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Waxes And Polishes
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Last weekend, my friend brought his bright red Durango over to my house for some various tasks... Anyways, he had this GS27 Kit, and he used the Colored "crayon" to fill in the marks that somebody left on his door with a key... It didn't make it disappear, but it made it so it wasn't as noticible... As the DEEP scratches were pale white, and his Durango was bright red... I'm hoping that I could borrow it, and use the black stick to color in the white splotches, then I'll just go over it with polish and wax, like it says in the directions... Cause I really dread the idea of getting touch up paint for my car... Especially since I don't want to make it any worse than it already is....
Any questions on "clay" send me an email at erazerize@aol.com
"CLAY MANUFACTURER"
As you have heard, clay won't do much good at all on things in chips. Remember that clay only effects things that stick OUT of paint or are stuck on top of your paint layer. It won't remove all your wax and it won't effect shine either way if used correctly.
I have seen those colored crayon-like sticks but I would not hold out hope for long-term fixes from them. They may be like the horrible color-waxes that are still sometimes sold to unsuspecting people.
If you have a black car and get white in chips, then you are either correct that it's wax (most likely) or you are seeing the primer. If you just went to the paint below the clearcoat, that would be black. You might try a paint prep cleaner made by 3M. It's made to remove wax and leave a paintable finish. Use a soft bristle toothbrush and gently work it into the chips and then carefully dry. Fill the chips with clear touch-up of the paint underneath comes out black. Be sure to let the chip dry completely before trying to fill with touch-up.
Don
I used your clay and its wonderful. I really liked the newer "Yellow" variety you sent me. Its much better on those plastic panels. The normal "gray" clay gets a little too sticky on those parts. The regular gray clay, however, works better on tire rims made of harder metal. Both were very easy to use and didn't take much effort to pick up all kinds of brake dust and other junk. Thanks Again.
What does windshield wiper fluid to car polish? Since it has solvents....
#666 - cleaning glass:
Interior glass can get a film from condensation of the off-gassing of the vinyl, etc. in the car. I use textured kitchen towels (to increase the scrubbing action) and Eagle One 20/20 Auto Glass Cleaner. It contains alcohol and won't hurt tinted windows the way that ammonia can. I rub in one direction (horizontally) on the outside and the other (vertically) on the inside. The direction of any streaks (up/down or left/right) tells me if they are on the inside or outside.
#668 - wax on new paint:
Because new paint continues to give off gases that wax or sealants would trap, it's usually best to wait 60 to 90 days. I suggest asking the body shop just to be sure or you could void your warranty.
today. I applied it on surface scratches and it
made then dissapeared. I think these scratches
might come back when it rains or I wash my van.
I have a 98 Mazda MPV.
I got a scratch that GS27 could not make it go
away because is too deep perhaps. Is there I can
do short of bodywork?
Anybody with prior experience care to comment about the above?
scratches on my 99
Passat(Black Magic). I've tried to polish them out, but no luck in removing them. Strangely, I cannot feel the scratch. Should I first remove the polish and wax before trying something
else? Carcareonline told me that 3M Imperial Hand GLaze would do the trick, followed by One Grand Blitz. And then there's
Zaino. Any views on which would be better
for my clearcoat VW?
Thanks
Tommy
Also, I have been waxing my windshield wiper holders (don't want them to fade). Anyone else out there doing this?
New Bug Digest for several months. Anyway I decided to take the Zaino plunge. I bought Z-1
Z-2 Z-5 Z-6 Z-7 Z-10. And I must say I've used all
the Biggies Meguiers,Mothers,and most recently
Zymol and they are okay but I must say I have never had a car shine like this even when new it is amazing.I guess now I 'll just have to see how long it lasts.
1997 VW Passat TDI Tornado RED
Tom Walker "Believer"
#674 - washing new paint
Some car wash solutions can damage new paint. DuPont says that unless the surface of the car is heated to several hundred degrees that the Teflon won't bond to it. This is true for any product, wash or wax. Of course the high temperature would burn off all the paint. Teflon is just a marketing gimmick. I would call the body shop for further recommendations.
#675 - leaf blower to dry car
I tried this on my car after seeing the huge blowers in some car washes. It did not work for me. What does work (since washing the paint takes 10 minutes but drying it take 20+ minutes) for me is using a professional pure rubber squeegee on the horizontal surfaces (hood, roof & trunk) and trickling water down the sides. This is followed by wiping with 100% cotton towels for any remaining drips. California Car Duster has just come out with a squeegee made of medical grade silicon that I hope to try. They have a web site or try waxdepot.com.
Great pictures - and great Z job. The outdoor shots really show off the shine.
