corvettejack

Could someone please explain to me if the clearcoat on a corvette is so hard that you need an orbital polisher to remove them how can they get there in the first place when great care is taken when washing spray detailing ect. use dual buckets micro-fiber towels ect. If the clear-coat is so hard why the swirls? Thanks Jack

Cybernetic Medic

All you have to do is drive it. The air is full of airborne grit that effectively sandblasts the car. You'll also notice that the hard glass windshield accumulates a bazilloin itty bitty pits over time.

Boomer111

Ya my windshield is already sparkled with pits at 30,000 miles.

Even in the big rig a windshield would not look good while looking into a low Sun after 6 months of driving.

Also consider grit when pressure is applied to it will easily cut into the clear.

Polishing the swirls out requires more clear removal too to obtain an even layer.

spdkilz911

Your careful washing methods help keep the swirls at bay. As soon as you are back on the road the "damage" starts again. I use the two bucket method, use lots of soap, etc and still see minor imperfections. Just the nature of the beast. The only way to keep it free of micro scratches and swirls is to keep it in a bubble. I try to take care of spots asap.

Boomer111

Another reason why I have a Machine Silver color car.

myfunz

Yes Silver is the best color, I have it on my DD.

BWF07

I am by no means a professional detailer, but I know of only one way to stop the swirls and micro scratches and that is to cover it and don't drive it and by cover I mean one of those bubbles.

As for the hardness of the clear coat, yes this has been mentioned and discussed in many other post. The clear coat is hard, but thin. Because it is hard that is why trying to remove swirls and scratches by hand is close to impossible. Also the color of the car will enhance or hide these swirl marks. What many people do, is simply cover them with a good filler glaze and then a coat of polish.

The 2 bucket method of washing is great as long as you follow it religiously. That means a grit guard in the bottom of at least the one bucket but preferable both buckets. Also make sure that you rinse the surface completely prior to washing with the soap. Do you start from the top and work your way down?. Don't forget the majority of the dirt is normally on the bottom half of the car, therefore what I do is start at the top and work my way down to about the mid point. Once I have done the top half I then go back and do the bottom half and again from the highest point down. Also I only go in one direction not in circular motions.

Next what kind of soap/shampoo do you use and what do you use to wash the car. All of this has a bearing on the out come.

Now how do the get there in the first place, well as mention the washing is one way and usually the most likely. Second way is the detail spray. If you spray it on the surface of a dirty (and I don't mean one that is in need of a bath) car, you can cause them when you wipe it off. There are products out there that are designed to remove light dirt the actually encapsulates the dirt and pulls it off the surface. Do that then detail spray to enhance the gloss of the paint. Remember detail spray is real to be used to enhance the gloss in between waxing. Sure it is great to remove the light dust that settles on the gar in the garage over night, but not for removing dirt that has become stuck on the surface. Also when using the detail spray, always use a good quality micro fiber towel and only use that one time, don't pick it up a few days latter and start wiping the car down.

corvettejack

Thanks for all the replies and the video,s my 08 is C.R.M. so it shows everything don,t get me wrong when people look at it they can,t believe how good it looks and that it is an 08 but under the right light Ican see the swirls I,ve been thinking of buying a orbital polisher I,m a little nerves I may cause more harm than good anyone have expearance with one Thanks Jack

BWF07

I have been using a Porta Cable random orbital for 6-7 years now and trust me, you cannot hurt the paint finish. It is the least aggressive polisher out there. If the swirls are real bad (and it does not sound like that) you may need to either spend more time or try the Flex machine. It is a more aggressive buffer, but still safe on the finish.

I have an '07 Monterey Red and before that a '01 Torch Red so I know how those small swirls can look on these colors.

Besides the buffer, you need to make sure you use a quality brand of swirl remover and/or polish. I have used nothing but Adams Detail Products on my last two Corvette's. He is a forum sponsor and he has his on forum if you have any questions. But there are a lot of good products available on the market. It just so happens that I like Adams product line and the results I get.

J Vette

Why do you think that is a bad idea? I've seen this done on other washing tutorials. From my understanding, The idea behind it is to push those water beads off with a sheeting action. It significantly reduces the amount of drying time and makes for much less possibility of water bead spots. One note is that you have to have the water pressure turned down to do this properly. It will not work if you have too much pressure. I do this all the time and follow up with a blow dry.

