Seems like no matter what I do to avoid them, there is no avoiding them.

Microfiber sponges, two buckets, top to bottom, frequent dipping, light pressure letting sponge do the work, rising car off under high pressure before actually washing it, etc...

In the end, I find new scratches everytime. Even when I try to polish/scratch x it barley makes a difference (by hand).

Looks like I will need to pick up one of those random orbital buffers come spring...

Which ones are good to look into? Cheaper the better but I don't want to skimp on quality either.

appreciate the help!

 

Before investing in a buffer try Maquire's or Mother's 3 step processes. There's a cleaner, a polish, and a wax. It is a pain because you are essentially waxing the car 3 times but when you are done there are no swirl marks and what a shine. I had a black Dodge Dakota and I would do all 3 steps when the swirls started showing and it was back to perfect black.

A clay bar may also help to keep from rubbing in contaminants.

Save the buffer for when the paint is really damaged.

 

I have a craftsman 7" or 8" model. I apply by hand and remove with the best pads I can find, then I spot touch by hand with the same pad... I do this wil the 3 step metioned above and it turns out like glass.
-nick

 

dont worry your not the only one I have them also came that way from the dealer. bought it at night couldnt see them but yes I do notice more every time also using the same methods your using. Plus with the dent someone gave me ...... well life goes on. I will probably try something in spring also.

 

You should stop using car washes. Their brushes can really mess up your paint in the long run.

 

I wash my own always. Never car washes.

 

Also always wash my own. But feel I have to with invisible vinyl protection.

My car came back from stereo, camera, dvd work the other day and it was dark by the time I got back home. Next morning noticed good sized, deep scratch in paint. Can't hold stereo store accountable cuz it was way too long after....had been in a public parking lot briefly...and out in driveway all night.

Damn.

 

Your first best defense against swirls is a good coat of wax. Like Chadfo said, using a good 3 step system is best. At minimum use a good brand wax. I've used some that are cheaper or thinner and they don't last more than a few washes. Mothers and Meguiars are my favs. You can go expensive with something like Zano Bros. if it makes you feel better.

After that is the materials you use. Always use a separate bucket for your wheels and tires than you do for the body. Wheels cleaner is bad for paint and brake dust is just going to add to the scractches. Personally, I don't like sponges. Even the nicest ones feel rough to me. I like using those furry mits cause they're ultra soft and still hold a lot of water and suds. Plus it's hard to drop a mit, and if you drop what you're using, whether it's a mit or sponge, that's a nightmare.

I've read several times that the majority of swirls and scratches come from drying the car. If you missed a spot, even a tiny one, you'll drag that dirt across the area when you're drying the car. I read that the friction from dragging a chamois across paint causes swirls too. As for those blades, a long time ago I used one on the whole car. But then one time there was dirt or something and when I drug it across it scratched the paint. Luckily it wasn't horrible and wax made it disappear. Now I only use a blade on the windows. I use a chamois, just because it's the easiest. But I got some of those Zorbee (or whatever they're called) for Christmas and I may try those. Micro fiber towels are suppose to be good for drying, but I never had much success with them absorbing a lot of the water.

In the end, I think on a dark colored car it's pretty much impossible to never have swirl marks. You can minimize how bad they get, but I've never seen anyone abl to totally prevent them. I helped my friend wax his black Supra with Zano Bros. and even after a few washes it had swirlies again.

Oh and remember that with a buffer, if you don't know what you're doing, you can royally screw up the paint.

 

Well I have done all the necessary things to prevent, including quality waxes and cleaners.

I use the Maguires 3 step system, plus scratch x and the tech wax. So i'm using quality stuff.

Im gonna pick up an random orbital buffer come spring just to help with the job, otherwise, my arm will fall off.

Oh well, its life ;) Its just sad how hard it is to prevent it!

 

I use tech wax as a final coat and like the finished product looks, but I don't really feel like it holds up that well to scratches and such. Once spring rolls around I'll probably try something different. The good news now is that I have a nice thick layer of salt protecting my paint

 

oh the joys of driving a black car! i drive a black rx8 also and its paint looks horrible unless i wax it to the point that the shine overpowers the swirls

 

I'm probably one of the only suckers who went with the simonize that the dealer puts on. I won't get into the reasons I had it done, but it looks to me that it has made a big difference.

Do I need to wax since I had that done?

 

I don't know, the dealer told me that if I had it done I wouldn't ever have to wax the car. I didn't do it primarily because of cost, and because I saw a car that had it done, and the shine just wasn't the same. I think it's good if you don't have a garage, and might have to go for a while and not be able to wash the car.

 

The thing that drew me to it the most was that my xB is white, and having owned a white car in the past I know how tar and other junk can get stuck around the wheel wells, etc. I figured with a 5 year guarantee I would go for it. I was amazed at how shiny and bright the paint job was/is after the Simonize was applied. It's super easy to keep clean.

 

i bought my classic silver metallic xB less than 2 weeks ago. a great happy note, of course, but all good things come to an end, i guess.

after work today, i noticed 2 chip marks measuring less than a quarter of an inch each on my drivers side door. i park on a permit only parking lot for work and i am appalled and greatly aggitated that someone so irresponsible would carelessly swing open their door to hit mine, without maliciousness i'm assuming.

i am deeply saddened, to say the least. upon arriving home i immediately called the toyota/scion dealership to inquire about touch up paint. they have one touch-up paint pen left!!! unfortunately, i have to wait till the weekend to rush over to the auto part department to purchase the pen. i'm crossing my fingers it's still available.

 

Definitly do the three step, just not by hand, the polish won't shine up to it's potential by hand. Spend the money and get the best orbital buffer out there, the Porter Cable 7424. You can usually find one for right around $100. I went from a cheapy 10" craftsman orbital to the 7424 and did my car in about an hour and a half, as opposed to 4+ hours with the cheap one and with a heuge difference on shine and depth.
Kiiski

 

which three step polish system do you recommend?

 

Are there dents too? I wouldn't be surprised if the chips are from stones or something tossed up from the road. I would think if a door hit your hard enough to chip the paint, it would've dented too. Either way that's the suck.

That's the one thing I'm disappointed in on my xB. The paint is thin and the primer is white(or really really light gray). So on my BBC paint any chip, even really tiny, shows up big time. Would have been nice if they used a dark primer for dark colors. My VW was really dark blue, and even with chips on the front end, they didn't stand out because the primer was really dark.

 

If you are worried about the drying process leaving scratches, there is a little known method that is quite effective. use an electric leaf blower. I am not being facetious, it really does work and being no-touch will not scratch unless you're doing it in a dusty environment. I also use the mr. clean autodry car wash kit. It does regualr wash / rinse, soap mix and a filtered rinse mode for the water sheen effect that helps with spots. Only pain is having to change the filter cartridge every few washes but it works well. For your situation, I would:

1) Do the three step Maguires thing, the competing Mothers product, or the Turtlewax ICE bar, wax and detailer.

2) Buff if scratches are still present, then re-wax

3) Use the mr. clean for weekly (or whatever your wash interval is) cleaning

4) Dry with forced air (i.e. leafblower)

5) Rewax as needed (monthly, every three months, before and after winter as a minimum)

I'll be starting this again when show season kicks off, don't ever use the automatic car washes, be careful with the hand pressure washes (I only use them in winter to knock the road grime off) and if you need to, get it detailed once in a while by a good place.

 

the two chip marks are aligned one directly on top of the other, fortunately without a dent in sight. i'm assuming its a car door that gently banged into my car door. chances are it's more than likely.