Newbie question on swirls

M

mike79

New member
First I wana say I love the sight. Heres my question. I want to apply zaino to my car, which I have done in the past. I have swirl marks though, and the zaino really doesnt do too much when it comes to removing them. I ordered some 1z metallic polish. I was planning on PC buffin that on the car, then washing the car again because from my understanding, zaino wont stick to anything but bare paint. When I wash the car again, will the polish come off? Most importantly, will the swirls be gone. If not, whats the best way to remove these damn swirl marks! (had them on the car since day one) Thanks guys!!!!



SCROLL DOWN FOR PICS!!!
 
Hi Mike and welcome to Autopia:D



First, no one here can tell you if any polish, especially by hand, will remove your swirls, we can suggest things to do and products to try but from that point on it all lies in the hands of the user.



Also, the best way to remove swirls is by using the same tool that most likely put them there.......a high speed rotary.



A PC or another orbital like the Cyclo can remove mild or light swirls but again this depends a great deal on pad/product selection. If you are doing all of this by hand then you may wish to track down Scottwax, a fellow Autopian. He does his work by hand and gets great results.



Anthony
 
Hey thanks for the info. I am doing this with a Porter Cable buffer. Should the 1z metallic polish be able to remove the swirls? And again, if I was the car after, to remove any trace of the polish, will the swirls still not be present. OR can I leave the polish on, and apply the zaino(will it adhere to the car?) Thanks again!
 
Mike,



1Z MP should probably be able to tackle the swirls if they are not severe. Without pics, it's really hard for anyone to really say yes/no.



However, always go by the moto "Use the least abrasive polish to get the job done" so start mild and work your way up the ladder until you find what works best.



To many variable's such as technique, skill with a buffer, hardness of the clear, depth of scratch, thickness of clear etc. to provide you with a definite yes/no.



Sorry, probably not what you were hoping to hear but if you start mild and work you're way up, that should get you there.
 
No thats actually great info paco. The swirls are minor, and I beleive a low cut polish will do the trick. BUT, do I have to wash the polish off the car, or clay it after, in order for the zaino to stick? Zaino says that the car must have nothing on it, but bare paint, in order for it to stick. OR do I not have to worry about it?
 
Mike,



I am not a huge fan of Zaino nor have I yet used the 1Z products BUT what you need to be mindful of when working with polishes is, is it a filler glaze, such as Imperial Hand Glaze (IHG), #7 or other product designed to "fill and hide" swirls?



If the product claims to level paint and/or remove paint blemishes then most likely it does not contain any fillers. I can recommend the products I do use on a regular basis which would be Menzerna Intensive Polish (IP) applied with a PC and a polishing pad. Follow this by Menzerna Final Polish (FP) and a finishing pad, both used at a setting of 4-5.



Meguiars Dual Action Cleaner Polish is another good product to use for swirls as is Hi-Temps Light Cut but both of these products, just as the IP, should be followed up by a very fine polish like FP.



As for washing after the polishing and before the Zaino, well again if using a product that fills then YES you need to wash the car to strip all that off BUT then why apply it in the first place right? For me Zaino is a waste of time. Many products out there that, IMHO, exceed Zaino, in both looks and ease of use.



I don't think you would need to remove FP if using Zaino.



Hope that helps some,

Anthony
 
Thanks Anthony. Hmmm, so is the 1z metal polish I ordered a filler glaze? I didnt see anything saying it was, just that it was a low cut polish thats used to remove very slight swirls, and scratches, and it leaves the paint clean. ??
 
I personally like Zaino.



To obtain maximum bonding of Zaino to the clear you should have a very clean surface i.e. no oils, fillers etc. That is one of the reason's Sal recommends a dawn wash right before you are going to apply the Z1/Z2/Z2 or ZFX. I personally the dawn thing is overhyped and car wash is fine.



However, that said, if you plan on applying your protectant monthly or every 2-3 months, I wouldn't worry about maximum adhension as you'll be applying subsequent layers before the original protection wears off.



If you plan on only applying it every 6 months, then washing the car and removing all the oils, fillers etc is definitely a wise move before applying Zaino.



I've done it both ways and I find the Zaino breaks a tad bit quicker when you don't wash after your final polishing step but it's on different vehicles so it's hard to say conclusively that the wash step help increase durability.



Paco
 
mike79 said:
Thanks Anthony. Hmmm, so is the 1z metal polish I ordered a filler glaze? I didnt see anything saying it was, just that it was a low cut polish thats used to remove very slight swirls, and scratches, and it leaves the paint clean. ??
Click to expand...



Mike,



Sorry, perhaps I was unclear but I have no idea if the 1Z polish has fillers in it because I have yet to use it. I can only guess that since it claims to remove swirls (level paint) that it does NOT contain fillers.



Your best bet is to call Sal and ask him if you need to wash the car after the 1Z application.



Anthony
 
Just to add my .2c



I agree with Anthony re: DACP.



DACP is a great swirl / light scratch remover if it is applied properly. That is, it should be worked by PC with a polishing pad (I like the L&C orange pad) until it is practically dust.



After DACP I like to hit it with megs SMR just to make sure all the marring is gone.



The DACP and SMR process should remove 90% of swirls, but not all SCRATCHES. To remove scratches, you may need a more powerfull cutter / an orbital.
 
Re: 1z polishes



It is said they do not have fillers but have small amounts of wax, with sealants like Klasse and Zaino this could create a bonding issue. I simply spray with 50/50 isopropyl alcohol mix before applying my sealant
 
Judging swirls is quite subjective, since you appear to be new to the detailing hobby, what you consider light swirling, some here might consider heavy. Pictures of the flaws you want to remove would give the experts here much better information and therefore better advice on the approach you should take.



Having said that *I* would purchase the 1Z triplets - ULTRA, PAINT POLISH and METALLIC [an excellent product line IMHO], because at some point in the future, you WILL BE scraped, bumped, rubbed, leaned on, ..... and then you will need something more than just METALLIC to get the marring out of your paint. As you get bitten by this bug (autopian level car care) you may want to work on other peoples vehicles to "feed YOUR need", then you most likely require heavier cut polishes.
 
HOld on guys! I'm gunna take a few pics and post em in a few minutes. I really appreciate everyones help! I just want the best looking paint I can have.
 
OK here are some. Tell me what you think I should do Before I put on the zaino! Do I need something other then the 1z metal polish? THis is a 2003 Mustang Cobra, and the paint on these things are horrible! So the paints kinda thin to start with.
 

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ANd heres the last one. IF you guys need more, just let me know.
 

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BTW...I put on VM and CM on about 2 weeks ago. All it did was make the car nice and shiny. Nothing really for the swirls, as you can see.
 
Mike,



Excellant pictures:xyxthumbs



Those are not swirls, at least swirls created by a buffer, but rather fine marring usually introduced from washing, drying or wiping the paint down with something abrasive, or having abrasives perhaps imbedded in the towel. Some may call them "spider webbing" also.



The VM will not remove those but it may help hide them.



Your best bet is to use a PC, white Lake Country polishing pad and some Meguairs DACP, followed by Final Polish applied with the PC also and a finishing pad, AIO by hand and then top it with Menzerna FMJ. That would be my recommendation.



You will need another Zaino user to help you decide what is best after the initial paint cleaning and polishing.



Anthony
 
Hmmm. Will the 1z remove, not hide, the marring and spider webbing that is shown there with the use of a PC.?? BTW thanks anthony!
 
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