I am looking for the best wax to use to get rid of them fine "car wash" scratches in the paint...

My truck is black and it stands out so well, I am not trying to make them dissapear for good, just to try and hide them some...

Whats the best wax I should use and what would the process be?

Thanks

 

I have found you need to Clay bar it first then I use either Carnuba (Malms) or NXT and you should dry it with "The Absorber"

My fine scratches have all but dissappeared.

 

1st item......Ford/GM/Chrysler/MB/Porsche all have service directives that specifically refer to paint correction/contamination procedures and clay bar is not a referred procedure and specifically identified as a method which only removes the surface level paint contaminants and as such, the "root' of the contaminant remains continues to destroy the paint from underneath the surface layer of the paint.

Just remember, Mequire's clay bar is rated at 3500 grit. There much better clay bar products out there rated at much finer grits- so if you are comfortable and believe your paint needs to be wet-sanded, and that is the only and safest way to correct the flaw/issue, then do so but remember, for 90% for all paint contamination issues there are products designed to relieve/remove/neutralize the contaminants without reducing the mil thickness of the clear coat

These procedures date back to 1990 and are still published in current oem paint maintenance publications/service manuals- PM me and I will send you a copy.

Now for the correction item...


I have found that 100% cloth diapers (24" x 24") doubled up are the best for washing/drying....not only in terms of price/longevity but the paint feels like it's been polished each time. FYI- the diapers must be flat fold (meaning no seams) and washed 3 times (typically) to ensure softness and absorbsion.

I have found that flannel (100% cotton) outperforms the microfiber wax removal towels consistently- cheaper, better, last longer, gives a much better shine/result

General paint maintenance

General paint cleaning (required if you need to complete paint correction) - use a 50/50 mix of denatured alcohol & water (denatured is available at any hardware store & is oil free). It will remove any wax/polish and most all environmental contamination & ensure you are starting with a very clean surface.

Swirl mark removal (your issue), 3M Imperial Hand Glaze (there is a specific one for dark colors & one for lighter colors). Not only does it fill/remove swirl marks & light scratches it feeds oils back into the paint giving a very, very deep look. Now with that said, I used another product for the 1st time on gloss black paint (BC/CC oem) - Pro P21 swirl eliminator & polish (absolutely excellent)- mirro finish & eliminated 95% of all marks on the 1st try.


The absolute best ($ for $) IMHO is "Satin Cream" (for dark colors), it is made by BAF & distributed through Pro Car Care products. It is very easy to work with either by hand, orbital or buffer. It has the same acrylic hardener as the high dollar paint sealants but it has 30% German imported carnuba....no, your arm will not fall off putting it on or taking it off & it has a very mild polish in it as well. Even parking the vehicle outside, the MFG gives a 6 months warranty before another application is required. I use this personally on my toys & daily drivers (which include a 1997 black Cougar sport) and all I can tell you are not even bugs like to stick to the paint- most of the time when water is applied they just float off- bird poop is just as easy. No smeary look either- very clean clear deep look. On my toys, I give them a fresh coat about every 2 years (literally, even for a show), my daily drivers (I have one that sits outside), I apply to the entire vehicle every 6 months, and do the hood, roof and trunk every 3 months (probably overkill, but I know it is well protected from the elements including industrial fallout)


An excellent alternate product is 3M Perfect It Show Car Liquid Wax- a silicone wax/polish but excellent results as well, just maybe about 90% of the quality of the satin cream.

 

I would suggest Wet Glaze 2.0 to hide fine swirls and scratches and enhance gloss
Follow that with Zaino Z-2 for protection and a long lasting, wet looking shine.

 

Here are my pics too....fyi the haze you see on the nose above the bumber and on the edge of the Mark LT hood is ClearBra

 

Im know it's not the best but I use turtle wax black box. It comes with a cleaner wax and also a polishing wax and it seems to work very good. But i do reapply it every 3 washes which is about every 3 weeks.

 

I tried the stuff and I thought it was pretty nasty and did a poor job but I did like the black spray detailer.

 

Did the zaino do that much better?? And where can you get the zaino from?

 

There are lots of Zaino Products I like:
Here are a few to get you started.
Most folks get 6-8 months from Z-2

Z-2 Sealant
ZFX Accelerator
Z-6 Quick Detailer

The Zaino Store

 

Zaino is great product.

 

Glazes not waxes or sealants are used to "fill" swirls and add gloss.

A LSP, as a rule, does not reduce the appearance of swirl marks.
Unless they are buffed or filled you will have very shiny swirls!

Poorboys Black Hole and Wet Glaze 2.0 are good to fill & add gloss.

Another real good combo (that I like) is:

BLACKFIRE Gloss Enhancing Polish
"It visually reduces swirl marks while creating a deep gloss."
use it before applying
BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection
These two products are made to work together.

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"Grant me the power tools to correct what I can, the fillers to correct what I can't, and the wisdom to know the difference."

 

I prefer machine-applied Meguiar's glaze and hand-applied Mother's pure carnauba.

 

zanio for black hands down...i have used everything

 

hey did you use a machine or by hand?

 

A wax will not hide or get rid of "tunnel o' swirls" induced car wash scratches.
Do a paint correction and polish the paint then your LSP selection is limitless.
Do it once and do it right. Male 'em disappear and wash via 2 bucket method.

Do you want the black truck to look bright and shiny or have warmth & depth?
Do you want longevity from a synthetic or the look of a quality carnuaba wax?

Sadly, the "best" way to remove swirls and fine scratches is to use a buffer.
A Dual Action (DA) buffer with a free floating spindle assembly is your best bet.
I can teach someone how to use a DA in about 10 minutes. It is a "safe" tool.
I would suggest a Porter Cable 7424xp or Griots 6" polisher as a tool of choice.

I would also suggest a 5" backing plate with 5.5" Lake County flat foam pads.
Meguiar's compounds/polishes can be purchased at your local Auto parts store
To start out I would use Megs Ultimate Compound and Megs Ultimate Polish.
These are both good newbie consumer products and they will get the job done.
They work by hand but you can't do by hand what you can do with a machine.

Black is not a color it's a career! Get the tools you need to keep it looking nice!
In truth, there is no wipe on wipe off "swirls are gone" magic bullet paint product.
I wish there was! To do it right you need to polish the paint and it takes time.
It is not hard work. A machine, pads and polish will be under be under $200
This is an investment you should (need to) make to keep "Black" looking good.

How would you feel if someone said " Nice truck, too bad the paint's screwed up!"
It was a comment just like that that got me started on this quest to polish paint.

The satisfaction you get when you step back and see your accomplishment...
PRICELESS

This is the hood of my black truck. (click bar to see the pic)


NOTE:
Polish the paint before you apply Zaino Z-2 otherwise you will have very shiny swirls!
You can you use a "glaze" to hide swirls and then apply Z-2 but it won't work as well.
Z-2 is a long lasting, shiny, hydrophobic product & should be applied directly to clean paint.