nabeel24

Hey guys, so I got my Obsidian IS 250 F Sport a couple months ago. Since I've got my car, I've washed the car a few times. Now in those few times I had times when I didn't have my microfiber cloth to wipe it down, so I had to use a towel.

I noticed, every time I use a towel, some sort of scratch always gets on the paint... Now I know its never good to use a towel to dry it but I've had Black cars before and they never scratched that easily. For example, if there a dry water spot area and I try to clean it off by pressing just a little harder "I mean very little" it puts a scratch on the car that looks similar to swirl marks but a little deeper and more visible.
It just seems absurd that it's almost impossible to dry the car with a towel without putting some light scratches on it. Curious to know if others have gone through this or something similar...?

Let me know, anything would help. This really has me worried. Thanks.

G8rGirl

I would go to the message boards on Autopia.com. Find a local detailer with a good rep to wash and remove the scratches, then have the detailer apply OptiCoat. It's the best ever and will help prevent the scratches and swirls that are so easy to see on black paint.

tomho350

Get some coating like opticoat pro etc that should protect this for a few years.
I have the black model and it scratches in like any scenario ..

Snowrydr01

I was NEVER into cleaning a car (previous jeeps and white RX8) until i bought my black 350 f sport rwd and it shows EVERYTHING.

Head on over to autogeek.net and prepare to dive into the expensive world of exterior care. I ended up with a griots DA, poor boys black hole glaze, krueps paint sealant (thats the part that matters since its actually a hard coating over the clear coat) and some ludicrously expensive black wax. Obviously all the accessories to clean and dry as well better then i ever had been doing with my poor wash jobs before.

Once you spend the 5 hours up front the next 6 months are basic washes that take about 30 minutes using the right methodology and waxing when you can find the time or want to impress someone. You can cut that time even less by using a quality rinseless wash and blot drying or instant detailing (spray and wipe down) every couple of days to keep the contaminants off to the point of not needing to wash at all.

A lot of stuff you can find cheaper on amazon but autogeek is a great resource to start and learn.

All in i probably have $500 into all of the materials but that will last YEARS so its a one time buy in so im ok with the outlay.

Snowrydr01

These are mid process and haven't even gotten to the wax stage yet

coldsoda

excellent advice ! I too stumbled into the autogeek forums a few years ago and have since built up a decent collection of products and a quality DA polisher. The videos that Mike Phillips posted really explain how to use the machines to a beginner and uses easy to understand terms.

I ended up doing the following process on my last new car purchase:

1. Wash and dry.
2. Inspect the paint with your sense of touch and visually in bright, overhead sunlight.
3. Iron X paint and wheels - Then re-wash to remove the Iron X residues off the paint and wheels.
4. Clay - If needed. Your inspection will tell you.
5. Polish - If needed. Your inspection will tell you.
6. Apply either a Car Wax or a Paint Sealant

*source: http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...-phillips.html

I went with optigloss as my sealant of choice and am very satisfied with the results so far. It went through a harsh mid-atlantic winter and now the desert summer and shows no signs of wearing off yet.

p.s. great pics Snowrydr01

Snowrydr01

Thanks

As originally noted, i HATE cleaning cars, id rather drive them. I also have a 2.5 year old and an 8 month old so i dont have time to do the full detail that often. When making my choices it was about durability a time between applications. With this inital time comitment i now spend less time washing and worrying about future scratches. Its so slick i wouldn't doubt being able to dry with a leaf blower next wash.

Clay bar was surprisingly quick and the glaze did a "good" job of hiding imperfections but not "great". It was definitely worth putting on before the sealant. Even after the 30 minute haze the sealant was hard to buff off and i considered that a good thing since its full cure time was 12 hours and would only get stronger. Its been raining here on and of for 5 days and it still barely has water spots despite not getting the chance to wax it.

I also did not do any buffing because the added sheen was not worth the removal of material for me. I am going to do the next full detail with pinnacle swirl removal and it has a naturally degrading element so you cant over apply. It is also intended to simply soften the edges of scratches to catch less light rather them remover material down to that surface. Again, i want it to look nice but the reality is it will get scratched again and eventually you will run out of material to remove.

Another warning: Once you go down this route, any imperfections more then swirls will stand out like a sore thumb because they are no longer hidden by the seas of tiny scratches. The plus side is, the gloss is SO shiny you cant really see them unless you are looking hard.

On a final note, the is350 made me wish i had an old school square panel suv to hit the whole thing with the DA instead of trying to hand polish around complex curves and that damn front end!

Rebirthing

Or... spend 5K in XPEL full-car wrap. It'll save you all the trouble of careful cleaning and maintenance

Snowrydr01

So that would never need to get washed and magically repels dirt and water? I'm in!

Can I get it for my clothes too?

😀

Rebirthing

Periodic wash is still required of course, but at least you won't scratch it.

AndyL

I have XPEL Ultimate for full hood/front fenders/front bumpers and lights, and lower rocker panels. While the applied areas have self-healing properties, you still need to apply exterior protection products (wax/sealants/paint coating).

And it is not once and for all. Because of the shape of 3IS, I find the 1-2 spots where the film almost gets pierced and therefore left a mark on the film. It surprises me because for 2IS, I hardly found one spot where the film gets pierced through. I am comparing the damage on the film on a 7-year old 2IS vs a 2-year old 3IS.

sydtoosic

AKA, the curse of the Lexus paint. one of the most softest automotive paints known to man. i owned an OB GS F Sport... loved the car, had 3 diff coatings applied to it... let's just say i only buy white cars now. that OB looks amazing when freshly detailed... until you touch it. yes you can scratch it with a MF towel... damn shame.

corradoMR2

Welcome to the Obsidian Club!

You can also check out the dedicated Car Detailing forum in CL and ask the mod zmcgovern4 there, he's an expert detailer.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/aut...detailing-122/

Rebirthing

I agree, because I have some marks as well due to the shape of the car.
However, it's much better than not having the clear bra.... If I were to get a black 3IS, I'd go full body...since the marks on the film is relatively invisible compare to actual scratches or swirls...

Snowrydr01

I also have the factory film and i have to say im a little disappointed. While yes it will protect the paint, it has a much more pronounced orange peel effect. Also, if you have to theoretically replace it every 7 years and the other paint fade slightly, you are only protecting small section and thus causing a distinct two tone.

I have a nice rock mark in it and its great that it protected my paint but now i have to remove and replace a $500 piece of plastic that looks just as ugly (if not worse) than a rock chipped hood would have.

In summation you are protecting your paint by covering it with something not nearly as nice a good paint and you cant buff/polish/or correct like you could paint in the first place. Its like protecting your nice new car mechanically by not driving it, it just seems counter productive.

Unless you are worried about chips then rust i don't see the point (at least on just the front).

End rant

Drive it like its meant to be, have fun, do a little maintenance (goes for everything) and don't sweat the small swirl marks.