New Black Z Just Detailed and now... Water Spots!

[slickvet]

Hi guys, I'm new here. However I've been reading these forums for a long time. I usually don't have problems when trying to maintain a near-perfect finish on my cars but this one is a whole new ball field for me.

The car is nearly brand new and its BLACK. Its the first time I've bought a black car so I'm learning it.


Anyway, I detailed it about a week or so ago right after I bought it because the dealership I bought it from put swirls in it (how nice).

Here's how I detailed it:

1) complete wash with meguiars gold class
2) dry with large waffle weave microfiber
3) clayed with meguiars quick detailer

Using a FLEX3401 DA:
4) used meguiars m105 ultra cut compund on entire car
5) used meguiars m205 finishing polish
6) 2 layers of Pinnacle Souveran liquid wax


It was looking beautiful by this point and near flawless as it could be.



Now, today I washed it in the sunlight (big no-no) using Zymol auto bathe (PH-neutral) and rinsed the whole car after each section while I washed. (I started with the wheels as always) and used the 2 bucket method with a clean mother's sheepskin wash mitt.


Well today I decided to buy a leaf blower and use it to dry the car (which again I did in the sunlight!!!) I guess I underestimated the power of the sun and BAM water spots all over the car. I wiped the whole thing down with meguiars wash and wax anywhere and it took care of the big ones but some still linger on the paint... I'm thinking re-polish now (oh joy).

MY QUESTIONS:

1) If I were to wash the car when its dark out and pull it in the garage to blow the water off do I still need to wipe it down with a detail spray? (kind of defeats the purpose of the leaf blower) What I'm trying to do is minimize swirl induced drying from even the cleanest towels.

2) If the leaf blower does not work out, will I see swirls if I simply drag the clean towels across the surface gently and spot dry elsewhere?


Like I said before, I'm usually great at avoiding swirls because I'm so OCD about how I wash, dry, etc. But this black is already looking to be like a lot of work....

PICS:

After the detail:

After the wash, leaf blower, then wipe down with meguiars wash and wax anywhere today:

 

[wysiwyg]

Yes - a black C6 is a lot of work to maintain. There is a reason all my other vehicles are white! As a fellow black C6 owner, I can sympathize.

I've owned mine for nearly five years and the paint looks fairly good considering it is my daily driver.


I tried the leaf blower initially and did not like it. I dry with a waffle weave microfiber. I then follow it up by using FK425 with a microfiber towel as part of my drying process after each wash. Now, I am transitioning to using OCW in lieu of FK425.

Use good technique and quality microfiber towels and you'll be fine

 

[slickvet]

Yeah I usually just dry with quality microfiber but I cringe at the thought of doing that with black because it just feels like anything will scratch it...

I guess if it did cause swirls, it's better than water spots. I mean hell I just spent like 14 hours detailing it last week I don't want to polish after every drive lol!

The way it's looking is I'll just need to buy the absolute best quality towels and be very gentle, it's too bad because I really liked the leaf blower

 

[wysiwyg]

If the leaf blower works for you stick with it. I didn't like it because I could dry the car faster using a drying towel than using the leaf blower.

Check out UWWP+ as well. I've been using it to keep my C6 clean between washes, and it works great! It leaves a nice gloss as well. It works amazingly well as a bug remover. Spray it on and let it work for about a minute and easily wipe away the bug remnants.

I know - using a waterless wash on a black C6 sounds crazy- but it works!

I have had to rely on ONR (great product) as my primary wash when water restrictions are in affect in my area (as is the case currently). UWWP is a very nice compliment to ONR and are great products when a traditional wash is not feasible.

 

[embolism]

I've tried washing in the sun before and will never try it again with a black car...

are you sheeting the water? it should help get most of it off so you only have a bit to blot with a foam core towel

 

[EdmundGTP]

Wash in the shade or at night. I washed my black CTS-V during the day here in Arizona once.. Key word there being "once"... Another item you may want to invest in is an in-line filter for your hose if your water has high mineral content like it does here. That alone will go a long way in preventing spotting.

A good clean MF drying towel will not mark up your finish provided you make sure that it stays clean during use and you don't use excessive force to sop up the water. All you should need to do is drag lightly across the surface.

I'd also suggest a car cover, even if you park in a garage. It helps tremendously to reduce dust/general particulate buildup on your car. Resulting in less frequent washes, thus fewer opportunities to mark up your clearcoat in the cleaning process.

Also, EVERY DAY that I drive the car, I use a large extra-long nap MF towel to VERY VERY lightly dust off the car BEFORE putting the cover back on for the night. Something like this. ( Griot's Garage Speed Shine Micro Fiber Cloths, Griots Speed Shine Cloths, Griots Garage Microfiber Towels )

Employing these lets me get away with only doing a full-on water wash once every couple of months, with a couple of light spray/wipe-downs with QD only in between.

 

[slickvet]

Thanks for the responses, lots of good ideas I've read, as always on these forums.

I think I'll go with the old fashioned route as I've done with my other cars and just use a nice microfiber.

I'll re-polish sometime this week and re-wax, should be good to go from here on.

 

[ScottB]

try not to wash in direct sunlight , perhaps a canopy or friends driveway ?? After washing use the leaf blower to remove the excess water and leave a little. Then spritz the paint with a good detail spray and blot or lightly wipe with no pressure.

 

[buddhadog]

You may not have to use polish to get the water spots out.

Try white vinegar and water first ,and or just buff out with wax on a machine or AIO and see if that works and try to save your paint and polishing step.

Sorry that happened to you !