[Peter Guenther]

Swirlmarks

I gues you did not go to a "touch-less" car wash, those, or most car washes use recycled water. I lived in Chicago, and the salt comes in by bargeload, there is alot of sand in that low cost stuf. Those rags or brushes probably caused it, there are polishes that get rid of swirls. I have had good luck with a small "ranom orbit" polisher, its great for waxing, and getting rid of water stains. PS, Chicago winters caused my rocker panels in my SL to rust, the car was not out that often.

 

[Michilein]

Paint Swirl Marks

I'm not sure how you got swirl marks from a car wash? Normally you get swirls by applying cheap polish or wax and even using good wax with a cheap cloth. Generally in order to get swirls you need to apply it to the paint yourself or by machine. Maybe the wash you went to use "dudes" to dry it as the car exits the wash. They could be using abrasive towels??? If you have black paint, well that's a tough color to keep scratch free.

When was the last time you polished and waxed your car by hand?

I can recommend Zymol. It's what I've been using the last few years. It's a great product. It even smells good! The chance of getting swirl marks is even reduced because you apply it with back and forth strokes instead of circular.

Look into it at http://www.zymol.com
I've bought from these guys as well
http://www.emmonscoachworks.com
Also not a bad product is http://www.meguiars.com/

Hope this helps. [8D]

 

[///S320]

Last time i polished my car was in august before it got gutt freezing cold in chicago. I d...

Last time i polished my car was in august before it got gutt freezing cold in chicago. I did not let anyone touch my car after the wash. Actualy i was thinking of using "Zaino". Have you ever used that?

 

[keide600sel]

Re: Swirlmarks

My car is black so I have used almost every wax possible. I recommend a Germann wax brand called Klasse. You can buy it at most MB dealers or high end car shops. It costs about $30 for a bottle but it is enoughf to wax your car 10+ times. If you are going to spend 2-3 hours waxing your car I wouldent cut corners. Since your car is white I would wax it once every 3 months or so. I wax mine once a month (since it is black) to keep it looking like new. I also recommend that you use microfiber towels to dry and wax your car. Most car places try and rip you off by charging ten bucks each but you can buy them at most plastic supply or paint shops for less than 1$ The ones at the plastic shops are better quality too. Look in your phone book for any kind of plastic supply store. The microwfiber towels are about 1 square foot so you should get about 20 of them. -good luck and use lots of water to wash your car before waxing it. Also dont wax it in direct sunlight.

 

[///S320]

Ill try that, thanks. The question is, i dont have to re-paint my car or do i have to? The...

Ill try that, thanks. The question is, i dont have to re-paint my car or do i have to? These marks are making my car look 20 years old.

 

[Michilein]

Re: Ill try that, thanks. The question is, i dont have to re-paint my car or do i have to? The

No you don't have to repaint your car. Maybe if your car was 20 years old and neglected but in your case it is not necessary. Good wax and proper application will solve your swirl mark problems. Good Luck!

Ill try that, thanks. The question is, i dont have to re-paint my car or do i have to? These marks are making my car look 20 years old.

 

[Elvis]

There's probably a little more to it than just a wax job, particularly if your car is a ...

There's probably a little more to it than just a wax job, particularly if your car is a dark color. When it warms up, strip off the old wax with a VERY mild mixture of dish soap and warm water. Work small areas at a time and lather, rinse, repeat.

Then get a claybar. Meguiar's makes a good one, but there are several on the market. It will take the impurities off of the paint and leave you with a really smooth surface.

If you've never polished before, I'd recommend it now. Use a mild product like 3m's Swirl Mark Remover. You can use an orbital buffer to speed up the job if you want, but don't try to rub too hard, just let the compound do the work.

Then get some of 3m's Imperial Hand Glaze. It will help disguise the remaining scratches and give you a deep gloss finish.

Follow that up with a good waxing and do it again in a couple of weeks. Use a good car shampoo that won't strip the wax off.

And NEVER go through one of those car washes that has brushes again. I even try to stay away from the "touchless" wand-type car washes if I can help it. The high pressure thins out the wax.

 

[keide600sel]

RE: painting car.

You probably dont need to paint your car. That would cost around 10k. If you can feel the scratches by rubbing your hand over the paint then I would take it to a professional detail shop. If not try and wax it yourself. A good detail shop will charge around 250 for a inside/outside detail. It is amazing what they can do to restore your paint. even if the people at the car wash place rubbed sand all over your car you would probably still be able to restore it without a paint job. Make sure you use microwfiber towels though. This is what all the professional detailers use. Your car should not be that hard to keep swirl free. Black is 10 times as bad.
let me know if you have any problems finding the Klasse car wax or microwfiber towels. -I can find the web siets if you need.

Also, I will be waxing my car this weekend. I will show you a before and after picture. -Good luck

 

[biackbenz]

Go to Autopia http://www.autopia.org/index.php

These are guys who are intense about ta...

Go to Autopia http://www.autopia.org/index.php

These are guys who are intense about taking care of the finish on their cars. Iv'e spent hours reading these tips on car care. This weekend I'm going to "practice" on an old Honda with 180K and rust. Then I'll progress to my Benz.

 

[///S320]

Thanks, so far i have never seen a forum than autopia.org where replies are damn fast! The...

Thanks, so far i have never seen a forum than autopia.org where replies are damn fast! These folks are very serious about detailing.