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Waxes and Polishes, Part III
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Well, today it rained. I drove in the rain for about one hour. When I got home I let it sit in the garage for about two hours. The hood was smooth and dry when I went to look at it. Many parts were still wet, but that's expected. I then took the car out again for another hour drive. However, by now, the rain had stopped. So when I got into my other garage, the car was dry. It was as if I had just washed it. Super smooth, shiny, and clean. Zaino really keeps the dirt off and keeps everything so smooth. I LOVE IT.
Even my wheels still look clean. I Zaino'd those too.
I will try one more time: 1/2 the hood, dawn, clay, lots of drying time in between layers. If this also produces no difference, I will try to return the zaino, the bottles will be ~95% full even after this sequence.
dave
It does make a rather large difference.
And yes, Zaino (ie: Z1/Z2) does NOT contain any abrasives.
I'm not looking forward to it, but it's my own fault. Last year I must have applied the wax over the tiniest of watermarks. I don't know how it happened but now, up close, the black looks bad.
I know this is Zaino Central, but I'm still in the dark ages and used a glaze then Zymol. It's usually beautiful and is now ... from 5 feet away.
My question is: is there an easy, safe way to strip the Carnauba? Suggestions, Please!
Take care.
Joe W.
Actually, you may have a good point there. It is possible where a car's surface has micro-pits and lots of brake dust. In such cases, any product including Zaino will just cover the junk. And in Zaino's case (optically clear), the dust and assorted bad stuff will just show through. You have to start with a really clean surface. Prior to using Zaino for the first time, you should wash and clay the car. More in a minute.
jwilson1:
As part of the cleaning process above, you should use a liquid dish washing product such as Dawn. These products will strip the carnauba wax. Only use a product like Dawn once or twice just to strip old wax and NOT as your normal washing agent.
Once the old wax is gone, then clay the car's surface to remove metalic micro-dust which gets embedded into the paint. Then wash again to remove any clay residue. This should give you a good clean surface ready for Zaino application. And indeed for any other product.
In the case of testing Zaino, the next step would be to apply Zaino's Z1. And in the case of an older car or a car that had other wax products on it, apply Zaino's Z5. This will get rid of any small scratches and swirl marks. Then apply a layer of Zaino's Z2, let dry, and towel it down. The results WILL be great!
It should look even better Z'd, so I'm ordering some Z5 for it this spring.
I am working on a White 97 Astro conversion van, which has a set of huge fibreglass top scratches which are warranty work for some shop somewhere. So my first job is the rest of the van. I ordered several Zaino products, but not the scratch remover (Z5). Oops! I saw no scratches on the thing until I had it under a streetlight the other night. The doggone thing has swirls all over it from a buffer. Another call to Zaino...
Day 1: Wash car w/Dawn.
Began clay on front hood of Astro.
It took a while to get the hang of the clay, using the Blue Magic #49 formula to "wet" the surface is hard to get used to. It says a light mist on the directions, but the spray has no light mist setting, and I think I used too much. Saw a film build up on parts I clayed, which came off with lots of rubbing, the towel cleaning.
I guess I put the spray on too thick.
When I cleaned off the parts I clayed, the hood was great, but I had a lot of towel residue/shedding on it, which may stem from using new towels. I hope after a wash less of this will happen. Sometimes I just lightly brushed it off with my hand.
I only got about an hour of work done on it this day, but early tomorrow I will get the time to get major work done on the van. Will clay and Zaino the body, then clay and clean the windows which are not tinted, then see if I can clay and clean the grille.
More tomorrow, and comments welcome!
Sincerely,
John Kay
jkumpire@netpluscom.com
On the other hand, I can see using the large bath towels to dry your car after washing - any thoughts or recommendations there? Sorry if this has been answered in a previous post
Mine are from Autofanatics.
I use a bath size 100% Cotton towel to dry
my truck before applying Zaino.
Anyway, I'm wondering if the 'decoration' refers to that flat narrow strip which runs the length of the towel? Does everyone else's Canon towels have these strips? Do you see this as a possible cause of scratching?
The latest on towels is that the loops could be 100% USA-made cotton, but the backing could be a blend. Some towels apparently label both, some don't. So the answer on the flat strip scratching is 'depends'. At $4 each, I doubt my towels are 100%/100%, but I haven't noticed any scratching..........yet.
