They're baaack....
 

Well its been a few weeks since I completed my entire 370z detail using the Adams line up...

Today after washing the car I noticed in the direct sun light some very minor swirls...:shakes head:

Now im not to sure how I have managed to reintroduce these bastards to my paint, but I did. I have washed the car 4 times since the paint correction and each time using the 2 bucket method with grit guards and 2 mits...

Now im looking at all my products and wondering is the culprit something im using or is it me? or is it possible that its inevitable no matter how I touch my paint???

I am following the 2 bucket method, I inspect the mit each time after scrubing it on the grit guard and rinsing it in the water and it seems completely debris free...

In the mean time I went ahead and corrected the rear quarter panel back to perfection, I will continue to wash using the 2 bucket method but I will not dry that section with the great white drying towel to see if that could be it...

Any input from the pros would be appreciated, my Z is black so I know keeping it perfect will be impossible but any advice would be appreciated.

When you dry you should blot the paint.

Thanks.
I'll try that, I been for the most part holding it by 2 corners and pulling it towards me when drying...blotting it sounds like a "swirl safe" method, im going to pick up a leaf blower this weekend also...Hopefully it was my poor drying techniques that caused those swirls....

I'm not sure if you do this but after you're done washing, you should take the nozzle off the hose and let water pour out of the hose and go over the z so it creates a sheeting action. The towel absorbs water better once the towel is damp.

Also, another thing you should pay attention to is how much downward pressure you exert on the wash media and your drying towel. You should really only be guiding both with no additional pressure, sheeting the water off the car and also investing in a blower. Most of the paint colors on the Z are pretty soft and sensitive to marring so in that regard, it is always going to be a challenge to maintain a swirl free finish.

Thanks fellas!

Ya I actually enjoy "sheet rinsing" the Z, the wife thinks its crazy lol...I'll have to try drying with the towel damp, maybe hit the glass with it first...Good point about pressure on the mit and towel, I try to be smooth about it, but i'll pay closer attention when washing not to put to much pressure on the mit.

Investing in a leaf blower this weekend for sure, also wondering about a foam gun...Probably would help to lay down a layer of suds prior to hitting it with the mit, perhaps create a little fluid film lubrication lol :rolleyes:

Thanks for the input guys :tiphat:

The swirls I assume were all gone when you finished polishing correct? You had looked at it in the same kind of light and so forth?

What kind of wax or sealant did you use when you finished? Keep in mind if it was a wax... especially a paste wax, that they have swirl filling abilities, and it is highly possible that you had filled them and now with the washing they are showing up again.

You could wash and dry the car ( move passed the whole towel method and just buy an electric blower, less chance of marring ) and wax an area and see if that fills in an area, but allow it a few hours to cure and such at least before you make your conclusion.

Just a few things to try out.

Also if you use all the Adam's products... ask Dylan if their wax has the minor scratch filling abilites and if so it would be more worth it for right now to just layer on 2 or 3 coats of wax instead of going back over the whole car and removing them... though you might be able to use a cleaner wax if they are very light surface marring.

Was the car cleaned to remove oils and what not after polishing and inspected prior to applying LSP/Wax?

Also you could try keeping the mitt away from the grit guard in your "clean" water bucket and just agitate it high up in the bucket. You could be swirling any debris below the grit guard back into the mit.

Im sure theres a few other things but thats all i can think of ATM.

Thanks for the reply...Yes after I finished polishing it with the fine machine polish step I inspected it very closely and absolutely no swirls remained...(there was one or two spots on the car that had slight scratches that I didnt remove 100%, but aside from that all swirls were gone).

I actually waxed the car the next night using Adams machine superwax....I applied a few coats within a week of finishing polishing it. its been sunny almost everyday since finishing it and I would have definitely noticed the swirls right away, had any remained. I'll try waxing one panel with a few coats to see if it helps. I picked up a leaf blower, im not going to dry the car off with a towel any more.

I always take my mitt and put it in the dirty water and squeeze it out on the ground instead of back into the bucket myself... maybe everyone does that. Every few dunks I put the hose on soaker and completely rinse the whole sponge/mitt out. It seems to do well without leaving any marring... of course when your car is white such as mine it doesn't show up nearly as bad either :tup:

I don't know much about Adam's waxes... but they have their paste wax as well... ask Dylan which one fills scratches better. Some waxes are harder than others as well and will actually help A LOT with marring. Also, make sure you are using your car wash 1 oz per gallon of water... you want a nice very slick surface that dirt can slide off on.... just a few things in case you didn't know or just think of them.

And yeah the leaf blower is definitely a better idea than a towel. There are very nice drying towels out there for sure, but air isn't going to mar the paint.. any kind of towel will... even if you don't notice, less you have to touch the paint the better.

Thanks I'll try your suggestions. I didn't wash the car again after the fine machine polish, (before applying my first coat of wax). But it didnt seem necessary, the finish looked perfect in direct sunlight...

The swirls are nowhere near as bad as the ones I had prior to correcting my paint...they seem more like spider web lines here and there, you gotta catch them just under the right angles as they shimmer a bit...

It may be like you said some dirt is getting in the wash mitt, I'll rinse the mitt out near the top rather than on the grit guard.

Thanks again fellas!

I don't wash my cars after I use the final polish either... I just got right to an LSP... never had any problems at all with it.. but a lot of the LSP's I use have a cleaner in there so maybe that has something to do with it.