Claying new car?? SWIRlS

[BMW-5]

hey guys, i've just picked up my new car from the dealer and have started to clean it up. I told him not to touch the paint at all, and although he was surprised, he said okay.

The paint is very rough so i decided to clay it (although i am surprised at how it got so rough).

after a few square feet, i noticed slight swirls, so i stopped immediately. I am sure that the swirls were not there before i clayed. What do i do? am i claying wrong?? (btw i used soapy water as lubricant)

Thanks

[Murr1525]

Re: Claying new car?? SWIRlS

What clay are you using? How much soap?

It is possible that dealer wasntthe first to have the car.

[BMW-5]

Re: Claying new car?? SWIRlS

I'm using the clay from the Smooth Surface Clay Kit, but i ran out of quick detailer, so i decided to mix about 20ml of nxt soap with water in a spray bottle.

Are the swirls appearing because i'm not using the QD?

[Murr1525]

Re: Claying new car?? SWIRlS

No, soapy water is safe, as long as you have enough of it. Not sure the recomended ratio/amount.

Can you see any pattern in the swirls/scratches? Like from a car wash, or holograms from a rotary?

I would be more likely to believe you are removing some previous wax hiding swirls, unless you saw them unwrap the car yourself.

[Markus Kleis]

Re: Claying new car?? SWIRlS

Just to be safe - did you thoroughly wash the car before starting to clay?

[I Shine]

Re: Claying new car?? SWIRlS

This might be a long shot but maybe the paint is too fresh therefore still to soft. My father in law is a car painter and he has told me in the past unless I'm "cutting and buffing" the paint DO NOT TOUCH for at least 4 weeks. Wash only use pressure washer or water hose to rinse. Not to dry with anything that physically touches the paint. I had to learn the hard way. On a fresh paint job (2 weeks old) I started to wipe down the car with instant detailer and a clean micro fiber after a very gentle wash. Much to my horror I was putting in swirls.

Like I said this is a long shot. I'm pretty certain that your paint was shot more than a month ago at the factory.

[mis3]

Re: Claying new car?? SWIRlS

I am so discouraged with swirls.
I remember I worked very hard (by hand) 2-3 years ago to remove all the swirls on the hood. Then I noticed new swirls just after a few months. Just can't win...

[mis3]

Re: Claying new car?? SWIRlS

I am so discouraged with swirls.
I remember I worked very hard (by hand) 2-3 years ago to remove all the swirls on the hood. Then I noticed new swirls just after a few months. I do wash my car carefully and i wax often. Just can't win...

[STRIFE]

Re: Claying new car?? SWIRlS

^ buy a DA polisher....then you'll win

My new 2011 Impreza came with dealer installed swirls....i clayed but could still see the swirls

got a couple bottles of SwirlX & a GG6 & GG3.....the swirls don't stand a chance

[Tuck91]

Re: Claying new car?? SWIRlS

I would stick with regular clay lube as the soapy water can gum up on you while claying.

If I had to guess, the swirls were already there but now that you are up close and working on the car your seeing more and more of them.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Claying new car?? SWIRlS

This might be a long shot but maybe the paint is too fresh therefore still to soft. My father in law is a car painter and he has told me in the past unless I'm "cutting and buffing" the paint DO NOT TOUCH for at least 4 weeks. Wash only use pressure washer or water hose to rinse. Not to dry with anything that physically touches the paint. I had to learn the hard way. On a fresh paint job (2 weeks old) I started to wipe down the car with instant detailer and a clean micro fiber after a very gentle wash. Much to my horror I was putting in swirls.

Like I said this is a long shot. I'm pretty certain that your paint was shot more than a month ago at the factory.

While that is very true for a body shop respray, a factory paint job is pretty much cured and ready to go by the time in gets into the hands of the buyer. Factory paint is baked on and catalyzed almost totally by the time it leaves the factory and the chemistry of the paint used in a factory is completely different than that used in a body shop. If a body shop were to use the exact same paint used in the factory, it would take forever to cure, if it cured at all. Factory paint formulations need that long(ish) high heat bake time in order to cure properly. A body shop could never afford such equipment, nor could most materials in a fully assembled car withstand that heat - factory paint is applied long before final assembly of the vehicle.

No, soapy water is safe, as long as you have enough of it. Not sure the recomended ratio/amount.

Can you see any pattern in the swirls/scratches? Like from a car wash, or holograms from a rotary?

I would be more likely to believe you are removing some previous wax hiding swirls, unless you saw them unwrap the car yourself.

A quick way to test this would be to clay one area in a circular pattern and another in a straight back and forth motion. It is possible that the car has extremely delicate paint, although this is rare, especially for it to be delicate enough that our consumer clay would haze it. Even then, it tends to leave a bit of a haze and not necessarily straight up scratches. Still, a quick test might give you the answer. But if you're seeing holograms, or a consistent pattern regardless how you move the clay, then you could well be removing any wax or glaze already on the car. By the way, what's the make and model of this car?

I am so discouraged with swirls.
I remember I worked very hard (by hand) 2-3 years ago to remove all the swirls on the hood. Then I noticed new swirls just after a few months. Just can't win...

No matter how thoroughly you remove swirls, it is inevitable that over time new swirls are going to appear. Exposure plays a huge role here, as does the delicacy or softness of the paint. How you wash and dry the car, and how you use a quick detail spray, are key to putting off the introduction of fresh swirls. Poor washing and drying technique, and poor QD wipedown technique, can create a lot of swirls in very short order.