Last1

So, about a couple of weeks ago it was a lazy Sunday afternoon and I thought it would be a good idea to hand wax/buff my car after a good wash. Everything looked great until the next time I washed it and looked at it in the direct sunlight. I screwed up and buffed too hard and now have these "finger" buff/swirl marks on my hood and front 1/4 panels. (see photos)

I really don't care about the spherical swirl marks because I know those are near impossible to prevent as I daily drive this car. It's the finger ones that really bug me. Any advice on what equipment/product I could use to repair? Or am I up the creek and need a new clear coat? Thanks

berzerk_1980

I think your paint can be corrected, but you might need to learn a few new techniques.

Clearing up swirls is all about combining the right polish with the right pad.

There's a ton of information on this, but without starting a dissertation I would suggest reading

http://www.autogeek.net/art-of-detailing-e-book.html

It's $15 but a really good background.

I found this link really helpful about different kinds of pads.

http://www.detailingworld.com/forum/....php?p=3772164

By the way, I am guessing this happened by doing too much surface at once with not enough product on the pad.

Last1

Thanks definitely picking up that ebook

berzerk_1980

There's also a dead tree version, if that's your thing. I bought mine on Amazon. The binding is less than stellar.

FromZto5

OP.... those are normal swirls, finger or not. Those are all correctable via a DA/Rotary. All you need is to clay, then buff with your machine of choice using a duo/trio of pads and polishes, then glaze (optional), then seal, then wax. Voila.

Go to Autogeek.net or autopia.org for details on how-to.

And to your comment of swirls being unavoidable? You can severely limit the propagation of them, just by utilizing proper techniques during washing, drying, and waxing.

Last1

Hey, thanks Z... Looks like there's some detailing equipment in my future...

berzerk_1980

Agreed with FromZto5. I have DIB (not black, but I kind of feel your pain) and I've gotten pretty good at avoiding swirls.

You can get all the information from that book in the forums that FromZto5 recommended. I ran out of patience and just couldn't read one more review. I had to get to washing and removing some water spots.

But yeah, the "two bucket" method is a life changer for swirls.

Last1

Thanks for the info and link guys. I'm glad that this is something that I can fix/maintain for the most part...even those other swirls.

MADSCOTSMAN

When I bought my black 2012 used with 1200 miles on it, the paint looked like someone had washed it with sandpaper, or a brush. It was covered with scratches. I was not confident at all with my abilities to buff a black car since it the least forgiving color and I had issues when I tried back on my 94 GT. I paid a local detailer $150 to "fix" the paint issue thinking he was going to buff out the car. He did wash the car 3 times with clay bar towels and then hand wax the entire car 2x, but I could still see a lot of the scratches (especially on the top of the hood and fenders). He said the car probably needed to be wet sanded.
I was at WALMART a few days later and went down the automotive aisle. Ended up buying a $20 small orbital buffer and some Turtle Wax Jet Black . I used it on the car with the buffer after a good washing and was very happy with the results. It removed a lot of the scratches so I really have to look hard to see them. Maybe try that product or another "black" wax/polish. Anyone else out there that can recommend a good wax specifically for black cars??

TripleBlack14

The best money I spent on my black '14 GT 'vert was for a Porter Cable DA buffer. I got it in April of this year.

I was very discouraged by the swirls, scratches, and holograms that stuck out like a sore thumb in direct sunlight, despite it being garage kept and my constant efforts to keep it clean at all times. I was reluctant to buff it myself for fear of damaging a new car, but I couldn't justify the large expense of paying a pro to do it.

I watched some videos on Youtube and on Autogeek, and discovered that my dual action has a clutch mechanism that prevents the motor from spinning if too much pressure is applied, and this prevented burn-through. I'm not sure if all dual action buffers have this feature.

I ordered the Porter Cable and other related supplies, and on the first attempt I achieved that deep and wet looking finish that black paint is known for. I did a swirl and scratch correction, followed by a polish, and then waxing, and I couldn't have been happier. Naturally I made some technique mistakes, but nothing that damaged the car or that couldn't be easily resolved. A friend who is a pro detailer, upon seeing my car, remarked that the results I got were exactly what he tries to achieve on black cars.

I look forward to waxing, and I'm probably due for a polishing soon. But the ugliness of the surface damage has all been removed from the first swirl correction. I'm proud to show my car in direct sunlight now.

Mug-stang

Washing it enough times will eventually take out some of those light swirls. They are barely etched into the clear coat (shallow) and with regular washing will help. I've had my car since new and I've taken care with washing and drying so that at 53000 miles I just have random tiny scratches in the clear. I look at my car in the light from all angles to make sure nothing's wrong with it, I'm very VERY particular about the paint. If I ever buff it with a buffer the paint will look factory perfect again. I just gotta get this hood taken care of with the oxidation.

