Removing Swirls?

[Corey06]

I have a 2010 carbon black metallic GMC Sierra, the black is really sharp when clean but a real pain since it shows everything. The trucks brand new (only 5000km), the dealers put a paint sealant on it which lasts a lifetime due to some technology so they tell me, I was also told not to go near the truck with wax and just use polishes on it because of the paint sealant. Well the truck has some swirl marks that can be seen when the sun hits it a certain way, so I was wondering if anyone knew how I could get rid of them without being able to use wax or compounds I guess since it will probably remove that paint sealant, does anyone else have this similar problem? Thanks for any info.

[RyanbabZ71]

http://www.autogeek.net/detailingtips.html

[95Sierra]

Use what you would normally use. Those dealer "sealants" are a load of shit. No wax or sealant lasts a lifetime, you're lucky if you get a year out of it.

[hrspwr]

Just clay barred my truck over the weekend. Looks like a million bucks afterwords. Will take the swirls out depending on how deep they are into the clear.

[AZSandman]

you are so right, lol the dealer "sealants" are a load of sh*t

 

The clear coat is what they are insinuating as a lifetime paint sealant......which in turn does not wax/polish. If you use proper material and chemicals you can maintain the clear coat and paint with just a little t.l.c.

As for your dealership, you are most likely supposed to bring it back to them once a year or once every 6 months for a reapplication of their "paint sealant". (here in AZ it is a "Desert Protection Plan)

(best way to describe it is just like sun tan lotion for your skin, wax is the same way to the clear coat)

After your truck is wash and dried, get a plastic bag, sandwich or garbage or store, stick two fingers in the bag and run those fingers along your paint, does it feel smooth or rough? If it is rough then there could be overspray of some sort on your clear coat (plastic bag makes your fingers approx 10 times more sensitive to feel. To remove, a claybar would be the safest way to remove the overspray. However using a claybar also strips off wax, just like buffing and polishing with a machine, don't fret though, even soap strips the wax off. A claybar with soft water in a back and forth motion will lift the overspray off and you would probably want to use a black foam pad with a buffer, and use a polish on low RPMs to remove any light swirl marks, then seal it with a hand wax of your choice, just check the wax for an abrasive factor make sure it is 1 or less.

[Pumper]

OK this is an easy one. Get yourself a Dual Action Buffer (I highly recommend one that is made by Porter Cable) next you need two types of pads for it. You will need a polishing pad and a wax application pad. Next comes the chemicals. I highly recommend a clay bar, Meguiar's Detailing Spray, Meguiar's M205, Meguiar's Hand Polish, Meguiar's NXT 2.0.

 

Start by washing the truck extremely well, dry and wait for the water to come out of the cracks. Let the truck sit in the shade for a while until the paint is nice and cool to the touch.

 

Next comes the clay bar. Work in 2'x2' squares. spray the detailing spray over the area and rub the clay on the paint until you cannot feel the imperfections any more. wipe the area with a microfiber and move to the next section.

 

Next is the M205. Now this requires the use of the Dual Action Buffer. This tool takes some getting used to, but the nice thing is that the dual action won't burn the paint. Mount the polishing pad on the buffer and prime the pad with a tablespoon of the M205. Work in 18"x18" squares. Run the polisher on medium-high speed and move at a rate of about 1" per second. it is important to go over an area 2-3 times (without adding more compound). This is because many of these paint cleaners are what are call Diminishing Abrasives. So the more you work the product the fine the particles become. Wipe off product before it dries and gets powdery.

 

If you want you can follow this step with Meguiar's hand polish. A true polish does not have any abrasives in it and will not remove swirls but it brings out all of the color in the paint.

 

Finish by applying 2 coats of Meguiar's NXT 2.0

 

You do not have to worry about that stuff that the dealer put on. it is just to scare you about doing things yourself.

 

Now remember that you should only do this whole procedure 1-2 times per year. Most of the time you can get away with just washing and waxing.

 

PM me if you need any more information (I have plenty of it).

[white07gmc]

Just watch this video and do what he does. I show this to everyone I know that want's to remove swirls our of their car/truck. Depending on the severity of the swirls I would start out with M105 then M205 followed by NXT2.0. you will then have a better then factory paint job.

 

http://www.palmbeachmotoring.net/ascg-vide...er-2-20-10.html

[NWI_#73]

Just clay barred my truck over the weekend. Looks like a million bucks afterwords. Will take the swirls out depending on how deep they are into the clear.

 

This is not true. Clay'ing will not remove swirls. Claying only removes surface contaminates.

[hrspwr]

Just clay barred my truck over the weekend. Looks like a million bucks afterwords. Will take the swirls out depending on how deep they are into the clear.

 

This is not true. Clay'ing will not remove swirls. Claying only removes surface contaminates.

 

 

Clay'ing does both as it removes the top layer of the clear as well. It is finer than water sanding, and that is why it will take a while to remove swirls depending on how deep they are into the clear.

[cerbomark]

I never heard of clay to remove swirls. You need polish or compound/polish if they are real bad. My 2 cents is to take it to a good detailer to have them removed, Then, try to prevent putting them back in by bad washing and drying habits..

