[Annihilate]

So 2nd day of ownership...

Noticed swirling scratches? in the paint. Tell me this can be fixed with a polish or wax as I'm completely new to the new car game. They probably used a shoddy rag... dealership continues to fail me...

Not sure if you're able to see it or not...

[arpad_m]

Yes (you can fix them) and yes (they used bad towels and/or technique).

However, unless you have some experience with a dual action polisher, I wouldn't practice fixing paint on my brand new Camaro but instead mess with a daily or a hooptie first. Also, again unless your washing and detailing technique is already near perfect, you may want to hold off on fixing the swirls until you're sure you won't put them back into the paint---the less you touch the paint, the better, there isn't a whole lot of clearcoat to work with on these cars.

Finally, if you're considering professional paint protection film installation (the only thing that can fully protect your paint against swirls) and/or ceramic coating (which helps a lot with cleaning and looks fantastic), you don't want to mess with the paint yourself. These can be very expensive, so it's your call as it's your money on the line.

[Annihilate]

Originally Posted by arpad_m

Yes (you can fix them) and yes (they used bad towels and/or technique).

However, unless you have some experience with a dual action polisher, I wouldn't practice fixing paint on my brand new Camaro but instead mess with a daily or a hooptie first. Also, again unless your washing and detailing technique is already near perfect, you may want to hold off on fixing the swirls until you're sure you won't put them back into the paint---the less you touch the paint, the better, there isn't a whole lot of clearcoat to work with on these cars.

Finally, if you're considering professional paint protection film installation (the only thing that can fully protect your paint against swirls) and/or ceramic coating (which helps a lot with cleaning and looks fantastic), you don't want to mess with the paint yourself. These can be very expensive, so it's your call as it's your money on the line.

Would you suggest I contact the dealership about fixing this or simply holding off until spring when I "spring" for the ppf and ceramic?

[Gunkk]

Suggestion:
Do a professional paint correction followed immediately by PPF. Don't let the dealer touch the car again, they'll just make it worse. Find the best PPF installer in your area and have them do the paint correction prior to install. Pay a little extra to oversize the patters to tuck/wrap all the edges. Have emblems and heat extractor removed before PPF and replaced after. The goal is to minimize visible seams and edges. You'll end up with one seam at each headlight corner if done properly. Our cars are not easy to PPF, so quality and care of installer matters more than brand of film or cost here.

Select any top shelf self-healing PPF. PPF is urethane, which is "sticky." Newer top end brands have built in hydrophobic layers on top (Suntek Reaction, Xpel Ultimate Fusion, etc.), so you may not need a hydrophobic coating afterward. Only do ceramic coatings on surfaces that are not PPF (grille, wheels, etc.).

When I had my car done I used Suntek Ultra self-healing film because a) it looked optically better to me, and b) my installer liked dealing with it. I did full front, rockers, mirrors and windshield frame. After 6-1/2 years the film has held up perfectly and the surfaces are gorgeous. If I were to do it again I would film the whole car. The square rump on our cars likes to pick up grit (and around me fine sand), which is murder on the clearcoat.

It's much easier to care for a car when you never have to worry about swirls, and it always looks amazing. Worth all the pennies.

[arpad_m]

I completely agree with Gunkk. Find a quality installer over the winter, schedule your car for spring and don't worry about swirls, they will easily fix them all.

One more thing, I strongly recommend that you consider rock guards for both front and rear wheels to protect the lower sections (rocker panel, rear bumper) from rock chips in the meantime. I use Rokblokz and am completely satisfied, but there are other options, cheaper and much more expensive, too. And if you see a bro dozer, dump truck, lifted jeep or something similar with no mudflaps, get out from behind them immediately