paint care expectation: swirls and polish skills inevitable?

ElVee

This will be a really quick thread, but is this a true general statement?

If you don't seal/wax from the start, you *are* going to get swirls on your paint no matter how carefully you wash, dry, and drive?

This is just one of those things where if I know this is true, it affects my approach to paint care as well as my expectations. I have noticed the beginning of some micro-scratches that will eventually result in your typical swirl patterns in a few years. It also means that unless someone knows all the steps at the start of owning a car with brand new paint, then that person really should be open to learning how to do some entry-level polishing with a DA orbital. (right?)

This is part of my learning process. (It's not that I am scared of polishing, it's just not very convenient for me in an apartment!)


(In my role of network/systems security and administration, the statement, "You *will* suffer a security breach someday," affects my approach to the job.)

RyanWest

um sealant and wax do not prevent swirls from happening!

No matter how careful you are, swirls and micro scratches will end up on the paint. EVENTUALLY

proper washing will cut down on the damage but its almost impossible.

MacCool

Agree completely. Fortunately, the necessary paint correction techniques are well outlined, straightforward, and generally affordable. The results of polishing, even for a novice, are fantastic and highly rewarding.

RyanWest

Deff agree! Some people see paint damage and think omg I need to repaint this piece! nope, simple paint correction and your golden...

However, if the paint is faded under the clear coat you cant fix this with paint correction!

Junkman2008

If I were you, I wouldn't get my network security advice from whoever told you that. You'd be hacked before the computer finished booting.

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zefaulter

Look up opti-coat, that's what you'll need to minimize swirls. But you gotta have a perfect paint to start with.

Chuck33079

Most of my swirls came as a dealer installed option.

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SouthArk370Z

What these guys said. Check out Junkman2008's videos - excellent info.

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Chuck33079

Yep. Everything I know I learned from his videos. The downside is that his videos lead you down a slippery slope. First you buy a polisher, and then you just start sending your paychecks dierectly to Detailer's Domain and Adams.

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Junkman2008

Not true at all. You need to know how to correctly TOUCH your paint when it is dirty in order to minimize paint damage. The way you are thinking is like saying that you need a very big gun in order to kill someone. What you need is simply a gun and the training and ability to SHOOT STRAIGHT. It doesn't have to be big at all.

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"Marines - Making the other guy die for his country for over 200 years."

zefaulter

What you're saying has nothing to do with what I said. Let's not make this a pissing contest you've been waiting for all week.
Opti-coat and products like it add extra layer(s) of protection. Regular maintenance or care is another topic.

Ubetit

Everything that touches your clear coat has the ability to scratch it. The softest towels can be "pushed" to scratch. I used to give towels the "cd" test and I never found one that couldn't scratch. Hell, I've even seen the ridges of my fingerprints scratch clear coat. I try to minimize contact all time and do a light- medium polish every few years. That has worked for me for many years.

I did Opti-coat my car when I bought it back in 2012. It really is a neat product.

Junkman2008

Wow, who pissed in your Cheerios this morning? No one is looking for a pissing contest, I'm just giving out solid advice. I don't have, nor have I ever had any kind of coating applied to my paint and I keep it swirl free because I KNOW how to touch my paint. It's that simple and I have the videos and pictures to back that up. If you would like to post the same to prove your point, I would be MORE than happy to see it.

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"Marines - Making the other guy die for his country for over 200 years."

RyanWest

Junkman, why do people think wax and sealant are going to prevent swirls.... smh...

Ubetit

Opticoat isn't a wax or sealant. It is a coating that is harder than your factory clear coat so it "resists" swirls. Nothing short of not touching your paint will prevent swirls.