Please grab yourself a drink and a comfortable chair, here is day two. Let me reset the situation:
I am claying and Zainoing a 1997 Chevy Astro hitop conversion van. The van is white, and I am doing everything but the top of the roof, since there is some warranty work to be done on it.
My task is to help new people looking at using Zaino, and ask questions people here can answer so others in the future will have an easier time making their car look good.
It has been a long day, starting about 10 A.M., and finishing about 6:00 P.M. I got one coat of Z2 on the van, and I hope to get another tomorrow, as well as cleaning the tires, the front grille, and windows. I will try to detail each step, and ask questions for that step in context.
A. Claying: this was a bear of a job, but worth it when it was over. I started about 10 A.M. and got done about 2:30. To manyof you that isa long time, and a pain, but remember I have a van with a lot of area to cover, including running board and the like. I als clayed the windows, whic was great for them.
I honestly could not believe how smooth the body of the car was when I was done. Metal parts felt as smooth as fibreglass! The only hard things for me were: 1. How much wetting solution to use. 2. What if clay gets dirty. 3. Hard to see where you have clayed and what needed to come off. 4. I was amazed at how much dirt came off car as I took off clay/wetting solution residue. 5. Did I push to hard?
Sadly, just as I got done with the claying, I dropped my clay on the ground, meaning I have to replace it.
Questions: 1. I went through 1 1/2 bottles of #49 Clay Magic spray, the wetting solution. Did I use too much? Did I make the clay inneffective? I know that the directions said use only a light mist, but how much is that? I am sure there were times I had too much solution on, but while it took a lot of rubbing, the clay was still sticky to my hands, and the van was really smooth when I was done. I almost quit then! What is too much solution?
2. Is it any big deal if the clay gets dirty as you clean with it? I kept reshaping the clay, but eventually it just got dirty, and I couldn't keep clean sides on the car.
3. My van is white, so it is hard to see where you wetted and then clayed. Is ther an easy way to see you got the right amount of solution on the surface to be clayed?
4. How long should it take to clay a vehicle? How do you know when you got all you could get with it? there wers a couple of spots I couldn't rub off with clay or wash. Also, it took a long time to do the van, most people do it in much less time. Was I cleaning too hard with it?
B. Second Dawn wash, which was easy to do. But there is one question: Do you need to dry the van before Z1? I did dry the van off, though it was so warm and sunny parts dried before I could get there.
C. Frustration: While claying and cleaning I was really dismayed to see how many tiny chips there were in the paint (at least 16 I can remember) I have just had the van for a week, and I had no access to touch up paint or a touch up kit. So I Zainoed over the chips. Will Zaino help prevent rust? i knwo someday I will have to strip the Zaino, and fix the chips, but...
Also, I am really steaming at the dealer I got the van from. The detail guys took off the old dealer sticker on the bumper of the van. Problem is they they did not take off the residue, and when they took the original sticker off, the took a bunch of paint off with it!!! Then the guy just put on their dealer sticker over the paint hole. It won't be a good day when I visit the dealer. Do you guys know of anything to take the goo off the bumper?
D. Z1 coat. At long last! Again, I had trouble finding out where I put the Z1, and frankly, I ended up using about 1/3 of a 8 oz. bottle to do the van in Z1. Did I use too much? It was hard to see if I covered the van with enough Z1, and to see when it was ready to put on Z2. It took about 40 minutes to put on the Z1, and it let it sit about 30 minutes before putting on Z2. There was not a lot glaze/cloudiness I could see on the van, I hope that I put enough Z1 on there, there seemed to be a dullness on the van whern I started.
E. Z2 time: I used the cotton applicator from Zaino for the Z2. Again, it was hard to see where I put Z2, and if I put too much on, since I ended up using about 1/2 of an 8 oz. bottle on the first coat. What is the right amount to use for these products, Z1, Z2? My cotton applicator was pretty wet when I was done, and had a lot of pink in it.
I keep hearing about using tiny amounts, but what amount is enough to get the job done?
