I have been looking up how to fix swirl marks all over the site. I had my car re painted a few months ago and its an awsome job. But what I have realized is that the rear bumper has swirl marks. Its not in in a circle shape but its the same abrasive looking marks. The rest of the car has no sign of these abrasions. I have also noticed that its more difficult to get rid of the water spots on the rear bumber also. I am thinking about going to the place that painted my car tomorrow to see what they say. But my question is, what causes they swirl abrasions? Its strange its only my rear bumper. Secondly I bought the most expensive NON water spot soap and its difficult to completely get rid of water spots( all over the car). Is there some compound besides regular wax I can use. I wash my car and put it in the garage for shade asap and i still have problems with the darn water spots. Its frustrating.

 

Dry it off? I use a couple of bath towels, do one "side"
with one to get most of the water off, then the other
with the second towel to get all the water off.

 

I do. I go over it with a shammy and then microfiber towel. I can usually get the majority of the car spotless. Its the rear bumper thats a pain. But like i said the whole car is difficult. I have never had that problem. Is there a good soap for black cars? What i was wondering is how "swirls" arise? Where does that come from?

 

Fresh paint is real sensitive to water and wash action. I remember one car way back when that I was told it would be a month before wash and buff out to make sure the paint was completely VOXed and hardened or bad things would happen. I hope you consulted the body shop before you washed the first time.

Some guys here use a leaf blower to dry their cars rather than any kind of towel. You might try that instead. Black looks great but I will never own another just because of your problems. Too hard to keep clean.

Good luck!

 

+1 on the leaf blower and the fact that there is a period after repaint that you should wait to wash and you definetly do not want to wax it within the first couple of months...

 

One other tip I have learned is after buffing a car is to finish it off with a DA sander with a buffing pad that fits the sander. Gets rid of swirls left from larger buffers easily.

 

Some body shops won't completely polish out the paint, because some detailing products like wax aren't body-shop safe. When i got my Audi repainted, the shop painted, color sanded and compounded my car, but there were lots of swirl marks from compounding. I waited a month (per their instructions) before polishing out the swirl marks and waxing the paint.

As far as keep the finish swirl free, a foam gun, a bucket with a grit guard, and a high quality wash mitt will do that. Always dry with air or microfibers. I've found jelly blades, and other types of towels can marr the finish, especially on darker colored vehicles.

 

That's the problem. Black cars are a PITA to keep clean and looking nice. I'll never buy another black car.

 

Black is the proof of any car wax/polish treatment, to be sure. I luv that "wet tar" look when black is done right - stunning! I feel your pain. I went thru an Odyssey with my black 95 before I found "the wet tar look".

IMO, BLACK is thee test for whatever process and polish one might conjure up. There's always a ton of recommendations for this or that product, every time the subject comes up. But, unless "they" are putting it on a black car, don't talk to me about how great it is until it has been on a black car, sitting in summer sun, and can stand up to washings and still be haze and purple tint free!


No more swirls here. No more haze, or purplish tint... See what you think...





In short: I used a Porter Cable orbital buffer and Zaino's PC Fusion to get the light swirls (read: not scratches) out of the paint. Although I found a couple wax regimes gave me the "wet tar" look, none of the waxes I tried held up on my black Vette for very long. The Zaino polymer is what I learned works and holds up on Black. After finding that product, I stopped looking for anything more.

Water spots: Prevention is better than removing them. In San Diego I used to have to fill my wash buckets with water that had been through the water softener first. And, keep it wet: Wash an area, and then rinse the whole car before moving onto the next wash area.

Use a carwash soap. There may be some value in not mixing brands: Use the same brand of wash that is used for the wax/polish. Never use dishwashing soap, unless you are intentionally stripping the wax!

To remove water spots, I wet a polishing pad in water, wring it out, and then pour a little white vinegar onto the pad. Water spots wipe right off!

The less scrubbing on the paint, the better. I use a fleece wash mitt and two buckets; one to rinse the mitt, the other to hold fresh loads of soapy water...LOTS of soapy water (pouring off of the mitt going between the bucket and the car).

I use a leaf blower to dry the car, whenever I can. Otherwise, I like the "Absorber" - the best thing since the chamois.

Well...So as not to "jack" this thread further, if you're interested in what I used and how on my black Vette (first) and now my red Z, PM me.

If it works on black, it will work on anything!



P.

Swirls:

 

great work on both red and black.

 

Get some Dupont Swirl remover and follow the directions on the bottle. Also for fresh paint I would buff it by hand , not with a buffer... Better safe then sorry.....WW