Swirl Marks Are Killing Me

[kdrchuck]

I feel like I am doing everything right handwashing the truck, but the swirl marks keep getting worse.

 

I know I have a black truck and that's tough but I have had black before. I use the same routine on my charcoal grey Jeep and It doesn't have a single swirl. My black ford didn't seem to swirl this badly.

 

2 buckets with a grate

McGuires Plush sponge mit

Eagle one or Quick detailer with microfiber towels

 

Does anyone else have similar experience?

Is GMs Clearcoat Crap?

Are swirl marks avoidable?

Any suggestions are appreciated.

[RyanbabZ71]

How are you drying the vehicle (what product)?

 

I use "the guzzler" by cobra. Great towel

 

http://www.autogeek.net/waffle-weave-drying-towel.html

[kdrchuck]

How are you drying the vehicle (what product)?

 

I use "the guzzler" by cobra. Great towel

 

http://www.autogeek.net/waffle-weave-drying-towel.html

 

 

I've been using Eagle on wax while you dry with Microfiber towels. I'm not sure the brand of the towels.

 

 

That towel looks good.

[Stevens03]

The exact reason I sold/trade my Vmax. I would take an entire day with the porter cable and make it look BEAUTIFUL, then about a month later, it would look like I've never touched it.

 

I tried shammies, different types of towels and even reverted to a leaf blower and micro fiber towel to finish dry. That was the best quite frankly. The leaf blower would make it mostly dry, then just finish polish with a micro fiber towel. It was the least amount of contact to the paint.

[fbachman]

I had a black truck ONCE, and only once --- I learned my lesson.

 

My wife owned a BMW 325i 20 years ago. When she sold it about 15 years ago, i detailed it prior to it being sold, and the thing looked like it was just out of the showroom at 156,000 miles. Not a swirl mark to be seen. Sure there were dings from rocks and the such along the front of the hood, etc, but, generally, it looked like it was just bought.

 

I owned a black F150 in the 2001 time frame, that i traded after 16months --- mostly because of the paint. In the sun, if ya got the angle just right, and looked at the passenger side door, you could see what looked like a hologram where you could see that someone at the factory made a lazy "zorro" Z with a grinder. It was about 11in tall.

 

The front fenders looked like they had *dapple* paint... bronze colored. It was attributed to rail dust.Swirl marks were prominent all over the vehicle, but the least of the paint problems. Ford, to be fair, actually send out a DuPont Rep to look at it. Their response after putting their electric eye on it was "Oh wow".

 

DuPont told me, quietly, to steer clear of black vehicles, in general, as the eviro paints make getting a good black paint job prohibitively expensive, and that most manufactureres aren't willing to to it right, or differently than other colors. Ford stood up, and offered me an advantageous trade in and I ordered a new F250SD (not black ).

 

He said high dollar vehicles (bimmers, mercedes, porsche, etc) have much more expensive paint processes than all most all of the domestics, and that is part of why you're paying the piper.

 

Is it YOU? I doubt it. I think it is the black syndrome. I learned my lesson. I feel bad for you. I would bring it up to the dealer. I mean, you have nothing to lose by trying. Black, when done correctly, is an aswesome looking color. Unfortuneately, it is also one that shows every imperfection extremely readily.

 

I buy neutral colors anymore, as much as I think the black trucks look awesome. Best of luck, and sorry you are experiencing this.

[kdrchuck]

Thanks for the input. Although it is not very encouraging.

 

I did get the $500 Quantum paint protection plan (because it's black). Hopefully I will be able to take advantage of that when I need to. My wife's last car was from the same dealer and had the paint protection and she used it once for "rust stains" from a parking garage. Water dripped from the floor above all the time and eventually ruined the paint on her hood. It was a silver/grey equinox. Now that was an easy car to care for.

[gdnelis]

In addition to some of the suggestions above, I'd recommend a Calfornia Water Blade and think you might also benefit from a foam gun (which I have not yet tried but in theory its made me a believer after reading people's reviews of them. One will be ordered shortly now that snow / salt is flying here in PA). It makes sense to me, having a presoak that foams and lifts the dirt and basically starts working before your wash mitt passes over it has a much lesser chance of scratching the paint during the cleaning than the standard "wet it down, then wipe it down" process I've used my entire life.

