| Author | Message | ||
| Willis Huang (Willis360)
Intermediate Member Username: Willis360 Post Number: 1151 Registered: 8-2001 |
Thanks for the link, Jack. I think my detailer uses that brand. | ||
| Jack Fried (Jack360)
New member Username: Jack360 Post Number: 28 Registered: 6-2001 |
Willis: In addition to Griot's and Proper Auto Care, a great source for microfibre towels, including the larger (waffle weave type) drying towel, is Microfibre Tech --http://www.microfibertech.com/towels.html The grey waffle weave drying towel is one of the softest out there -- much softer than Griot's yellow version or the Big Blue Drying towel. Holds a little less water than the others, but should be ideal for your black beauty. Their prices are also a bit better. | ||
| Jason Fraser (Jfraser)
Junior Member Username: Jfraser Post Number: 238 Registered: 3-2001 |
Sunny, I'm in the centre of Beverly Hills (there's a lot of old people here 'cos this town is fast asleep by 8pm!!) I used to live in Cheltenham which is about 30 miles from Oxford.....great town...crappy weather!!! I see from your profile that you're a Jaguar man...I've done the Browns Lane factory tour a couple of times.....I used to have an XJS Celebration, I loved that car, and it was built like a tank...I was stopped in the road making a turn, and got rear ended at about 60 mph (on a country road). The back of the car was demolished, but I walked away without a scratch. I had an XKR conv. as well, fast car, a bit clinical, and awful paint!! Anyway, enough of the bio....pleasure to meet you!! | ||
| Sunny Garofalo (Jaguarxj6)
Junior Member Username: Jaguarxj6 Post Number: 72 Registered: 2-2003 |
Jason, thank you for that detail shop recommendation. Eventually, I want a wet sand and then remove the 2-3 dozen minute door dings I've accumulated over the last couple years on my driver and bring it back up to Concours specs again. What part of LA are you in (you should join in on these So Cal drives if you can) and what part of England did you call home? I spent just over 2 years near Bury St. Edmonds (Suffolk). I really miss it there. | ||
| Sunny Garofalo (Jaguarxj6)
Junior Member Username: Jaguarxj6 Post Number: 71 Registered: 2-2003 |
Jason, great taste in detailing gear  I give a thumbs up for Autopia as well. I had two sections of scratches in the same week. Someone set a heavy object of some sort and caused a dozen and a half 2 inch horizontal scratches in my trunk evenly spaced between as if they set something on the finish and dragged it across. Then, a couple days later as I was waiting for my 3M Polishing Compound (the 3M Swirl Remover for dark colored paints wouldn't cut the mustard), someone "dripped" something on my trunk and then rubbed like HELL to get it out. So, I was left with a dime sized spot of perfect paint surrounded with countless scratches 4 inches long in an X pattern where they were rubbing like crazy. Both not caught by the security guard where I park by day at the office! Needless to say, I now have the best parking spot and right in front of the office out of the 200+ that work there. Doubly thankful since I'm saving for a 355! The 3M polishing compound will remove a minute amount of clearcoat. You can reapply a layer of clearcoat if you really have to cut deep. Unless you practice on a beater, and I mean a real beater with a orbital high speed buffer, do it by hand or take it to a pro. Clean your gear after every time you clean your car. Use separate towels for the sills and air dams and bumpers where the most grime collects and never use a dirty surface of the cloth. They're cheap enough to buy a couple of dozen to dedicate to a particular section. | ||
| Jason Fraser (Jfraser)
Junior Member Username: Jfraser Post Number: 237 Registered: 3-2001 |
Crusing, I don't know where abouts on the West Coast you are, but if it's LA, and you want to have the car polished I'd go to International Detail on 2390 Westwood Blvd....310 446 0688 (ask for Freddy) Freddy has 20 years bodyshop experience, and I had him polish my car (picked it up today)...I've never let anyone electric mop the 360 before....I can categorically tell you this guy is an expert....There isn't a single swirl on it (checked under flouresant light)...He has has prepped cars for a number of concourses.... I highly recommend his work. | ||
