New Obsidian Black Lexus.

[Fernandhaya]

Hi everybody. I have a 2010 Obsidian lexus is 250. And with the time it has small scratches. Nothing that u can see easy but i know they are there and it bothers me. Kind of OCD when it comes to cars. Well i wash my car a lot maybe 3 times a week. Wax once a week. I have this small scratches and i was woundering if i can use swirl x or ultimate compound. Im kind of scared that i would damage the new paint. I dont know how much a lexus paint can take. I was thinking of buying the Lexus polish glaze or the Meguiars deep crystal polish step 2. Im open for all advices and ideas. And i will appreciate them all. I have all this on my house right now That i used on my others cars:
1. Gold Class and NXT Car Wash
2. Ultimate Quick Detailer With Clay Bars
3. Ultimate Compound, SwirlX and scratch X
4. Gold Class and NXT Liquid Waxes
5. Ultimate quick wax

Well to be honest i have almost all of them. I just dont know what to use on my new car. Im going to try to get pics of this small imperfections. Thanks in advance for any help.

[Murr1525]

Re: New Obsidian Black Lexus.

If you are washing your car a lot, you want to be sure to be using all the best practices. Quality towels, mitts, sponges, 2 buckets, grit guards, proper amounts of soap, etc. The paint wont get scratched up just sitting there, its from something touching it. And if you are doing all the touching....

As for removing the swirls, you will want SwirlX and UC. You can try working in the SwirlX some, and check the results. Then move onto UC if needed. I would go with a smooth foam applicator for applying them.

[Fernandhaya]

Re: New Obsidian Black Lexus.

If you are washing your car a lot, you want to be sure to be using all the best practices. Quality towels, mitts, sponges, 2 buckets, grit guards, proper amounts of soap, etc. The paint wont get scratched up just sitting there, its from something touching it. And if you are doing all the touching....

As for removing the swirls, you will want SwirlX and UC. You can try working in the SwirlX some, and check the results. Then move onto UC if needed. I would go with a smooth foam applicator for applying them.

Murr1525:

This is how i wash my car. i rinse my car 2 or 3 times with a nozzle before i start. This is just to get the worst dirt or dust out of the paint. I start in the roof and i make my way down slowly. Meaning after the roof i do the windows. then the trunk, then the hood, then half of the sides and last under the half of the vehicle. that way i dont get dirt from the lower side into the top half of the vehicle. I rinse my mitt with a high preassure nozzle everytime i finish with a section. Im just concerned about using abressives in my car because is only 9 months old. Thanks

[Murr1525]

Re: New Obsidian Black Lexus.

Well, if you want swirls removed, you will have to use something with some abrasives. SwirlX and a smooth foam applicator would be the gentlest place to start.

[greg0303]

Re: New Obsidian Black Lexus.

2. Ultimate Quick Detailer With Clay Bars

.

Ultimate Quik Detailer is too sleeky to use with clay bars.

Quik Detailer, M34 Final Inspection or D155 Last Touch Spray Detailer (diluted 1:1) will do just fine.

Murr gave you good pointers on proper wash technique and swirl removal. He always does.

[stealth]

Re: New Obsidian Black Lexus.

Be very careful w/Lexus black it may not be clear coated therefore you'll need to revise you product selection accordingly. Try a test spot & see if black shows up on the cloth, if so, most likely it's not cleared.

[smack]

Re: New Obsidian Black Lexus.

Be very careful w/Lexus black it may not be clear coated therefore you'll need to revise you product selection accordingly. Try a test spot & see if black shows up on the cloth, if so, most likely it's not cleared.

That seems odd. Wouldnt a new lexus or any new vehicle be cleared?

[Murr1525]

Re: New Obsidian Black Lexus.

SwirlX would be fine for single stage or clear coat paints.

And no, there are new things that are SS. Or tinted clear.

[Markus Kleis]

Re: New Obsidian Black Lexus.

That seems odd. Wouldnt a new lexus or any new vehicle be cleared?

Amazingly, it seems Lexus more than anyone seems to go clear-free these days. Usually on black or red.

Not sure on this car, though.

Either way, product selection doesn't necessarily have to be modified either way. One might enjoy something like M80 a bit more however without a clear as the oils would be able to directly reach the color coat.

[smack]

Re: New Obsidian Black Lexus.

SwirlX would be fine for single stage or clear coat paints.

And no, there are new things that are SS. Or tinted clear.

I forgot about that. We have vehicles in our fleet that are SS.

[Fernandhaya]

Re: New Obsidian Black Lexus.

It wont be bad for a car that doesnt have clear coat. How long a paint would last in the way i wash and wax so often? Now im more nervous. It sounds like im going to take the paint off, lol.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: New Obsidian Black Lexus.

Be very careful w/Lexus black it may not be clear coated therefore you'll need to revise you product selection accordingly. Try a test spot & see if black shows up on the cloth, if so, most likely it's not cleared.

While there is a possibility that this car is indeed single stage, that would not require any real change in product or process to correct it. If it is SS then it's a very modern catalyzed clear coat, meaning it's quite different than the old single stage lacquers used back in the day.

Fernandhaya, since you have a wide selection of products on hand already, and since Lexus generally has some of the best paint in the industry, you should be set to go. We highly recommend you do a test spot first, starting with SwirlX, and see where that takes you. If you need to move up from there, then UC is the logical choice. You may find, depending on application process and how the paint responds, that UC is needed to correct defects and SwirlX does a nice job as a follow up to really add clarity to the finish. But you may also find that SwirlX alone does everything you require prior to waxing. Your test spot will tell you for sure.

We are a bit concerned about you washing 3x/week and waxing every week. That is a lot of contact with the paint, and the primary source of the swirl marks you're seeing. If you really feel you need to do this, so be it, just be extra careful about using the two bucket method, wash your mitt and drying towels after every use, and generally use only the highest quality microfiber or sheep skin mitt and waffle weave microfiber drying towels to minimize the creation of these defects.

[Fernandhaya]

Re: New Obsidian Black Lexus.

Michael. I need to clean my car that much because key west is 3 by 4 miles and is surrounded by salt water. And 10 or more mph winds every day. I can wash my car and 1/2 hour later has salt all over it. And the wax is helping a lot. i Used new microfibers and pads everytime. Now. I have another question. Do i need to use the polish after the swirlx? Who is more aggressive? Thanks a lot for all the info Guys. Is really helping a lot. I need to learn how to post pics.

[Murr1525]

Re: New Obsidian Black Lexus.

I have had some success removing bird droppings, tree drippings ( I suppose sap, but not sure) etc from my car when not able to wash using those coin-op places.

I just spray with the regular water, then spray with the spot free rinse, and drive around. No soap or anything, and it seems to dry spot free.

Perhaps just hosing it down could replace a full wash, if a coin-op place is around?

[Fernandhaya]

Re: New Obsidian Black Lexus.

Murr1525:

Ill try that. It sound like a nice idea. Thanks again.