Preventing swirl marks

[dquarasr2]

A few years ago I did a paint correction on my NSX. I was very pleased with the results and vowed to keep the paint in excellent shape thereafter.

I did a search and found threads on correcting swirl marks but found nothing on preventing them in the first place.

A few weeks ago I entered a car show with my 94 Miata at Autogeek.net detailing festival. I asked the reps at Meguiar's and at least two other car care product sellers. They all said there is not much that can be done if a car is used and needs to be washed every so often.

I have been using these techniques on my NSX since my paint correction 5 years ago:
- dedicated microfiber wash mitt which I launder about every 10th wash or so.
- two-bucket method, one to replenish soap (Meguiar's gold class wash), a separate clean water bucket to rinse the wash mitt after every section.
- I don't let the car get very dirty; when it is grittier and not just dusty I first laser-wash it at no-touch automated high-pressure wash.
- when I wash it I try not to press very hard to remove dirt.
- when I dry I use a terry cotton towel but DONT rake it across the surfaces, I pat the paint to get most of the water off, then dry it the rest of the way with a microfiber drying towel.
- I keep wax on it and in between waxes i use a quik-wax to always keep a layer of wax to scratch when washing, rather than scratch the paint.

After 5 years i am STILL getting some light swirl marks in spite of the care I am taking.

Is it inevitable or is there something I can do to stop damaging the paint?

 

[RedWings]

There are some pro-applied polymer products on the market that are harder than wax and last 6 months or longer...
usually found at high end detail shops
That sort of protection can probably help
Opticoat Pro is one brand name

 

[JD Cross]

I think some of the damage comes from the wash mitts and other cloths
I read some time ago that some synthetic materials like nylon are harder than the clear coat and will leave scratches.
I've only used 100 % cotton on my car but even then I have swirl marks.

 

[JoseJA1979]

two things to try...

1. add a grit guard to your rinse bucket. Use it to scrub the dirt out of your wash mitt before dunking it back in the soap.
2. stop drying the car with a towel or anything else but air... I use my leaf blower and it works very well and is pretty quick.

 

[The King]

two things to try...

1. add a grit guard to your rinse bucket. Use it to scrub the dirt out of your wash mitt before dunking it back in the soap.
2. stop drying the car with a towel or anything else but air... I use my leaf blower and it works very well and is pretty quick.

MasterBlasters work great also.

 

[FF Drifter]

As Jose suggested, a grit guard will go a long way. The other thing I do is to use a regular microfiber instead of a wash mitt. I use one for the upper part of the car (hood/roof/trunklid/spoiler/upper doors) and a different one for everything else (the lower 'dirty' parts of the car). The upper microfibers I wash just once and next time they are used as lowers ~ the lower microfibers I throw out after use. A big stack of microfibers from Costco is really good for this.

Also for a car wash, you can try to avoid any direct contact with the surface at the car in general. A touchless wash or a soap-spray from a hose can fulfill this role, although personally I think this is never as clean as using a wash mitt or the microfiber technique I described above.

 

[dquarasr2]

Thanks for all the feedback and PMs, guys

 

[B2FiNiTY]

After 5 years and light swirl marks? That's not a big deal at all. All it would take is a few hours with a polisher and a light polish and it'll look like new again. Not too bad for 5 years I'd say.

 

[dquarasr2]

Given that when I did the first paint correction the cut pad turned pink (and I understand from other threads that formula red had a tinted clear coat) I am really trying to do as little invasive as possible. I will try a mild polish and see. Thanks for your input.

 

[FF Drifter]

Polish is a liquid abrasive. You will lose a little paint each time you do it; it is basically liquid sandpaper. Personally I think once a year is fine, wax also helps to mask swirl marks but unless you're showing the car under bright lights there will probably always be swirls that are not worth correcting every single time you catch them.

 

[B2FiNiTY]

I think I know what you mean but just to be clear, I hope you're not losing paint when polishing but rather just a part of the clear coat.