F. Clean up time: I decided to let the Z1/Z2 sit for about 90 minutes then see if it was dry (in that time I tried to post, but as I was spell checking the brouser crashed, eeeeerrrrrrr).
After 90 minutes, the Z2/Z1 was a powdery type cover, which came off easily, and did not streak, therefore I guess I didn't use too much Z2, unless I wasted a lot of it. Then I started wiping it off. It took a long time to clean it off with a towle, with all the cracks to cover. Whic leads me to a question or two.
1. the Astro has a step up made of plastic, on the top of the bumper. I put Z1/Z2 on it, but I could not get the Z2 residue off the cracks/nubs in the plastic/rubber on the bumper top. Any ideas?
2. Does Z2 come off easily, or do you have to rub hard? It came off so easily, I'm almost afraid I didn't get enough on in the first place?
G. Holy Mackrelandy! The finish was unreal, the van looks so good! The towels just roll right off the hood, and even when I was putting Z2 on the front of the hitop I would rub the Z1 parts of the van, and slip off them. And this is one coat, what will it look like after two more?
I would like to add more Z2 and Z5, since one night recently, I sat the van in the moonlight and saw nothing but circular scratches everywhere on it.
Now, just a couple more questions, and I won't bore you anymore.
1. What is the best way to clean tires and rims? I have Zaino tire cleaner, wil that work on rims?
2. In Zaino's applicator comes out of the wash pink, and unclean, do I need to pitch it and buy a new one? Is a pink colored and clean applicator still good?
3. How can I get outer windows clean and shiny? did I hear someone say use Z6 after claying? Will this last for a while, or are there other things to use?
I had a lot more questions earlier in the day, but even if I made a lot of mistakes the end result of the first day is a good loking machine!
Sincerely,
John Kay
jkumpire@netpluscom.com
P.S. please forgive the spelling errors, the last time I checked the post, it crashed the brouser, and this is too much typing!
It does sound like you may have used too much Z, since they claim about 10 cars with a bottle, but don't worry about it. The Expert users spay a little Z-6 on the pad for wetting, and then draw an 'X' on the pad with Z and use it for a bit. This should be enough.
For the clay, I found that you should use just enough lube to prevent the clay from sticking. Hower, I don't think you can use too much. As long as you like the result it is OK!
Clean the wheels with a wheel cleaner spray that is safe for your wheels if they are painted. Use a small brush to get in the cracks. You spray it on, rub it in, spray some more and let it sit for a mionute then hose off. Then, Z the wheels to keep them clean
It is a good idea to clean the tires at the same time. Use Westley's Bleche- White rubber cleaner to throughly clean the all the dirt and road oils of the rubber before you apply the rubber treatment. THEN the tires will look great!
Congratulations on your dedication to face this hard job!
On towels and drying: I'm still not happy with all the various ways I've tried to dry my car after washing. The quick trip around the block doesn't do it for me. Too much dust. Thus far, the best I can do is to use one of my large bath towels. And I'm still not totaly comfortable using a full bath towel when wiping off Z2 residue. I tried folding it in several ways. But I want to shake it out almost after each stroke and move to another section of the towel. Too much folding. So presently, I just bunch it (the towel, not the car) up in my hand like a boxer's glove, wipe, shake, and move to another area of the towel. 'It works for me.
I don't use the pressure car washes because 1). they cost so dog-gone much that it's cheaper to buy my own, and 2) they recycle the water.
You can buy a Campbell Hausfeld 1300 psi electric pressure washer for less than a hundred bucks, and the things are great for washing cars, decks, driveways, garage floors, etc.
I agree that you seem to have used too much product. Since you were quite thorough in your description, I suggest that perhaps you did not thoroughly dampen your applicator with water (soak, squeeze firmly just to the point where the water doesn't flow freely out of the applicator, but not "bone" dry; this helps keep the applicator from absorbing product) followed by a spritz of Z6 on the applicator, to help spread the product, before you put the polish on the applicator. (I use a 'Z' pattern.) Also, as pointed out by another, you seem not to have established a pattern by which to apply the product thus, perhaps, going over an area more than once. It was implied indirectly by another, but you may be trying to do too big an area at one time; foot over, foot down.
I don't believe I read that you followed the polish application and wipe-off with a Z-6 "rub down." That helps the look, too.
