Hi, I bought my 2005 Berlina Black S2000 backa few months ago. I have kept to my washing and waxing schedule since day one. I wash it overy 2 days and i wax it when I wash it. I also claybar it every other time i wash it. I just got through washing, using the claybar and waxing it, and although very slight and hard to see in good lighint i have noticed that I am starting to get very fine scratches in my clearcoat. I mean nobody would notice unless it was the owner looking for them, but none the less I was wondering if anyone knows of a way i can help prevent these from getting to the point where people would start to notice. Also on a side note, I am buying a Porter Cable 7424 at http://www.properautocare.com/74uldemawico.html, and i have never used this kind of tool before. I was wondering if anyone can give me some pointers or direct me to a so called guide of sorts. I am also looking for a good quality polish for the car that will really bring out a nice shine on a black car. Trying to find help concerning detailing cars in alaska is kind of hard since most people drive trucks and dont care about them that much. I really appreciate any help anyone can give me.

-Ian

 

http://www.showcargarage.com/index.p...e=1960Corvette

 

I recently bought a black car with a finish that was in bad shape and my PC was able to take care of some major swirls and scratches. The white and orange pads are really what you'll use most (I'd get 2 white/1orange).

I'd suggest Menzerma Final Poilsh/white pad to remove the scratches. If they're stubborn you could go Menzerma Intensive Polish first or move to the orange pad if you need more cut, but probably not from your description. Work the product then buff.

For protection any good wax or sealant will help, but likely you'd have to avoid whatever caused the scratches in the first place (drying technique, cat sleeping on your car, dirty wash mit, too much claybar ...etc).

Don't drive yourself crazy. They're going to happen, especially on black. The PC will erase many problems.

 

ian- sorry, i only have time for a really quick note... but this will also move your question back up to the top so someone else might see it.

1. i would not clay a car more than once or twice a year, unless it sits near a railroad station!!

2. you really do not need to wax it twice a week either

the reason that i mention the above is that there actually is some slight swirl risk to claying (if you have dirty clay)- and you are starting to see swirls.

you need to do a swirl removal with a "swirl remover" or glaze (both are type of polishes- a glaze fills the swirls and some take off most of the swirls edges so you dont see them, and a real remover will take off the edges and maybe a bit more of the swirl). the porter cable is perfect for the swirl removal.

 

thanks for the help guys, i guess i have been kind of going overboard, i didn't realize clay bars werent supposed to be used so often. I will cut back on it's use. Yeah they haven't gotteh to the point where anyone would notice yet. Some people dont notice even when i am trying to show them. Actually i think they occured when i took my car to honda dna they put it through a wash machine and if you go look at it it looks really dirty, but i am not sure. I guess I have been going a little overboard, at least i learned my lesson before it became a bigger problem where people are pointing it out to me. Thanks again for the help.

-Ian

 

Wow... wash and waxing every 2 days? Claybarring every 4?!? This man deserves a wash and wax badge at the very least!

Seriously though, claybarring that often is NOT good for your paint. Clay is actually an abrasive compound, and each time you do it, you are essentially taking off a very small amount of clearcoat in the process. It is NOT in any way taking out your swirl marks--in fact, as wanabe stated, it is likely creating more of them.

Go get yourself a PC, some polishing pads, and some good polish and spend a day polishing and waxing your car. After that, you can wash and wax your car as much as you want, but don't polish or claybar your car again for at least another 6 months. You REALLY don't want to clay/polish your way through the paint...

 

As others have mentioned, rubbing anything against your paint will eventually create swirl marks. So, it's better to not rub your paint any more than necessary to minimize swirl creation.

Your maintenance schedule right now is definitely excessive. Cut down on the claying and the waxing for sure. You might even want to wash the car less. I don't know what the environmental conditions are in AK, but I just wash my car when it gets noticeably dirty which ends up being 1-2 times a week. Washing 3 times a week is probably not helping your swirls either.

 

nomination accepted...

as soon as he sends me a pm it will be official and i will badge him!!

 

I have the perfect solution to all your problems, paint your car yellow. Sorry, I had to do it.