Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Aesthetics Swirls - how bad are they? What to do?

I've been getting quite a few PMs regarding swirls/scratches in paint.

How to see true swirl level
Here is and easy way to really see your swirls:
- Wash your car
- At night, take your car to a local shopping center that has white, fluorescent style lights
- Park under a light
- Get out and examine the paint

This type of lighting really shows all the swirls and scratches in your paint.

Here is an example of swirls under the sun. Fluorescent lighting at night would make the swirls look even worse.


How to get rid of swirls
A highly recommended polish - Menzerna, Optimum, Poorboy's SSR__, Zaino ZPC Fusion.

Here is my trunk that I PC'd for ~15 minutes with Zaino ZPC. It is virtually swirl-free:


By hand - DO NOT expect it to be easy and DO NOT expect it to be quick. It is a long and laborious process. I personally have been unable to even come close to the results I've achieved with a Porter Cable.

Alternative - hide swirls
Some waxes contain filler that have fillers in them - a majority, if not all, of Meguiar's contain fillers. This will give the appearance that there are less swirls. It's much easier than trying to eliminate swirls by hand. The drawback is that as the wax wears off, the swirls are back.

pete is the swirl-master as to goonzey being the hid whore

the results on that trunk are insane

Thanks Pete! I'll finally be removing the swirls from my car this summer.

What do you do with the PC? What speed is it on? What motions do you use with the PC.

Its stuff like that that most people need to know.