| Matty (Liquid)
New member Username: Liquid Post Number: 22 Registered: 7-2002 |
Thanks for the warm welcome Frank. Autopia really is a great site for detailing buffs(thumbs up). Matt | ||
| Frank K Lipinski (Kaz)
Junior Member Username: Kaz Post Number: 149 Registered: 11-2002 |
Matt - I'm a contributing editor there. My handle is F-355. Look forward to seing your posts in the future. | ||
| Frank K Lipinski (Kaz)
Junior Member Username: Kaz Post Number: 148 Registered: 11-2002 |
Removing swirls and keeping them off are different topics. Both 3M and Megs make a swirl mark remover. Both products work with a random orbital buffer, which will not hurt your paint (clear coat is paint without pigment). The Porter Cable 7424 & 7426 are the most popular among detailers and Autopia. Used with a velcro backing plate and a foam polishing pad, it will remove all swirls. As stated previously, glazes have fillers that only hide the swirls and will re-appear after several washings. Most swirls are created during washing / drying / or using a quick detailer. Lots of water, rinse wash mit often, and rub in straight lines when doing any of the above. Same applies to wax..forget the label and never apply in "circular" motion...back and forth only. I'm not a Zaino fan, but for those of you who are, forget the fieldcrest cotton and try micro's instead. About 90% of Autopians have made the switch and never gone back. | ||
| Matty (Liquid)
New member Username: Liquid Post Number: 21 Registered: 7-2002 |
That was a very good read about the guy w/ the 996TT Mr. Doody. I always enjoy seeing comparison's like that. One thing i did notice that he was doing incorrectly was that he was applying the polish on the side of his Porsche in a horizontal motion. Zaino should always be applied in a vertical motion on the sides of the vehicle(doors, fenders, etc.). Hood, roof, & trunk should also be applied in a back & forth motion(downward streaks from windshield to front bumber). I just became a member at www.autopia.org also, great deal of knowledge on that site, thanks for the link. Matt | ||
| Paul Hill (348paul)
Junior Member Username: 348paul Post Number: 66 Registered: 12-2002 |
3M products are very good - I used to use "Final Glaze" on a foam mop on new paintwork. As TC says it fills the swirls rather than removes them. They have a vast amount of information on their website. Paul | ||
| TC (Houston) (Tec)
Junior Member Username: Tec Post Number: 67 Registered: 2-2002 |
3M Imperial Hand Glaze is a wonderful product. The glaze is a filler, so it actually "hides" swirls instead of removes them. The only way you can remove swirls is by removing more clear coat. You should clean the car with some type of wash that strips wax, then apply the 3M glaze, then apply your regular wax over it. I go through this process once every three or so months, and it greatly reduces the appearance of swirls. | ||
| Mr. Doody (Doody)
Member Username: Doody Post Number: 814 Registered: 11-2001 |
there's a lot of "black magic" surrounding the removal of swirl marks. i for one have never seen ANY product work except 3M stuff. one of the guys on M5 996TT boards that i troll is a total car care nutcase (he's a great guy). he wanted to test the zaino product and wrote up a huge piece about it: http://pages.sbcglobal.net/gheumann/zaino_test/ he has a friend with a black 360 and he did a piece on de-swirling (et. al.) that - it was stellar. it's at autopia - you need to be registered to get to it (free): http://www.autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4686 both are definitely worth reading through. autopia is a stellar place for detailing info. doody. | ||
| Chris Richardson (Boozy)
Member Username: Boozy Post Number: 255 Registered: 11-2001 |
A polish is sandpaper, just with a very fine grit! | ||
