Doublebase

So it's really cold and snowy around here and I haven't been able to hand wash my car, so I took it to a car wash. Just got it home and it looks like someone ran millions of little razor blades across the paint. I'm assuming these are paint swirls. Can these be removed by hand waxing?

I'm pretty shocked and pissed this happened. To add insult to injury, I asked the guy if the car's undercarriage would be sprayed, he said , yes if you go with "gold wash". It wasn't.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

waxing it only hides the swirls, sooner or later they will come back again. the only way to fix it is to polish all the panels to remove the swirls

tbilisi79

You can use a clay bar.
Clay the whole car,
Cleaner
Polish
Wax.
By hand!!!
Should look much better after .

Also avoid washing the car after salty road conditions. Always hose the car down really well first to get any salt off.

Also washing the car too often is not recommended . Wash as needed but don't over do it.

I had wash all my cars. But obviously it's not always possible.

Good luck

Doublebase

Well I tried waxing it...it does look better, but I'll try clay bar, polish, then a wax, later on.

Lesson learned...I'll never take my car to a car wash again.

Devh

There are many different ways to diminish swirls marks but only one way to actually address them which is a rotary polisher in expert hands. This method is quick and the results are out of this world because it not only removes the swirls it also burnishes the paint. The drawbacks are that it has the potential to burn the paint if you are not skilled. You can get this done by an expert detailer for around $150 and if you wash your car carefully afterwards the appearance of swirls will not come back for many years. Worth the investment in my opinion.

By polishing the car using your hand or an orbital polisher (porta cable) you can diminish the sharp edge of the scratch which makes the marks less visible, which is good for the time being until you can get the proper paint correction. Some disingenuous dealers will use glaze to hid the swirls which comes back after a few washes.

Doublebase

Thanks, I think in the spring something like this might be a worthwhile service I'll look into .

greg3852

First thing I do in the spring is take it to have it professionally detailed. Only the outside.

He makes it shine and gives me a good base to work from that allows me to keep it looking great all summer. Cost is just over 120 bucks and well worth it.

Devh

I learned how to use a rotary polisher on an old Camry and progressed to a friends Miata where I got over confident and burned a little paint. After doing enough cars I finally understood how to use a rotary polisher with the right technique but it wasn't easy. It's a skill that requires a great deal of fineness and not all detailers that use a rotary are created equally.
My advice is to try and find a mobile detailer and contact them over the phone. Ask the detailer about your concerns and what goes into the detail. If the guy doesn't seem to know much then you can politely decline the service. A good paint body man would probably give you the best detail bar none.

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

Yes - what you're explaining are swirl marks. Swirl marks are micro scratches in the clear coat of the vehicle that are introduced when improper washing and drying methods are used. Clear coat is incredibly fragile, and as you've experienced, it only takes one poor wash to absolutely trash the paint of a vehicle.

CLICK HERE to read about the 3 bucket wash method. The safest way to wash your vehicle and help prevent swirls & scratches.

You may also be interested in reading an article I wrote about 'The Cost Price of a Cheap Car Wash' that features a Lexus IS250 that was washed by a dealership "detailer" and was scratched to death... which is completely common unfortunately.


^Correct. Waxes contain fillers that help to mask these minor defects which provides a temporary fix to your situation. In some cases, it makes sense to use a filling product, but for many of us, we prefer to polish the surface to truly remove these defects.


^While detailing clay is an important part of the detailing process, it does nothing to remove swirls, and actually will cause swirls if it is not used properly.

It is recommended to wash your car once a week if possible, or at least twice each month (assuming the vehicle is driven regularly). It is also important to maintain a healthy layer of protection on the paint. If you use a traditional carnauba wax, you should be reapplying every other month or so. If you use a polymer sealant, you should apply 2-3 time each year. If you've opted to invest in a ceramic paint coating, well you're covered for a couple of years with good a maintenance routine.


^This will surely yield better results.


The following photo shows various types of common paint defects. Notice how the defects are shown as voids in the paint ranging from minor swirls to deep scratches that have penetrated the clear coat and damaged the base coat and even the primer. It is important to understand that in order to remove the swirls from the paint, you actually have to remove a thin layer of paint.




Automotive paint is extremely thin. Most OEM clear coat these days measures below 80 microns. To give you a point of reference, this is approximately the same thickness as a sheet of paper.

This photo shows the paint thickness readings on a 2011 BMW M3. This reading shows total film thickness which includes primer, base, and clear... so we can assume the clear coat is usually about 1/2 of the total thickness shown here.




The paint correction process utilizes high speed machines (dual action polishers are preferred. NOT rotary machines) combined with polishing pads of various aggressiveness and polishing compounds that contain various degrees of micro-abrasives. When these pads & products are rubbed across the surface, they remove paint and effectively level the surface to produce a flat, glossy finish.

You can see here that with a careful 2-step machine polishing process (using a DA machine), I was able to restore the paint of this M3 and remove the vast majority of all defects from the clear coat.





Rotary polishers are actually becoming an obsolete tool in the eyes of many paint correction specialists. Dual action polishers as well as polishing pads & liquids have taken a major leap in technology over the past 5 or so years and we are now able to produce a tremendous amount of cutting power with DA machines in a much safer and precise manner. Rotary machines are downright dangerous in the hands of an amateur and can cause permanent damage (that requires a repaint) very easily. Dual action machines are safe... even for a beginner! and quite affordable to.

Paint correction is not a quick process. Careful polishing takes many hours. Depending on the current condition of the vehicle, and the final goal, I have spent upwards of 30 hours alone on polishing... granted that is not always practical, but it is a time intensive process nonetheless. The guys who whip around a high speed polisher simply aren't doing it right.







If you've got any questions on detailing, please don't hesitate to ask. If you're seeking a high end professional in your area, please let me know and I will do my best to recommend someone to you. Detailers are a very networked group of individuals and I know people who do great work across the country. In any case, I am always happy to help in any way I can, so please don't hesitate to reach out!

-Zach

Doublebase

Zach, thanks a million! Very informative and those pictures you provided are exactly what the paint looked like after the car wash got through with it. I already waxed it and it does look better, but like you said...that is not the solution. I will get it detailed in the spring and I'll hit you up for some recommendations in the southern New Hampshire area.

Thanks again.

Need4Speed

Good information provided by: ***zmcgovern4**
Thank you...for sure it can help some car lovers like our self....

lbintab

iTrader: (1)

I used a Rupes polisher and a series different chemicals and polishing pads on my sc430. I used that car to practice. Practice is what it takes.

Nospinzone

I also bought a Rupees polisher (Duetto model) last year. I started with my wife's car for practice. I told her that I was doing her car first because I loved her and wanted her car done before the others.

See saw right through that and knew I was practicing on her car!

I admire you for practicing on an SC430, that's something I wouldn't have the guts to try.

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

Thankfully DA polishers are incredibly safe... even in the hands of a beginner. As long as you use some common sense, the chances of you damaging the paint are very small.

In my opinion, every detailing enthusiast should own a DA machine like the Griot's Garage 3rd Gen Polisher and learn the basics of correction & polishing paint.

-Zach

FSportIS

iTrader: (13)

Hey you have brainwashed me enough to buy that Griot Garage polisher and a bunch of pads and polishes and I'm about to do my very 1st machine polishing and paint coating ever in this upcoming weeks