.