WHAT AM I DOING WRONG!!! Swirls galore :(

[SOREBACK]

My car is a 2012 mustang gt lava red which looks black unless directly in the sun then its has a red metallic sparkle. Heres my problem.... I keep getting swirls no matter what i do or products i use. When i got the car it had swirls from first wash, since then here is what ive used:
Meguiars claybar
Meguiars 105
Meguiars 205
Meguiars show glaze #7
Blackfire wet diamond
Meguiars carnuba paste wax
Meguiars gold class high gloss quik detailer
Meguiars ultimate wash & wax soap
Lake country 6.5" pads (red,yellow&blue)
Cobra blue microfiber towels (washed separate never fabric softner)

The paint looks foggy and has swirls. It looks terrible ( to me) under floresant lights. Compared to an original spot under the rear spoiler that is normally cover and never detailed the difference is huge. My car never seen bad weather, always garage kept and i have had it since brand-new day 1 abd it now only has 4,200 miles and ive had it for 14 months.
What am i doing wrong or could be the colpret? Im tired of spending money on car care products just to be let down. Ive watched all the videos and do as ive seen but still no luck.

Thanks!!!!!

[A-train]

U are using some quality products, so I wouldnt blame those. I didn't see any mention to the following.
1. Two bucket method
2. Grit guard.
3. Quality washmitt

It could be a a lot of things. I'd just start with making sure you have the best wash technique down. I personally don't hit my vehicles with qd, unless I know the surface is really really clean. Also if you are claying without polishing you could be leaving some marring behind.
I am a firm believer that an equal amount of swirls can be instilled in the drying process just like the washing process. You could try the :
Flooding technique with a hose or
Blot dry with a microfiber drying towel. Drying using a qd to give u some extra lubricity.

You said you had used a yellow blue and red pad, you might could try a white polishing pad since yellow to a red or blue pad is a big jump. Just throwing out a few ideas.

[Calibmw23]

What tool are you using? It is probably a technic issue. Possibly not using enough pressure or too much pressure or possibly arm speed. I am not familiar with ford paint but I need to use a flex 3401 on mine since the paint is so hard. If I use a PC I don't get as good results.

[SRTSean]

The paint on those cars is super soft. Try finishing with Menzerna SF4500 after using M205. I detailed a black 2012 GT and M205 left a fair amount of hazing.

[truckbutt]

You are using great products. I have an 11 GT and use the same products. Here are some things to look at:
1. What machine are you using and at what speed for each step?
2. How many of each pad are you using for the car?
3. How much car do you correct before you change/clean your pad?
4. Are you checking your results after each step? You should not go from compounding/polishing to LSP unless you are satisfied with your work.
5. Do the entire correction on a 2x2 test area. Once you know what it takes to get the job done you can use the same products on the entire car.

50/50 after 105/205:


Finished with BFWD:

Good luck!

[Jaretr1]

Did you initially get all the swirls out after attempting to correct the paint? Assuming you did, then it has to be you are re inputting the swirls with your wash method. Anytime you touch the paint surface with anything (towel, microfiber, foam applicator, wash mitt) you have the opportunity to inflict swirls. Making sure this is as clean and gentle process as possible is the key.

I use a one bucket method ( I am old school I guess ) with a sheepskin wash pad ( I got from AG). After I wipe off each section, I rinse the pad off (to make sure not to contaminate the soap water). After the car is clean, I use the water sheeting method with leaves the car 90% dry already. Then I use a CLEAN microfiber towel to dry the rest. I have not had any new swirling from this method.

Always use clean microfiber towels. I never reuse a towel until its been washed and replaced back into my clean drawer.

If you havent been able to acheive a proper correction prior to the LSP, read above.

If you have, you might consider trying a higher end wax as well. Something like Souveran or some of the Dodo Juice, or even DP Max Wax thats on bogo now are all very highly regarded and might give you more of a shine especially on that color.

[SOREBACK]

I use a blackfire bucket with grit guard. I use a Porter Cable for buffing. I never dry the car eith any towel i use a leaf blower. I use one pad and do the whole car before switching to different pad. I have a microfiber wash mitt but i think its a cheap one from auto store ( got it for christmas) thats probably the only thing i have thats low end.
How many pads (same color) do i use to completly do my car?
How many microfiber towels should i use to remove wax/polish on the whole car? Maybe im over using my pads and towels.
What do you guys think are the BEST towels for wax/polish removal?
Do you think the 6.5" pads ate too big and hurting too?
Lastly after all this hard work what cover should i get to protect my hard work. My garage seems to attract a lot of dust a pollen which has me using QD all the time causing a lor if my problem

[hyu]

I had the same issues when I was using 6.5 Pads. I switched over to 5.5 and it became so much easier... Try switching to slightly smaller pads

[Mobile detail]

Have you ever gotten rid of the swirls even after the m105/205? Do you have any pictures? I've worked on a ton of Fords and haven't really had any problems except for a 99 F-150 Tornado Red (SP?). If you have a lot of pollen and are QD all the time, could this be causing your swirls?

The 6.5 pads are a little big for the PC. I use a rotary and will go through about 2-3 pads per color per vehicle and I clean on the fly after each section.

The best towel is what works for you. I've used Cobra, CG, Sonus, and cheap ones from Costco. They all work. It also depends on what your trying to do. I wouldn't use the same type of towel for a quick detail that I would for wax removale. I will usually use around 5-10 towels for an exterior detail. Sometimes only 2-3. Depends on what I'm doing.

For protection, from the sounds of it & if you can get the paint corrected to your satisfaction, I would look into a coating like Opti-Gaurd. I've done around 10 cars with it and its perfect for your situation. The only downside is you won't get much benefit if you wax it meaning if your the type of person that likes to try different products, your kind SOL.

If you don't wanna go the coating way, I use Blackfire sealant and wax. Gives a great look and decent duribilty.

[truckbutt]

I use a blackfire bucket with grit guard. I use a Porter Cable for buffing. I never dry the car eith any towel i use a leaf blower. I use one pad and do the whole car before switching to different pad. I have a microfiber wash mitt but i think its a cheap one from auto store ( got it for christmas) thats probably the only thing i have thats low end.
How many pads (same color) do i use to completly do my car?
How many microfiber towels should i use to remove wax/polish on the whole car? Maybe im over using my pads and towels.
What do you guys think are the BEST towels for wax/polish removal?
Do you think the 6.5" pads ate too big and hurting too?
Lastly after all this hard work what cover should i get to protect my hard work. My garage seems to attract a lot of dust a pollen which has me using QD all the time causing a lor if my problem

This is a major NoNo. As you do your correction, your pad is getting saturated/plugged up with spent product and clearcoat that you just abraided. You should at least use a nylon brush to clean the pad after each section and after four sections you should be changing pads or cleaning them with a pad washer before continuing. I find it hard to believe that you are not seeing swirls before your LSP with this technique. If you are not using a pad washer, you should have at least 4 pads to do your correction step. I use 6.5 inch LC pads with no problem. I use them on Megs G110v2 and Flex XC 3401. This is definitely not an issue of the quality of your products. They are fine. Read what you can and watch videos on technique here and on YouTube. I don't want to sound harsh but spending more money won't solve your problem. You can't buy your way out of this. You have to spend the time to get your technique down.
Here is a step by step example. The only product I used that you don't have is Menzerna P085RD after the M205. It isn't a necessary step. It just adds some gloss to the shine.