| rob ferretti (Robiferretti)
Junior Member Username: Robiferretti Post Number: 107 Registered: 4-2002 |
try sandpaper in the reverse direction of the swirls | ||
| Paul Hill (348paul)
Junior Member Username: 348paul Post Number: 65 Registered: 12-2002 |
Chris, You would never want to use an air compressor again (without a filter) if you opened the inspection chamber and had a look inside!!!  � Apart from a new one of course! Paul | ||
| Chris Richardson (Boozy)
Member Username: Boozy Post Number: 254 Registered: 11-2001 |
Ever notice how in a sunbeam you see lots of dust? All that dust is accelerated to your paint when you use a lawn blower. Probably not too big of a deal, but it would be better to use an air compressor. Overall even the lawn blower could be better to use than drying with any pressure using a towel or chamois and dragging dirt across your paint. I use a chamois or towel and lightly drag it across the paint to remove the water. I rinse out the chamois after each use. Then I use an air compressor to knock the water out of the cracks and lenses. Generally you don't want to use any polishes to remove swirl marks unless they are really bad. You can only do a proper polish job 2 or 3 times before you get through your clearcoat. On single stage cars (cars without clearcoat) you might get a little more. I know my 348 was single stage. If you wax your car and get your car's paint color on the rag your car is painted with single stage paint. Some products claim to be polishes but actually are non-abrasive so these are safe to use as much as you want. They will not remove swirl marks though, only a true polish (a polish is abrasive by definition) can remove swirl marks by removing enough clearcoat or paint to level it out. Just think of your clearcoat as a soft plastic (that's all it is) and don't use anything on it you wouldn't use on a soft plastic. For my paint I'll probably only use a polish once: right before I sell the car! | ||
| TAKO (Tako)
Junior Member Username: Tako Post Number: 153 Registered: 4-2002 |
Crusing, if you live in SF Bay Area, I can help you do it. I have a shop for those works... Lemme know. | ||
| Terry (Dogue)
Junior Member Username: Dogue Post Number: 188 Registered: 9-2001 |
Chris, When you say "Using a Lawn blower is not a good idea" is that because you may actually use to blow leaves and dirt in the yard? The only reason I ask is I have two lawn blowers one from out of the box has always been used for drying the cars. Am I hurting the paint? Terry | ||
| Alex Lee (Alxlee)
New member Username: Alxlee Post Number: 34 Registered: 4-2002 |
Also, use a liquid detergent instead of powdered. | ||
| Matty (Liquid)
New member Username: Liquid Post Number: 20 Registered: 7-2002 |
Forgot to mention, when washing towels & applicators in your washing machine, DO NOT use fabric softener. When drying in the dryer DO NOT use a dryer sheet. If you really want to learn the in & outs of professional detailing try & hook up w/ one of your local Zaino distributors in your area. | ||
| Matty (Liquid)
New member Username: Liquid Post Number: 19 Registered: 7-2002 |
Zaino makes a product called Z-5 thats removes swirls. I have a black car & it works wonders(you will always see some swirls in direct sunlight on a black car no matter what). Zaino also has a new flash cure accelerator called ZFX that will allow you to yield up to 3 coats of Z-5 in a single day(the more coats, the less swirls). For application use a 100% cotton applicator(put a few dabs of water on the applicator so the polish slides easier across your paint), for removal use a 100% cotton towel(fieldcrest or cannon seem to work the best, you should be able to purchase either of these brands at your local bed bath & beyond). Another good tip for the removal is to cut away the ribbed edges on the side of the towels. I've been using Zaino products for over 2 yrs. now & would recommend no other. Zaino has lots of other products than the ones i mentioned, you can check everything out at www.zainobros.com Good Luck, Matt | ||
| Jason Fraser (Jfraser)
