Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Maintenance & Repair Zaino Car Polishes/Products--Your Experiences (Part 2)
6239 messages, Last post on Sep 25, 2008 at 2:05 PM
You are in the Maintenance & Repair Forum. Your Host is mr_shiftright
|
I just bought a new Altima - Black. I also have a black frontier 06. The 06 was purchased during the winter months and washed using the two bucket method but has considerable swirls when out in the light. The Altima is brand new, under 100 miles on it, but driven several times in the rain then rinsed (while it was raining). This weekend is out, it is going to rain all weekend. I am very paranoid to wash this car as I do not want to inflict damage however it will be necessary. Before I do though I need advice as to where to start. Question: What should one do FIRST when they buy a new car? It is going to need washed, so I want to know the best method...even the craziest sounding if need be, to ensure I do the best not to create swirls. Then I want to protect it from further issues and protect it properly with the right products. I have an idea what I need to do with my truck to restore it's finish. It's really not that bad but getting there quick. Even using the two bucket method, I have significant marks. I also have about 6 VERY small hardly noticeable dings in the hood from 1. thin nissan metal and 2. cinders from a 1980s cavalier that HAD to pass me on a mountain pass, almost killed himself and of course blew cinders all over my car and even put many little indentations into my front grill plastics. I hope he would swerve off but alas, I'm pretty sure this guy is still terrorizing people on the streets. Also, why is there a thread that says NO ZAINO talk? Is Zaino good for some and bad to others? LAST - I do not want to do ANYTHING that will remove layers of clear coat. My neighbor a detailer, swore by certain products for his Honda, he would use different things several times a year until one year he was in a panic because he apparently finally cut through totally into his paint from removing too much clearcoat. I DEFINITELY do NOT want to get into this with the new car, but might be willing to do it with my truck then do some method to protect it from there in and just be careful. Might even switch to the 3 bucket method.  Thank you very much! (as per mr. shiftright, I'm posting in here from answers/ask)
|
|
|
Replying to: sincraft (Apr 11, 2008 9:19 pm) There is one thing to note though as Z5 will fill in minor swirls, if it was left by the dealer or someone else washing the car like a car wash you may have no choice but to remove a light layer of clearcoat. From what you've described of your neighbor it took many times before he cut through the clearcoat as most car manufacturers actually put on a pretty thick coat of clear. As to the two topics for Zaino and no Zaino that goes back awhile. It's more like enthusiasts vs. nonenthusiasts. Some don't really care if they have scratches and swirls and some do. The inital procedure with Zaino takes some time but the rewards are there. Most Zaino enthusiasts will tell the dealer not to prep the outside of the car as they do far more damage then good as you can imagine what type of people will actually clean your car using things I wouldn't use to clean the doghouse. One thing for sure with those black vehicles with scratches already installed you're going to need a Porter Cable 7424 polisher. No two ways about that. There are a lot of enthusiasts here and can help with any questions you may have. So post away.
|
|
|
Replying to: obyone (Apr 11, 2008 10:28 pm) My brother has a cyclo buffer and said Zaino was a good brand too. He polishes aircraft that are much older than cars and worth 40 times at the very least. Must be good stuff right. That said, I think I am going to forgo cutting into the clearcoat on the Altima and would love advice on how to properly prep it for a sealer/finishing agent. I really don't want my first shot using these products and a buffer, not to mention cutting into a clearcoat to be on a brand new car. I will live with the very minor swirls that are on there now. The dealership did a FAR better job cleaning the car that most did. Funny I thought I was going crazy until I came here. The dealers looked at me like I was crazy when I was inspecting the car on my hands and knees with my face 6" from the paint. Then there is your comment about the dealers method of washing cars. Can I use that? My thing was to try to convey the thoughts of a nose ringed kid with purple hair, holding his pants up with his left hand while picking up the wash rag he has been using all day off the gritting sandy ground to wash the cars with. I watched them washing cars outside one day while I was eating fast food across teh street. I think the one guy honestly dropped the wash rag off his hand 2 times for every car. They went down the line with a hose, 3 towels, a bucket and a bottle of soap. They must have done 6 or 7 cars in the time I was watching! :O So I guess I'm going to have to wait for my products to arrive as there are no good products available local? I know they have 'some' megiuers at the advance auto down the street but not sure what they have. If I remember correctly, I had to hit like 7 stores to find pure carnuba from mothers, which I think I found at walmart - not any autoparts stores. Pretty sad eh? Any merit to these towels they sell on there too? I have some really nice BIG microfiber towels that are nice and thick that I picked up from Target of all places. |
|
|
is Meguiars Gold car wash. Since you will be removing ALL the wax from the car to prep for Zaino, I don't see any reason to purchase any more carnuba products. While the Porter Cable will cut some clear coat, depending on what you use and which pad, it could be also used for cleaning the paint. That being said I won't mention it again. If you check the Zaino site, there should be a link to local distributors. Lucky for me one lives about 5 minutes away. If not ordering online will get you your products in a couple of days. Did you have a chance to look over the product list at Zaino.com? I wouldn't order all of them at the beginning as you said the car has a 100 miles on it shouldn't be too bad.