 

[Nukem]

As Jose suggested, a grit guard will go a long way. The other thing I do is to use a regular microfiber instead of a wash mitt. I use one for the upper part of the car (hood/roof/trunklid/spoiler/upper doors) and a different one for everything else (the lower 'dirty' parts of the car). The upper microfibers I wash just once and next time they are used as lowers ~ the lower microfibers I throw out after use. A big stack of microfibers from Costco is really good for this.

Also for a car wash, you can try to avoid any direct contact with the surface at the car in general. A touchless wash or a soap-spray from a hose can fulfill this role, although personally I think this is never as clean as using a wash mitt or the microfiber technique I described above.

I use three different wash mits. One for the upper part of the car (same section as you described, then another for the lower, and then another for the wheels and wheel archs.

- - - Updated - - -

I think I know what you mean but just to be clear, I hope you're not losing paint when polishing but rather just a part of the clear coat.

Your right

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KP-eAddv2sk?list=PL2e_x_m8k8qCaSIxaKxZDRjGHmR-CbWJR" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[vivanshah]

for me, the ideal solution would be to do a full car paint correction, and then cover the car with one of the "self healing" clear bras. quite pricey though...

 

[Lostbuckeye]

I know some Lambo and F-car owners that covered the entire car with a clear bra. Even Spurs basketball player Tim Duncan had his GTR covered that way. That's an expensive way to prevent swirl marks. Though maybe over the 10 years that the bra is warranted you could save enough in paint correction cost to pay for it.

 

[brettowen]

As Lostbuckeye knows, outside of the nose and mirrors, I'm not a fan of clear wrap. IMHO, I just don't think it shines or has the appearance of the OEM finish. A couple years ago I had a paint correction done on my '91 and the difference was night and day. After the correction was complete, to protect the finish the technician applied a sealant (Gtechniq). This product/process was guaranteed for 4 years but I'm thinking I may not have do it again as long as I'm careful during the wash/dry process. If I ever do get more swirlmarks than I can stand, I'll just have the polymer sealant removed and reapplied. In theory, the clearcoat is never disturbed. Bottomline: If you don't want swirlmarks, don't touch your car, ever. Especially when washing it. Since that's not realistic, I use a clean mitts and two bucket method and as little pressure as possible to remove dirt. Then I dry with a leaf blower. And I STILL get the occasional swirlmark or two.

If you haven't seen them already, there are some great car detailing videos at http://www.ammonyc.com/.

 

[Old Guy]

As Lostbuckeye knows, outside of the nose and mirrors, I'm not a fan of clear wrap. IMHO, I just don't think it shines or has the appearance of the OEM finish.

If by clear wrap you mean paint protection film, I agree that the shine / appearance is not as good as the factory finish. My NSX had a repaint forward of the doors and the spats behind the rear wheels because of hundreds of tiny paint chips. To avoid a repeat of the gravel rash, I had the same areas plus the mirrors covered in 3M film. From a distance, the film is not noticeable; however, once you are within 2 m of the car, the difference in the gloss is quite visible.

That said, I am happy that I did the PPF. We have winged carnivores around where I live. If whatever small animal they had for supper doesn't get completely digested, they puke up the remains. My car was in the shade of a tree when one of these guys decided to cough up some fur, bones and other stuff, probably including some stomach acid for good measure. The big blob of stuff landed on my headlight door and after drying pretty much bonded with the PPF. It would not completely wash off with a pressure washer and I ended up having to use one of those 3M pads to get the remains off. It did leave what looked like a burn mark in the PPF. The PPF installer said that they can restore the PPF; however, he suggested that since it was on the headlight door it would be faster to just pull the film and replace that small area. Haven't bothered to do that yet. - Didn't see that one coming!

 

[Houstonbuckeye]

I have used Griot's Paint Glaze to hide the swirl marks. I didn't want to remove any more clear coat, so used the paint glaze and am very pleased with the results.