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Comments
I have never seen a polish like this before. And it feels so soft too....
incredible.
By the way - The green Accord was more than 3 years old before I Z'd it the first time. I wonder how shiny it could have been if I had been using Z from the beginning! Also- I quit at 3 layers, I don't have Fastdriver's energy to do 7! Of course I do have 2 cars to do, so I guess it evens out.
For those of you that haven't seen them, the rest of the Z pics are at:
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1016688&a=9788935
Reflectivity with Zaino is definitely better. It is nearly optically perfect compared to wax. With wax, there is a slight tint of the yellow color. This may not be noticeable by everyone.
Ease of application/ removal, longevity of Zaino are the main reasons I use it. You should also notice that after several washings/rain storms it will still look nearly as good as the first day it was applied. Something I have never observed with a wax product.
I doubt you should Dawn again. I wouldn't. Dawn is harsh and should be used initially or after using a swirl remover/glaze that leaves oils on the paint. You might want to wait a few weeks before adding another Z2 or Z5 coat--(that is, if she got the additional spray wax put on the car--although that stuff doesn't last long anyway).
But in the meantime before adding adding another Z2 or Z5 coat do your regularly washing routine with Z7 and you can Z6 also.
How hard is it to do the clay? How much time does it take for the Dawn and clay-ing steps?
As to Claying, it depends on the state of the paint. If you just have to do it lightly you can finish in as little as an hour (Hummers excepted). I suggest that you do it in stages. Start with the hood (or bonnet if you prefer). Start at one corner. If you are finished and feel good, do the front fenders. The point in claying is doing it until the surface is really smooth. You might find that doesn't take long on some parts of the car. You might find it is a bear. If it is hard, do 1/3 or 1/4 of the car and do the rest later or the next day. You will eventually finish and a few days of no protection won't kill your car. I clayed my car on a Friday night and Saturday morning in about an hour. Then I z'd it in less than that. I was done by noon with lots of breaks.
Going to be in the All Fords at Carlisle PA this weekend and had good weather today and did all those out of the way places!!! Didn't Z the engine (LOL) but got that all cleaned up too. It looks and feels AWESOME!
When I get to the show I'll touch her up and do the wheels and wheel wells. This will be only my second show and have been told buy some veterans that paying attention to little details pays off.
But I'll be there for the fun not the awards.
Do a couple more layers of Z2. The first one is about as good as a VERY good wax job, but after that, Z keeps on getting better, unlike waxes.
My car is Diamond White Pearl, and after 3 layers of Z2, the difference is obvious, even on a white car - and - it is even slicker! The metallic layer just "glows". I never saw this with a wax. The reflections are mirror clear.
The protection seemed to last at least 6 months for our cars. It may have lasted longer, but that is all I would wait. Even at 6 months, the protection, gloss and beading was better than wax at 2 months.
The CL-S IS a great car. Enjoy it!
Automophile:
Again, your pics are extremely good. You really should send some to Sal. Not just the reflections. I've also got an Emerald Green Accord ('98 Coupe EX V6). And even with a fresh coat of Z, my pics just don't have the saturation and 3D look that yours do. Very Good!
tmart:
Like automophile says, try another coat of Z2. The effect gets better with each application. And yes, I originally bought Z due to its endurance and protection factors.
ishee & joebob6:
I'm no expert on car washes. Hate 'em. Rather do it myself. Except two weeks ago when all that pollen and dust hit at once. It was like my car was coated with mud. It was that thick. On my way home from work, I got frustrated and pulled into a car wash. It was one of those "brushless" places that use water pressure and those stripes of cloth/leather. I didn't get the usual swirls from the brushes and I made sure the guys with those dirty towels never got close to me. But most of these places use "recycled" water, and as a result, my shine is a little bit duller. Granted I haven't applied my spring coat of Z2 yet, but I did dry carefully and applied some Z6. My conclusion is only use such car washes in a dire emergency.
Thanks. I love this car. Was going to take some new pics in New Hampshire this weekend, but all it did was RAIN and HAIL!! I was flipping out when the hail started- not once, but twice! I was never in a hail storm before. The hail was about the size of a dime. It came down fast and furious. Car looks okay, but it needs a good cleaning again because even though I wasn't near any pine trees, I do have some sap on it. I'm not worried because I'm protected by Z! I swear this sap just flies in the air up there! ;-))
fastdriver
joe166: done properly, which is not a particularly hard thing to do, claying could be, and for some is, the way to achieve as clean a surface as possible for EVERY application of polish. So, what problem do you see claying, presumably with the non-abrassive type, as being a once-a-year part of reubenchan's routine? Zaino effectively, chemically seals the paint, to the degree that you can seal paint with a microscopically thin substance even multiple layers of it, but what insures removing contaminants and, particularly, brake dust from the surface of or embedded in the Zaino? I see clay as the answer. On what is your reluctance/caution based?
