Surface scratches

[anthonylee337]

On the tuxedo black paint does anyone get surface scratches? They seem to be visible during the day but disappear at night!

[mjhpadi]

They come from a variety of reasons...from using too rough of drying materials to wiping the surface while there is still dirt on it. I'm betting you need to do a paint correction. This is best done with a DA polisher like the Cable-Porter or a Flex. Start by doing a two bucket wash of the car, then clay bar the surface. Once that is finished you can go over it with a paint cleaner or go on and use the polisher with a good quality Swirl & Haze Remover. You may have to do several passes to remove most of the scratches. Once that looks good, move on to a Polish (I like Fine Machine Polish from Adam's Polishes)...a pass of that and you should be ready to protect the finish. I like to use a coat of sealant, follow that with a coat of glaze, and finally 2 coats of wax. Yes, it is a lot of time and effort but the result is worth it. Also never, never use a car wash that has anything touch your car or one that dries your car by hand, they do not use the best quality towels and will end up adding more swirls and scratches. Lastly never use a duster or a squeegee on the paint...only dry with high quality waffle pattern microfiber towels. And once used be sure to clean them properly.

[larrylu]

They come from a variety of reasons...from using too rough of drying materials to wiping the surface while there is still dirt on it. I'm betting you need to do a paint correction. This is best done with a DA polisher like the Cable-Porter or a Flex. Start by doing a two bucket wash of the car' date=' then clay bar the surface. Once that is finished you can go over it with a paint cleaner or go on and use the polisher with a good quality Swirl & Haze Remover. You may have to do several passes to remove most of the scratches. Once that looks good, move on to a Polish (I like Fine Machine Polish from Adam's Polishes)...a pass of that and you should be ready to protect the finish. I like to use a coat of sealant, follow that with a coat of glaze, and finally 2 coats of wax. Yes, it is a lot of time and effort but the result is worth it. Also never, never use a car wash that has anything touch your car or one that dries your car by hand, they do not use the best quality towels and will end up adding more swirls and scratches. Lastly never use a duster or a squeegee on the paint...only dry with high quality waffle pattern microfiber towels. And once used be sure to clean them properly.[/quote'] Great and thorough answer. Not to hijack but if I might I'd like to ask for a clarification on one point as I'm also in a learning phase on this paint correction thing. I just bought a DA polisher (Porter Cable) and I wonder about when using the rubbing and polishing compounds do you have to avoid the raised body lines or can you run the buffer over them as well as the flat panels?

[mjhpadi]

They come from a variety of reasons...from using too rough of drying materials to wiping the surface while there is still dirt on it. I'm betting you need to do a paint correction. This is best done with a DA polisher like the Cable-Porter or a Flex. Start by doing a two bucket wash of the car' date=' then clay bar the surface. Once that is finished you can go over it with a paint cleaner or go on and use the polisher with a good quality Swirl & Haze Remover. You may have to do several passes to remove most of the scratches. Once that looks good, move on to a Polish (I like Fine Machine Polish from Adam's Polishes)...a pass of that and you should be ready to protect the finish. I like to use a coat of sealant, follow that with a coat of glaze, and finally 2 coats of wax. Yes, it is a lot of time and effort but the result is worth it. Also never, never use a car wash that has anything touch your car or one that dries your car by hand, they do not use the best quality towels and will end up adding more swirls and scratches. Lastly never use a duster or a squeegee on the paint...only dry with high quality waffle pattern microfiber towels. And once used be sure to clean them properly.[/quote'] Great and thorough answer. Not to hijack but if I might I'd like to ask for a clarification on one point as I'm also in a learning phase on this paint correction thing. I just bought a DA polisher (Porter Cable) and I wonder about when using the rubbing and polishing compounds do you have to avoid the raised body lines or can you run the buffer over them as well as the flat panels?

I would really hesitate on using any rubbing compound on a clearcoat finish. It's just too harsh and even though the PC is fairly foolproof, it could be more damaging then good. But if you are using a product like Adams, I have used it on and around the raised body lines. One thing that I have found that is very important when using the DA, is making sure you have the right foam pad for the right product. Also be sure to follow the instructions on the product as to what speed you should use...with a product like Swirl & Haze Remover, I start the PC at around 3 and gradually will turn it up to 4 if necessary. Remember working the product until it flashes and then removing it immediately yields the best results. Again, you may have to make several passes to get the panel to where you want it.

