I made a BIG BIG mistake and had the dealer wash my black G35 coupe. It was a rainy day, and I didn't notice the billion swirls/cross hatches/minor abrasions to my clear coat, until 2 days later...OUCH.

I went on the properautocare.com site and read a lot of posts about using a ramdom orbital polisher to get rid of the swirl marks, and figured what the hell. I bought one, and some pads, and some recommended polish (Porter Cable 7424 polisher, yellow foam pads, Menzerna Intensive Polish).

Prior to this I was using Zainos (3 coats going into the winter).

After following the instructions on the web site, the car looked Okay...some swirls removed, but a little hazy. I was not feeling like my investment was worth it, but then I put a coat of Zaino's Z5 and all I can say is wow!!

The car looks fantastic...the swirl marks are almost gone, and my car looks like new. Reading further, I found out that the random orbital plisher, can leave a finish looking somewhat lifeless, and that a finishing polish is necessary to protect and seal again. I found this to be absolutely true.

So the orbital won...clearly defeated the hand wash swirls.

here'ss the site:
http://www.properautocare.com/removingswirls.html

"God, Schmod, I want my monkey man!!"
------
Craig Ramseur
G35C/5AT/BlkOb/Graphite/17"
PhxGold/Focal/AudioControlEQ/Basslink
Z-Xtreme Grounds/Z-Tube&PopCharger

 

Maybe the polish you used was a bid too strong? I use 3M swirl remover.

---------------------------------
http://www.anythingbox.net

 

craig,

congrats on your new discovery. i to am a zaino convert w/ a black sedan. go to autopia.org, there's alot of good info on what you can do w/ your pc7424.

as far as the finish looking dull, you're right, you need to step down in your levels of abrasiveness. I believe Menzerna Final polish should be your last step before sealing it all in. i've got a bottle but haven't tried it out yet. If you need a quick fix, head out to your local autoshop and pick up a bottle of Meguiars Swirl Mark Remover or 3M SMR. Use those until it starts to turn powdery, and then wipe off w/ a microfiber towel. While you're at it pick up a bottle of Meguiars NXT Tech wax, trust me you'll love it.

 

Maybe there was a misunderstanding, the Menzerna Intensive Polish did exactly what it was described to do. I used Zaino's Z5 as my "finishing polish" (followed by the Z6 spray). The car looks magnificent. I didn't go with the Menzerna Final Polish because I already had the Zaino's (which I liked very much).

Since it was my first time using the orbital, I may not have worked the Menzerna's long enough...The description seems to indicate that it should go away, leaving no haze. I wasn't really sure what that meant [since they also spoke about removing "residue"].

But ultimately I sing the praises of the Orbital, and denounce the handwash swirl enhancers!

Here's the description of the Menzerna Intensive Polish
http://www.properautocare.com/meninpol.html

"God, Schmod, I want my monkey man!!"
------
Craig Ramseur
G35C/5AT/BlkOb/Graphite/17"
PhxGold/Focal/AudioControlEQ/Basslink
Z-Xtreme Grounds/Z-Tube&PopCharger

200373-menzerna 480 60.jpg

 

I've used menzerna polish with a meguiars polishing pad and the it didn't leave any haze. I still followed up with the final polish and it really broght the paint looking like mirror finish.

 

hey cram,

when they talk about residue, it really is just that. the longer you work it in the less abrasive it becomes. it basically has to do w/ heat from the PC breaking it chemicals down. so when they say residue, it really is powdery.

as far as stepping down polishes, i'd really consider trying another polish. i'm pretty sure zaino z5 doesnt have any abrasives, and you really need to use a milder abrasive to bring out that final gloss.

 

Thanks for the tip...I checked the Zaino site, and sure enough, they recommend a coat of Z-2 over the Z-5 for a final shine, especially for dark colored cars.

It's hard to imagine that there could be even more shine! :-)

As for the residue, if what you're saying is right, then I didn't work the Menzerna in long enough. A lot of the time there was a slight haze (like with the old fashioned wax), that I buffed off with microfiber and 50/50 alcohol/water spray.

As I said it was my first time using the orbital, and I was just sorta playing by ear, having never seen anyone do it before.

Thanks Tkman00 !!!

"God, Schmod, I want my monkey man!!"
------
Craig Ramseur
G35C/5AT/BlkOb/Graphite/17"
PhxGold/Focal/AudioControlEQ/Basslink
Z-Xtreme Grounds/Z-Tube&PopCharger

 

hey cram,

no probs. if you get a chance, take a look at the forums on autopia.org, there's tons of info.

hope to see ur new found swirl free shine @ atco