Rennlist - Porsche Discussion Forums

Porsche 993: How to Remove Swirls From Black Paint

Swirl marks on a black car result in an ugly appearance. By learning to polish them out, you restore the finish and save on garage costs.

By James Karuga - April 6, 2015

This article applies to the Porsche 993 (1993-1998).

Swirl marks make for unappealing surfaces of a black painted car and look like scratches. But unlike scratches, you can't feel them on the paint. Swirl marks may appear on your black Porsche 993's surface due to poor washing, waxing, wiping, rinsing, dusting, or paint buffing. Dirty car covers also cause swirl marks. A black car shows swirl marks more than cars with other colors. The marks are removed by polishing the surface and finishing the process by waxing with black wax. This article goes through the steps to remove the swirl marks and compares the costs of doing it yourself versus having it done professionally.

Materials Needed

  • Microfiber towels
  • Black car wax
  • Car wash soap
  • Towel/clean rag
  • Electric polisher and polisher lubricant

Step 1 – Wash the car

Wash the Porsche 993 with car wash soap and a clean rag, and pat the surface with a dry cloth. Washing removes dirt and debris to ensure they don't compromise the polishing work and reduce its longevity. After the car is dry, find the swirl marks. They look like scratches and bumps and are best noticed in strong light or sunshine.

Figure 1. Swirl marks on a 993.

Step 2 – Prepare polisher

Load the polish on the polisher buffer to lubricate it.

Figure 2. Preparing the polisher.

Step 3 – Polish over the swirl marks

On the swirl marks, move the polisher back and forth in circular motion at a uniform pace, but don't keep the buffer in one section for long. Keep on polishing until the swirl marks disappear to be replaced by an obscuring haze.

Figure 3. Polishing surface.

Step 4 – Wipe the polish haze

Using a microfiber towel, gently wipe off the polish haze. If there are other swirl marks, buffer them until they disappear.

Figure 4. Wiping surface.

Step 5 – Wax the car

To maintain the shiny and glossy black surface on the Porsche, apply black car wax on the polished surface in a circular motion. Allow 20 minutes to elapse for the wax to dry. The wax layer acts as a first line of defense against paint scratches. Once it's dry, gently run a microfiber towel on top uniformly to remove excess wax.

Figure 5. Waxed 993.

Related Discussion and Site