hi my name is lones,i bought a brand new black hhr ss a month ago,a few days ago it was nice and sunny,washed the car in the drive way,stood back to look at it.O my god,there were swirl marks covering the entire vehicle.it was ugly.so the next day i took it back to the dealer in davison mi.they showed me other cars with spider lines swirls.you name it.they did not offer to fix it.i did some reading so i went to autozone and purchased mequiars swirl x remover 8.99,and a polisher from walmart for 20 dollars.i can only tell you she looks great now,no more sick looking swirl marks.i also applied mequiars tech 2.0 wax.man she get the looks.but shes mine.

 

How well did the swirl x remover work? I don't know if I want to use that or claybar it.

 

Swirl remover and clay bar are 2 total different applications. Clay your car first to remove the impurities imbedded in the paint. If you then see swirl marks you might want to try a swirl remover polish before laying a coat of wax back on it.

Lones, my first HHR was black and I'm so much happier now that my new one is orange. Black is a PITA and definitely shows whether the owner cares for their car or not.

 

it was very impressive.it took a way the swirl marks.where when i look at it,i see a black shiny beautiful hhr ss.not swirl marks in the sunshine.

 

Alot of those dealers just wash like an assembly line. No regaurds for clean cloths, or fresh Shamis. I have a rule I use. If the absorber/shamis hits the ground or touches the inner wheel well, it is no good anymore! I know that is a bit overboard but this is my sixth black car, and I have learned how to keep myself from causing the swirls :) Heck if a buffer pad is just a tad too dirty, gone in the trash :)

 

i certainly agree with you.i use microfiber,bulk purchase from sam"s club.also microfiber mitt en from walmart.seems to work great.any thing that slip from the hand to the ground,must not touch the vehicle,because dirt and sand is transferred to the paint that way,and will put fine scratches on the paints surface.and thats just ugly.

 

Did you go to Graff? Are you from Davison or just got the HHR from there?

I lived there until I was 20 and still go quite a bit since both my parents and inlaws live there.

great tips on the swirl remover. I have been thinking about doing that too once it warms up, clay, swirl remover, polish, wax etc.

 

yes i bought it at graff feb 18 2010.but dont live there flint township is where i live.

 

Ha! I'm the same way...only it goes for the sponge or lambswool washing mit as well. Having had a Grand National (black) and a Syclone (black), both horrible GM paint jobs, everything has to be clean or it will show.

 

Black is not at bad if you know how to treat it and care for it. Once it is cleaned up it will take a little more work but it will look great.

First off go to the book store and get as book on detailing cars. They cover the proper ways to clean and prep a car to maintain a great appearance. Also the will cover the tools to do it.

There are many good products to work with and everyone has their choice. Best to read up and try different things. You will need to polish and wax it. The clay does not remove swirles.

Once polished then wax it.

Some things like a Porter Cable orbital buffer will take some of the work out. My 08 SS is coming up on two years and it does not have swirls. It just take time to learn what to do and what to use. Owning two black cars I have learned some the easy way and some the hard.

One big tip. Micro Fiber towels. Buy them use them and keep them clean. They make a world of differance.

Also I bought a air dryer and use it. It has made washing much eaiser for not only swirls but the many HHR drips you get.