Detailing My New Car Question

[iiibdsiil]

So, I am buying a 1996 Chevy Impala SS this Friday, picking it up from NY and driving home. It has 12,000 miles on it.

I asked the owner how the paint is, he said "swirls are just starting to reappear."

I believe I have heard about this is common with the dark colors (mine is black) and a detailer will be able to take care of this?

Is this something I should leave to the trained arm? Or should I attempt myself?

Or is this not fixable?

 

[OI812]

Depends...
How bad are the swirls?
Do you own a rotary or a PC?
Do you have polishing and finishing pads?
Biggest one especially on black... how much time are you willing to spend?
What is your level of experiece?
How much do you know about detailing?
What expectation level do you have?

 

[iiibdsiil]

I don't know how bad the swirls are yet, but from the rest it is not for me but looks like a good detailer should be able to take care of.

Thank you.

 

[OI812]

I know from other forums there is a lot of good detailers in the Florida area. Good luck.

 

[Luckydevil]

detailbarn comes on here and he knows all about that stuff.

 

[detailbarn]

So, I am buying a 1996 Chevy Impala SS this Friday, picking it up from NY and driving home. It has 12,000 miles on it.

I asked the owner how the paint is, he said "swirls are just starting to reappear."

I believe I have heard about this is common with the dark colors (mine is black) and a detailer will be able to take care of this?

Is this something I should leave to the trained arm? Or should I attempt myself?

Or is this not fixable?

iiibdsii , first let me say very nice car choice those big boats are great cars. As for the paint it is possible to make it look better unless the paint is peeling off. How much better depends on the depth of these swirls but for the most part most of them can be removed. Since you're dealing with a black car and seem to be new at detailing I would leave it to a professional to remove these flaws.
Not sure where exactly you're located but I can recommend one detailer in FL here is his info:

Detail Dave Inc.
772-408-3500
[email protected]

 

[iiibdsiil]

Thank you sir.

 

[Kevin54]

You will get swirls in any dark color. The key is to use a top brand of wax and the proper polishing cloth to remove the wax. If the swirls are real bad it may have been buffed too soon after painting. You can get it rebuffed if that is the case. I like to use brand name items. They cost a little more but the payoff is well worth it. Nothing looks worse than having a dark colored car all cleaned up and pulling it outside just to see swirls everywhere. Also use a top brand car wash to clean it. Use seperate sponge for the body and use a different one for the wheels, tires, and fender edges. Always start at the top and work your way down. Avoid the fender lips until the very last of doing the body and use the secondary sponge for that. I've seen on quite a few occasion where people has washed the car starting at the roof, bend over to dip the sponge and while they were bent over start to wash the front fenders only to pick up a small stone from the fender opening, then proceed to scratch the hell out of the hood. Car Brite makes some excellent car care products as does Mequiars and a few others.

Kevin

 

[iiibdsiil]

Thank you sir.

I am going to let the pro's work on the wax, I will just wash her myself using some quality stuff, and will do what you said with the secondary sponge.

 

[kgwld1]

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/index.php?s= this site has a ton of info.



Kevin

 

[ZRWON]

Thank you sir.

I am going to let the pro's work on the wax, I will just wash her myself using some quality stuff, and will do what you said with the secondary sponge.

You might try doing it yourself 1st. Many in our Car club use one of the following products. Our cars look better than 99% of the cars done by the "pros" These products are easy to work with and NEVER require using a buffer.
As the Zaino site suggests, with either product use only DAWN dishwashing soap to get old wax off the finish of your car (nothing else cut it like DAWN) and when buffing the final coat, lightly buff top areas with front to back motions and sides with vertical motions ( an old "waxers" trick to get more sun reflectivity).
http://www.zainostore.com/
http://www.der-realstuff.com/StoreFront.bok
Talk to Dave at "der Stuff" about your swirl problems and he'll give you good advice. Here's a pic of an old black Ford that looked like it hadn't been polished for years. It had swirl marks on the hood and the tops of fenders, around wheels, etc looked so dull from sun that we thought it needed repainting. Took 2 of us less than 2 hours to do this one.

Also here's a '90 Vette that was in similar condition where the club member thought it needed repainting especially the top flat area of rear bumper where it meets the body. After a couple hours of our efforts it shines like a garage Queen ready for a show.

The Zaino folks and Dave at "der Stuff" will be most helpful in giving you pride in your new toy. If we can do it (we are just car lovers) so can you!

 

[Hartz]

I've always been a fan of www.zainobros.com, but there are many good products out there.

Detailing is something in which I find great joy. It's very theraputic and almost relaxing to me. Give it a try yourself before hiring someone.

One other thought - be careful when drying your car. That is when a lot of swirls and scratches can be introducted. Use 100% cotton terry cloth towels with the edges cut off, or one of those spiffy waffle towels like from www.griots.com.

Enjoy your new toy!

