I previously voiced my frustration on the horrible swirl marks on my black SRT. I bought it as a previous Chrysler program car. Great deal, with only 670 miles on it but the paint was not well cared for during it's stint with DC.

I used Meguiar's Scratch X and NXT Tech Wax with ESP (Engineered Synthetic Polymers) This wax is very fine and helps fill in the scratches. After much work, most of the swirl marks were either gone or very muted. However, when taken into the direct sun (in SoCal it has been VERY hot, over 100 degrees every day) the wax would become soft and if you touched it while hot it would smear and leave prints.

I am a nut about the finish and spend time (about an hour) each day on it. I almost never wash my cars. I have been using a California Duster and Quick detailer to keep the finish looking better than new on my cars for years.

The finish looked good for a couple days and then the swirl marks came back. "wax on, wax off" and it looked better, but that was getting old fast.

I saw an infomercial about Turtle Wax's new ICE products. What impressed me most is that it did not need a cool surface and could be applied in direct sunlight. After waxing with NXT I used the ICE Spray Detailer after using the duster that evening.

The hood was very hot when I used ICE detailer. It went on easy using a microfiber cloth and left no residue. Mild buff with another microfiber cloth and WOW! what a shine. On close inspection, I saw no swirl marks. But this was in the garage under fluorescents.

The test would be how it looked in direct sunlight. Out of the garage and into the sun, and WOW no swirl marks just a hard hi gloss shine.

I left it out in the direct sunlight in 104 degree temperature. After 4 hours, the surface was hot, but it still shined and did not smear when touched.
I don't know how good their "wax" version of the ICE product is, but the ICE Spray Detailer used after the NXT Tech Wax seems to be a real winner. Best of all is the ease of use for the ICE detailer. I wipe down the whole car in less than 20 minutes.

I have included some pictures taken in the direct sunlight---no swirls and an insane shine. Click on the thumbnails to see the results.

 

hmmm... i'll give that stuff a try i guess... thanks for sharing.

 

Looks great! Certainly hard to believe that you almost never wash the car, though; even a daily duster and detailing wouldn't seem to be enough for most kinds of road dirt. And as for the soft wax in the heat, that's something those of us in Arizona understand all too well.

What do you think of acrylics like Klasse AIO and SG? They seem to stand up better to the heat, although they shouldn't be applied in direct sun, as apparently the ICE products claim they can do. Thanks.

 

Like I said I am a nut when it comes to taking care of my car. My work is not overly physical, mostly mental and I use taking care of the car as therapy.

I have been using the regimen of actually washing the car only after it has been driven in the rain. Not a whole lot of that in SoCal. A quick dust and some Quick Detailer and it stays like new. (I even wipe down those 15 spoke wheels daily....gotta get some Rotex Gold pads!)

When I traded my '99 Cirrus in on my Z4 in '04 the appraiser asked when I had an accident. I told him never with the Chrysler. He told me that his glossometer (sp??) indicated 5 coats of paint, and the American car companies did not do that. I told him to have the car checked out if he didn't believe me.

When I traded the Z4 for the SRT, they told me "...we have never seen a trade-in this clean..." I take great pride in my ride!

That is why the horrible swirl marks were driving me crazy.

 

Wow, the car seems pretty good. But, I must ask...If you look at the third picture, the "shoulders" of the car is showing a reflection of the spoiler. Are those lines swirls?? Or is the bottom of the spoiler dirty? I mention this not as an insult, but only to help you achieve maximum perfection...maybe I'm just seeing things. I always like when people help me correct my work, so I just felt like it would nice if I can help you out. Nevertheless...you car is the reason why I wanted my Crossfire black.

 

I run a detailing operation and we use Turtle Wax Ice exclusively now. It is a great product.

Also, Ice works wonders on trim and lights.

 

Golfdude

I am not sure what the little specks are, could be dust. I took the pix at a park and didn't dust the car before I took the pix. I could even be ash particles. We are having some pretty nasty fires near where I am.

The shine is so dazzling out in the sun, it was almost hard to take the pix with all the reflections...absolutely amazing stuff.

Like I said I haven't tried the ICE "wax" yet. but the current combo sure works wonders.

 

To the detailer who uses ICE, is ICE a wax?
Does it offer protection like wax or do you put wax over it?

 

It's a petroleum based wax. We use the actual ICE wax, not the quick detailer that the thread starter applied to his car.

The ICE does offer protection from the elements, creates a great bead when water hits it, and does not flake or leave swirl marks. So far our experience has shown it to be an infallible product. Since it is new, however, we are still waiting to see how long it lasts before it no longer beads when water is applied.

So far so good, though.

 

Nice to here you are so pleased with the wax. As I said I have just used the detailer product designed to use between waxings. It definitely added gloss to what was already a nice shine, but more important it appears to have eliminated the "melted wax" look I had without it. I previously used the Meguiar's Quick Detailer, but it had to be applied to a cool car out of the sun, and still it would fog up to a degree. Besides the hi gloss shine it goes on and off much easier with no fogging. With 100+ degree temperatures every day and a black car, the surface never gets cool!

 

Definitely make sure to pick up a bottle of the wax too. If you think that stuff works good, wait until you try this.

The ICE works miracles on headlights, taillights, and trim in addition to removing those nasty swirl marks left on dark cars, as you mentioned earlier.

 

ICE doesn't remove swirls, that's what polish does. This stuff just fills them in. After a couple washes those swirls will reappear.

 

I have experienced no such events. The after numerous washes, swirl marks have yet to re-appear.