SlumpinC5

No this is not for my car. Thankfully mine has zero swirls!

My friend has a truck that is black with a whole **** load of swirls. I have seen some people use the 3M stuff and I think Zanio makes a swirl remover. I would just like to get some info from my hommies on the board. As this swirls are very bad and need some serious attention! Thanks in advance.

MilYellow02

Refer to this thread http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=469233

and Zaino does not do anything for swirl marks and I suggest an orbital buffer

TexasRedZ06

Any marks in the clear coat are a PIA to take out. You can probably polish the majority out by yourself if you can't feel them with your fingernail. I call these polish marks. These are normally left from dry wiping your car or drying wet car with a poor quality towel. I've used Mequire's #9 Swirl remover with a low speed waxer with very good results. You might have to go over it twice. For prep, use Dawn liquid and wash it twice..... dry thorougly.

Use of a high-speed buffer can really do some damage to the clear coat and the enamel. Most low-end body shops that use these are the cause of the deeper swirl marks on repaired cars. Too much pressure or poor technique can easily burn and permanently ruin the paint.

I would only try a low-speed unit with a very mild cutting compound, like the Meguire's.

Kevin V

The Zaino will gradually fill in the swirls. I prefer trying the least aggressive method of filling them before removing part of the clear coat with buffing. But if they are that bad, buffing may be necessary.

KLO

From Sal:

Store bought Swirl removers are just a temporary illusion and a Band-Aid
approach to the problem.....

I am totally against using abrasives on paint finishes. Abrasives, no matter how fine,
create new scratches, they should be avoided and only used when absolutely
necessary. And then only by a trained professional. The clear-coat on today's paint
finishes is very thin and abrasive products will thin it even further and hurt it, in
the long run creating many more swirl marks and fine scratches.

All swirl removers contain abrasives and are loaded with silicone oils and other oils.

Zaino Show Car Polish contains no Abrasives or Silicone oils. Although abrasives
remove scratches they create new scratches and swirls and they thin out the
clear-coat. Silicone oil camouflages swirls and scratches, temporarily, as soon as the
oil washes away or evaporates the swirls are visible again. Kinda a Catch-22. Z-5
fills swirls and scratches and does not create any new scratches. Because Z-5
durability is so high and will not wash away. The scratches will stay filled. That's
the hot ticket to a flawless paint finish.

The Z-5 is applied, as per directions, and will fill swirls and scratches in stages. One
to three coats of Z-5 depending on the amount and degree of scratches. Z-2 should
always be the last coat of polish on the car. Z-2 has higher optics than Z-5. You can
go from Z-2 to Z-5 and back to Z-2 anytime you like. Always use Z-6 "Gloss
Enhancer spray between each and ever coat of Z-5 or Z-2.

With deeper swirls and fine scratches sometimes the use of an mild abrasive product
like 3M Foam Polishing Pad Glaze Swirl Mark Remover #39009 is necessary.. I try
to avoid the use of abrasives and would try my best with Z5, to see if it will correct
the problem. However if you don't see a visible difference after 1 or 2 coats of Z-5.
Waiting 6 to 24 hours between coats of Z-5... Then you need to use the 3M Foam
Polishing Pad Glaze Swirl Mark Remover #39009... see following tips...

3M Foam Polishing Pad Glaze use By hand:
Simply apply a small amount (about the size of a quarter) to a cotton diaper or piece
of cotton towel and rub back and forth into about a 1'X 1' section using light to
medium pressure until it starts to dry out. Then take a second towel and lightly rub
back and forth until the polish residue disappears and the gloss comes up. If there
are still some swirls visible you can repeat this step until they are minimal. I prefer
using a less aggressive product a couple times instead of using a more aggressive
product once. After you have done the entire car you can Dawn wash and reapply
your favorite wax/polish or Zaino Z-1 and Z-5/Z-2.

3M Foam Polishing Pad Glaze use By orbital:

Use a foam bonnet and apply the polish in a thin lined growing circle starting from
the center and spacing the growing line about an inch from the last round all the
way to the edge. Place the bonnet flat on a panel and
activate the polisher and begin working the entire panel using light to medium
pressure. When you have worked the panel thoroughly then take a clean towel and
wipe the residue off in a back and forth motion using light pressure. Then simply
move to the next section. When the entire car is done do a Dawn wash and Zaino.

TexasRedZ06

....... long response..... sorry :rolleyes:

Please note that I have a daily driver and not a "show car", so my experiences and techniques are for cars that are used, driven in the rain and driven all the time.

I use Zaino myself and I can tell you that it scratches just by rubbing your finger over it. Zaino is great, but its not durable. Even the California Water Blade will scratch it. Z-5 is the "bandaid" approach. You will have to constantly reapply this every time you Dawn and thoroughly clean the car to "mask" your blemishes. Zaino is the easiest stuff to apply that I've ever used, its super clear and works great. Zaino works best by hand application and layered coats. So I'm not saying Zaino is bad, just that "masking" your clear coat problems isn't the best idea for everybody.

While I certainly don't think that using the "mild" abrasives on your car should be done frequently, I have used these products to remove minor polish marks for 25+ years and they work. I've kept cars for over 7 years and nearly 100K miles that looked brand new (except for the rock dings) I do it no more than once a year and you should see the oxidation that comes off my Zaino'd car. I've viewed my cars under flourescent and halogen lighting and no way this swirl remover polish leaves anything behind but possibly microscopic scratches (the stuff you can't see with a naked eye) The paint to my picky eyes is perfect, I can't see any damage to the clear coat. Will using it for 20 years annually on the same car be a problem?? Who knows, but most paint won't last more than 15 years as a daily driver anyway...... again, my technique is for daily drivers and not museum exhibits.

The only stuff I've used is the #9 Meguires. I cannot comment or recommend any other product. I only apply with one of the low speed 10" waxers with the terry cloth pads. Doing it by hand won't work and it will leave scratches. Using a high-speed polisher will cause problems. After you finish, the clear coat is left absolutely clean and ready for Zaino #1 Pre-Cleaner. Its easier to use than Clay Bar. Clay Bar WILL scratch even a perfectly clean car, I know, I've tried it. This polish stuff will not remove deep swirl marks, so don't waste your money. It removes the spider lines that you get from normal washing/drying your car and the oxidation caused by a multitude of crap in the environment. If you can feel the scratch, you will probably have to resort to Z-5.

No Sal Zaino bashing, but he is "pushing" his own product. I don't agree with the oils and silicone "hiding" the damage, but isn't that what Z-5 does?? I also don't think you will damage your clear coat or grind it all away if you use common sense, good equipment and the right product.

Again, I'm talking about 1 product, Meguire's #9 Swirl Remover (and no, I'm not a stockholder)

Kevin V

Unfortunately most people aren't experienced or have the proper equipment. I've heard horror stories about buffing trying to remove swirls. Doing any buffing, even by a professional, is removing some amount of clearcoat down to the bottom of the deepest swirl or scratch.

Since wax and oils wash off easily and Zaino doesn't wash off, the Z-5 fills them for a much longer time and will gradually fill them in if you aren't constantly putting in new swirls. I've been using Zaino for about 5 years and have NO swirls marks.

I have to agree that using an abrasive should be a last resort.

I'm not a Zaino distributor in case anyone wants to assume I am.

EHS

Stay away from Zaino on this one. It won't help.

I would use a decent product from a reputable company, like 3M.

If applied properly, and by someone who knows what they are doing, the swirl marks will disappear like magic.

Again, be sure you go with a reputable, tested product.