Swirls, Swirls, Swirls....and more

jkk7479

jkk7479

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SWIRLS!!!!! I feel like these things are robbing my sanity. Back in August I had a swirl free finish on my car. I have done everything I can to keep it that way, but when I look at my car now there are swirls on the hood, roof, and trunk lid. I just don't get it! I use a 2 bucket wash, with DP Wash and Gloss. I use a Meguiars microfiber wash mit, i use plenty of quality microfiber towels. I always make sure I have a clean applicator when putting a coat of wax on. I don't know if the fact that I do all my detailing outside makes a difference. I am super cautious about anything being on the paint before I apply my wax and I use the straight line method that Mike demonstrated in one of the videos. This is very frustrating and I don't know if this is normal for a daily driver to have swirls again within 3 months of being swirl free. I even spray each panel with quick detailer before I do the rinseless wash. I always use a clean wash mitt as well! Just don't know where I am going wrong and some advice would help.

It's November here in Jersey ( well...November everywhere else too, but it feels like November) and the top temp over the next 2 days is 53. Is that too cold to polish out the hood, roof and trunk?

:buffing:
 
I would just wait until winters over to tackle the swirls. Thats what I'm doing with my own ride. It's really not worth it to try and keep a DAILY DRIVER completely 100% swirl free permanently, especially if its dark, you will lose your sanity trying, I know I have!
 
I think that because it's a daily driver and it's outside in the elements it's going to swirl slightly. I have been slowly working on my truck to get it swirl free in my spare time (which is slim lately). I did my hood and tailgate at the beginning of summer and there are some minor swirls in it now. I think that you just need to realize that the swirls are going to come back no matter how careful you are. The best thing you can do it do what you doing to help minimize the swirls that you put introduce into the paint.

The daily drivers are the ones that are the hardest to keep swirl free. No matter what you do swirls are going to come back and you'll have to re-polish eventually. I read a thread some where that on average a daily driver usually needs to be repolished at least once a year. I'm sure that after the winter with the snow and ice that builds up on your car the swirls will be worse in the spring.
 
everybody is right. if it's a daily driver dont bother with the swirls. on the other hand if its a collectible and is only brought out or shows, cruises and just for the hell of it, i can see doing that. i spent lots of money on my black grand prix before it was poorly repainted, consistantly removing swirls and luckily i shave my head cause if i didn't id be pulling my hair all out. so yea if its a daily driver, stick with polishing, imo. you'll still have a nice shine. take it from me, im in CT. (just my 2 pennies)
 
I don't know what products you used. Is it possible that you did not actually remove all swirls but just covered them up. Did you do an IPA rub down prior to your LSP to make sure all swirls were really gone.
 
fabiolas4 said:
everybody is right. if it's a daily driver dont bother with the swirls.
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I sure don't see where "everyone" has said that.

If you get a nice day to polish then go for it, if not then wait until the end of winter. I see nothing wrong with wanting a swirl free finish even on a DD.
 
Dubbin1 said:
I sure don't see where "everyone" has said that.

If you get a nice day to polish then go for it, if not then wait until the end of winter. I see nothing wrong with wanting a swirl free finish even on a DD.
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If its driven every day it gets dirty every day, even if its just a little bit dirty, its dirt that you have to remove without making ANY swirls to keep 100% swirl free. I've been trying to battle swirls on my DD for about a year now, It was 100% swirl free for a short period of time but now I'd say its at 90-95% (if there is even any way to measure the amount of swirls lol) after 5-6 months since my last polish, and I'm happy with that. To maintain a daily driven car and keep it 100% swirl free you will be spending 3x the amount of time polishing and carefully washing it than you will spend actually driving the car, its just not worth the time and effort.

Just saying.. eventually you will run out of either motivation or clear coat, one of the two.
 
zliegen said:
If its driven every day it gets dirty every day, even if its just a little bit dirty, its dirt that you have to remove without making ANY swirls to keep 100% swirl free. I've been trying to battle swirls on my DD for about a year now, It was 100% swirl free for a short period of time but now I'd say its at 90-95% (if there is even any way to measure the amount of swirls lol) after 5-6 months since my last polish, and I'm happy with that. To maintain a daily driven car and keep it 100% swirl free you will be spending 3x the amount of time polishing and carefully washing it than you will spend actually driving the car, its just not worth the time and effort.
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I have kept my DD swirl free for 2 years now with very little effort ;)
 
