Swirles in Paint Finish

[Steve Patterson]

I purchase a used 2015 Black expy. It has lots of swirles in the paint (or clearcoat). It is especially noticeable on a sunny day. Is there anyway to remove them?

 

[Adieu]

Ford paintwork is generally disappointing

I thought it was the low end SSV trim on my '09, but my '12 Lincoln Gator L also has swirls and orange peel galore

 

[Trainmaster]

Talk to someone in the professional autobody business. Swirls are the result of bad buffing or waxing, not something that comes from the factory, unless some after-assembly touchup was done. There are professional products by major suppliers out there to remove the swirl marks. You'll have to learn to use them, but they work very well and will remove the swirls completely.

 

[gixer2000]

I purchase a used 2015 Black expy. It has lots of swirles in the paint (or clearcoat). It is especially noticeable on a sunny day. Is there anyway to remove them?

Any detail shop can handle swirls without issue also there are plenty of "how to" videos on youtube for doing it yourself also. I do my own paint correction but I have a white car so if something isn't perfect I'll probably never notice but a black car in the Sun shows everything.

As for poor paint from Ford, all manufacturers use machines to paint now so you see orange peel on pretty much every new car. I miss the days of a hand painted car where the painter would inspect his work. Now its just an allotted amount of paint/clear per car and it ships unless its really screwed up. Kinda sad

 

[rexster314]

Swirls are induced by drive through car washes, detailing the car without washing, using rough towels. A buffer and swirl remover is about the only thing that will completely take them out. I buffed out my XLR 2 years ago, and I'm just starting to get swirls back.

 

[1955moose]

That and have a shop or yourself do a color sand wet with 2500 grit sandpaper, followed by a quality compound, and a buffer with a foam or sheepskin wheel. If your using drive through car washes, stop, and start hand washing, followed by drying with soft towel. As far as wax I use a German wax in the red bottle that's super. Been using it for over 25 years. Name is Klasse.

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[gixer2000]

That and have a shop or yourself do a color sand wet with 2500 grit sandpaper, followed by a quality compound, and a buffer with a foam or sheepskin wheel. If your using drive through car washes, stop, and start hand washing, followed by drying with soft towel. As far as wax I use a German wax in the red bottle that's super. Been using it for over 25 years. Name is Klasse.

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Color sanding is awesome but you gotta be very careful on the newer cars. The clear coat is really thin so you need to measure the clear coat depth before even thinking about a color sand.

 

[Adieu]

As for poor paint from Ford, all manufacturers use machines to paint now so you see orange peel on pretty much every new car. I miss the days of a hand painted car where the painter would inspect his work. Now its just an allotted amount of paint/clear per car and it ships unless its really screwed up. Kinda sad

Nah, Kia has great paint quality control for the cheapies, and the german luxuries are pretty decent about theirs as well

 

[gixer2000]

Nah, Kia has great paint quality control for the cheapies, and the german luxuries are pretty decent about theirs as well

I've honestly never looked close enough at a Kia and the German luxuries I would expect nothing less than perfect or very close. Everything else is half assed

 

[Adieu]

I read an article lol.

About how Kia overcame image concerns to rise to the top ratings, and how their (American!) production facilities prioritize QC now... including checking for something like 38 or 39 different checklist points on the paint work on each panel

 

[pgonza2723]

Swirls are created by anything dirt or fallout on the paint being rubbed across it (i.e. rag, automatic car wash, etc etc). Most new cars I've seen in dealers no matter the type has swirls as most all dealers use brushes to wash their cars quickly. There is a few methods to getting them out but more importantly, even after they are gotten out steps have to be taken to prevent from introducing more. Obviously you can hire someone, but if you want to do it yourself here's a few things you'd need:

Porter cable 7424xp
Claybar - brand doesn't matter
PH Neutral car wash
CCS orange/blue/red 5.5" pads
Meguiar's 101 - for correction

Once corrected you can use a finishing glaze or go straight to a topper:

I use Wolfgang finishing glaze

Then you can use a topper. This is usually where you hear people talking about ceramic coatings. I've had great luck with using sealants (usually last about a year):

I use the Wolfgang paint gloss sealant.

As an additional topper I use Beadmaker and apply every other wash.

There is tons of info out there on the methods needs to correct the paint. Depending on how bad it is, it could take 8 or so hours from start to finish. It is kinda like modding though... could take you into a deep dark hole once you start getting into it but the results are worth it.

 

[TobyU]

Swirls are created by anything dirt or fallout on the paint being rubbed across it (i.e. rag, automatic car wash, etc etc). Most new cars I've seen in dealers no matter the type has swirls as most all dealers use brushes to wash their cars quickly. There is a few methods to getting them out but more importantly, even after they are gotten out steps have to be taken to prevent from introducing more. Obviously you can hire someone, but if you want to do it yourself here's a few things you'd need:

Porter cable 7424xp
Claybar - brand doesn't matter
PH Neutral car wash
CCS orange/blue/red 5.5" pads
Meguiar's 101 - for correction

Once corrected you can use a finishing glaze or go straight to a topper:

I use Wolfgang finishing glaze

Then you can use a topper. This is usually where you hear people talking about ceramic coatings. I've had great luck with using sealants (usually last about a year):

I use the Wolfgang paint gloss sealant.

