What would you do....?

[CH1]

Whats wrong with Seat paint! My leon has awful circular fine swirl marks, especially viaable in direct sun, despite using microfibre cloths and being very careful in the washing and polishing process.

I'm getting a new car soon, so i am intersted in how other people avoid this in the first place rather than waiting and trying to fix it. New car is in Black Magic Pearl.

I have the same problem! My car's only 5 months old. I too have been using fine microfibre cloths and taking great care etc. I guessed yours was metallic black before I read your whole quote. Its the worst colour to show the slightest defects and imperfections. I'm getting mine looked at by Seat as a case of whether the paint process is deemed as faulty 'soft paint' hopefully they will consider it. If your cars under 3 years old you could try that route.

 

[Starbank]

I have the same problem! My car's only 5 months old. I too have been using fine microfibre cloths and taking great care etc. I guessed yours was metallic black before I read your whole quote. Its the worst colour to show the slightest defects and imperfections. I'm getting mine looked at by Seat as a case of whether the paint process is deemed as faulty 'soft paint' hopefully they will consider it. If your cars under 3 years old you could try that route.

I'm going to watch out for this when I collect my new car from the dealer!.

I would note though that my current VW is black and has a few swirls too despite very careful cleaning - unfortunately I think it's the nature of the beast!

 

[Ruddmeister]

I'm going to watch out for this when I collect my new car from the dealer!.

I would note though that my current VW is black and has a few swirls too despite very careful cleaning - unfortunately I think it's the nature of the beast!

I think it's modern water based paints that are cr@p, bring back some decent chemicals I say.....

 

[mr. Hedgehog]

Dale, tried to PM you but it just keeps crashing explorer - here's what I was trying to send - should provide people with some entertainment if nothing else :

bit cheeky, but I have noticed you have had a good result with your PC and was hoping for a bit of advice. As you might have noticed at previous meets, i have been fighting (and loosing) a battle with fine circular swirls (cobwebs or whatever) in my Leons paintwork. I have read the PC thread, but can't afford one of those bad boys at the moment, however....

I know its not in the same ballpark as the PC machine but have taken a punt and bought a 240 v Halfords polisher off a bloke at work for £5 - cheap for a gadget, surely? It's got no instructions or box, and came with two new bonnets in unmarked Halfords bags. One woolly fluffy thing, and another flat cottony type one.

Now, at the risk of being told i've wasted my money, and that it'll destroy my car further (or perhaps not work at all) - can you give me any advice on using it! Its on the Halfrauds website - but there are no real details.

What are the different bonnets for?!

Any advice most welcome.

Took the advice on the Clay - works a treat, thanks.

 

[dalepearson]

Got your PM twice and responded.

 

[mr. Hedgehog]

Had a go with polisher and have to say, i'm quite pleased with the results, well, from a distance at least. The car looks mint from a few feet away, really good. However, if you get up close to the paint, a few inches away, the scratches are still visable in good light. I'd say theres about a 50% improvement on close inspection.

That was using Autoglym superresin with a pass, buffing off, and another application and repeat - its very mild stuff I think. Finished with Techwax. Next time round - in a couple of weeks or so - i'll have a bash with some Scratchx by hand, then polish as above and techwax. I've got a stockpile of the Autoglym stuff I need to use up, so i'll keep on using the above on the Leon. If the Scratchx doesn't get me anywhere after a couple of passes I'll probably have it done professionally at my local bodyshop.

I'm sure my past sponge washing worsened things, the fact the previous owner of the Leon regulalrly used mechanical and jet carwashs probably set me up to fail - when i bought the car it looked great, until it had had 3 or 4 washes anyway

With the new Motor I'll go with the Poorboys reccomendations on the polish and wax for dark colours (I've only got through half the Autoglym shampoo that i got for xmas last year) - all by hand to begin with. Hopefully i'll be able to avoid such swirl problems as the car is brand new, and no body is going near this one with anything but a clean lambswool mit or microfibre.

 

[mark@carsparkle]

Whats wrong with Seat paint! My leon has awful circular fine swirl marks, especially viaable in direct sun, despite using microfibre cloths and being very careful in the washing and polishing process.

I'm getting a new car soon, so i am intersted in how other people avoid this in the first place rather than waiting and trying to fix it. New car is in Black Magic Pearl.

Because most dealers are bloody idiots and they should not 'polishing' brand new paint unless its done properly in a bodyshop environment with a professional random orbital polisher and in the hands of an absolute professional.

All they will be doing is slapping on some polish, applying it in circular motions and then using the same process to remove it. If you are lucky they will then apply the wax (again in a circular motion = bad) and take it off again (circular motion) but probably using the same rag they used to remove the polish so now you have dried polish crystals scratching your precious paintwork.

I made the point of getting a pro detailer to do my car as soon as it arrived off the ferry - not one swirl mark and its black metallic that is famous for being notoriously thin as its a japanese car.

I know its hindsight but if you can, tell them not to polish the car under any circumstances and tell them you dont mind how it looks as you will be getting it done 'properly' somewhere else.

Mark

 

[Chemical Al]

finally got round to going this at the wk end

 

[mark@carsparkle]

Looking good matey, looking very good!

 

[CH1]

Now thats one shiny looking car!

Black looks so beautiful when clean...the downside is when its dirty like mine is currently (also front covered in stone chips and a few scratches within a few months of new, SEAT paint is really crap!)