BWF07

I always remove the nozzle from the hose after I have washed and rinsed the car. The water does exactly that, it acts as a sheeting action and removes the majority of all the beads. This is good if you are washing and drying outside. I always pull mine into the garage as soon as I am ready to start the drying process., which includes the electric leaf blower to remove the majority of the water, then I apply a mist of detail spray to the semi wet surface and then dry that area. The detail spray seem to draw the remaining water and also applies a little coat to enhance the gloss of the paint.

corvettejack

I believe what you were refering to as a bad idea was the fact he could have dropped the nozzle on the hood you said you mist with detailer spray when drying can any type be used or doyou have to use a perticular brand Thanks Jack

BWF07

I just washed the video on washing the car, and a few points I saw were, first there was no mention of a grit guard in the rinse bucket. I like the guard because I can run my was pad over the guard and it removes any dirt that I picked up while washing the past area of the car. I also notice that he started to do the hood and was in a circular motion. If you look at most swirls they are exactly that circular swirls. You can get them from washing with a little dirt still on the surface or in the wash pad.

I also go one step further, After I do the initial rinse and before I ever put a wash pad to the car I foam the car down completely so there is an extra lay of soapy lubricant on the car.

OK, I know I am a little **** about this, but that is how I wash my car.

J Vette

Not sure if you are familiar with the Junkman on Youtube. But he has a lot of videos on detailing. He is very thorough in his videos and a favorite of mine. Anyway, he advocates a foam gun and doing the same as you do.
****? maybe. But the devil is in the details. I'll be buying a foam gun after I get the final detailing done on mine. Was going to do it this week. But 77 degrees yesterday and high 60's tomorrow made it too tempting to drive it rather than take the wax off for the claying.

BWF07

Yes I am well aware of the Junkman. I enjoy his videos. In fact a few years ago he was a spokesman for Adams, not sure what happen there, but now he just does videos on detailing, but not pushing a specific product.

ebf2k

PC 7424 XP dual action polisher and the "Wolfgang Twins" (Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover 3.0, and Finishing Glaze 3.0) work great for me on the C6's hard clear coat.

TKOGTO

I'm with BWF on this. I am also not a pro detailer but the suggestion he gives is IMHO right on the money, i.e., " the only one way to stop the swirls and micro scratches .. is to cover it and don't drive it and by cover I mean one of those bubbles."

I have used every technique in the book, 2 buckets, 2 mitts, 1 each for top/bottom, grit guard, pre-rinse, top-down, only one direction, I don't use quick detailers and more and the swirls still show up. I am convinced that swirls cannot be prevented. I think they are a result of the make-up of the clear coat. Any exposure to the elements creates swirls. Having never, ever touched my car in a circular motion, there is no way they have been caused by washing, etc. Sure you can create your own with poor technique but even if you're execution is flawless, they will appear. It's only a matter of time.

When brand new, my swirl free finish lasted for several months - those were the days. Once they appeared, I could decrease them with a good polish and coats and coats of glaze but they never disappeared altogether. In 2 months or so they would return and seem to get progressively worse and my car is garaged!

Swirls are a property of the clear coat. They are unavoidable. Buy silver and save your sanity.

wolfdogs

your washing method sounds good. Fill the swirls with multiple layers of Zaino Show Car polish.,,., add coats till you are satisfied. After you wash it again if its real dirty, you might notice some new ones, but now its in the layer of Zaino, just add a layer and they are gone.... been doing this for years on all my black cars... www.zainnostore.com

joliett

This is a GREAT picture...didn't anyone else get it?

0Killrwheels@Autogeek

With proper washing and drying techniques you will likely reduce swirls but over time all cars get them and they can either be filled (temporary at best) or polished out. Polishes and pads come in many degrees of abrasiveness and you don't always need a heavy compound and wool cutting pad.

A random orbital is a great choice because it doesn't transfer the heat that rotary buffers do and generally speaking don't remove as much clearcoat. GM's clearcoat in general seems to be harder to correct and could have to do with levels applied or thickness. No matter it can take hours to hand polish and thus why most suggest a machine.

Then use the wax, sealant, or coating of your choice to protect the time and hard work. If you want a longer period of time between applications on some scratch resistance, then look to the newer ceramic based coating systems.

http://www.autogeek.net/detailingtips.html