703z

Hi, i am in the process of buying a new Z. I was looking at getting a black one. How noticable are the swirl marks on the car? is there something i can do to make sure they dont show up? only thing stopping me from getting black is i hate swirl marks =/

CrayZZZ

Just remember that the swirl marks are from dirt and "grit" scratching the surface of the car. Be sure to try to rinse off any loose dirt (the hi-pressure hoses at the manual car washes are good for this) prior to soaping up the car. Wash in stages starting from the top working your way down. Hood first! Steer clear of the wheel areas/lower part of the door panels till the very end of the wash. That should help minimize picking up dirt and scratching the paint with it. Oh and at the end of your wash - toss the mit! I think $4 a wash is worth keeping the paint looking good.

gargoyleZ

iTrader: (4)

I have a black 04. I am almost rid of them!!! There are many products out there, but the one's I've seen, that work best are Zaino brothers, and Wax Depot swirl removers. Can't get rid of them, but sure can hide 'em real good.

sharingan625

iTrader: (1)

i almost gave up on my 04 SB. fine scratches and swirls are killing me.

gargoyleZ. what do you use on your car to hide the swirl? and how long does it last once you hide it?

thx.

MethodRN

iTrader: (13)

Good luck on getting your new Z. I have a SB and I have been using Zaino for almost 5 months. Most of the swirl marks are "gone" and I'm planning on trying Zaino's new ZPC to rid the car completely of swirl marks. For some tips check out http://www.autopia-carcare.com/ They have some great tips. One being not to use high pressure water to rinse the car of dirt. Using high pressure can embed to dirt into your paint. Instead use low pressure and just bath the car for the first pass. High pressure can be used to rid your car of stubborn bugs. Once you purchase your car, on your first wash, use a good clay bar and go over your whole car. This will give you a good "clean" surface to work w/. Use quality towels when waxing your car. I use this package w/ the Zaino https://www.ultramicrofiber.com/cata...45d0c885057ca9 . If not these be sure to use quality microfiber towels or only 100% cotton towels made in USA. I know of people that use towels from Bed, Bath & Beyond or Linens and Things for their cars. When drying use rolling water to rinse your car and keep feeding the sheeting action from top to bottom. This will decrease the amount of water you need to dry using a towel/chamois. If possible use a leaf blower. I know this sounds weird but it works and again less chance of scratching paint while drying. Again check out that website for more tips. I'll leave you w/ this pic as inspiration, cause black cars look so sexy if taken care of properly.

AustinS2k2003

Use ZPC...it'll do the job;ask IU350ZAtx; He knows

sharingan625

iTrader: (1)

does Z-pc work? i've tried a few different swirl removers without any luck.

i used 3m swirl remover for dark cars, maguire scratch X etc.
i've never used a machine tho. all used by hand.

JamRWS6

I'd recommend a machine if you can afford to get one. They save a lot of time and work infinitely better than doing it by hand

TiPIACE

im in the same boat with methodRN

my 05 SB was delivered with heaps of swirls and scratches where they obviously washed the bonnet with a broome

i didnt want to cut the car straight away so just layered 3 coats of Zaino Z5 to hide the swirls and about 90% of them went away. I then applied 3 coats of Z2-Pro

however they are starting to come back again as the wax wears off, so ive started slowly removing the wax with each wash (just using highly concentrated soap atm) in preperation for a light cut after the audio guys finish up with the car (theyll put their own fine scratches in the paint brushing up against the car). Im tossing up whether to use the new ZPC or Poorboys SSR1 or SSR2

heres my car after the Zaino, u can even see the reflection of the road in the lower bumper

sharingan625

iTrader: (1)

beautiful!!

did you use the machine? or by hand?

JamRWS6

No need to gradually try and wash anything off with concentrated soap. Whatever abrasive you use will easily cut off whatever is on the finish.

TiPIACE

sharingan all by hand

the Zaino is very very easy to apply, especially the Z5. Its not a polish, just a wax, so u just wipe it on

u can use a buffer but ull waste a fair bit of product and its just as quick by hand imo

Jam thats true, but since im going to cut by hand, any wax i can remove now will make it that much easier to cut out the swirls/scratches with the abbrassive later. Im going to clay as well prior to cutting, so the abbrassive wont get 'bogged down' removing tar spots/road grime

Edison_Chen

does Zaino have a stronger Swirl Remover? than the Z5?

MethodRN

iTrader: (13)

ZPC is their new product And meant to be more abrasive than Z5. Good luck

Wired 24/7

iTrader: (2)

Z-5 fills in swirls with layers of polymer. No abrasive.

I have found that Z-5 doesn't work that well unless you top it off with Z-2 pro.

Z-PC smooths out swirls using an abrasive. Have not used it.

TChachas

I'll tell you this just from my experience..... I lived in Salt Lake for about 6 months where the salt air will pretty much crap on everyone's cars, and living in the desert of California is no help either. It's a b!tch taking care of a black car in these conditions btu Zaino DOES help a lot.

JamRWS6

Wow you are going to have one tired arm after all that rubbing!
The claybar will also remove some Zaino....if you go over it enough times it will remove all of the Zaino

TiPIACE

Hahaha you're telling me

Im planning on doing the job over a full week, like 1-2 coats a day at night in the garage, as i have another car to drive during the day

i just dont like using orbitals/buffers

Paul350Z

iTrader: (1)

My dealer delivered my car with plenty of swirls. He offered me a free detailing because it took so long to prep the car the first time.

I do everything by hand so far and have used the Z-5 to do a bit of hiding and the Z-2 to bring a glow. I have to clean the car everytime I drive it - dirt, dust, and bird pee (or is that spit) are drawn to the car from hundreds of yards away - you can actually park it and watch the dirt rolling in on it.

But all the effort is worth it - this is not my daily driver.