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Thanks
If you have access to "clothing manufacturer's" sometimes they have unstitched 100% cotton panels and will sell it by the # or just give it away to be rid of the fire hazard.
Claying - After all the pro-claying posts, I may give it a test after the weather warms up. But it will be difficult to improve on the shine and smoothness of my car -- I may decide I'm happy enough without claying. Will report back with a later post.
I'll be on jury duty for about a week, so I won't be Z'ing my car or in this topic for a few days.
The claybar would work great. But to use a brand new one would be kind of a waste. I have one used clay bar that I keep for areas like wheel wells and areas that I am not too concerned about scratches.
You might look for a product that is meant for bug and tar removal.
Another suggestion I have and plan on trying myself is to put the Z7 on the areas (full strength) and let sit for a few hours. I am not sure how big an area you are talking about but I plan on using a cotton swab to apply it to the affected areas. A foam paint brush might work for a larger area.
To really make white shine put another coat of Z1 on after you have put your initial 3-5 coats of Z2. Many people have reported significant improvement of shine on light colored vehicles after doing this.
Dennis:
Z16 tire gloss can be used on interior vinyl, plastic and rubber. Be careful not to put on areas that you do not want too slippery or shiny. Interior floor mats might get too slippery unless you are just talking about the outside edges. Start with small test areas to see if you like the look and slipperyness. It was Sal who recommended it to me to use on the interior: I was suprised because from reading the directions it sounded like it was just for the exterior. I used it on all the flat black plastic areas around my dash and doors using a thin foam paint brush and the plastic trim looks better than new and the shine lasts and does not attract dust.
Spray it on, rub lightly, wipe it off.
I did the whole Dawn, Z18 (clay), Z7, Z1, Z2, Z5, and Z2, with Z6 in between.
I may do more coats later.
http://www.alumni.caltech.edu/~taisont/S500
2 clay bars, 1 Z-1, 1 Z-2, 1 Z-5, 1 Z-6. This is $97.50 so far-does this seem right? (Not including the dawn and the new towels I need to buy.) Do I really need the Glass(z-12), plastic(z-14) and tire(z-16) cleaners? What do I use on the front dash to keep it nice? Is just one of each enough for this big vehicle? Thanks in advance.
I am going to get Z5 this year to use (terrible winter) as well as some Z2 and Z7. I did not get any of the other stuff other than the clay as am happy with the leather, tire, and glass dressings I now use.
If your van is new, the number of swirls should be minor, you may want to skip the Z5. The inferno red is a beautiful color and will look great when done. Don't forget the Z7 car wash.
My white Odyssey took me close to 8 hours to do the whole thing but that included waiting for dry times. Claying will take some work, but once you get it down, it goes fast. I did my Ody within a month of ownership and the claying didn't seem as bad as I expected. Best of luck.
When you say you are going to order two Claybars...I hope you mean one container which contains 2 claybars. One container is all you need. After you have used one claybar and it has become contaminated, knead it and use it for wheel wells, etc. The rest of your order sounds fine. I use lots of Z6 and it is by far my favorite product so I ordered 2 bottles. I use it on the glass too.
For your inside dash Z16 works great, but leaves some shine which you may/may not like. I used the Z16 on the interior plastic too and it leaves a nice shine which I do like. My vinyl dash is slightly shiny but I have not had much chance of driving with lots of sun glare so far. Z10 leather conditioner is said to work well on vinyl too.
Wiping down the dash with the towel you use to remove the Z6 works well at removing dust and keeping it clean.
I would suggest you order just what you need. You can always place another order later.
Caravans have lots of glass; there is not much paint area. I use a stepstool too and can get to the whole roof shifting the stepstool 4 times.
The key to applying the polish products is to apply them thinly, almost streaky in appearance when applied.
Why?
For regular glass cleanings there are many cheap methods that cost next to nothing.
I prefer Sprayway Glass cleaner available in supermarkets for about $3.00 a spray can. I also use Z6 on the windows and you get a rain-x effect with it.
My stating that Zaino Z12 glass polish is abrasive is not to mean I think that is a bad thing. It is a great product if you have water spots and/or light scratches in the glass. Sal has told me that it will not distort the glass. I have imbedded water spots and have been doing one window at a time over a few months. It takes a lot of work but leaves the windows looking excellent.
I am just pointing out that it is not something you would use on a regular basis to clean your windows.
thanks
rick
The question is - how much do you want it to shine on those days when it's just been washed and the dust is low? IMHO, Zaino can't be beat.
Do I clay the windows? You can but it is probably not necessary...I wouldn't.
Do I use z-1, z-3 and z-6 on the windows and the silver hub cap things but not the tires?
Do not use Z1 on any non-painted surfaces.
Z3?..I think you mean Z2...can be used on glass and hubcaps if you want to...I don't...I use Z6 on these areas.
Do I do the headlights and rear view mirrors?
I use Z2or Z5 on the headlamps and rear lights because it is easy to do when polishing the rest of the vehicle...my mirrors are plastic and I do not use Z2 on them but I could.
One of the mirrors has a tiny scratch-should I z5 it? Z5 does not remove scratches, it covers them up if they are not too big...Z5 may or may not work but certainly worth a try.
