When I coffed up £50k for my ISF I was convinced by the dealer to have the superguard applied to protect the paint from surface scratching and to keep a showroom finish.

I agreed and it was added to the car.

After 6 months I can see swirl marks on the paint and the finish is not showroom after a wash as promised.

So, I need to have some treatment to remove all the fine scratches that are visible in good daylight.

Any thoughts, suggestions, experiences to share?

[quote name='Looney' post='653831' date='Apr 8 2009, 02:00 PM']When I coffed up £50k for my ISF I was convinced by the dealer to have the superguard applied to protect the paint from surface scratching and to keep a showroom finish.

I agreed and it was added to the car.

After 6 months I can see swirl marks on the paint and the finish is not showroom after a wash as promised.

So, I need to have some treatment to remove all the fine scratches that are visible in good daylight.

Any thoughts, suggestions, experiences to share?[/quote]


All water based paints are pretty soft and prone to quickly showing swirls - although toyota paints seem especially bad.

You can get rid of the swirls with a good polish - get a detailler round to do it for you or get a nice random orbit polisher and do it yourself.

How do you wash your car? This is where the swirls are coming from - grit etc getting picked up in the wash mitt and then swirled around the car scratching as they go. Always give your car a good rinse before washing and rinse your mitt very often in a separate bucket of clean water. Try to make straight line strokes when washing not circles (then at least any grit trapped in the mitt will make less noticeable line scratches.

Re: supaguard - I'm no expert but have heard it's no better than a good wax.

Thanks for that.
When I wash it i always took it to a car valet place but after seeing 5th gear's feature on Valet place Vs Jet Wash Vs Car Wash I don't do that anymore.

They basically said that the WORST is the car valet place for getting scratches, then the jet wash and finally the auto car washer is best as it very rarely picks up grit - which was very surprising to me but you can't argue with science.

If I lived in Dover i'd go to that petrol station (BP i think) right next to the Chunnel entrance that has a brushless wash - just sprays water and foam (and prob some chemicals) and magically the car is clean.

So now, I jet wash the car at home and then wash with the softest, cleanest rags and sponges i can find and am mega careful re grit.

I think the damage is already done so guess have to call in an expert to make it good again.

Shame about supaguard - would not recommend it to anyone - especially as it costs £400 !!!

[quote name='Looney' post='653864' date='Apr 8 2009, 02:52 PM']Thanks for that.
When I wash it i always took it to a car valet place but after seeing 5th gear's feature on Valet place Vs Jet Wash Vs Car Wash I don't do that anymore.

They basically said that the WORST is the car valet place for getting scratches, then the jet wash and finally the auto car washer is best as it very rarely picks up grit - which was very surprising to me but you can't argue with science.

If I lived in Dover i'd go to that petrol station (BP i think) right next to the Chunnel entrance that has a brushless wash - just sprays water and foam (and prob some chemicals) and magically the car is clean.

So now, I jet wash the car at home and then wash with the softest, cleanest rags and sponges i can find and am mega careful re grit.

I think the damage is already done so guess have to call in an expert to make it good again.

Shame about supaguard - would not recommend it to anyone - especially as it costs £400 !!! [/quote]

Even more upset when you know it costs them just £50!

[quote name='Looney' post='653864' date='Apr 8 2009, 02:52 PM']Thanks for that.
When I wash it i always took it to a car valet place but after seeing 5th gear's feature on Valet place Vs Jet Wash Vs Car Wash I don't do that anymore.

They basically said that the WORST is the car valet place for getting scratches, then the jet wash and finally the auto car washer is best as it very rarely picks up grit - which was very surprising to me but you can't argue with science.

If I lived in Dover i'd go to that petrol station (BP i think) right next to the Chunnel entrance that has a brushless wash - just sprays water and foam (and prob some chemicals) and magically the car is clean.

So now, I jet wash the car at home and then wash with the softest, cleanest rags and sponges i can find and am mega careful re grit.

I think the damage is already done so guess have to call in an expert to make it good again.[/quote]


Honestly - it is very very easy (and very satisfying) to fix this yourself - get yourself a Porter random orbit polisher (or similar) and some good polish. If you decide to go this route drop me a pm and I'll hook you up some good links of online retailers who can supply all you need.

Also: take all the sponges and rags you have check them for grit give them a good clean.... and then burn them get yourself a lambswool wash mitt (my preference) or a microfibre one.


And finally - washing the car: I know it seems like a pain doing it yourself but its the only way to ensure the condition of your paint. Get two buckets a lambswool mitt and two or three big waffle weave drying towels. I can do my whole car (doing a very thorough job) in forty minutes and it's pretty satisfying. I'd never trust anyone else to wash my car and certainly not the grubby plastic flails of an auto wash (and my IS is a mere fraction the cost of yours).

[url="http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=85332"]http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=85332[/url]

how about this guy

Also on washing your car, a decent snow foam is a good first step in washing your car, in that it loosens the dirt and gets rid of some of it. So then when you do the actual wash (using the two-bucket method), you're already reducing the risk of inducing more swirl marks (due to less grit and/or looser grit) to start with.

Looney, if you are sure, and can prove you were sold the SG as scratch protector, then go back to the dealer, and complain that it's failed to meet your expectations.
This in itself is covered under the Sale Of Goods Act, and have them hire in Rob (linked thread above) or one of the other notable detailers on Detailing World to correct it.

I implore you to NOT let their guys loose on it, as I'll guarantee the only polish they'll have is G3, and at a stretch, G10 to refine the finish.
Soft Lexus, and most Japanese cars', clearcoat/paint does NOT need anything as aggressive as G3 applied, G6 or G10 should be more than enough depending on how deep the damage extends.

Whereabouts are you? - I'll let you know who's nearby, so you can have a chat with them, etc.

As above, get a good deep pile washmitt, some soft and absorbent microfiber towels, and 2 buckets - one for washing with, the other for rinsing the mitt each panel.
If you already have a pressure washer, then you can opt for pre-washing with snow foam, which involves spending £45-50 on a foam lance to connect to the trigger section, and Bilt Hamber Auto-foam.
www.carnaubawaxshop.co.uk do a good starter's bundle for £50, leaving the lance to get from Autobrite Direct.

If the foam and lance doesn't appeal, then the next best alternative is to use a pressurised garden sprayer with 5% strength Bilt Hamber Surfex HD, and spray that on the lower half 2-3mins before rinsing off. 5% should be sufficient for the wheels too, but you can use an regular spray bottle with a 10% solution for more stubborn brake dust.
Rinse thoroughly, and wash starting at the top, working you way round and down - lower section is where the bulk of the grime gathers, including the grittier stuff.

My last car (an MG) I had from new, and after 3.5 years of washing by hand using a wash mitt and the two bucket system, it had hardly any marks at all. If I looked straight across the bonnet in very strong sunlight, I could see the odd very fine scratch, about 1 inch long each, but definitely no swirls.

So washing by hand doing nothing fancy works well if you're careful, the two bucket trick makes a big difference. All you have to do is look at what you have in your second bucket when you're finished washing, there's the proof!

My IS200 I think was more a workhorse of the previous owner rather than their pride and joy, but it seems pretty good, very little in the way of marks.

Colour makes a difference of course, black is the worst My missus' Fiesta is black and that has all kinds of swirls, and shimmers from the poor job they did polishing it when it had an accident.

Thanks to everyone who has posted ideas and hints here - appreciated.
As for my location I am in Southampton so if PJs knows an good "bring the car back to glory" place would be really happy to hear more.

Thanks again guys

Will edit this post with a choice few who'd cover your area Looney