 

[rjspitz]

Another good resource is:

http://www.autopia-carcare.com/how-to.html

 

[iiibdsiil]

I live in an apartment now, because of school, so I have no access to a even a hose. And I am not going to go spend 4 hours at the wash it yourself places in the blazing sun.

I am looking for a house though, so these tips will be utilized hopefully sometime in the near future.

Thank you guys.

 

[rjspitz]

I live in an apartment now, because of school, so I have no access to a even a hose. And I am not going to go spend 4 hours at the wash it yourself places in the blazing sun.

I am looking for a house though, so these tips will be utilized hopefully sometime in the near future.

Thank you guys.

There is a product where a steady supply of water is not necessary. I've heard of guys having very good success with it. This is something you might be interested in.

http://www.protectall.com/qelg.htm

 

[iiibdsiil]

I might have to check that out.

 

[lkirchner]

There is a product where a steady supply of water is not necessary. I've heard of guys having very good success with it. This is something you might be interested in.

http://www.protectall.com/qelg.htm

This sounds like another one of those products that is too good to be true which means it probably is neither good or true. Using it as they describe is probably going to end up scratching the hell out of the car. Just ask yourself one question; where is the dirt and grime going to go when you wipe off the surface? It is not going to vanish, disappear or evaporate into thin air. It will either stay on whatever you are "washing" or wiping the car or on the surface itself.

Even when handwashing a car with a hose it is recommended to use 2 buckets; one to keep the car wash suds and water in and a second to rinse the mit /sponge after you wash each panel. This removes any dirt or grime that you have picked up in washing.

 

[cork]

This product works great for light dirt. I wouldnt use on heavy mud,salt, etc for fear of scratching. Many detailers use this and similar products when a water source is not available for hose/bucket washing.

 

[GregCavi]

I am a professional detailer and protect alls quick easy wahs is great. It can really be used on any level of dirt on your car. You MUST use the 2 bucket wash method when you wash this way and you must have a very high quality wash mitt... not one you pick up at the hardware store. Grit gaurds are also vital to this process. You will want to move you mitt very slowly over the surface and rinse after every panel.

Now onto how to remove swirls:

Wash with a high quality soap. NXT will work - Leave the dawn in the kitchen
Clay your vehicle so you can get a good analysis of the defects
(assuming your working by hand) Meguiars Scratch x via terry applicator
(work in 1x1 foot sections and work the product until it starts to dissapear)
follow up with a light polish. color x will be good by hand. again work unitl dissapers.
you can top this with whatever kind of wax you want.

As a professional I cannot stress how much the process makes the shine and how little the wax affects the end product. you can have a shiny car but if its gritty and swirled then you have nothing.

I cannot also stress the importance of using microfiber towels on your vehicles paint. Never use retired bath towels or shirts or socks on your vehicles paint. You will want to use foam appliactors to apply wax. Also wax on wax off is a no no. Apply all your products in straight lines. Swirling the products in will give you... well swirls.

Last bit. to avoid swirls in your finish use proper wash techniques and stay away from car washes.

If anyone is interested in more on detailing visit detailcity.com

By the way great site you have here.

Greg

 

[iiibdsiil]

Thanks a bunch. That was very thorough and will help me a lot.

 

[slapshot]

Like Greg said, the intial prep (wash, clay bar, etc) is VERY important. Detailing is like algebra...you need to build the blocks as you go. If you start off bad, or miss something along the way, the end product is less than ideal.

I use nothing but Zaino. Car waxes/polishes are like anything, everyone has thier own favorite brand. Find something that meets your expectations, budget, experience, and stick with it.

I used to detail high end cars back in college, so I was able to try different products.

Swirls marks can be very annoying. Depending on how bad they are, they can require anything from a fresh coat of wax/polish to extensive buffing.

Once you get the car, post some pix and let us see how bad they are. Then we can more accurately point you in the right direction.

 

[Runner94]

I agree with what everyone has been saying about prepping the car. That's most important. Everyone has their favorites when it comes to detailing products. Let me put another site on here for you to look at.

http://www.bettercarcare.com/

This site much like detailcity.com has it's pros to help out and a lot of people like yourself that are beginners. If you have a space to work on the car try it yourself. You might suprise yourself by the outcome. Carefull prep and patience will save you a lot of money.

I hope the encouragement helps.