Remember I have a Caravan-big! In the wheel wells there are these black plastic things that cover the lights and kind of wrap around the wheel well-I always wash and wipe these down-do I clay and z these too? Don't clay them. Since I don't know what they are like I am not sure if they can be polished with Z2 or Z5. If they are not painted or perfectly flat you probably should not polish them with Z2 or Z5.
The car is sooo hard to dry-what will happen if there are a few wet spots when I z-1? Difficult to say since I have no experience with that. Maybe you can get an electric leaf blower to reduce drying. Be careful...it will scratch if it touches the paint. I have heard good and bad things about the Absorber and the California water blade...might be good for you.
Everytime I wash and dry it, 2 hours later water is running down the sides where the doors slide open, from the door handles, from the roof rack down the back hatch, side view mirrors and the fog lights. Electric leaf blower might help here too.
Is it better to just wait because if I drive it around to dry (like some of you) it will just get really dusty here? If it gets real dusty you are probably better off waiting.
I can't wait to get the stuff but honestly my car is about 9 mths old and has around 4K miles and still shines and beads up just like when I got it new.
I guess that factory/dealer (dealer--factory does not wax) wax job was pretty good but I do keep it in the garage-only drive about 1 hour/day.
If your car is only driven 1 hour/day and mostly garaged the Zaino will last a long time. I think Zaino will improve its appearance...remember apply the coats of polish thin...real thin...should look like streaks...kind of like the way windex looks right before it evaporates.
Use 100% white USA cotton towels. The outlet store has pretty good prices.
http://store.yahoo.com/fieldcrestcannonoutlet/royalvelvet.html
The best part is that Zaino requires no buffing, rubbing or hard work once the initial procedure is done. Just wipe on, let dry, wipe off! And no white residue.
Hope this helps.
Do you use machine car washes? Those will definitely give you swirls over time.
I recommend Zaino products for ease of use and excellent results, you need something on your finish in a hurry. There is no such thing as a lifetime wax layer. Your wax treatment is long gone by now. Your finish is now in direct contact with the elements. At best..if your car is garaged you might possibly had 9-12 months of protection, 6 months at the most if not garaged. I am not going to tout the benefits of Zaino in this post you can wade through the posts above.
For comparison I applied Zaino to one side of the hood on my wife's heather mist 97 Accord and applied Brand X to the other side. Shine is about the same. I just want to see how long the 2 last side by side on the same car.
For starters, suggest Z-1, Z-2, Z-6 and Z-7 for the paint. Order the products for leather, tires, glass, etc. as you see fit -- but the paint treatment stuff is the important part. If you develop swirls and very minor blemishes in the paint, add Z-5.
Also suggest that you e-mail or call Sal Zaino with particular questions. He responds quickly and frequently answers the phone himself. And ask him if there's a Zaino local distributor in your area. If so, try him. I did, and mine is super!
Hope this helps.
And in terms of application/removal did Zaino or Brand X require the most effort?
Application of the Zanio was more time consuming because of the multiple steps. It did, however, go on and buff off very easily. No dust or residue. Just took more time.
I forgot to mention that I tried the Zaino on the tank and fenders on my motorcycle, which is dark blue. It REALLY brought out the color and shine. I think this is why those who have dark colored cars like Zaino so much.
Respectfully;
Larry
This issue is very subjective - and many of us are adamant supporters of "our brand", whatever brand that might be. There is a lot of good information in both of the current forums. I think that's why all of us seem to "lurk" in each others forums.
I'd be tempted to start a "Detailing Products from A to Z" topic, but I would hate to see it turn into some sort of "smack down" between Zaino and the world. What do you other Zaino zealots think - would it be possible to bite our tongues if someone were to post in a "common" forum that they weren't impressed with Zaino, and accept that as being their opinion, which they have every right to hold? Can the "other" group accept that many of us are very impressed with Z products without accusing us of having some kind of financial stake in the product? And even if they DO have a financial stake in the product, as long as they don't say "call me" in their sales pitch, who's really being hurt? Some of those distributors have offered some excellent advice on these boards.
I guess that's what it all boils down to...advice. Heck, I drive a Chrysler, and I've read more than my share of disparaging remarks about those cars in these forums. I also find a fair share who like them, just like me. Despite the negative or positive posts, the ultimate decision rested with me, the reader, and I am the only one to rejoice or weep at the results of my choice. Whatcha all think?
But I can't recall many (or even any) car nuts who actually have TRIED Zaino who aren't converts. If I recall the last "war," the other guys were really the bad ones, and things got out of hand. And most of the juvenile insulters (you know their handles) admitted that they had not tried Zaino and said they never would. If we could keep things civil (from both sides), I think it would be beneficial to everyone.
I agree with some of the above posts. Some people in "the other topic" seem to get upset that you guys have had such success. I don't think I've read one post about anybody switching from Zaino to something else, that's why I tried it. You read in the other section about how their store bought waxes have left swirl marks or hazing or other durability issues and I haven't read any of those issues here. Maybe we're all lying?
Thanks for the info guys.
Also, how is z5 different than z2?