Junior Member Username: Jfraser Post Number: 234 Registered: 3-2001 |
"Be careful. Polishing the car removes paint. You only get so much. Have a professional do it" Chris...Good advice, a Ferrari is not the car you want to learn your polishing techniques on!! | ||
| Chris Richardson (Boozy)
Member Username: Boozy Post Number: 253 Registered: 11-2001 |
Be careful. Polishing the car removes paint. You only get so much. Have a professional do it. Don't cheap out with a Ferrari. A couple car washing tips from the OCD Body Man: You can't change the wash bucket too often. Use a clean wash mit, rinsing it off with the hose isn't good enough, wash it with your laundry. Use a lot of water and soap to wash. Use the mit on only 1 or 2 panels then rinse with the hose to get all particles off then resoap. Use a compeletely different mit for the lower parts of the car, wheel wells, and wheels. These sections have much more dirt. Blow dry is good, but make sure there is no dirt in the air: a lawn blower is not a good idea. If there is dirt in the air you're sandblasting your paint. Dry very lightly with soft towels. Using as little pressure as possible on your paint when drying or waxing helps a lot. Don't let your wax fully dry. Wipe it off with light pressure while it's still wet. Mother's cleaner wax with carnauba is one of the best all around waxes out there and it's only $10 at Trak Auto. | ||
| Christopher Byrne (Scuderia512)
New member Username: Scuderia512 Post Number: 7 Registered: 2-2003 |
Drive the car and you will not see the swirl marks | ||
| Willis Huang (Willis360)
Intermediate Member Username: Willis360 Post Number: 1150 Registered: 8-2001 |
Thanks, Jason. The fiber strands look just like the Griot's microfiber towels I tried last year. | ||
| Jason Fraser (Jfraser)
Junior Member Username: Jfraser Post Number: 232 Registered: 3-2001 |
Willis, Same towels that Sunny lists, and from the same resources that he lists as well!! | ||
| Lawrence Coppari (Lawrence)
Member Username: Lawrence Post Number: 521 Registered: 4-2002 |
I use a McGuires product and a Porter Cable sander with foam pad. Works well. | ||
| TAKO (Tako)
Junior Member Username: Tako Post Number: 151 Registered: 4-2002 |
polish it.... | ||
| Sunny Garofalo (Jaguarxj6)
Junior Member Username: Jaguarxj6 Post Number: 70 Registered: 2-2003 |
Viper Microfiber Detailing Cloths, 3 to a package, $15 per package, 190,000 hooks per inch, split ends, 80/20 blend of polyester/polymide. Rated at .01 or .02 denier. http://www.properautocare.com/vipmicdetclo.html I also use a 16 inch x 16 inch final wipe towel, called the Magic Towel with 221,000 hooks, 2 for $20. http://store.yahoo.com/classic-motoring/miracletowel.html A strand of cotton has a rating of 200, human hair 20, and a strand of silk has an 8 by comparison. If there's something better then this, let me know. I have no affiliation with that site, just a very pleased customer. | ||
| Willis Huang (Willis360)
Intermediate Member Username: Willis360 Post Number: 1145 Registered: 8-2001 |
Jason, what brand of microfiber towel do you use? | ||
| Jason Fraser (Jfraser)
Junior Member Username: Jfraser Post Number: 230 Registered: 3-2001 |
I'd use microfibre (long fibred version) to dry the car and also to buff off the wax.....The problem with a cotton shirt is that if there is any dirt, it has nowhere to go, and gets trapped between the cotton and the paintwork....Microfibre lifts the dirt into the towel and away from the paint surface. If you know what you're doing polishing compound will work....If you don't know what you're doing get a pro to remove the swirls | ||
| Crusing (Crusing)
New member Username: Crusing Post Number: 41 Registered: 10-2002 |
When I got my car it did not have hardly any. Am I doing something wrong to cause them? I wash the car with a clean natural mit. Used to dry with natural shammy, and now I blow dry. I use the polymer clear coat instead of wax and buff with clean soft cotton shirts or old towels. Should I use a polishing compound to get rid of the marks? Thanks for the help. |