350zdanny

Is anyone having problems with paint swirls? I have a superblack Z, which is by far the worst color for paint swirls, but they seem pretty bad on my car.

I do Zaino regularly and it takes care of them for a bit, but they come back. Any help/feedback would be appreciated. Thanks very much.

Dan

350zdanny

Oh, just to clarify, it is not the cloths i use to wax. I use very soft polishing cloths or microfiber cloths on a very clean car.

Will clay help out on the swirls?

Showcars

No, clay won't help with the swirls. Chances are, the swirls are coming from your cloths (I know, you said they weren't the cause). Remember, when you are wiping the Zaino, it isn't as hard as your clearcoat, so if you put swirls in the Zaino and it dries that way, you will see them. Don't use circular motion to wipe on or off. Use long figure-8's (front to back on horizontal surfaces). Use VERY light pressure. When wiping off, use just enough pressure to get most of the residue, then come back with a mist of Z-6 and a clean towel to do final clean-up. Try different methods and cloths to see if you can nail down what's causing the swirls.

Kevin Overall

It could also be coming from washing, lots of swirling can happpen during washing when the car is wet and you can not really see what is going on with the paint. If you use a sponge or synthetic wash mit on black I can guarantee those will scratch black paint, you also do not want to wash in direct sunlight or when the surface is hot. When paint is hot it is at its softest and scratches easily.

I have not had any of my customers report any swirling if they use the towels that we process, the best ones we use are Fieldcrest Charismas, all Supima cotton, white color only. Also, if you wash your car towels with powder detergent, that will also leave swirls as the powder never washes out completely and will scratch and swirl.

If you towels are something other than Fieldcrest Charismas or at least Fieldcrest Royal Velvet (a notch below Fieldcrest Charismas) then you run the chance of swirling.

Also, never rub or buff on the black surface with a DRY towel, your towel should always be slightly damp with detailing spray.

350zdanny

Thanks for the info guys. I may be applying too much pressure. I usually wipe the zaino z2 or z5 off completely before using z6, but it is definitely a better idea to use z6 for final cleaning.

I use Zaino to wash and microfiber cloths to dry and polish the car. So it must be that i'm using too much pressure. I'll let you know after the next coat. Thanks.

Eric1h

ok, so how do you get the swirls out once you have them? professional buff?

350zdanny

Well, my paint is a little rough right now, and I put some clearcoat scratches in the car shaving the emblems off the back, so I am going to start over like so:

1. Wash car with Zaino Z7 and 100% cotton chenile mit.
2. Clay bar car to remove contaminants bonded to clearcoat (to smooth out that rough feeling).
3. Apply Zaino Z1
4. Apply Zaino Z5
5. Apply Zaino Z6 x 2

That should take care of the swirling issues. I'm using microfiber cloths to dry and polish also.

Showcars

FIrst, use something like Zaino Z-5 polish. It has NO abrasives, so it isn't going to remove the swirls, it'll just make them harder to see. If you like what you see, you're done. If, after a few coats of Z-5, you still don't like what you see, I'd use 3M 39009 (PerfectIt swirl mark remover) and a random orbital buffer. You can get PerfectIt in any good auto supply shop. The abrasive is SUPER FINE, so you don't have to worry about damaging your paint (just make sure your car is perfectly clean, the buffer is NOT high-speed, and the pad is clean and SATURATED with 39009). You have to wash this stuff off throroughly using dish soap (it is very oily), and then your car is ready for polish. This step REALLY restores paint - swirls, fine scratches and oxidation can be reduced this way. If that STILL doesn't work, go to a paint shop and ask them to buff. They'll use 3M FinesseIt (more agressive than PerfectIt) and a high-speed DA buffer. They'll finish off by using PerfectIt. If that doesn't do it, repaint!

Once you've restored your finish, it's important to keep it protected, because you can't keep buffing (you'll make your clearcoat too thin). A few coats of Z-5 will protect your clearcoat, and any future swirls will be on the polish (which can be replaced), not the paint (which is expensive to replace).

Eric1h

Thanks!

vice86

iTrader: (1)

Ecch..i know what you mean. I just shaved the 350z off my trunk too...bought some liquid that came with a scraper on it...so now in the sun you can kinda see the little scratches from me rubbing it with the plastic peice.

I'm about to buy the Zaino kit myself and see what it can do. My car is find if I wax it, but after one wash...its back to swirl city. I love my black Z but the swirls suck. I used to LOVE driving on a nice sunny day...now I try to wait till the sun is setting so my car looks in perfect condition for cruising...I'm pathetic like that..lol.

Hopefully Zaino lives up to all the hype I've been reading about it in the past 2 years...finally gonna give it a shot.

Keven

Some months ago, when I first came to this forum, I decided to give lots of things "hyped" here a try.

After trying three bottles of CyrstalGuard on my Z - and seeing some terrible swirl marks at the end of it - I decided to give Zanio a try.

I fear there isn't any "hype" to Zanio - for me and all of my family and friends - it's done and is doing what it promises. In fact, I've never seen a wax that does "so much" for the look of my car and my husband's black Sierra truck. He was a diehard fan and avid user of Zymol products for many years. It took him about five layers of Z-5, but all the swirls have disappeared from his finish. He's now a Zanio'er and we have weekly wax sessions on Saturdays.

It's amazing stuff.

Kev

johnsZ

some other ideas (less work than waxing...)
one of the threads suggested the 3M stuff (FinesseIt and PerfectIt)- another option is glaze compound.
I have found this to be phenomenal for producing a deep finish and no swirls (use a really soft cotton cloth, not terry cloth or similar). 3M makes a glaze, Aurora has one called 3000. They are available at auto paint stores.

Never use waxes any more. Easier on the arms, too. I use it on my Porsche, F40 and now the Z. Colors are burgundy metalflake, Ferrari Rossa Corsa and Redline. All three look beautiful. Cheers.