hey everyone, I wanted to know, what product do I use to maintain as best as possible to keep the shine on my car and reduce swirls from coming back again? I just had the car professionally (body shop) high speed buff my car to get rid of fine scratches and swirl marks.(they say some of the clear coat had to come off to get the fine scratches off and swirls also) I know it will not last forever b/c they say every 4-6 months you should professionally high speed buff to maintain the shine.

They also put a ploymer wax on it after the high speed polished and they say that it repells dust and keeps shines' longer......?

what product do i use to maintain after the service i got?

ie....Meguiars NXT liquid wax, EagleONE nano wax.....etc.....

please help.....thanks......

 

You don't need (or want) to have the car regularly polished to keep it looking good. In fact, over time if you keep doing that you will wear through the clearcoat and into the paint.

The best way to avoid getting swirl marks is to learn the proper methods to wash and dry your car. After all, that's where the swirls and fine scratches are likely coming from. There are dozens of threads in this forum that discuss washing and drying. Also, check out http://Autopia.org as it has a lot of good information on car detailing. Sign up and download their free eBook "The Autopia Guide to Detailing".

There are a lot of good products out there that you can use to keep your car looking great, NXT are Zaino good example. None of them will prevent you from getting swirls or scratches though.

 

Prevention is always best way to not get swirl marks:
1. Wash the car at home. Car washes dont regularly change the clothes they use. Their clothes can build up dirt and scratch ur car easy.
2. When you do wash it at home, use nothing but high quality materials. If you've ever seen pure clearcoat dried up, its kinda like the super bouncy *****. Very rubbery and super easy to cut into. A cheap plastic cloth would cut into the clearcoat easily, leading to swirl marks.
3. Always, ALWAYS wash either up and down or side to side. The figure 8 or circular method is for ricers. Linear motions will make swirl marks hard to see.
4. If your car is dusty, dont touch it.
5. When you wax your car, always go up and down or side to side.
6. Never use too much force when removing wax
8. If you notice chunks of dirt on ur paint u can't take off w clothe, use some claybar.

 

- Use microfiber towels!
- I go up and down on the sides and forward to back on the top, hood, and trunk.
- Get a bunch of microfiber towels and swap them as you use them. Clean them in a liquid detergent.

 

I have a black 350 and mines pretty much covered with swirl marks. The dealership did most of the damage running it through their carwash. Should have never taken the car with the paints condition. So, my question, would it be a bad idea to take it to a body shop and have it buffed out like the original post for this thread? I think I'll have a better chance at keeping it clean if I start from scratch. Also, how much can I expect to pay to have this done?? Thanks for any help..

 

If you can find a body shop that you trust, then by all means take it to one and get them to remove the swirls. Once they're gone, careful cleaning will keep it swirl free for a long time.

For a Z, I'd guess they'd charge $150 - $250.

 

I have a friend that used to do prep work on cars when dealerships got them as a trade. He could work wonders with a buffer, and had some products that would make zaino look like a cheap Chineese import (but much harder to apply). Guy made crazy money in the summer time, I remember him bringing home almost $10,000 in one week once (but he worked his *** off).

Point of my story, find the right man and he can make your car look better than new...but it aint cheap.

 

Im starting to get swirl marks on my car now too. I done everything I could to avoid them or any damage while washing but I guess I just didnt do it right.
I used 3 different microfiber towels, Nothing but zaino car wash has touched the car, Wax it with Zaino, use z6 and z8 on it too.
Yet for some reason the swirl gods figured they would take a **** on my baby anyways.

 

Zaino isn't just about the look. The longevity of Zaino will make whatever he was using seem like a cheap chinese import.

Zaino is a TOPPER....and paint flaws should be fixed before using it.



Most body shops won't get out your swirls...they'll cover them up with a heavy sealant. Go to autopia.org and learn how to take them out the right way.

 

What are you using to wash with? I recommend a cotton chenille or lambs wool mitt.

How much water do you use? I recommend using two 5 gallon paint buckets. One gets your soapy wash water, the other gets clear water for rinsing the mitt occasionally.

When you dry the car, do you rub the MF towels all over it? I recommend that 1) you rinse the car and "sheet" the water. That means that you flood a section of the car with water then take the hose away. 95% of the water will run off in one big drop leaving only a few small drops to be dried by hand. 2) Always "pat" dry or lay the towel out on a panel. Let it absorb the few drops then lift it up off the surface. Don't rub to dry! A spec of dust will start a scratch if it gets trapped between the towel and the surface. 3) Use a leaf blower to get the water out of the hard to reach places.

Always wash from the top down. Always do the wheels with a different towel/mitt than the ones you use on the car's paint. Don't use the same water from the wheels on the car either!!! Brake dust will definitely scratch!


