paint care expectation: swirls and polish skills inevitable?

kenchan

no. but you can swirl it when you go to wash it (or your dealer...) using wrong tools and techniques.

sealant and wax's primary function is it makes contaminants harder to bond to the paint and provides some level of uv protection (so they say). and makes the car look prettier...if done right.

ElVee

I tried to be judicious in my wording of the topic, but I guess I fail.

Thank you for the replies. My mind is in the right place, but the words were not. I got the answers I needed/expected, though, namely: Learn polishing. It's inevitable.

Junkman2008

This is true. However, so many people are under the illusion that applying these coatings will allow them to go Tasmanian Devil on their paint without any repercussions. Like you have stated, nothing short of never touching your paint will keep it from ever being scratched but PROPER touching of your paint will keep it damn near flawless. My last video where I did the restricted wash is a good example of this. I had more dust sitting on that car than Joan River's date book and didn't leave one scratch in the paint after removing all that dust.

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Junkman2008

Yes, polishing is inevitable but there is no reason that the only polishing you should ever have to do is very LIGHT polishing. If you don't create major damage and stay on top of what little may show up, your polishing routines should be infrequent and quick. Just like someone who exercises frequently, you are only addressing small weight fluctuations instead of trying to drop 200 pounds way after the fact. Proper preventive maintenance is the key to perfect paint.

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ElVee

Thanks man, that's basically the answer I was expecting to get, but I kinda needed to hear it from the folks here who have more experience than me.

Being new to all of this, my first reaction was that if I was very careful and on top of everything and waxed regularly, I could prevent swirl marks. A very false assumption, but one I made nonetheless. By dashing away that assumption and making what is otherwise a new statement, it adjusts my approach and thus how I measure happiness/success. In other words: preventing swirls is not success. Dealing with them when they do inevitably appear and leaving behind perfect paint is success.

Ubetit

I do everything I can to prevent swirls, that's success for me. Polishing is punishment for not being successful at keeping swirls off my car.

kenchan

yah, most newbs induce swirls while waxing and buffing too...

RyanWest

Honestly if I ever have dust sitting on the Z I use my 60 Gallon husky air compressor and go to work

MacCool

California Duster here. I'm not as careful as Junkman. I accumulate a few swirls and some micrmarring, as well as occasional staining from splattered bugs. Buffing is no big deal.

Junkman2008

One thing to keep in mind is that YOU, the owner are not the only element that you are battling from paint damage. There's that fat guy brushing up against your car as he walks by or that chick with the purse as big as Texas. That's why you have to decide before you pull out of the driveway if you are going some place where parking is tight and hard to find. If that's the case, take the hooptie. That's what I do.

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ElVee

Heck yeah! I park in the boonies any time I go someplace. If I can't, or I'm going to be away for more than an hour (movie, show, game) I leave the Z at home.

I'd rather walk an extra 50-100 yards than come back to a door ding or worse. Besides, it's good for me!

Junkman2008

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Blu Z

More than one streak of white paint has appeared on my gray '98 Ranger from people being careless with their doors at the office. Because some coworkers wanted to see it, I've driven the Z to work one time & had to do some strategic placing of work vehicles the day before to make sure I wouldn't pick up any dings.
Whenever possible, the Z gets parked in the back 40.

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cheshirecat

What a strange thread.

Coatings over the paint will help minimize swirls in the clear (as you aren't working directly with the clear at that point), but it's important to remember that *you*, the owner, is who creates these swirls in the first place.

The softer the paint, the easier it is for swirls to form on the surface. Sometimes just using a cheap microfiber is enough to create maaring.

Wax, sealant, opti-coat, or a layer of anything that prevents particulates from moving over the clear coat surface itself will help minimize swirls, but the best thing to do is to remember that whenever you touch a panel it should be well-lubricated to the point that dirt will be encapsulated in whatever detailing product you're using and pulled away from the paint before removal.

no amount of wax, sealant, or hard resin (like opticoat) is going to prevent damage to your paint without proper technique. *with* proper technique, these coatings can help you be a little more reckless in your treatment of the paint without having to worry about damaging the clear. this may mean you will be able to use a lower-quality microfiber, get away with using less detailing spray on a lightly soiled vehicle, etc.

cdumitru78

All solid advice, following along. I just got a 2014 pearl white Z, and fortunately, it did not come with the best dealer option around - swirls. I will opticoat it and put a clear bra on it before taking it out though. How is the 370Z paint quality overall? I am coming from a 2013 Wrx, pearl white, and man, you even look at that car, it gets paint chips on the front end, drove me nuts.