Expert: William Forster - 12/19/2007

Question
Good Morning,
I have a Black Pontiac 2007 Solstice and have washed it primarily through automatic car washes.  I have also had is polished with buffers.  Now I have swirl marks.  The previous buffing was done with a machine; most recently by hand.  It looks okay until I wash the car again.  I took it to a dealership that stated they could permanently remove the swirls by repainting the area with clear coat.  My questions: (1) Are they advising me correctly about this procedure permanently removing the swirls, (2)How can I avoid swirls in the future (3) What is the technique they have stated step-by-step?  Thank you for your assistance and have a Happy Holiday.

Answer
Katrina, swirl marks on black paint are a part of life. You can hide them with wax, but within a week or so , the wax will evaporate and the swirls will return. Having it power buffed only made the problem worse, not better. Never use a brush at the car wash to wash the car, never take it through any car wash that has whirling brushes or anything like that. Only use a brand new wash mitt and quality car wash to to clean the car- meaning you pretty much have to hand wash it at home. Dry it with nice soft towels, never scrub anything that gets on the finish. Black is a huge pain to take care of. Refinishing it will remove the swirls, but most body shops buff the cars after they are done to remove dirt and other imperfections. Once its been buffed, the swirls will return- the shop will use a special wax, and it will look great the day you pick it up, but within a week the swirls will be back. About all I can suggest is taking it to a detail shop and having them rub it with swirl mark remover on a foam buff pad. The old wool buffing bonnets were inherently more aggressive than foam pads are, and they leave swirls more readily than foam. I wish I had better news. Bill