|
|
|
Replying to: obyone (Apr 12, 2008 10:54 am) Anyway - no I have two cars that need the 'stuff'. The Frontier has alot of swirling etc. And yes I had a chance to look at the Zaino products. I ran out the door this afternoon and am going to revisit the site and possibly order now. Not a big fan on being dependent on an online resource however. We were in the shopping mall today, they actually opened a small new car store. The products were the same ole same old you would find at advance, no buffers, really nothing of quality in there. It's par for the course of what to expect around here. What about the ULTIMATE kit by Zaino? I see people recommending a clay bar for brand new cars? Why? I told a guy I knew that was into fine detailing about that and he said that there are too many people quick to ruin their paint but didn't give really good answer... |
|
|
Replying to: obyone (Apr 12, 2008 10:54 am) http://pages.sbcglobal.net/gheumann/zaino_test/index.html Kinda makes it seem senseless to use Zaino when Megieurs (sp?) is locally available? This guy didn't test any cutting or 'true' swirl removal, only the base polish and protect products. So maybe this is where they shine? |
|
|
Replying to: sincraft (Apr 12, 2008 3:46 pm) That being said I am not a Zaino zealot, not close by any means. However with black paint you will not find anything better in terms of longevity, reflectivity, and that wetness look. Course I'm anal and I removed all the scratches from all the vehicles prior to starting with Zaino. I truely believe that you simply can't fill scratches with either Meguiars or with Zaino. It just simply doesn't work. Secondly, I don't use the absorber or microfiber to dry my vehicles, rather an electric 230 mph blower which dries the car really fast and causes no abrasion with the vehicle being "wiped" dry. You will find a Zaino topic on almost all the enthusiasts boards including Viper, Corvette, even LS1.com. That many enthusiasts can't be wrong. Since Zaino has been around for awhile, I've been using it since 2000 there are many, many postings on how to use and what to buy. This post is one of the best I've seen. Zaino 101 If I was that Porche owner I would have removed those swirls before using Zaino vs. Meguiars and get a true look at what it should be and not try to bypass a step by using scratch fillers. Course to each their own.
|
|
|
Replying to: obyone (Apr 13, 2008 10:18 am) I guess I really need to know exactly what methods people are using to apply their product? Are you using a porter cable buffer with the proper wax pads? Is it worth it or is the old fashion method ok? What towels to use to wipe the wax on with. I mean all of this is a moot point when it comes down to washing and waxing - WHICH IS THE MAIN CAUSE of scratches on a car! If you get ONE tiny little microscopic to the naked eye stone embedded in your waxing pad, you are literally creating swirls all over your car. If you use a power buffer, you are probably putting 10-15 times the swirls on your car over hand waxing. How do people counter this? My two issues are: 1. New car - what I should do first. Obviously wash and protect. Does waxing or anything protect from future scratches and stones? 2. Older truck - the steps to take to bring it back to new looking. Without cutting into the clear coat too much. I'm not a big fan of using abrasives on a cars finish. I know many think the clear coats are thick on today's cars but from what I can tell, and from what I've read, you only have about 5 or 6 swirl removals you could possibly do with a buffer professionally before you get down to the bare paint. That said, I'm not sure what to do. I'm reading everyones posts and product information sites, but I see nothing about destroying a cars finish by using products improperly or how to prevent this. Yes I want my swirls to go away and to get that high end new car shine, however I don't want to risk a $4k paintjob either.
|
|
|
Replying to: sincraft (Apr 13, 2008 7:05 pm) Funny thing about the porter cable. I've used an aggressive formulation to remove water spots, stains, and scratches from 10 year old cars. While some will say you should you a two step process with aggressive then buff again with less aggressive. I've found that to be unecessary. Again depends on what you're looking for. On a new car, I'd recommend the wash with dawn and clay to remove all impurities. Then follow with a couple of coats of Z5 and when satisfied start with the Z2 with coats of Z6 inbetween each coat. My vette has 12 coats of Z2 so all I do is Z6 after I've blown the dust off the car with the blower. I wouldn't recommend using a Califonia duster, course the other option would be to wash the car to rid it of dust. With your truck you should also do the dawn and clay then follow up with Z-PC Fusion paint cleaner and swirl remover. The Z-PC can be applied by hand therefore limiting any type of clearcoat removal while taking some of the scratches out. The Zaino residue, what little there is, will not scratch your paint. Removal of Zaino polishes should be done with 100% white cotton towel while some opt for microfiber. When choosing the 100% cotton you need to read the label as only those Made In the USA will be 100%. Those coming from India, Indonesia may say they are 100% but have found to be less than the advertised percentages and may cause scratches. The most important thing to remember once you've attained the finish you're looking for is to NEVER dry wipe a car with a chamois or absorber. Always wash first cause whatever dirt and dust on the car will act as an abrasive. |
|
|
Replying to: sincraft (Apr 13, 2008 7:05 pm) As I've mentioned before, I have never seen a brand new car that didn't need at least a little polishing. You can do this with a simple "all in one" product or use a dedicated polish. Since you have the Mothers carnauba wax already, I'd suggest picking up the Mothers Pre Wax Cleaner and their Sealer Glaze. The cleaner is a chemical process with very little mechanical (abrasive) cleaning. It will remove old wax and reduce fine scratches and swirl marks. The Sealer Glaze is primarily a beauty product, filling in swirls and providing a nice rich gloss. Final step is to top it with the carnauba wax. You can do this process on both cars with no problems but the truck may need a little more elbow grease to get top results. Personally, I always use polishers and buffers to detail a car. While the work can be done by hand, the machines deliver far better results in a fraction of the time. The Cyclo polisher your brother has is a good machine and with the correct pads and a good polish, you should be able to get terrific results. Orbital polishers like the Cyclo and the Porter Cable (PC) simply do not have the torque and cutting power to severely damage paint finishes. I've always said the only way you can damage paint with a PC is if you threw the machine at the car. I've tried to burn paint with a PC and all it did was wear *me* out. It's the perfect machine for most car enthusiasts. Car detailing is all about using a simple process and working from there. The basic steps are: (1) Wash and dry (2) Clay (3) Polish (4) Protect with wax or sealant (5) Everything else (tires, wheels ,glass, interior, etc) |
|
You are here:
Forums
Maintenance & Repair Zaino Car Polishes/Products--Your Experiences (Part 2)
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
Today's Chats