Stillwater,
Try some of the Zaino Glass Polish ('forgot the #) on the inside glass. The new plastics give off residue vapors which coat the glass. The Zaino Glass Polish does eliminate that haze quickly.
tcalabrese,
Try some Z5 to get rid of the fine scratches. You really should go down to the clearcoat level no matter which finish (Zaino or other) you use.
domettg,
There are a ton of wood/plastic polishes on the market. Most of them will do the job. The Zaino Plastic Polish does the job very well for me.
running one's fingers across the paint is no longer there.
I tried to put on another coat of Z2 yesterday. But before that, (after a
wash with Z7), I did the "bottle" test. It didn't slide down anymore! That
is why I can't feel the "slickness" anymore.
Now, is the paint still protected with Zaino? It's been only 2 months. 7
coats should last at least 6 months? How can I know?
So what is the best measure to see if the car is still protected by Zaino?
Water beading, feeling of slickness (similar to bottle test)?
Anyway, I applied Z6 on the car. And then I tried the "bottle test" again.
This time, the bottle can't stay on the paint. It slides right off. The
slick feeling is back right after applying Z6. I followed up with a coat of
Z2.
I wonder how long the slick feeling will last this time considering I have 8
coats on now.
One thing I have to admit though. I washed my car everyweek with Z7, BUT NO
Z6. That is fine, as told by Sal.
Perhaps that is the reason why it is no longer slick? But if one does apply
Z6 everytime the car is washed, then of course, the slick feeling will be
there since just one application of Z6 will make the whole car slick. But
that shouldn't be the way right? The Z2/Z5 should be slick by themselves,
and the slickness should last, without needing to reapply Z6. That should be
the correct measure.
If applying Z6 after a car wash with Z7 everytime is necessary, then
personally I find it quite cumbersome. A wash takes me 45 mins. Now,
applying Z6 takes me 30 mins - 45 mins. Applying Z2/Z5 takes me the same
time as Z6, and the buffing off takes another 30 - 45 mins. If I have to Z6
everyweek, then in a way I am almost polishing/waxing my car everyweek. That
is not what I had expected.
Now, I know that Zaino is good. So, what is it that I have done wrongly? Or
it is supposed to be like that? And is the "protection" still there? Is the
slickness supposed to last (even without the regular application of Z6)?
I would be grateful if Zaino experts can shed some light on this. Thanks in
advance.
No it won't. The Z-1 is only an adherant if you will, to allow the Z-2 to stay bonded with the paint... the Z-2 or Z-5 can't go it alone... they need something to keep that slickness and shine on... Z-1 is it. You can also mix and match Z-2 and Z-5, if your hood is scratched real bad and you roof isn;t you might want Z-5 on the hood for a few layers and then Z-2, and for the Roof go straight to Z-2, whatever your pleasure is... and you can apply the Z-2 right on top of the Z-5 or vice versa, they are totally interchangeable.
WStang,
Did you apply Z-1 after the 4th or 5th coat? After that 4th or 5th coat the Z-1 no longer bonds the Z-2 to the surface, so it might just become a residue like substance instead of bonding... I'd suggest putting on another coat of Z-1 and then applying the Z-2 or Z-5 at your liesure.
-herr Darkness
You can also do a Z-7 wash and freshen it up with Z-6 after a wash without applying anything else.
I don't think you've done anything wrong. But maybe some period of time has elapsed since you first applied your first coat of Z1. Since then, IMHO, brake ("rail") dust has become embedded in your finish. Check with Sal Zaino, but I think you should Clay your car and then apply Z1 and Z2 afterwards to bring back that smooth coatings with the expected shine.
I did clay my car before Zainoing. And Zaino does make my car shine. But the slick feeling does not last as long as I had expected with 7 coats on.
ruski,
Sal told me Z-6 is needed in between each coat of Z2/Z5 and that is what I did. If I am not applying Z2/Z5 after a wash with Z7, I omit applying Z6. In my opinion, that should be the correct way. If after every wash needs touching up with Z6 to retain the slickness, then it is not a fair test. Z6 by itself adds slickness to the paint, although it is not as lasting as Z2/Z5. Now, I have 7 coats of Z2/Z5, and I had expected the slickness to last for at least 6 months with weekly washing with Z7. But it didn't.
Darkness,
Nope. I applied Z1 only once. But Sal told me it is only needed for every 10th coat although I asked him that I read somewhere that someone suggested every 7-8 coat.
Did anyone try washing their Zainoed car for weeks without applying Z6 afterwards? Does it (the slickness) last?
