I was wondering if you guys had any tips about getting rid or minimizing swirl marks on black paint. I have used zymol paint cleaner, and NXT Tech wax. I still have the swirls. Do you guys have any tips or tricks...anything will be appreciated. And BTW, i have only had the car for 6 months.

 

www.autopia.org

I use Zaino ZPC and a random orbital. Works like a charm!

 

Here's some tips on how to avoid swirling....

https://my350z.com/forum/showpost.ph...92&postcount=7

 

Great tips for washing. If you want to remove swirls you need to invest in a Porter Cable. They aren't too expensive and are very easy to use. Followed by that would be some good polishes. I've recently started using Optimum Polish and it does wonders with a cutting pad. Followed by Clearkote Vanilla Moose and a good wax the paint will look extremelly wet.

my car after the following products

 

damn, that looks great. anymore pics of your car?

 

Yea here's one of my fav. shots from that day.



The rest of the pictures from that same day can be seen here, a couple other friends and I.
http://redline925.com/carpics/peoplesofttop_oct22/

Also thanks for all the help so far setting up our account Mike!!

 

Hey, that's not a Z. You're posting on the wrong board!!!!!!

Maybe you need to change your name to ZubyDude.

 

haha, we are starting to carry lots of 350z parts, new wheels are already out in your fitment Check out the wheel/tire section for more info.

Back to detailing advice though!!!

 

I know - I visited your site yesterday after seeing your info posted in the sponsor list. Welcome aboard!

 

Thanks for all the info guys, I do have a porter cable but are not experienced in using it. I will follow the link to autopia.org. Its winter right now, so I dont think that i will be waxing it anytime soon, as that I waxed the car about a month ago.

Do you guys have any tips on using the portable cable? and what is the difference between the orbiter/porter cable?

 

Great! I assume you have the 7424/7336 Porter Cable and a proper backing plate, pads, etc... Autopia.org has a great writeup that will help you get started.

It seems like you keep your car in good condition already by keeping it waxed and regularly washed as you say. I might recommend using a clay bar if the paint isn't smooth just to get all the contaminants out. When I am starting to use the PC I apply product around the pad and then move the PC around the area I want to work on to get the polish set evenly. Then I start the PC with it on speed 3 and just quickly go over the area I am working on so I can spread the product out. After the first pass where I spread the product I do about two more. I go up and down the area on about speed 4 and I be sure to overlap each pass slightly. Then my last pass I go left to right and really step up the speed to about 5-6 depending on the product.

Now after I am done using my polishes I move on to sealants or waxes. For sealants I like to use speed 4-5. With sealants and waxes your main concern is even product distrobution. I usually like to apply wax by hand as my last step but thats up to you and depends on what type of wax it is.

Also be sure to have nice microfiber towels when removing products. don't cheap out on towels as all your hard work can easly be ruined. Let me know if you have any questions that I didn't cover but that should help you get started. The PC is really a great machine that makes detailing alot easier and gives amazing results with the right products.

-Dan

 

A PC (Porter-Cable) is a random orbital sander/polisher. The random orbit part virtually guarantees that a novice like you and I can't screw up our paint jobs.

An orbital polisher like a professional at a body shop would use can strip the paint off a car if you're not experienced with one.

Autopia is certainly the best place for detailing info. Here are a couple links that I gleaned from them over the years that will get you started with a PC.

http://autopia.org/forum/showthread.php?t=14421

http://www.roadfly.com/magazine/7/po..._buffer.1.html

http://forums.roadfly.com/forums/det...1430487&page=1

 

I appreciate all your guys' input. And yes, it is very hard to keep an black Z looking its best. It shines like no other when its clean, but when you hit an angle where the sun shows the swirls it just drives me nuts. Here is a picuture of my Z all waxed up:



Sorry guys, I cant find a picture right now with a better resoultion, but it took me 2-3 hrs buffing the whole car. It was worth it!