Could the thing protecting you (car cover) harm you?

[SuperH]

Originally Posted by CamaroDreams07

I'm pretty sure it's not just the car cover causing that massive swirl damage. That's improper wash media or technique. Car covers can scratch, but after only 3 weeks, there's no way it did that much circular damage. Time to review wash videos and buy some big boy paint car and correction materials (not Meg's OTC)

I've not washed my car with any contacting methods. No wash mitts; nothing of that nature. That's a no-no on my Camaro! Maybe the wash media is something to consider as well; car covers don't just "swirl" in perfect circles like that.

(My contactless washing is hand-washing, not automatic washing, and not with a strong jet either, because that can wash the dirt over the paint and cause scratches...)

It looks like an unskilled buff job with a straight buffer by the photos.

Do you think his damage is bad enough to use more abrasive materials? I usually back off what I see in a photo because my experience is that photos usually look worse than the vehicle actually is.

I'd start with something very mild and work up, like Meguiar's ScratchX OTC. I've always been very conservative with modern factory finishes; they aren't very thick.

What it comes down to, is no matter what you're going to do to protect or wash it, you're going to be doing it wrong!!! Clear coats are extremely delicate with regard to abrasions. Much like the balance between the clutch, brake pedal, and accelerator, you just have to find that balance between the wash, the storage, and the shine!

[redirish]

The car cover is not to blame. Swirls are casued by in proper washing/drying. The car cover should be unfolded on the car and folded off the car. Never just pull it off and you should use the duster to clean the cover before removing. Then you should put the cover in a clean sealed container until used again. I only use mine when storing for a long period of time.

[hot_rod]

If it touches the paint then it has potential to swirl, scratch, mar,...pick your adjective...

As everyone has pointed out, you touched the paint when you washed, dried, dusted, put the cover on, etc....take your pick when it occurred.

>>find that balance between the wash, the storage, and the shine

Excellent advise, the only thing I might add or emphasize is protection and/or the correction via wax (also known as LSP "last step protection") and polish.

[2010 SSRS]

Originally Posted by Tantalizer43

I think the california duster is more to blame than the car cover is...

+1

[PHEOX]

Originally Posted by mulletman

Get rid of the California Duster. Wash the car to remove dust. Even using a light touch dust is being ground into the paint.

Keep the duster, just use it correctly. Junkman shows you how.

[VcrusaderV]

All these years I thought I was using my duster right.... I have been applying way too much pressure. Another day of learning something new. Thanks

[cam fan]

I do not have a garage at home, just my driveway. Thanks for all the replies.

It sucks that the cover is not for everyday use, but it makes plain and simple sense, that any contact with the paint will cause the issue.

BTW I gave the car a closer inspection and I can say that the heavier damage exists on the areas that get the tightest hold from the cover: the arch of the rear, the pointed rear portion below the plates, just above the windows etc

[SuperH]

Originally Posted by cam fan

I do not have a garage at home, just my driveway. Thanks for all the replies.

Is a carport able to be constructed? These can be relatively inexpensive to build. You might want to look into that. Winter is right around the corner. I don't know if your Camaro will be driven in the winter - I see you're in New York. If it won't be, then you may want to look at what you can do to keep all of that snow and ice from building up on your car. Snow can be very sharp when it melts, turns into ice, and slides off, depending on the angle at which it starts to melt. It can also push dirt with it when the ice/snow slides off.

[cam fan]

idk how but it ripped half the chrome-looking covering off the word CAMARO on the passenger side

ffffffffff

[scythezo6]

Wow and your car is so young...

[BackinBlackSS/RS]

Circular scratches are caused by circualar motion. Paint imperfections bother me. Clear coats scratches that can only be see under direct light do not. They are gonna happen and you must keep on top of it all the time. I applaud all of you that are dedicated to keeping all clear coat scratches under contol. It's a never ending battle. That is dedication.

[Ject]

K to kinda clean up what everyone has said and my own input.

1. Car cover is not really to blame (cept for possible wind outside while it is on... big no no)
2. Improper Wash / Drying Technique or media.
3. Duster could be also some of the cause if not used correctly / clean

Those are my best guesses & thoughts.
Nothing a little Adams swirl and haze can't handle

[Junkman2008]

Okay, we've got information all over the place in this thread. I had to read it twice so that I could address a lot of what is not exactly correct. Here we go!

Originally Posted by cam fan

I have the official GM red car cover for the Camaro and I have a feeling it is causing the only-seen-in-sunlight swirl marks (that drive me insane!).

Am I right to suspect this?

other factors:
- car is 3 weeks old
- lightly dusted with california duster and covered every night after use
- camaro is washed every week by hand with proper wash technique (i.e. JunkMan's advice)




:(



btw that is not my paint above; that's mildly worse

First off, at least you are addressing the damage BEFORE it gets as bad as that picture. The damage you see in that picture is caused first by improper washing and wiping on the paint. You say that you use my washing method but if you were doing it correctly, you would not have swirls like that showing up on your paint. Also, you are probably using your California Duster all wrong, and are grinding dirt into your paint every time you use it. The video that was posted was missing a few videos so I'll post them here again.

Now for the car cover. You can use a car cover everyday. Here's the catch. The car must be spotless, just as it would be right after you've washed it. That means that if you wash and dry your car, you can cover it. If you wash and dry your car and then drive it around the block, IT IS DIRTY AGAIN. In that case, you should NOT cover the car until you clean it again. The videos that I will post address how you can clean it again if only DUST is what has settled on the car. Anything else requires a WASH. Period.