Greg/ Runner94

 

[427HISS]

I'm a body man/painter so, I'll add what I can. What has been said is true. Many of todays clear coats are too soft and scratch easy. Keep the finish clean by using a quality "duster" I use the "California car duster" myself. Sweep in long straight strokes, not circles. When washing, one of the best things you can do is, use "soft" water. Hard water deposits can stain clear coats, which is what you avoid so you don't have to polish. (polishing will always create swirl marks) Start by having the car in shade, rince very well with soft water, reverse osmosis ect.... Use only car wash soap and a quality mit's (not a sponge) or the microfiber towels, wash the top and sides with one mit swirling the mit in the bucket to shed dirt away. Use a second mit for wheel well lips & the very bottom of the car, that's where most of the dirt will be. Rince very....well. Please do not, wash, dry and park it back in the garage ! I know we all like it pretty and don't want to drive it afterwards but, that just creates problems. Take it down the highway/freeway ect.. to blow the car dry. If you just can't get yourself to do this, at least use a blow gun that has a dryer, in-line to your compressor and a fan or two. Wax only once, per year with carnuba wax (builds up) but, you can use a detail spray wax to keep it clean. Here again, use the microfiber towels. Make sure that even the thread is cotton. Cheap versions use polyester & will scratch. If the car has a lot of dust, blow it off first using the air gun (with a dryer) then use the duster ot micro towel. Lastly, don't rest your big **** against the car ! Oh ya,.......if you find your CAT..... sitting on the car, in the garage, do NOT.....yell "GET OF THE CAR YOU FRICKEN IDIOT" !!!! car claw gauges don't polish out !
Not that I've had it happen ?????? (yes I did and the cat is still alive) !
Thanks,
Kev

 

[427HISS]

Spelling at the end is- cat "claw" & "gouges" !

 

[krooser]

I was wondering about that, too. Can I get an estimate on the cost to buff and detail MY car?

 

[jonkav]

Wash with quality product--wash the vehicle twice; three buckets; wash the wheels and wheel wells first, with a dedicated brush.
Clay with detailing clay.
Rewash.
Use a polishing compound (I use sonus, available at bettercarcare.com)--SFX 2 should be fine, follow up with SFX-3.
Finish with quality protectant--I use Klasse Sealant Glaze, you can use wax if you want to, but with a glaze you don't need to.

Remember, swirls are caused by dirt. Even the world's best, most expensive wax will leave swirls if the surface is not clean. Another way to protect against swirls--don't do things in circles. Back and forth on flat surfaces (hood, roof), and up and down on the vertical surfaces.

 

[427HISS]

Krooser- I looks like it just needs washed since it's all rust colored dirt !

 

[krooser]

Krooser- I looks like it just needs washed since it's all rust colored dirt !

Thanks...I kinda thought that was it....I've gotta be careful with it since I don't want to use anything that will void the warranty....

 

[89vert]

1.Use over spray clay to remove the embedded particles that are on your paint.

2. Use Meguiars # 9 Swirl Remover or Similar .

3. Use the wax of your choice .

4. Finish with Meguiars # 34 Final Inspection or Instant detailer of your choice .

 

[imported_banzaitoyota]

www.autopia.org

 

[ChevyRestorer/C3]

Check out the Impalla SS web Site, lots of usefull info, as well as parts at discounts, I think they are located in your area. NAISSO National Association of Impalla Super Sport Owners.
Can't remember their webb address try Google.
I have a Black 95 SS

I would let a professional do the Detailing for you the first time, watch, ask questions, spend a few dollars and learn alot from them. Have fun with your SS.

 

[Fultrtl]

I had a 95 SS and a 96 SS both of them DGGM (Dark Grey Green Metallic) The only time I trouble with swirls was when the dealer preped both the cars for sale. I have always used Griots Garage products and have been well satisfied. I would still have the 96 today if that lady wouldn't have offered me only 2,000 less that I had paid for it new 4 years earlier. Sure miss the fun we had with them going to all the Impalpalooza shows. Did you guys with the Impalas ever meet the great Thor(aka Franklin Poole) from Naissio Fame
Wayne

 

[Mike F]

There are many things to know about maintaining your cars finish. All you ever wanted to know, and a lot of stuff you didn't want to know as well, can be found here . Briefly, do not use sponges!! Use high quality sheepskin wash mitts. Use a 2 bucket method of washing the car. Fill (2) 5-gal buckets with water, one of which has soap in it. Rinse the car well to remove loose dirt. Use soapy water to wash, going from the top down, and always in the direction wind will hit the car (front to back). Wash an area and agitate the wash mitt in the clean water to remove dirt and trapped particles. Wash the wheels and tires first, using an old mitt or a cotton fiber mitt. Rinse the car with the hose nozzle removed, as the water will sheet off. Dry with a waffle weave microfiber towel by lightly dragging the towel by one end and letting it slide over the surface. The more pressure you use in any of the steps, the more swirls are bound to happen. Polishing them out is another topic entirely. Check out the link above (autopia.org), you'll be glad you did. Even if you choose not to do it yourself, you can be sure someone can tell you who can take your car to to get it done.

 

[indyjps]

didnt see it mentioned but check out 3m products imperial hand glaze, finishing glaze etc. if youre not comfortable using a high speed buffer they will work on an orbital buffer or by hand with lots of work. these are the products bodyshops use to buff out new paint jobs. clay bars work well and many companies offer them. meguiars and mothers websites will walk you through everything, havent been on them for a while but i think they have message boards on the sites.