Ok guys...

I'm getting swirls and I was really hoping I could avoid this as much as possible.

 

Be a little more specific. Are you going through car washes or washing by hand??? The clearcoat on these things leave a lot to be desired;IE very soft and prone to scratches.

 

washing by hand!

I have a cloth type wash thing...

I do need to wax the thing if that will help anything.

 

www.zainobros.com

Zaino will take out ALL of your swirl marks. The dealer swirled the hell outta my black box before I took delivery, but 3 coats of Z-5 later, all the swirls are gone. Add to that a 9 coats of Z-2 over a few weeks, and my box has a mirror shine with no swirls.

the zaino site recommends 100% cotton towels, but I've had excellent results with microfiber cloths

 

Swirlmarks are inevitable, as are the wrinkles and sunspots on your face. It is absolutely impossible to safeguard against swirlmarks forever. The sooner you accept this, the happier off you will be. Become one with the swirlmarks.

 

make sure whatever you use to wash your car is really clean before you start...rinse it out once in a while while you are cleaning and dont clean in circles

 

One of the reasons I avoid buying dark colored vehicles

What color is your Scion?

 

nope... I've been using Z-5 on all my cars, my dad's car, mom's car, sisters car... even my grandfathers OLD ___ Caddy. If you follow the whole Zaino process.. (blue DAWN wash, claybar, Z-5 and/or Z-2) there will be NO swirls at all unless you scratched the swirls in with a nail or something

 

You're a filthy, goddamned, good-for-nothing LIAR, TokyoRaver.

 

i like the dewalt buffer approach....:-D

Jeff

 

Yup dark colored cars really show swirls and scratches but they also look really cool when polished. Here's some things I do to avoid swirls:

1. Like ltj42884 said, make sure that the towels, sponges, etc. that you use are clean. The trapped dirt in them will cause swirl marks.

2. I use the double bucket method of washing. Before dipping your sponge/mitt in the bucket of the soapy solution, rinse it quickly in a bucket of plain water to remove any trapped dirt.

3. Never dry dust.

4. Waxing does help, esp. because dirt and dust will come off easier when you hose down your car before washing.

Oh and btw, I believe Z-5 is a filler and does not remove swirl marks. If your swirl marks and spider webbing are light, it will help to hide them.

Hope this helps.

 

i 2nd that idea of making sure the wash mitt and towels are clean.. I use a lambs wool wash mitt.. and to dry the car, terry cloth towels (with lots of nap).. The nap protects the surface of the paint from being scratched since anything along the surface is dragged into the nap and doesn't drag along the paint, scratching it..

Dark cars DO show more of the swirl marks.. it helps if you don't dry in a circular motion, but more of a straight line.. I've used Meguair's Scratch X scratch remover and have had good luck on the dark cars i've owned before. But in the future don't use an automatic car wash, or the brush in a manual (public) car wash.. they are known for ruining paint jobs..

and again i 2nd the idea that a good coat of wax will help dust come right off of the car when hosing the car down before washing..

this should help reduce those swirl marks.. let us know how it goes

 

The best thing i can tell you is to touch the paint as little as possible. I use either a laser wash automatic car wash, or the high pressure quarter a minute car washes. I never wash my car with brushes or mits. The dry it with eagle one wax as you dry and an absorber. This seems to keep the surface lubricated so that it doesn't get swirls. This has worked for 6 months on my bsp with no really noticeable swirls. The other thing is to keep it waxed really well, i try to wax mine twice a month. The better the wax, the easier it is to clean, so thats less touching.

This may not be right, but I have had good luck with it so far.

 

Yes I own an IIP xA.

The last time I washed my car I washed it in straight lines rather than circles. I guess it's too late to tell if it made a difference.

I'll have to check out this zainobros stuff, can you find it in regular automotive stores and does it give detailed instructions like Tokyo was mentioning??

 

No, Zaino is not sold in regular auto stores. You order it from:

http://www.zainostore.com/

They have very detailed instructions on the website. RPM

 

It is difficult to keep from getting swirl marks but how you take care of your paint will determine how much you will have and how boldly they will stand out.

Keep your paint clean. I used to use 100% cotton terrycloth towels but I've recently switched to the microfiber towels. Wax it as often as possible to protect the paint.

I've never tried Zaino so I can't attest to its performance but I have used Mother's and Mequiar's polishing systems with great results. They start with a pre-wax cleaner that removes old wax, grime, etc. Then a sealer or polish is applied which really hides the swirls. Finally a coat of wax is applied. I used these systems on the black Dodge Dakota I had and on my Camouflage XB. When I was done there was nothing but shine.

I just used it to prep for a show last weekend. This is how it looked.

 

I use an orbital buffer on mine. To remove swirls you pretty much have to have one. I bought this one here a while back: http://properautocare.com/porcabpolac.html (Porter Cable 7424 Dual Action Polisher) I also buy my buffer pads from them as well. This buffer is safe to use. You cannot burn or damage your paint with it. Unless of course you drop it on your car!
I wax mine about twice a month with Meguiar's NXT Tech wax. In between I use the Meguiar's NXT Tech Booster spray. If I get any bad swirl marks or anything I use Meguiar's #83 (For swirls) then maybe #7 and then some NXT. The #83 is very good. These are the tan looking bottles (pro) not the maroon ones you see at part stores.
For washing an drying I only use microfiber towels. I also use a sheepskin mitt to wash too. Another way you can do it is to buy a cheap mitt like from Wal-Mart or something and wash with it and then throw it away. For drying I use a waffle weave microfiber towel.

I buy my microfiber stuff here:http://www.pakshak.com
If you use something like the absorber it will leave scratches. You may not think it will but it will! They'll be fine scratches that you can't really see. And the more you have the less shine you will get. Also if you want to learn more here is a great place to start: http://www.autopia.org/index.php

 

here is what Ive learned from 24 years of washing cars and showcars. Always rinse the vehicle first to remove loose crap and to soften up the dried bugs. ONLY wash a vehicle in the shade or indors ths sun is one of your worst enemies. Find the softest brush on a handle you can find and a bucket that it fits into. Use only carwash soap no dish detergent . Start at the top and work and rinse as you go, let the weight of the brush do the work and keep the brush wet with soappy water. once it is throughly rinsed use the california water blade to remove 80% of the water then use a microfiber towel that has been soaked with water and fully wrung out to finish the drying process. This is the best combonation of things I have come up with to protect against scratches and keeping your paint as new as possible. I have a 93 ranger that still looks new and always get comments such as who did the paint, people trip when I tell them it is the original 15 year old paint.

 

Thanks for all the input!

Definitely got more this time around than when I posted a topic a couple months ago :D

 

Nice post. I also like the service and products at pakshak (Ranney is the best).