I agree that bath sheet sized towels are too large to handle easily. I prefer the hand-sized ones.
In the winter, all I ever use is the high pressure car washes. I go to two different ones depending on how dirty the car is. With ZAINO on it, it's never really filthy. If I need to clean the aluminum wheels, then I go to the wand wash place because it has a brush for the wheels. If it's pretty dirty, I go to the CITGO gas station high pressure wash that does a great job. AND sometimes, as in these pictures, I go to both! ;-))
If you look at these pictures- the dirty ones first and then the clean ones, you'll see what my car looks like from just going to these two brushless car washes. I did not use any sponges or towels to wash the car. I just came out of the car wash, flew down the street a ways, pulled into an empty parking lot and wiped the car off. That's what you see in the clean pics.
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Flats/7501/feb_21/
fastdriver
Long and short of your scenario is yes, you probably used too much "lubricant" when you clayed. You hurt nothing and you still have a smooth, clean finish.
Yes, you used too much Z1 and Z2. But since you got it off the van cleanly...No harm, no foul. You still got a great Zaino shine and Zaino durability. I'm sure it worked just like it was supposed to. You wasted some...so what.
White is a difficult color to wax no matter what product you use. I use Zaino on my wife's Pearlescent White Avalon. It's much more difficlut to do her car than my "refire metallic" Grand Prix. Your first time will give you a chance to refine your technique for the next coat of Zaino. You've got the hard part done with the claying and Dawn routine. As suggested, just use overlapping strokes when applying.
With Zaino, less is more. Just becuase you don't see it like you would with other products, doesn't mean you didn't put enough on.
A few coats of Z5 will take care of the swirls. Z6 is highly recommended before and after each coat. I use Z6 as a "shine touch-up" even when I ddon't wash. It keeps the finish slick.
The clay got dirty because there was a lot of imbedded "nasties" that were removed from your finish (that's why it's so smooth, now). You'll find that the more coats of Zaino you put on, the less likely there will be anything getting imbedded in you paint, again. I still keep some clay on hand for "touch-ups", though. If you use the clay for rough spots when you find them, then you will never have to clay the whole van again.
Bet you have the best looking van in the city, now. Be proud and shine on!
My plan is to start out with the '93 tempo, and I will take a picture to post an excellent "B4" vehicle. It will make some of you cry. But it's small, grey, not been washed since fall and will be good practice when the real vehicle shows up.
Now if I can only get the bride to get me some 100% cotton towels......
Thanks
I guess that the step above 100% Cotton cloth would be one made out of microfibers. I haven't tried it yet (microfiber cloths are expensive).
Sadly, the day was very windy outside, and since I have no garage for my van, I did not get to put more Z2 on it. I also had to drive the van today, so before the next coat I have work to do.
Thank you for your answers, and the hint about the 1x1 sections for Z2. That was somethign I would have never thought of.
You are right, I did not put enough water on the applicator for Z2! Doggone it! Well, I'll get more Z2 with Z5 order.
My questions for the day are:
1. Got the dealer to pay for repainting job on bumper where detail guy stripped paint trying to take old dealer sticker off. How long do I have to let the paint job sit and cure before Zainoing it?
2. The detail shop the dealer pointed me to to get the thing fixed did a real nice thing, he put paint on the many chips and scratches I discussed yesterday. He had trouble getting the paint to hold, he said, "that's some kind of wax!" Can I put another Z2 coat over the scratches, or do I have to strip the areas and redo from the beginning?
3. As you know I have on one Z2 coat on, and I want to get another on ASAP. But, it may be a day or two before I can do it. I saw where someone said put Z6 on before and after each Z2/Z5 coat. Does that mean I don't need to rewash car with Zaino was before next Z2? Just a once over with Z6 will clean up car enough to put on new Z2, even if I have to drive it?
Thanks again for your answers, and I hope for other rookies at Zaino it will help!
Sincerely,
John Kay
jkumpire@netpluscom.com
If it will make you feel any better- it's not ANY easier to see where the ZAINO is applied on my Candy Apple Red 300!
Don't worry- you can put the next coat of Z-2 on anytime! You van is now protected. If it's dirty, wash it. If not, just apply the Z-2. Yes, Z-6 should be applied after each coat of Z-2/Z-5.
