Yep. every color is prone to swirls and surface scratches, it is simply more noticeable on the darker colors.

 

Black ZED with the orange burnt seats is in my head now.

 

I bought an '05 black used a month ago, didn't even notice the swirls on it till the day I picked it up and saw it in the sun.

Now it drives me crazy every time I see it in sunlight

What do you guys think? I'm debating between taking it somewhere to get it completely buffed and polished or buying a buffer and doing it myself... how difficult is it to do yourself?

And if you think I should take it somewhere... who should I take it to?

Thanks in advance!

 

Do your research on to get those nasty swirls out....

Here you go:

www.autopia.org

This will help you out alot!

 

Am a frequent visitor of that site... excellent resource, but unfortunetly I get alot of conflicting info there, from their articles and posts... was hoping to get some personal experience from you guys...

Autopia's articles have always given me the impression that it is more or less pointless to attempt to get swirl marks out without a random orbital buffer, while at the same time the site seems to discourage a "novice" from attemping use of the buffer themselves... which is why I was contemplating just taking it somewhere...

Again... what do you guys think?

 

It won't work. I tried to do it myself and wasn't happy, so I took the car into a well-known detailer here in Seattle...and still no luck. The swirls are there to stay.

When I realized that, I finally just traded it in for a Silverstone roadster.

MUCH happier now.

 

Well that's positive.

Oh well, I think I'm going to give the PC a try. I've got another car with some severe oxidation that I can test it on first, to get the hang of it.

 

It's not rocket science!

Once you've got the random orbiter I'd guess its 90% the polish compound and 10% technique. I tested a few different compounds before I found one I liked.

 

Were you successful in your attempts to remove the swirls, Paul?

 

i live in fuquay which is about 15-20 minutes away from Raleigh. I suggust you do it yourself. Just buy a Porter Cable and a light abrasive polish(depending how bad it is but i doubt a 05 Z can be that bad). Polish it out and seal it with a nice wax. Paying someone around our area will cost around 100+. Mine as well use that money and buy the Porter Cable.

 

Garage = makes a world of diff.

I have a DB and i know for sure that the swirls will come and haunt me.. i wish i had a garage to park my baby.

 

I would clay before polishing right? Wash, clay, polish, then wax?

 

always clay before polishing.

 

For all of those who want to do-it-yourself....


Go to Lowes and get the Porter-Cable 7336SP Random Orbital Polisher/Sander for $109.

Visit www.topoftheline.com and get the 6" velcro backing plate made for the PC:
http://www.topoftheline.com/porcabvelpad.html

Get a few of the Lake Country white and black pads:
http://www.topoftheline.com/lacopa7.html

The following sites will teach you the basics to PC polishing:
http://forums.roadfly.com/forums/det...1430487&page=1
http://autopia.org/forum/showthread.php?t=14421
http://www.roadfly.com/magazine/7/po..._buffer.1.html

 

another thing thats nice about owning a pc is applying zaino with it. I will never apply zaino by hand again.

 

I have an orbital buffer...not good with a novice. My neighbor used it on his white G35C, which was fine for him, but not on my SB Z. Hell no, I think i have to invest in the porter-cable. Again, just to verify, what is the benefit of having the porter cable over the orbital buffer?

 

02 Super Black to 06 Silverstone.... absolutely agree

 

the porter cable is an orbital buffer. Maybe you're referring to a rotary? That is something a novice should not use. The pc creates the action of hand polishing but at a much faster rate.

 

You must be wasting a ****load of Zaino then. It seems like the ounce it normally takes to do the Z, would easily be absorbed by the pad just to make it damp.

Besides, there is no need to "work" Zaino into the surface like a true polish, that's the benefit of a machine. You just trying to lay down a thin layer, something easily done with the applicator.

 

if you know what you're doing you can put zaino on even thinner with the pc, and you dont apply it like you would a polish. It normally takes me about 1/2 oz to do my car by hand. With the pc it takes me less than a 1/4 oz to do a layer. Theres a good writeup over on autopia if anyone is interested in trying it. It cuts the time in half for putting a layer on, you save more zaino, and its easier to take off because you can put a thinner layer on.