When you apply or remove waxes/polishes, use back and forth motions, not circular. On the hood and roof, front to back. On the sides, go up and down. That makes any swirls that you do happen to introduce less visible.

Do you use a car shampoo/wash or household detergent? Never use powdered detergents, they will not totally dissolve and will scratch. The best thing is a car wash/shampoo that is made for the wax/polish you use or at least something that is compatible.

There's probably a few more tricks that I'm forgetting, but you get the idea.

 

Hey Dave,
Thanks for the tips. The unfortante part is that most of this stuff I already do.
I have a lambskin mitt to wash. I first wash the wheels, Tires and undercarage with a 5 gallon bucket of soap and water. Once I complete that I dump that out and go get another mitt, bucket and use zaino soap to wash the car. I do use the sheet method to try but some mistakes i know i have made is when drying I dont always simply Pat the car down.
Also, One thing I think that could have caused it was using the z8. I apply it with a microfiber towel but you have to spray and rub. Im afraid in doing that I might have introduced the swirls like that. I mean, dont get me wrong they arent bad, I just have it on a very small portion of the roof and hood. The rest of the car seems fine. I guess i could use that zaino paint cleanser or whatever but Its really a pisser to have the problem to start with.

 

The microfiber and Z-8 shouldn't be a problem. I use the DF Concours towels for Zaino removal. They just feel so soft so I have no fear of them swirling.

It's sounds like you're doing the right things as far as car care. I figure after mine about 4 or 5 years, I'll have enough of them that I'll want to polish it and make it look like new again.

 

Use 100% cotton towles. Mircrofiber will scratch your paint. I use nothing but 3m stuff. I have a high speed buffer and for scratches use a wool pad then I use a waffle pad with glaze for dark or light colors. After that I use a perfect it 3 hand glaze. Ive tried everything else and 3m is the best!

 

Maybe some cheap imitation microfibers will scratch, but quality ones are the accepted norm in the detailing world.

I make it a habit to do the "CD" test on anything new that I buy. If it will scratch the recorded side of a CD with some vigorous rubbing, then I won't use it.

 

At the shop we just stopped using them. We now use a cotton rag, Ill try and get the brand.
Heres something I pulled from the Zaino site
Q: Are Micro-Fiber products safe to use?


A: Zaino has been testing various Micro-Fiber products. Unfortunately, the jury is still out on them. Some of them are excellent and do not scratch. Others are terrible and definitely scratch. The quality control of these products from overseas, especially Korea, is not consistent, so you never know if they will be the same scratch-free quality. Even when using the same brand, we found the quality to be inconsistent. For now, we do not recommend using them. However, lab testing is ongoing, and we will post an update when we have more conclusive results.

NOTE: If you are already using microfiber towels, look carefully at your paint finish under flourescent light when you are using your towels. If you are not getting any swirls or fine scratches from the microfiber towels, then you are okay and can continue to use them. Remember it's better to be safe than swirly.

A: The safest way to remove the residue from your paint is with white, made in USA, 100% cotton name brand large bath towels, such as Cannon or FieldCrest. Get them in the bath section at any major department store. The towels that you find in auto parts stores, or the auto sections of the department stores are usually not made in the USA, and even though they may say they are 100% cotton, they are not. Anything other than 100% pure white cotton may scratch your paint finish.You should use white towels because the dyes in colored towels can leave a chemical residue on the paint, and cause streaking. Also, it's important to either remove the stitched borders from your towels, or keep the towels folded in a way that keeps the borders away from the paint. The borders(edges or designs) can scratch your paint, as they may not be 100% cotton.

 

Sh*t if I was real concerned about all that I would PM Toby (pumpedVa) and ask him what he does to his car. His stock DB Z will likely look better than most of the paint jobs I see at car shows this year.

 

Sh*t if I was real concerned about all that I would PM Toby (pumpedVa) and ask him what he does to his car. His stock DB Z will likely look better than most of the paint jobs I see at car shows this year.

 

I've seen that before on the Zaino site. I haven't asked Sal about it, but I suspect that it's outdated information. Even now, Sal has partnered with DF Towels which is a form of microfiber towel.

Like anything else, some are good and some are bad. You have to be able to pick out the good ones - that's where the CD test comes in. There have been numerous posts about microfiber on Autopia.org and the concensus is that good quality MFs are safe for use on our cars. While I have the utmost respect for Sal Zaino and his opionions, I believe the reports on Autopia are valid.

As for your cotton towels, the same thing goes for them - do the CD test because you never know what you're getting. A lot of them are labeled 100% cotton but that refers to the nap, not the base which can be nylon in some cases. By the way, I use some Fieldcrest towels and don't have a problem with them scratching.

It a good exercise for anybody to take some CDs and test their towels. You'd be surprised what kind of results you get.