The problem is that I think the dealer's body shop did a lousy job and the result is that the hood doesn't shine as the rest of the car. Let me try to explain: I can see my face's image "perfectly" reflected on other original parts of my car, but when I look at the hood, my image looks like it's at a lower resolution, a little out of focus or not as sharp...
Do you think Zaino can fix this or it will improve everything else and the difference will always be there? :-(
I still need to know whether to use z6.
The quick answer is "No." You do need to clean off the clay lubricant residue and dry the paint before you apply Z1; optionally you might wash the vehicle again, or just go directly to a thorough, nozzleless hose rinse, followed, optionally, by an electric leaf blower or quick, higher speed "drive around the block" to remove the bulk of residual water, followed by a towel or (synthetic) chamois toweling to completely dry the vehicle. Doing a Z6 wipedown after you dry the vehicle would not hurt, but unless the vehicle is so large that you have trouble fitting in a wash, claying, (wash,) thorough rinse, drying, application of Z1, followed by an application of Z2, or Z3, or Z5, in one session/day, I would not bother.
Thanks for your input.
umpopa
There are no short cuts - if you care about your car, take a few minutes to wash it yourself, or if you are physcially unable, hire a neighborhood kid to do it. Your paint will thank you in the long run.
Black 00
See if the paint shop will "Color-Sand" your paint where it was touched up. If there is enough paint to do this, the finish can become as smooth as the rest of your car. Good Luck!
No, you should not need to wash your vehicle with Dawn again; wash with Z7, (optionally, clay the vehicle, wash the clay residue off,) rinse with a nozzleless hose, dry the vehicle, apply Z1, and so on.
automophile has a good suggestion there. I too had a large scratch on my right side door repainted. I used a great body shop. They stripped down to the metal, redid the primer, matched the dried paint on the rest of the car with a light meter and computer. Then they "color sanded" to even things out. And finally, they applied another clear coat. Oh yes, they first removed my Z coat on the panel. A perfect match.
And I also agree with automophiles opinion of those "touchless" car washes. Again, I admit I've gone to a car wash in a dire emergency. But they all do some damage even if its microscopic. Think about it, the high pressure water moves dirt across the panel surface. Some of the dirt is composed of hard or metallic elements. Under pressure, such dirt will eat into the surface. The surface could be Zaino or clear coat or even wax.
On claying: My opinion (not an expert) is that properly using clay will NOT damage previously applied Zaino (or clear coat or even ...wax). Proper use of a lubricant is required, but that easy. Just keep spraying with a water/soap (Z7) mixure. The clay should "glide" over the surface and almost no pressure need be applied. And it does work.
First, a "polish" like Meguires will have some abrasives in it which will work out many of the swirl marks. You might want to use that as your first step. Way back when, I used to use something called "Dupont #7" (I don't know if they even make that anymore) which was a "finish restorer". It was pretty much an abrasive that pulled out swirl marks and got a lot of the oxidation out of the paint. That may be why your car doesn't look "clean" after it's been washed. Also, if you pull up a lot of oxidized paint, you most likely don't have a clearcoat finish, so you'd need to use the Z3 as opposed to the Z2.
I haven't clayed my car, so I can't tell you about that, although most others swear by it. My day will come, I'm sure.
The initial preparation is going to take some "elbow grease" and will be much harder to do than a regular wax. However, the results will be worth it, and Zaino is easy enough to apply that you might find yourself using it more often than "required" (about 6 months).
Finally, "wax" is usually Carnuba and it works well to shine. It isn't as long lasting as a polymer (like Zaino) though.
It's going to be a lot of work at first to get an older car shaped up, but as long as it hasn't deteriorated to the point of really needing a paint job, it's kind of cool to "restore" an older car. Makes it look better, and you'll swear it's running and driving better too. Good Luck.
Also what's the best way to apply polish?
I think I'll hold off on getting the Z until I see what the polish reveals (no pun intended). I'll post the verdict here once I get around to polishing it.
Hope you had a great weekend and that your DSL connection is fixed.
There's nothing wrong with Meguiars, but it does not last as long as Zaino. I used it prior to Zaino. The Zaino shine rocks! Click on my name above and you can see the Zaino results on the 300M and the Acura. The previous cars were done with Meguiars.
fastdriver
Thanks. It is hard to tell the shine of the before and after pics. I think it looks great in person. Good luck with your car. I know exactly what it looks like. I believe that the 24 hour waiting period depends on the temperature. Check the http://www.zainobros.com website to see what it says. I think if the temp is above 70-75, you can reapply after a 6-7 hour wait? I'm not positive. I have never put more then one coat of Z on in one day.
fastdriver
PS If you click on my name above, you can see a photopoint.com movie I made of the Acura. I think it's a riot!
