Swirling scratches

[nobadges]

I have a 2001 Neon. Pearl Blue.
Sort of a lighter shade of Navy Blue.

The paint has looked dull for some time now. Seems having it stored outdoors took its toll.

I noticed tonight after dark while filling with gas, the lights at the gas station revealed swirling fine scratches all over the paint.
It looks like very fine sandpaper has been swirled in circular motions all over it.

What would have caused this?
I also have a 1998 neon with 175000kms on it and it has none of these scratches. Why would my 2001 be looking so shabby and the 98 still is in showroom condition.

What can you suggest to get rid of this?
My experience with detailing is limited to waxing the car twice a year.
I have heard of clay, rubbing compounds etc...but I would like some advice before selecting something.
I don't have a power polisher...so anything would have to be done with a good amount of elbow grease.
Please pass on your experience.

 

[buster]

Unless your using 100% made in the USA cotton such as DF Towels, you'll get those faint scratches. I've made the mistake of using cheap towels and that is what happens. Go to www.autopia.org and read up.

 

[tweeker43]

to hide scratches:

meguiar's #7 and #26 is a good combo.

meguiar's nxt and eagle one nanowax will do a decent job hiding scratches, not as well as the above combo (imo) but are much easier to apply.

buster is right, autopia is the way.

to eliminate the scratches will require either a porter cable rotary or a hellish amount of elbow grease and a polishing compound.

 

[ShortBuSX]

What type of "wax" and rags are you using currently? Even your wash/dry methods could be leading to these scratches.

 

[bretfraz]

I agree with ShortBus that the wash & dry technique has probably caused the marring. This is very common. Using new soft wash mitts and microfiber towels to wash and dry will help minimize the swirl marks.

As others have said, they can be polished out but doing so by hand is a real chore. If you want to give it a spin, I'd suggest starting with the 3-step systems from Mothers or Meguiars. You can find them at most auto parts stores; I imagine Canadian Tire will carry them. They include a light polish (step 1), a glaze (step 2) and a wax (step 3).

Paint detailing clay is a good idea if you've never used it on your cars. Clay removes surface contaminents like paint overspray and tree sap. When done your paint feels silky smooth and is ready to be polished. Mothers and Clay Magic are the two popular clay kits available in stores. There is even more available from internet vendors.

As for why your '98 shows less marring than your '01, its probably due to changes in the paint system applied at the factory. There have been dramatic changes to auto paint technology in the past 10 years, and environmental regulations + new paint application techniques have had significant effects on how cars are painted. The bottom line is OEM paint jobs are getting thinner and softer, which probably accounts for why your newer Neon shows damage more readily.

 

[nobadges]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I have discovered what I believe is the cause.
I had the car in an outdoor storage yard for about 1 year. Theres lots of RV's and that kind of stuff there.
Next to the storage yard is a cement plant. There's big tower things with conveyors and trucks coming and going constantly.
The wind blows dust all over. The car was covered in so much dust you couldn't make out the color of the paint.
Apparently the silica sand they are using has damaged a lot of the RV's.

As far as car washes go, I always use one of those pressure washer ones you put in some tokens and do it yourself.
I never use a brush or rags on it...just the sprayer.

Anyways, I gave it a **** good wash and then put a good coat of turtle wax on it.
It looks really good. Its getting cold here now for winter so in the spring I will use the Mothers 3 step process.

Now what bretfraz said:
---------------------------------------------
As for why your '98 shows less marring than your '01, its probably due to changes in the paint system applied at the factory. There have been dramatic changes to auto paint technology in the past 10 years, and environmental regulations + new paint application techniques have had significant effects on how cars are painted. The bottom line is OEM paint jobs are getting thinner and softer, which probably accounts for why your newer Neon shows damage more readily.
-----------------------------------------------

This is very true.
The paint on my 2k1 is very thin under the trunk lid, inside door jambs etc. You can see the gray primer showing right thru the blue.
On my 98 the paint in these areas is just as good as the outside panels of the car.

 

[pallen]

Wax will help make the swirls less noticable, but they will always "come back" as your wax wears off. I had the same thing on my Nissan 300Zx when I bought it. I have been using meguire's polish everytime I wash it and before waxing. It is gradualy getting better and better.

Now if I could just do something about the 1367098236783 rock chips!!!

 

[Alex P.]

We could propose legislation banning flying debris. That would teach those highway rocks a lesson. But it's too late for my paint.

 

[abimanyu]

mmm, why don't just save up for a new paint job?

 

[Alex P.]

A *good* paint job is expensive. A *cheap* paint job is quickly worse than somewhat beaten factory paint, if they do the typical Maaco special.

 

[RTexasF]

Those little scratches are part of owning a car, especially a dark colored one. To remove them yourself you will need a Porter Cable orbital dual action buffer, scratch remover, polish, and sealer. Also the correct pads and bonnets for the buffer.

There are detailers than can remove these for as little as $80 and make the finish look new. As stated, washing/drying technique is the major cause of the swirls. Google for detailing sites and you will come accross a great dela of usefull information.

 

[JBM]

Swirls are pretty common and are usually caused from washing and drying or any touching with towels ect.

To find a detailer that can polish out swirls without leaving holograms might be tough.

You could go that route or you could get a porter cable dual action sander(buffer with velcro backing plate and pads) and some polish, toss in some micro fiber towels while your at it