IMHO, Dawn should only be used to strip wax and/or Zaino from the finish. I've heard the same thing about the harshness of Dawn from others but cannot verify this personally. Why take a chance when Z7 is available?
wstang,
Your analysis sounds right - but (again) I feel that no matter how many coats of Z2 are applied, brake dust will settle (& embed) on your finish. The damn stuff is in the air and the only thing Zaino (or any other product) can really do is to stop the dust from degrading your clear coat. The cure is to clay your car. The claying process will remove some of your Zaino finish. And that is why I was recommending a fresh Z1 / Z2 application after the claying.
I had to clay a small spot on my 300M - a little rubbing and ALL Zaino was gone from that spot. I will only clay my car again when I want to remove all Zaino from it (next year or so) before I start applying some fresh coats of Zaino.
wstang -
sometimes when I really want to spruce it up, I apply Z-6 after washing with Z-7. Normally I just wash with Z-7, dry, and do nothing else (unless I feel a strong urge and have time to do a coat of Z-2 which happens often BTW).
Having said that; I bet your vehicle looks awesome.
I have Z-1,Z-2, on a daily driver and also a garaged one, with great results. The daily driver is going on 6 months between coatings.
I read somewhere that, if you park in the elements that; the horizontal surfaces wear down 2-5 times faster than the vertical surfaces. So using the daily driver as an example; to keep same pattern as the vertical surfaces I would Z-2 the trunk, roof and hood at the 3th month, and the whole vehicle each 6 months.
To complete the thought on the ratio problem, the plastic and rubber and other than paint materials deteriorate much more quickly than the painted surfaces. In theory anyway, you should apply more protection product to these non paint surfaces at least on a 2 to 1 ratio more than, say Z-1, Z-2.
there may be other contaminants on the car, but "rail dust" refers to contaminants acquired when the car is shipped by train. The train brakes tend to make metal particles fly around a lot.
josephk:
NEVER use detergents like Dawn, or any dish/clothing detergent, at least not unless you wish to prepare your car for immediate waxing/polishing. They are meant to break down greases and polishes, and will remove any protection on your car. If used on a car without this protection, they may then adversely effect the paint. If you get car wash on your clothes, what do you do? Use a washing machine with detergent.
You're correct on both counts. Brake dust from the common brake disks is commonly referred to as "rail dust" by many folks.
So, does that "slick" feeling of that paint still last? Evwey week after a wash, I would run my fingers across the paint. The "slick" feeling is disappearing with time. So it makes me a bit worried as to if the Zaino protection on the paint is still intact.
I mean, with 7 coats (8 now) of Z2/Z5 on the car, it should better last me at least 6-9 months.
I hope the slickness has nothing to do with the protection and water beading.
And I strongly feel that missing the Z6 step after every wash should not compromise the shine, durablity and protection of the system.
Otherwise, the various comparison tests of the various wax/polish products wouldn't be that fair, would it?
Thanks.
How many coats do you have it on now? Do let us posted on your results to see if the slickness will last (with only Z7 wash with no Z6).
Forgot to ask if you have any pictures of your car which is Z2/Z5ed every week.
THANK YOU!!
Again:.... C L A Y.
josephk,
not much can done. The amount of dust depends upon your environment. I am trying to develop the habit of wiping the car with a clean cotton towel.
http://www.cyburban.com/~afyodoro/gtp-zaino.html
http://www.cyburban.com/~afyodoro/300m-zaino.html
http://www.cyburban.com/~afyodoro/300m-zaino2.html
There is a lot that can be done, but I wonder if you are willing to do them.
1. garaged protection is the first line of environmental defense. 24 hr being the most ideal. It is hard to not over emphasize this.
2. use of car cover, in or out of garaged storage.
3. CA car duster.
4. use of detailer like Z-6 or the like.
5. normal cycle of wash/polish
Again,..great pictures! Maybe you should sent some to Sal.
What color is your friend's SAAB. Were there any streaks? I know the original Rain-X windshield liquid can leave some ugly streaks on the glass.
I have Rain X and have used it for yrs. It is absolutely wonderful to watch the rain micro bead off the glass surfaces! In my climate and weather it seems to last between 2 weeks to 4 weeks. (NoCa)
Biggest thing is: don't drip any on your paint.
I actually now use Zaino's z-2, and just use z-6 on the windows. In truth, Rain X for its intended purpose works a little better and lasts a little longer. The application procedure just seems more laborious than using or continuing with Z-2, Z-6.
Rain-X anti-fog actually allowed all my windows to get fogged up like I had never seen before.
I have recently tried to use Vision Blade and it is much better compared to Rain-X.
My friends Saab is silver.
-Spyderturbo