There are 2 types of dirt that will end up on your car: dust and everything else (everything else as in mud, film, a herd of bird droppings, etc...). Waterless washing products are made for dust. Things like finger prints or something else that has just landed on your paint (like that special sauce from a Big Mac ), can also be removed with a waterless washing product. If a major area of the car is covered with anything else, you need to wash it, especially a car covered with a dirt film (which is what you find covering the car after driving it in the rain). A caked on spot of something like bird droppings can be removed using a waterless wash but you have to soak the spot real good and make sure that the substance is fully diluted enough to remove. Rubbing on it too soon will do nothing but scratch the paint.

Common sense is the key here, not necessarily the product I use (although it is a very good product to use). I can't list all the situations that a waterless washing product can be used for but after watching these videos, you will have a good idea. With that said, on to the videos!


The Videos!

Originally Posted by v6sonoma

I only put the car cover on mine once the car is completely clean. Anything on the paint will get rubbed into it. Especially if it's an outdoor car with wind blowing on it. So it could have caused it.

Amen. You get a gold star on your paper.

Originally Posted by mulletman

Get rid of the California Duster. Wash the car to remove dust. Even using a light touch dust is being ground into the paint.

Not true. Correctly using a device such as the CA Duster will not scratch the paint at all. It works as advertised.

Originally Posted by Scrapppy666

One thing I found out early on, pretty much impossible to keep swirls out of this paint, it might as well be wet its so fragile.

Not true at all. My paint is swirl free and stays swirl free because of the practices that I perform when dealing with my paint. I will agree that it is somewhat time consuming, a PITA and you have to be dedicated to the practices but impossible to keep swirls out of your paint? Not impossible at all as my car is and remains swirl free. It is a commitment.

Originally Posted by Scrapppy666

Swirls being caused by "swirling motion" while washing or drying is a myth, the spots look like swirl scratches because thats how the specular light flashes off the surface. The scratches really go in all directions.

Very true, although it doesn't have anything to do with the reflection of light. It is very similar to a picture drawn with dots. If you use enough dots to draw a picture, people will not see the dots because they are so close together that they appear to be lines. Swirls are the same way. If you draw a circle using straight lines that are drawn at every possible angle there is, then the straight lines will actually appear to look like curved lines. This is how swirls are created. When you look at a swirl up close, you quickly realize that they are nothing more than straight lines going at every angle. Check out the picture below. You will see that the swirl is made up of nothing but straight lines. None of them are curved.

Originally Posted by Scrapppy666

I'd avoid the dry dusting, wash it weekly, wax it every few months. If your worried about the swirls have the car gone over with a fine grade polish, wax and put it in the garage and never touch it again... pretty much your only option.

Now you know differently. A close up shot of my paint which shows just how swirl free it is. Notice how pronounced the pearl is. Notice how deep the paint looks. Yours can be exactly the same.

Originally Posted by spurscar

Nothing like taking a piece of fabric and using it to push dust and dirt all around the
finish of your new car... awesome...

Your sarcasm is so salty!

Originally Posted by CamaroDreams07

I'm pretty sure it's not just the car cover causing that massive swirl damage. That's improper wash media or technique. Car covers can scratch, but after only 3 weeks, there's no way it did that much circular damage. Time to review wash videos and buy some big boy paint car and correction materials (not Meg's OTC)

I know my opinion is biased but you are dead on. He stated that the picture was not his car and his damage is not to that point yet, but given time and his maintenance practices, that is a snap shot of his paint's future.

Originally Posted by SuperH

I've not washed my car with any contacting methods. No wash mitts; nothing of that nature. That's a no-no on my Camaro! Maybe the wash media is something to consider as well; car covers don't just "swirl" in perfect circles like that.

(My contactless washing is hand-washing, not automatic washing, and not with a strong jet either, because that can wash the dirt over the paint and cause scratches...)

It looks like an unskilled buff job with a straight buffer by the photos.

Do you think his damage is bad enough to use more abrasive materials? I usually back off what I see in a photo because my experience is that photos usually look worse than the vehicle actually is.

I'd start with something very mild and work up, like Meguiar's ScratchX OTC. I've always been very conservative with modern factory finishes; they aren't very thick.

What it comes down to, is no matter what you're going to do to protect or wash it, you're going to be doing it wrong!!! Clear coats are extremely delicate with regard to abrasions. Much like the balance between the clutch, brake pedal, and accelerator, you just have to find that balance between the wash, the storage, and the shine!

As you have seen in my post, flawless can be achieved and maintained. It is totally a mindset. If you commit, the swirl will quit!

Originally Posted by redirish

The car cover is not to blame. Swirls are casued by in proper washing/drying. The car cover should be unfolded on the car and folded off the car. Never just pull it off and you should use the duster to clean the cover before removing. Then you should put the cover in a clean sealed container until used again. I only use mine when storing for a long period of time.

You sir, have been reading my post!

Originally Posted by PHEOX

Keep the duster, just use it correctly. Junkman shows you how.

Amen. You get a gold star too.

Originally Posted by BackinBlackSS/RS

Circular scratches are caused by circualar motion. Paint imperfections bother me. Clear coats scratches that can only be see under direct light do not. They are gonna happen and you must keep on top of it all the time. I applaud all of you that are dedicated to keeping all clear coat scratches under contol. It's a never ending battle. That is dedication.

As you saw in the picture above, it is not just a circular motions that creates swirls as swirls do not consist of curved lines.

Originally Posted by Ject

K to kinda clean up what everyone has said and my own input.

1. Car cover is not really to blame (cept for possible wind outside while it is on... big no no)
2. Improper Wash / Drying Technique or media.
3. Duster could be also some of the cause if not used correctly / clean

Those are my best guesses & thoughts.
Nothing a little Adams swirl and haze can't handle

I cleaned it up for you. Just read and follow my lead. Look for a proper wash video to be uploaded this week.

[Uncle Harvey]

Nice summary Mr Junkman. Did you ever expect to reach semi celeb status washing cars?