I bought 22 Camaro ZL1 last July and it had light swirls on a few panels. I didn’t want to get too aggressive since it was brand new so I used DA with essence and gloss pads. After polishing I did 2 coats of UK 3.0 topped with 1 coat of SIC. It turned out great u til the first time I saw it with sun at certain angles I can see some faint swirls on some panels.
I want to redo it this spring but unsure of what to use. Would an orange pad with essence remove swirls or should I go with reflect or fixer with orange pad then polish with essence and white gloss pads? The Reflect doesn’t look like it has much more cut than the essence?
I would probably just live with the swirls or minimize them with Essence Plus but if you cannot, I would probably go with Fixer on a polishing pad and follow up with Essence on white Gloss pads.
Test spot with a polishing pad and see how it does before coating it. If that does not remove it you may need to step up to a more aggressive polish with a polishing pad.
Based on your description, it sounds like you used a relatively mild polishing combination with the DA, which may not have been aggressive enough to fully remove the swirls on your Camaro ZL1. It's not uncommon to see some residual swirls after using a less aggressive combination, especially under certain lighting conditions.
If you're looking to redo the polishing process, you may want to consider using a more aggressive combination to start with, such as a cutting compound with an orange pad. This should help to remove the remaining swirls, but be careful not to use too much pressure or leave the polisher in one spot for too long, as this can cause heat buildup and potentially damage the paint.
After using the cutting compound, you can then follow up with a finer polish such as Essence with a white gloss pad to refine the finish and restore the shine. You may also want to consider using a sealant or ceramic coating to help protect the paint from future damage and make maintenance easier.
Reflect and Fixer are both more aggressive compounds than Essence, so they may be useful if the swirls are particularly stubborn or deep. However, it's important to keep in mind that using too aggressive of a combination can also cause damage to the paint, so be sure to test in a small, inconspicuous area first and adjust as needed.
The key to successfully removing swirls is to find the right balance between aggressiveness and caution. With the right combination of products and techniques, you should be able to achieve a swirl-free finish on your Camaro ZL1.
Color is Riverside Blue it looks like swirls are on surface of clear coat. I bought Carpro reflect and carpro orange pads. Was going to try this then followed by Essence with white gloss pads. I also got a swirl light to hopefully check my work since I do it in the garage.
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