 

I've been a huge fan of The Absorber imitation chamois for years now, but tried out the water blade about a year ago and love it. You still need a second source for drying, but it makes fast work of larger flat surfaces. I ordered mine thinking "The bigger the better" but found the "standard" width blade to be more useful on anything but my 20' enclosed trailer.

 

I spent quite a few years detailing vehicles for a living around 15 years ago, but to be honest I've been spending a little time each day on truthindetailing.com learning more than I've ever forgot about detailing as times certainly have changed. When I used to have black cars to detail frequently for both customers and myself, I always took the extra 5 minutes to put a coat of a "fast wax" on after each wash. My product of choice that had good success with over the years was Wax Shop Super Glaze applied using a damp normal household soft sponge and taken off with the softest towel / fabric I could find. It goes on like water, lifts off with almost no pressure, and in my opinion - the less pressure you put while moving anything across black the better.

 

Hope you start to have better results - that is a lot of truck to have to "redo" heavy conditioning to often!

 

Greg

[tanked_darren]

Here's one thing I learned: I own a black truck and swirl marks are unavoidable.

 

I used to try and keep my truck looking new, but I realized this is impossible over the life of a vehicle unless you spend insane time on it, also its a truck and all the minor marks and scratches that appear over time just add character its no big deal its a truck!

 

Although next time I'm buying white....

[gdnelis]

Although next time I'm buying white....

 

 

I didn't pick Summit White this time around myself because it was all they had on the lot is all I'll say... its like a vacation compared to owning black, but I do miss the look all the time. I decided my next black vehicle isn't going to be a 22' long truck basically!

[brad519]

My truck is black and I removed the swirls with a Porter Cable and Adams pads.

I still get minor scratches that you can only see under bright work lights but thats the nature of the beast with black paint.

I would NOT use the water blade. I have one and used to use it and believe me it will scratch.

 

I rinse

Foam Gun

2 bucket wash

blow dry with leaf blower

wipe down using Adams Detail spray and Adams drying towel and/or Adams microfiber.

 

If you are using the cheap Wal Mart, Costco, etc Chinese made Microfiber that is causing the swirls and scratches. Invest in some GOOD Korean Microfiber towels and drying towel. They aren't cheap but worth it to me.

Check out Adams to get all kinds of Great advice and tips on detailing. Plus he offers a 110% guarantee if you don't like his products or they don't work he will refund your money plus shipping.

 

PS. Black Paint is a JOB not a Hobby

[mxdirtrider56]

Keep a shammie soaking in a bucket of water while you wash it. When you're done pull it out, ring it out, and dry your truck with it.

[Pumper]

It's GM paint, not you. I spend days every spring and summer getting the swirls out of my truck and I am super careful. My 2001 GMC Sierra was never this bad. The nice thing is that the swirls come out fairly easily since the paint is fairly soft.

[blackout07]

I gave up on this long ago. Every truck I have owned prior has been white and my next one will be too.

[kdrchuck]

Lots of good info guys. Thanks.

 

I think the Eagle One stuff is hurting me more than helping. After reading and thinking, that stuff takes a lot of rubbing to get right. Probably where a lot of swirls are coming from.

 

The truck is only 2 months old so I am still getting over the brand new pretty truck syndrome. This winter should take care of that.

 

Now I know why all of my dad's trucks have been white.

 

For Now; I am definitly quiting the Eagle One on the truck. It still looks good on the Jeep. Utilize the leaf blower and Absorber. I have Mcguires quick detailer, so I will use it for now.

 

Would waxing, or applying more coats of wax help my truck at this point?

[brad519]

Would waxing, or applying more coats of wax help my truck at this point?

You should definitely put some wax on the paint. It's not really going to prevent swirls but it will help protect the paint. But don't go buy turtle wax...its crap. I use Adams Americana but its costly pick up some Meguiars NXT or Gold Class use light coats and apply more than one coat.