As an additional topper I use Beadmaker and apply every other wash.

There is tons of info out there on the methods needs to correct the paint. Depending on how bad it is, it could take 8 or so hours from start to finish. It is kinda like modding though... could take you into a deep dark hole once you start getting into it but the results are worth it.

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View attachment 28727

Great post!!! EVERYTHING causes swirls. All paint has them it's just to what degree and dark colors esp black show the worst.

I have a black show car that has been repainted (softer than oem paint) so this is my wheelhouse!!

I am old school though. I have never used these "new fangled dual action orbital" buffers.
All of my detailing has been with wool pads (7 -8 inch I think) and black waffle or finishing pads.
Clay is good for older neglected paint but not required.

You can get good results by hand too, just takes longer and cramps fingers.

My favorite is PRO brand Ultimate Cutter compound. but Meguiar's untimate compound should be about the same (actually haven't used it....did I day I was old school??)

Also their cleaner wax will do pretty decent.

Clean it well. Hose, bucket, clean sponge or smaller towel, car soap..or at this point even dish soap ok because you are it's ok to strip wax but in future NEVER use any soap that is not car wash soap or baby shampoo on the car.
huh huh...did this old fart just say to use baby shampoo for car wash.
You should see some of the cars I have owned.

Dry it off then at the cleaner wax or compound by hand with a terry cloth round applicator and a good deal or rubbing and pressure. This is where a buffer and an even safer but WAY overpriced d/s orbital works great.
Then wipe/buff off the residue with a clean terry or microfiber towel.
Then I like Zymol blue liquid polish for making pretty.
I buff with foam pad with compound if I am correcting spots swirls etc then do two Zymol applications by hand.
You can just see the rich deep mostly swirl free finish it leaves.

Wipe the last coat of whatever polish you end up using lightly with a microfiber only and be gentle.
Even wiping off the polish puts tiny lines in. You make want to topcoat with a wax. I used to use Meguiar's #26 yellow paste wax. I tried some NXT liquid too.
Never go into sealants or these new ceramic things.
Used some Liquid Glass in the late 80s-early 90s. Not too impressed. The pink Liquid Lustre was actually darn good and smelled great. Beaded water like no other. I used to get teh hose out to DRY my car it is was wet or sprinkled.
Take the end off hose and let water run over finish and it sheeted to complete dryness.

I also have great luck with the California Duster. Every morning at car shows I get the settled dust off top surfaces with it. If lighter, I mist with Quick Detailer, Gold Class black even better and now I think there is Ultimate black bottle one too. Turtle Wax (I know junk right) had them all beat with Emerald Series detailer.

 

[MBohn]

Wet sanding is major overkill for your basic clear coat swirls. Wash throughly, clay bar, polish and wax. Polish and wax can be done by hand, but I wouldnt recommend it. A good dual action polisher is the way to go. You can do a whole vehicle in no time, and will get a much better finish.

 

[Trainmaster]

Then the paint peels off the aluminum panels after three years.

 

[1955moose]

All that great info is for anything but Ford's with aluminum! Great article though. One other great product to recommend for black or dark colors, is Wizard detailer. Very impressive product. Years back a guy came into my Arco gas station, with a beautiful 49 Mercury in black. Not a scratch on it. When I asked him how come, he said he uses Turkish towels to dry it. That was 1969, and I'm guessing he had it repainted in Lacquer paint. Don't know if it had Lacquer clear coat or Enamel, but it shined like a showroom vehicle.

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[Machete]

Don’t buff out swirl marks. You actually cutting down your clear coat thickness.

Do this.
Www.restorefx.com.

 

[1955moose]

Machete, the link you sent was for personal disability. Nothing about paint buffing.

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[TobyU]

Machete, the link you sent was for personal disability. Nothing about paint buffing.

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I clicked it just to see....funny
I have a friend in just got a new job and it IS in a hospital...she keeps posting about ED on facebook and all I can think is ED....you know all the commercials...Erectile Dysfunction.
What the heck are they teaching her there????

HEY only post 17 and look where I took this one!!!!!

And due to my typo fingers..DO YOU KNOW...that "here" with a "W" in front of it is a completely different word and slightly different pronunciation style.
So easy to change the whole meaning.
I must need food....hmmm light headed. Helium anyone???

 

[Machete]

Typo on previous.

https://www.restorfx.com/

 

[JExpedition07]

I think Fords paint is fine, I thought my 07’ looked shiny the other day so I snapped a pic. Looks good for 12 year old paint to me.