[hcvone]

Clay will not remove swirls, it's made for cleaning the clear coat.

Quickly and safely removes contamination. Makes your paint feel smooth as glass!

 

ClayBar™ is a pliable, synthetic bar that quickly and safely removes imbedded contamination from all glass and painted surfaces. Used for years by automobile manufacturers and auto body shops, paint cleaning clay is an excellent choice for removing contamination that cannot be removed using conventional cleaning methods.

 

ClayBar™ is non-abrasive and works like no cleaner, compound or chemical can. When used as directed, it is safe for use on all paint finishes.

 

Use ClayBar™ to help remove the following:

 

Rail dust - Tiny, sharp bare metal shavings that can adhere and imbed into the paint finish and cause serious damage when left untreated. Over 70% of new vehicles are transported from the factory using the rail system. In many cases, new cars are stored near a railroad and becomes infected with rail dust.

 

 

Brake Dust - Similar to rail dust, brake dust is also in the form of tiny, sharp metal shavings. In recent years, asbestos brake pads were replaced with metallic brake pads, which are actually brake pads made from tiny metal or metallic shavings. Anytime a vehicle is braking; brake dust is disbursed into the air and onto the paint finish. Since the brake dust is now actually tiny particles of bare metal, this form of brake dust can seriously damage the paint finish when left untreated.

 

Industrial Fallout - A general term used for pollution and can be found in many forms. Eventually, pollution settles onto the paint finish of all vehicles and can cause serious damage when left untreated.

 

Tree Sap, Road Tar, Bug Residue, Paint Overspray, and Acid Rain Deposits -- These contaminants adhere to or imbed into the paint finish. Left untreated, they will cause permanent damage to your car's paint work by staining and weakening the protective properties.

[hcvone]

I have a 2010 carbon black metallic GMC Sierra, the black is really sharp when clean but a real pain since it shows everything. The trucks brand new (only 5000km), the dealers put a paint sealant on it which lasts a lifetime due to some technology so they tell me, I was also told not to go near the truck with wax and just use polishes on it because of the paint sealant. Well the truck has some swirl marks that can be seen when the sun hits it a certain way, so I was wondering if anyone knew how I could get rid of them without being able to use wax or compounds I guess since it will probably remove that paint sealant, does anyone else have this similar problem? Thanks for any info.

I sell to some high end dealers were we had to sign non disclosurer forms, they take regular high end products and sell it as a lifetime product, as said there is no such thing.

[hrspwr]

Clay will not remove swirls, it's made for cleaning the clear coat.

Quickly and safely removes contamination. Makes your paint feel smooth as glass!

 

ClayBar™ is a pliable, synthetic bar that quickly and safely removes imbedded contamination from all glass and painted surfaces. Used for years by automobile manufacturers and auto body shops, paint cleaning clay is an excellent choice for removing contamination that cannot be removed using conventional cleaning methods.

 

ClayBar™ is non-abrasive and works like no cleaner, compound or chemical can. When used as directed, it is safe for use on all paint finishes.

 

Use ClayBar™ to help remove the following:

 

Rail dust - Tiny, sharp bare metal shavings that can adhere and imbed into the paint finish and cause serious damage when left untreated. Over 70% of new vehicles are transported from the factory using the rail system. In many cases, new cars are stored near a railroad and becomes infected with rail dust.

 

 

Brake Dust - Similar to rail dust, brake dust is also in the form of tiny, sharp metal shavings. In recent years, asbestos brake pads were replaced with metallic brake pads, which are actually brake pads made from tiny metal or metallic shavings. Anytime a vehicle is braking; brake dust is disbursed into the air and onto the paint finish. Since the brake dust is now actually tiny particles of bare metal, this form of brake dust can seriously damage the paint finish when left untreated.

 

Industrial Fallout - A general term used for pollution and can be found in many forms. Eventually, pollution settles onto the paint finish of all vehicles and can cause serious damage when left untreated.

 

Tree Sap, Road Tar, Bug Residue, Paint Overspray, and Acid Rain Deposits -- These contaminants adhere to or imbed into the paint finish. Left untreated, they will cause permanent damage to your car's paint work by staining and weakening the protective properties.

 

Not to get into a heated debate, but your saying that it can take out metal shavings that have embedded themselves into the paint, but it will not remove swirl marks? Next why do you have to use the spray that they supply with the clay bar (believe it is just wax, also assume that you can use water), so that you do not harm your finish?

I am pretty sure it has an abrasive aspect to it and that is how it clean the contaminants off the paint. Not saying that Claybar's are the best way to go, just that it has more capabilities other than just removing contaminants. Like I stated before depending on how deep the swirls are Claybar'ing the whole thing will not work. If they are swirl marks left by a wash cloth that just scratched the surface of the clear, it will work.

[cerbomark]

Clay does not cut, it pulls the debris from the paint. I use water as my lubricant. If you didn t use a lubricant (or enough lubricant) you will see the clay stick to the finish (because it s sticky).

[cerbomark]

http://www.meguiars.com/faq/index.cfm?faqCat=Auto Detailing Clay&faqQuestionID=72&section=_72#_72

 

 

and here is how Meguires explains it.