[Jcl78]

I have been fairly obsessed with detailing the SHO since I bought her, mine is also tuxedo black. I am too cheap to buy a porter cable, so I used the turtle wax black box, and actually spent the time to do the steps they layed out. That is: wax applicator pad using the pre wax cleaner, then spray detailer to wipe it off, then the carnuba wax. Everything is black tinted, so it does a great job at filling in swirl marks and other scratches. That lasts for awhile, I prolong it by hand washing with a microfiber mitt, turtle wax ice car wash (what I have right now) and the two bucket method. I give her a final rinse, then dry with a waffle weave microfiber towel. I finish it off with Meguires hydrophobic detailer spray, and wipe her down with more microfiber towels. Everyone has assumed my 2010 is brand new, so I am guessing the wash regimen is working. Of course I know where all the flaws are, but I'm not telling.

[mjhpadi]

I understand not purchasing a machine to do machine polishing....sometimes I still do hand polishing. Adam's products like Revive Polish (which is actually more of a cleaner), Brilliant Glaze, and Buttery Wax are all in my arsenal for hand polishing and give great results. However, for paint correction, there is nothing like the PC or the Flex....I would love to add a Flex to my tool kit for detailing, but I can't justify the price, since I only do my own vehicles for the most part. I have always liked Turtle Wax products, but honestly after using Adam's....these high quality products are well worth the extra expense. Again, I know I sound like an Adam's sales person, but I'm not, I just really like a product that works and a company that stands behind there products if you're not satisfied with them. I rank them up there with Livernois as far as customer service.

[Jcl78]

I will be buying Adam's stuff after the Turtle Wax runs out as it is far from the best out there, but I have spent my allowance from the wife on the SHO already

[mjhpadi]

If you would like any hints once you change to Adam's don't be afraid to ask....I've used almost all of his products and think I can help if you have questions. Plus, I am proud to say that I was one of the first to get to use Buttery Wax...I got some before it was available to the public and before there were labels available. Back when it was initially introduced it was just called Butter Wax.

[mjhpadi]

I will be buying Adam's stuff after the Turtle Wax runs out as it is far from the best out there' date=' but I have spent my allowance from the wife on the SHO already [/quote']

 

With you ALL THE WAY on this...it's the reason there's not GT-500 in the stable at our house, and why I haven't gotten any new dive gear this season.....:fish:

[anthonylee337]

 

They come from a variety of reasons...from using too rough of drying materials to wiping the surface while there is still dirt on it. I'm betting you need to do a paint correction. This is best done with a DA polisher like the Cable-Porter or a Flex. Start by doing a two bucket wash of the car, then clay bar the surface. Once that is finished you can go over it with a paint cleaner or go on and use the polisher with a good quality Swirl & Haze Remover. You may have to do several passes to remove most of the scratches. Once that looks good, move on to a Polish (I like Fine Machine Polish from Adam's Polishes)...a pass of that and you should be ready to protect the finish. I like to use a coat of sealant, follow that with a coat of glaze, and finally 2 coats of wax. Yes, it is a lot of time and effort but the result is worth it. Also never, never use a car wash that has anything touch your car or one that dries your car by hand, they do not use the best quality towels and will end up adding more swirls and scratches. Lastly never use a duster or a squeegee on the paint...only dry with high quality waffle pattern microfiber towels. And once used be sure to clean them properly.

Thanks for the response-I work constantly so I would have to find someone that knows your method here in south Louisiana!

[mjhpadi]

 

They come from a variety of reasons...from using too rough of drying materials to wiping the surface while there is still dirt on it. I'm betting you need to do a paint correction. This is best done with a DA polisher like the Cable-Porter or a Flex. Start by doing a two bucket wash of the car, then clay bar the surface. Once that is finished you can go over it with a paint cleaner or go on and use the polisher with a good quality Swirl & Haze Remover. You may have to do several passes to remove most of the scratches. Once that looks good, move on to a Polish (I like Fine Machine Polish from Adam's Polishes)...a pass of that and you should be ready to protect the finish. I like to use a coat of sealant, follow that with a coat of glaze, and finally 2 coats of wax. Yes, it is a lot of time and effort but the result is worth it. Also never, never use a car wash that has anything touch your car or one that dries your car by hand, they do not use the best quality towels and will end up adding more swirls and scratches. Lastly never use a duster or a squeegee on the paint...only dry with high quality waffle pattern microfiber towels. And once used be sure to clean them properly.

Yeah, that's the biggest downside, it does take time to do a complete detail....but well worth it in the long run.

[elund126]

I have a tux black too. I bought mine used from a dealer. The paint was absolutely horrible, scrathces, swirls, etc. But, I do detailing on my days off and I knew I could get them out using some elbow grease. I use a Porter Cable DA and polished them all out. If you can't do it yourself, save up some coin and find a reputable detailer to do some paint correction.