I'll be getting delivery on a Smoky Granite Mica LS in August.

On my previous two LS's I've always just used commercial car washes. I never had any damage, but I did notice swirl marks develop over the years.

I plan on keeping this LS for at least 10 years, and so like to avoid those swirl marks.

1. Isn't all of the washing, waxing, polishing, claying, etc, all being done strictly to the clear coat and NOT to the paint, so other than any UV protection, the paint itself is never affected at all?

2. After years of washing and claying and polishing, can the clear coat be worn through?

3. If swirl marks do develop, can't they just be removed by polishing?

HBH

 

1. Yes. But the clearcoat is paint. And on darker cars swirls, hazing, marring, etching, etc.. is always more noticeable because of the reflection against the clearcoat.

2. Theoretically, yes. But only becuase of polishing. Washing and claying will not remove any clearcoat. Think of polishing just like sanding wood - you're removing clear around scratches/mars to level the paint. Polish too often and you can go through the clear. But we're talking about a lot of polishing. Rotary polishers will remove more pain than a random/orbital, as will wet-sanding. Use a PC 2-3x per year to polish out light swirls, and practice maintenance that will prevent them and you need not worry about going through the clearcoat.

3. Absolutely. And they will - there's no way for a daily driver to avoid swirl marks. Ironically, incorrect washing practices are the leading cause of swirl marks. Wash the right way and keep the paint protected with your favorite wax and/or sealant and you'll be on the right track.

Congrats in advance on the new car!

 

Well said VroomVroom

 

Good job Jerry....well said. You should go to the product evaluation thread and tell us about your favorite products.

HBH
You are going to love the SMG. Top it off with little Pinnicle Liquid Souveran and the blue/green metallic flakes just jump out at you.
Which interior color did you opt for?
Lloyd

 

blue/green metallic flakes? on the Smokey Gray mica?

Actually, there aren't many choices available on that model. Only 4 exterior colors, and for the Smoky Gray Mica, only one interior color available, light gray maple with the dark gray birds-eye maple wood.

My first choice would have been the Spinel Mica with cashmere interior.

HBH

 

HBH
Trust me, The B/G metallic is definately there.
I was also unaware of this fact until I did my first detail on the ES. I was amazed. You can't see the flakes in this shot but you can see where the flakes give the SMG a B/G tint




Enjoy the new LS

 

Vroomvroom said it pretty well. With a DA buffer, like a PC or UDM, you won't have to worry about cc damage. Even with a rotary, like a Metabo (just got mind today btw), you can do alot more correction in less than half the time, but also do more damage if not used properly. It isn't as hard as people portray it, once you learn the proper way with a pc.

That said, I have a Neptune blue Mica RXh and agree with MSHybrid on the different color flakes. My Blue looks purple after some CG Pete's 53 carnauba.

 

Theres no practical way to keep a daily driver swirl free, although you can take steps to reduce the amount of swirls the paint has.