Whats the best thing/process out there to remove the swirls out of black paint??

 

My process that I use is as follows. Its a bit of work but the paint looks evil when done

Step 1. Thoroughly wash the car with a good foamy wash.

Step 2. Dry the car, blow out all nooks and crannies.

Step 3. Clay bar the car and get all of the embedded dirt out of the paint and the scratches in the finish.

Step 4. I use a mild diminishing abrasive compound like Menzerna Power gloss for heavy webbing or Menzerna Power Finish for light swirling and webs with a dual action polisher. I use a porter cable with an orange foam pad with the speed set between 4 and 5.

Step. 5 Hand buff to remove the compound. Menzerna is really easy to remove if you work it right. Great feature about that stuff is it feels abrasive when you put it on but as you work it, it breaks down and comes off like a wax.

Step .6 Use the synthetic wax or carnuba of your choice and apply with a white or red pad. I live in the north east so I use a sealer then I wax it. Best of luck. Post pix.

 

Or you can take it to the local detailing shop and have them removed for about $75.

 

Would all these steps work for any color Max or just the black?

 

Yes it will. You are not removing swirls from the paint, they are being removed from the clear coat. Every car will get them over time it's just more prominant on black.

 

also stop using circular motions when you wax or buff the car. that Karate Kid wax on wax off circular motion crap is BS

 

If you don't want to go through this again next year then you will have to learn how to wash a black car. The technic and equipment used is different than what you would normally use on a lighter color vehicle.
I use two micro fiber cloths, one for each side, and plenty of soapy water, on my silver max, after I spray it down to get all the loose dirt off. If I used this method on a black car swirl marks would eventually start to show. Since the car is silver and I cant see the swirls I don't worry about it.

 

Go over to auto geek!
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/

MEINEKEMAX is right on

 

You know you're an 80's/90's kid if this is still what comes to mind when you start waxing your car.

It took me years to learn this was the wrong way, at least on modern cars (perhaps it was correct for classics?). Good thing I've only ever had light colored vehicles.

 

I have used that technique for years on all colors. You can go to a car wash and have someone with a WOOL PAD and some aggressive compound remove all marks as well as clear coat OR you can use quality products or go somewhere that uses quality products and have it done right. My car came from the dealer looking like it was left outside unwrapped for a year. Took me 5 hours of correction to get it right. Paint is still soft and looks great 3 months later. If you plan on keeping the car long term having someone grind on your clear coat isn't necessarily a great option. Best of luck.

 

Thanks for the 2nd on that. Autogeek is a great site. Lots of great products and info.

 

Autogeek is where I get a ton of stuff. Forums are good reading as well. Love Junkman.

 

when I had a black car I washed it 1 time a week and waxed about 1 time a month. no swirls also never ever dry it in the sun.

 

If a car is not buffed correctly, the technician will leave swirl marks behind. 3M makes the best products in my opinion. They have a variety of swirl mark removers, including an additional fine swirl mark remover. I was an auto detailer for a few years. Black cars are a breed of their own. I think some of the posts on here are accurate, although I would use caution if you have never buffed a car or used a clay bar. Paint thickness is measured in mils which is one thousandth of an inch. When you use a medium cut compound on a wool pad you are essentially "cutting" a very thin layer of clear coat from the cars finish. The rotational motion of the buffer along with the wool pad will leave swirl marks on any finish but black stands out the most. Thats where the foam or gentler pad along with swirl mark remover come into play. You can take it a step further on a black finish and use fine swirl mark remover. A clay bar cuts a cars finish as well but must be used with a detailing agent to keep the clay gliding on a wet surface. I didn't mean to be repetitive on others posts but just giving my two cents.