As for the newly painted areas, ask the guy who did it. There are different methods they use. Some can be waxed right away and some methods require a "curing" time.
fastdriver
Since many of you seem so knowledgeable, thought i would ask two off topic, but related questions.
1. What do you use to wash your vehicles? Ie. wash mitt, towel, sponge......??) I used to use sponges, but then was told to use a high quality wash mit since it was more gentle to the paint surface. Appreciate advice/ views/comments.
2. Drying a vehicle after washing. I read a few posts where squeegees of some sort were used. Never tried them. I used to use 100% cotton terry towels but found they left fine scratches in the surface. I then began using an imitation shamois.
Again, appreciate advice/comments/views.
I use a wash mitt- supposedly 100% cotton. Not sure right now of the name. I'll look in the garage this weekend. I know that it looks like I'm a fanatic about my car, but I'm not. I like a clean, shiny car period. If there's a few little scratches from towels etc. I don't sweat it! It's a lease. I'm not keeping it in pristine condition for the next guy. I'm keeping it nice for me!
Once you have the ZAINO on it, the water will fly off! There will be very LITTLE water left on the car to wipe off. After I wash my car, I take it for a QUICK spin(LOL). By the time I get back, the only water really left on the car is on the backside of my trunk! In 2 minutes, I'm done wiping it off. You'll see for yourself.
fastdriver
John--Zaino will make it tough for even new paint to stick to. I'd ask the "body shop" how long before you can wax for the paint to cure as fastdriver pointed out.
I prefer to Z6 before and after each Z2 or Z5 application. I'm anal about these things but find it really enhances the shine. I would wash the van first before doing this, but I've know people who don't wash it first (if there is only light dust on the finish). I don't like to take the chance of "swirling" around dirt on my finish when using Z6.
Glad the dealership did the right thing in re-painting the bumper and chipped areas.
LOL.... It's even worse when the sun is shining!! Need my ray-bans!!!!!
fastdriver
1. If the paint was baked on, then you can apply Zaino now. If the paint has been allowed to dry at room temperature, then I'd wait a few days. Actually, ask the detail painter. He should know his product.
2. Yes, for paint to really stick, it has to be applied to a clean metal or prior paint surface. The detailer/painter should clean the area with alcohol and sand the affected area first. When he's all done, tell him NOT to put any of that "hand glaze" stuff on top of his paint. Many detail/body shops do that. And that stuff is basically wax with mineral oil which looks good for a day and then ..... Once dry, you can give it the full Zaino treatment.
3. If the car has had a chance to get dirty since the last Z2 application, wash it and then apply the Z2. But if the car is clean, then give it a Z6 treatment prior to using more Z2. Actually, I use Z6 one the car frequently to eliminate the dust in the air.
Luck11: Even though your towel was labeled '100%' cotton, it was not 100%. Towels made outside the United States are not subject to the same laws, and they commonly have nylon threads embedded in them for strength and ease of manufacturing. Its those damn nylon threads which are scratching your surface and creating swirl marks. I'm not trying to be funny, but you really have to look for the "100% Cotton, Made In USA" labels. Again, Fieldcrest and Cannon are two brands to look for, and I'm sure there are others. I've made the same mistake, and had the swirl marks to prove it. Then again, Z5 should do the trick on those swirl marks.
Choosing between Z-6, or the Z-7 car wash and drying, before applying another coat of polish depends on how dirty it is. What you're trying to avoid is having heavy dirt or grit, that the Z-6 doesn't loosen, getting caught in your towel and scratching the paint. Though dirt that does not come off easily is rarer with Zaino.
I believe it was in your Day 2 post that you spoke of how your Zaino applicator came out of the wash pink in color. I don't believe that is a problem, but Sal Zaino recommends hand-washing the applicatiors. I machine-washed mine and the cloth on one of them split along the edge. Hand-washing seems a little tedious; maybe one could place the applicator on a towel, fold the towel once over it, and then safety-pin the fold closed to avoid as harsh a tossing-around as just putting it straight into the load. Its only something I just thought of; I'll have to try my own advice soon.
Any thoughts on using chamois?