Dubbin1 said:
I have kept my DD swirl free for 2 years now with very little effort ;)
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You have 2.2 thousand posts on a detailing forum, and enough detailing supplies to wash, polish, and wax the entire US militarys vehicle supply. I would hardly call that very little effort.
 
zliegen said:
and enough detailing supplies to wash, polish, and wax the entire US militarys vehicle supply.
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LOL I wish. Honestly I do not put much time at all into taking care of MY daily driver and the amount of posts I have proves that I don't have time to play with the car ;)
 
zliegen said:
You have 2.2 thousand posts on a detailing forum, and enough detailing supplies to wash, polish, and wax the entire US militarys vehicle supply. I would hardly call that very little effort.
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Posts have nothing to do with detailing...

Also, the want/need/curiosity to try new products will lead to rather large collections. I have enough supplies to fully detail maybe 60 cars at the moment and my monthly level of business is only 3-4 cars maximum. I hardly see how that is relevant to the amount of work he puts into his daily driver. Even if he does have a giant garage ;)
 
Dubbin1 said:
LOL I wish. Honestly I do not put much time at all into taking care of MY daily driver and the amount of posts I have proves that I don't have time to play with the car ;)
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Well, please then, I'm all ears. Share with us how often you wash your car, your techniques, products used and how many miles a day your daily driver is driven, do you use quick detailers/waterless washes/rinseless washes? Because I've not been able to 100% keep swirls off my car even using all the techniques and products that I've learned and practiced from these and other forums, and apparently a lot of other people can't do it either. :xyxthumbs:

Keeping a CLEAN car and keeping a Swirl-Free car are two different animals, and it seems very difficult to have BOTH, ALL the time, especially for a daily driver.
 
dougaross said:
I don't know what products you used. Is it possible that you did not actually remove all swirls but just covered them up. Did you do an IPA rub down prior to your LSP to make sure all swirls were really gone.
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I used Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover and Finishing Glaze. I did not use an IPA after I was done. I learned about that little trick after I put the Wolfgang Sealant on the car. The swirls aren't horrible, but they are getting noticeable on the hood. Again...only in certain angles in direct sunlight. I thought I had a good washing technique. Is it possible because I am using a wash mitt and not a microfiber towel with the DP Rinseless Wash? I generally wash my car once a week and I never touch it dirty. I spray the panels with quick detail, then go over with the rinseless wash. I wax about every 2 weeks to keep the shine up. Mostly liquid souveran.
 
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zliegen said:
I would just wait until winters over to tackle the swirls. Thats what I'm doing with my own ride. It's really not worth it to try and keep a DAILY DRIVER completely 100% swirl free permanently, especially if its dark, you will lose your sanity trying, I know I have!
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Is it not advisable to polish in 45-55 degree weather? How about waxing in that type of weather? Should I just put some Collenite Insulator Wax on her and call it a season? I have liquid Souveran on her right now and don't mind doing the insulator wax for winter. Just not sure about the weather. They always say a cool dry surface. Can't much cooler than these temps we are having.

My car is a dark metallic grey. I am sure that helps rob my sanity. Really wish I would have gotten silver. Would have saved a lot of money. Then again, I have learned soo much through autogeek and have found some great products!:xyxthumbs:
 
As for adding swirls, it may take someone else to help you spot if there is anything specifically you are doing less than ideally to minimize swirls. It can be a bad applicator, mitt, towel, too much pressure, etc.
 
Dubbin1 said:
LOL I wish. Honestly I do not put much time at all into taking care of MY daily driver and the amount of posts I have proves that I don't have time to play with the car ;)
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:laughing:

When are you going to get to work on restoring that '70 Camaro?! :xyxthumbs:
 
zliegen said:
Well, please then, I'm all ears. Share with us how often you wash your car, your techniques, products used and how many miles a day your daily driver is driven, do you use quick detailers/waterless washes/rinseless washes? Because I've not been able to 100% keep swirls off my car even using all the techniques and products that I've learned and practiced from these and other forums, and apparently a lot of other people can't do it either. :xyxthumbs:

Keeping a CLEAN car and keeping a Swirl-Free car are two different animals, and it seems very difficult to have BOTH, ALL the time, especially for a daily driver.
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It really isn't that difficult to keep a DD nearly swirl free. At least here in SoCal.

I don't understand why so many people in this thread are acting like it is virtually impossible to do without polishing the car every other week.
 
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