FromZto5

Respectfully, please don't state false claims and mislead the OP and other users.

Washing has ZERO to do with removing swirls. All washing does is remove surface contaminants that are resting (loosely) on top of paint. (More embedded contaminants can only be removed by a clay pad/bar.) Washing (if done improperly) actually adds swirls/scratches to paint. Do you even know what swirls are? Swirls are a collection of light scratches that tend to be viewed as circular when light shines on it. But swirls ARE scratches. You know what scratches are? They are "cuts" in your clearcoat, and vary by depth. The deeper the scratches, the more visible/prominent they are.

Tell me, what does washing do that would somehow, magically, REMOVE swirls?

The ONLY way to remove swirls is to use an abrasive (in this case a liquid polish and a foam pad) to reduce the height of the surrounding clearcoat area thereby reducing the depth of the scratch.

It's simple physics.

Again, before you go about spreading false claims, I suggest you go study up on detailing. I'm saving you from potentially posting these comments on other sites and being the laughing stock of everyone.

Mug-stang

LOL.

Yes, I do know what swirls are and yes, I know what detailing is.
When you wash a car, you are contacting the clear coat and rubbing it and actually slightly scratching it (barely, but it does wear it slightly). I put swirls on my paint from using meguiars ultimate compound by pressing too hard, so when i went to wash my car after that I would push kind of hard with my rag against the swirls I put into the car.

I guess I should've stated, when you wash the car with a rag, not a touchless wash, etc. before you go making false claims about my knowledge on the subject, why don't you ask real questions bro. My car is in **** good shape because I know how to keep it up. I don't need to "detail" the thing super often because I've kept the paint in top notch condition since new. Instead of having a heart attack through a forum about my post, why don't you BREATHE before you post? Might help.

Mug-stang

Btw and washing against the grain of those swirl marks took them out completely. When you wash the car with a rag, no matter how much you believe whatever the **** you believe, you are contacting and slightly wearing the clear. There is no way you will "loosely remove contaminants" unless you use a touchless wash and let the car air dry.

VidPro

After reading about your purchase in another thread I bought the same kit. I haven't used it yet. I think I'm going to practice on my Taurus this weekend and then do my Mustang before winter storage. ****, I can't believe I just said winter storage already.

Last1

Thanks for all of the great info... And the not so great! (haha kidding). I've been looking at some orbitals. Any recommended brands? Which are you using, Z, TripleBlack? Thanks

Mug-stang

And personally, starting off a post with "respectfully" and asking questions like you did isn't very respectful. Have a good day.

FromZto5

Wow. Keep trying to dig yourself out of the hole you put yourself into. Conversely, the more you talk/type the more apparent your "knowledge" of detailing comes to light. You were "washing with a rag" and therefore blah blah blah? Dude seriously, please stop.

And no, I don't have state my credentials in detailing. Those who know me on here know who I am.

As for you, I'm saving you the trouble before other pro detailers chime on here or you go stating these claims on other forum.

As for "loose contaminants" as I stated, again, your knowledge in the detailing world shows through. Light dust on top paint is a contaminant. Washing or using a spray detailer and a MF cloth removes them.

Np. I have 3. I have a PC (used now only for applications of glaze or sealant), Flex, and Griots 3". I use the last 2 quite interchangeably. For my clients that I used to do, the last 2 work the best for fastest correction in smallest amount of time.

FromZto5

All you have to do is be careful about what you post. Make sure you have your facts straight. And the statement you made above are akin to stating publicly that the earth is square. So if a physicist or astronomer comes across those statements, you're darn right he is going to speak up.

What I do find disrespectful is how you seem to be OK with making false statements and misleading other people. I don't want other innocent users to now start washing their cars and start wondering why their swirls are getting worse and not better as you claim...

Mug-stang

False statements? So washing your car with a mitt doesn't apply a slight amount of abrasion to the clear coat? I think that statement is more a kin to the world being flat, bro.

I'm not, and didn't, tell the guy to go and wash his car a bunch of times in order to get the swirls out. Regular cleaner wax can do that job just in time and with several wax jobs. Regular washing and waxing with cleaner wax can do the same job but an orbital and an actual step by step process will absolutely do it much quicker.

If you're on here saying washing with a mitt doesn't put tiny scratches in the clear itself, then you're on here spreading false info. Like I said, I had swirls that you could only see in certain angles during certain light, and by washing the car for about 6 months once every 2 weeks I don't see them anymore. And that's with using clay, poor boys spray and wipe, pinnacle souveran, and a couple coats of cleaner wax over the course of those 6 months. Again, I didn't tell the guy to wash his car a bunch of times IN ORDER to remove them. I just said be patient they will work themselves out eventually by washing in a roundabout way.