Well, I had someone back into me in January, and it was going to cost some 1800 to repair it (his insurance). Well instead of having mismatching paint, I said screw it, and threw 5K in for a full repaint. I was not going to have mismatching paint, even if it was blended. I'm really excited to have it fully painted, although not so excited for the bill that will come with it.

But I would like this paint job to last. The last one was absolutely amazing for the age (~25 yo), but had some swirl marks and a rock chip or two. With a good coat of wax, you couldn't see the swirls for a few days, but then they would start to show a tad.

Anybody have any advice on preventing the swirl marks?

Currently, my routine consisted of washing with a microfiber glove, drying with 100% cotton t-shirts, and then waxing with a rotary buffer and a carnauba wax. Sometimes I would clay-bar too, but usually at the first and last of a season. I'll change that to every wash now, obviously. Should I add anything or change it? Maybe drop the rotary for an orbital? I would definitely appreciate any advice.

 

Sounds like the shop put swirlsmark/holograming/buffer trails in their expensive redo? After they compounded, they probably used a product that covered up their compounding swirls and the fillers are now washing away. I suggest finishing the car out with the proper product/pad with your rotary. Then, I'd invest in some good car wash products (soap/wash mitt) & micro fiber drying towels to maintain the finish.

 

When we talk about car care we get into a lot of personal preferences and varying opinions, but I have some suggestions for you. Swirl marks are simply fine scratches that are caused by any circular motion from rotary polishing, to washing and drying to waxing.

The rotary buffer is great for use after wet sanding a new paint job and getting the initial shine but you want a orbital machine for fine polishing and waxing. The orbital with the right combination of polish products will almost eliminate all the fine scratches and swirl marks. In my opinion the Porter Cable is still the best machine on the market.

Swap the wash mit for a good car wash brush. Mits permanently trap a certain amount of dirt just like a sponge or cloth, and as you wash the surface, you continually wipe the dirt across your paint causing fine scratches. Dirt can't get trapped in a brush. The brush I'm referring to is a common car/truck wash brush attached to a wood broom handle. Here's a link to an example. Make sure the brush you purchase has a rubber bumper surround to protect your trim parts. http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/3A338 One 5 gallon bucket of soapy water is fine. Dip the brush in after each panel and the dirt will settle to the bottom and you still have plenty of clean wash water on top.

Swap the t-shirts. The same goes with diapers and terry cloth towels, these are all old school products now. For drying use the "Blade" and/or microfiber towels. Cotton traps dirt on the surface whereas with microfiber the dirt is embedded deeper and away from the surface.

I would not go overboard with the clay bar usage. Once a year should be fine as long as you maintain the finish with wax when wax is needed. How often you wax depends on how often the car is exposed to sun and outdoor elements. But you don't need to build up high concentrations of wax either. I personally like Meguiars Hi-Tech Yellow Wax. It's durable and gives a very good shine and there are many other products that will give the same result, it's all a matter of personal preference. Carnuba is still the best and avoid the "quick" waxes and synthetics because they won't last as long. The important thing is to have some amount of wax on the finish. Apply the wax with the orbital machine allowing it to polish out the fine scratches and hand buff with a microfiber towel. Look for towels with 80/20 blend being the softest, or the lesser 70/30 blend will work also. The towels are washable but do not put them in the drier. Heat from the drier will melt the ends of the fibers and they won't be soft anymore which will cause scratches if you continue to use them.

 

Sorry, I guess I wasn't clear enough. It's in the shop right now being repainted. The original paint was very beautiful, but the clear coat had developed some swirl marks. I want to prevent that in the future.

@ahoover - Thanks for the advice. Seems like I'm doing it right, just need to update what I'm using. Good advice on the microfiber and the dryer. I'll pick up an orbital too, and give that a shot.

As for clay bar, I'll probably continue to clay bar more often than once a year. I figure if it can't hurt and may help, why not, you know? Anyway, thanks for the recommendations.