When I've left the first layer dry overnight and then waited another day for curing, the next layer produced a significantly better shine.
mike_542:
If I could find such a drive-through car wash around here, I'd give it a try. Local laws demand car washes here use recycled water, and instead of "tons" of water, they use a higher pressure along with leather strips. I guess the idea is to conserve water. Ugh, doesn't CA have drastic water shortage problems?
automophile- the swirl marks are very light (as far as I know). I can only see them in the sunlight or with a flashlight right up against the paint. (red car) Unfortunately, there are quite a few of them when I do see them. I am pretty sure they are from the bad towels I used when I washed and first waxed it.
Anyway, I just wanted to hear some more z-5 experiences so I konw whether or not z-5 will cover those annoying little swirl marks up? I am planning on trying zaino either way, I just want to know if I need to try something else (like a 3M product) beforehand.
Speaking of 3M, I am also probably getting the clear bra put on the front end this weekend. Any good/bad experiences people have had with those I would love to hear!
I had some of these light swirls (probably from towel marks), and most were eliminated by a couple layers of Z5. However, In the future, I feel that it would be best to polish them out first with a good polish or glaze - then perfect the finish with Z5 then Z2.
Regarding Z-6s between applications of Z-2/Z-5, I have to ask "why"? Z-6, I believe, is a "gloss enhancer" and, accordingly, might not be a necessary step if the surface is going to receive an additional coat of Z-2/Z-5 (after 24 hours). Personally, I use lots of Z-6, but I often use it instead of a Z-7 wash (providing I can remove any dust with a 100% (etc.) towel or California Duster. BTW, I recently bought a Duster, and it's great. I also got the California Water Blade -- same opinion. I learned in this forum to remove the hose nozzle for the final rinse; the water seems to slide off rather than bead and remain on the paint. Then, the "blade" does most of the rest (better than using a leaf blower), and I use only one towel to complete the drying. And I finish by doing the (previously Zaionoed) door jams and edges, sides of the hood and trunk and even the painted parts under the hood.
fastdriver -- man, you cost me a bundle when you suggested a Sony digital camera (that uses 3.5" floppy disks) to post photos here. I really got carried away -- I ordered an MVC FD-97 and expect delivery shortly. Actually, I'm using both USB ports on my computer, and the floppies will do the trick of inputting to the PC. Thanks for the info! Can't wait to start using the new camera.
Enjoy the new toy!
The pH levels are from the brochure about the Car Wash. I don’t know if it’s true, but if its not, I’ll contact them and ask about it.
Oh, and my profile about the state was wrong, though the zip code part was correct. Doesn't edmunds check to see if the zip code matches the state? I dunno, and I changed it anyways.
LOL.... First I think I got you to try the Zaino on your black? Mercedes by showing you how the Zaino looked on my cousin's black BMW 2-seater. Now it's the camera! ;-)) I didn't say you had to buy the best one! You could have bought the base model- MDV 75 for $399.00. I think it takes great pictures. Maybe the FD 97 will take better ones. Anyway, can't wait to see some pics.
Mmmmm......what can I get you to try next? ;-)))
fastdriver
I did not get the window cleaners, can I use Z2, or Z6 or something on glass? inside and outside? Also, I have tint on my windows, would using Zaino on tinting films do any damage?
I have read somewhere that you can use zaino on your rims too, do you use the Z2? or Z6 ? which one? for alloy wheels,
thanks,
Using Z6 on the car's inside windows would, however, be a waste. And I also wouldn't use it on those tint films only because I don't know their chemical properties.
You should absolutely use Z2 on your alloy wheels. Z1 followed by Z2. And multiple coats. Those wheels are exposed to a lot of brake dust which is composed of very tiny metallic specs which could embed on the wheel's clear coat and/or scratch the metal surface. Those particals will also stick into a Z2 layer, but thats what Z2 is designed for. It protects your wheel and its clear coats too. And you can always clean the wheel and apply another coat of Z2. And I also use Z6 on my Z2'd wheels for additional anti-static purposes.
http://store.yahoo.com/fieldcrestcannonoutlet/index.html
The towels they sell are "slightly irregular" I ordered 8 and I looked over them real quick and I can't find anything wrong with them. Also, the smaller bath towel, not the "big and soft", gives you the most towel for your money. I emailed them and they said there is no difference in the thread count or anything else between the 2.
These towels DO have 2 stripes of.. I don't know what they are called, but they are the decorative stripes about 2 inches from the end of the towel. Do any of you cut those off or anything? It feels really soft there, like it wouldn't scratch. Buttttt I wanted to make sure. Thanks!