I have had my Obsidian (black) GS350 for a little over a year. I keep it garaged and I’m meticulous about keeping the finish looking swirl free. Recently I went over the whole car using a white foam pad and Meguiar’s Swirl remover. Following that, I used a black foam pad and applied NXT 2.0. As a last step I hand applied two separate coats of P21S carnauba paste wax.

I had the garage door open the other day and pollen got all over the car. I took a micro fiber towel and very gently dusted the car off. Today I backed the car out and noticed very fine swirl marks in the direct sunlight. I was certain that two coats of carnauba wax would at least protect the paint from a light dusting with a micro fiber towel. Apparently I was wrong.

I would greatly appreciate advice from the detail experts here. What am I doing wrong? Is there a product that I can apply that will preserve the service from swirling? I hate to think that I need to use the PC and apply swirl remover after every wash. Your help, experience and advice is appreciated.

 

i have a black gs as well. i usually use eagle1 nanowax w/ a regular buffer to get rid of the fine scratches. i've noticed it's kind of a pain to get rid of swirls and fine scratches by hand on black cars.

 

As a fellow black GS owner, I feel your pain. But unfortunately there is little you can do to prevent swirls/chips/scratches from appearing on a black car...it is such an unforgiving color.

After a few months of struggling to keep my GS's finish looking immaculate, I just gave up. Now I just polish via a PC every 6 months or so to remove the swirls.

Oh, and the GS430 was my first black car...and will be my last

 

Carnauba based products look fantastic on vehicles! I am a big fan....obviously.

If you are wanting protection and a nice high gloss finish....use a sealant. When you go back over the car with detail spray and a micro fiber....the fine spider webbing you are seeing will be minimal.

 

+1 on using a sealant.

Next time you wipe with a microfiber, consider using a QD. It acts as a lubricant so it's harder for you to scratch/create swirls. And of course, proper washing is the best way to prevent new swirls.

 

I have a black IS350 and I know how you feel. But it is just too much work to keep the car swirl-free for long period of time, no matter how careful I have been. My car is not even half a year old(about five months and ten days only) and I already have fine scratches and light swirls everywhere noticeable under sunlight or halogen. I would soon do a complete detailing on my car including claying and using my pc 7424 to do the jobs and wish to get the car back to what it looked like a few months ago(but frankly it is unlikely to happen with my detailing skills hehe). I am just not a meticulous person, so I am happy enough as long as most of the time the car looks glossy and looks clean from some distance. I have learned to not mind so much about those swirls then I could live easier and happier.

 

sealant FTW!!! times spent on claybaring have drastically reduced

 

If only there was a magic product you could put on your car to protect it from swirls/light scratches, unfortunately there isn't. Clearcoats on cars are just so fragile that pretty much anything that rubs against them will scratch them even a microfiber rubbing against pollen or dust. I just polished my black GS a few weeks ago and was very careful with washing using the two bucket and microfibers but it is now covered in swirl marks that show up bright as ever in sunlight. I washed the car and really noticed them last week in the sun while I was washing and got so mad I just said screw it there is no point in going through all this trouble trying to keep them swirl free when the clearcoat is so fragile and so easy to swirl. I say just live with it and enjoy the few days your car is swirl free after a polish because that is pretty much all your going to get from a car that is driven out in the elements and picks up dirt/pollen/contaminants you don't see but will cause swirls/scratches as soon as you run a rag over them because they won't just hose off.

 

Hey detaildude, does a clay help in this situation? I just ordered all my detailing supplies and awaiting their arrival next week to do my first detail. I got everything but the clay...of course I have a new 08 ES350 UL (black on black with Panoramic roof). Clay scares me but others say I shouldn't be. I am planning on washing and drying the car using a 2 bucket system with grit grate and Ultima Paint Guard Wash and a Lowes Proline Grout sponge that people are raving about (gentle and good to pick up dirt). I have only went through brushless auto car washes to get the salt off my car since Dec. I haven't seen any swirls. Then I am going to seal with Ultima Paint Guard Plus, let it cure, then do the P21S-100 carnauba wax thing. Using all microfiber towels and I also am using the Sonus vision glass cleaning kit, the Pinnacle wheel/tire cleaning kit and the Sonus cockpit cleaning kit (I think I went overboard here)...your opinion (before I start next weekend)?