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Waxes and Polishes, Part III
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Newwestd: I know what you mean about your back...I will have to try the mech. seat.....I just use a lawn chair and drag it around the SUV..look silly but it works. If I have the chair, I seem to clean the car better anyway
Pblevine: Someone said it, quoting Saul, I don't know if it was this topic, another wax topic or in paint and body care....but last week that is what someone posted. My question about zaino being apolymer/not a polymer was in response to that post. Prior to that, I had been under the impression that zaino was just that......a polymer and from what I've heard from all of you the best.
I have just go to take the time to order the stuff. Until then I am using Meguairs Gold (a polymer also). I had used the meguairs carnuba and
while it did protect, the shine was not as good as the gold.......even then I didn't see that it really lasted more than a month without reapplication.
Anyone used both Zaino and Erazer clay? If so, do you have a preference?
I HIGHLY DOUBT that car clay and modeling clay are even slightly similar. Car clay feels more rubbery, and doesn't seem to dry out like modeling clay. Also, it is a lot smoother - more like Play-Doh. Hmmmm - maybe that's what it is???
Don't play with clay and your car - get the right stuff.
I alternate between the Z-2 and Z-5. My finish is better then any other car I have ever owned except for all the paint chips on my hood. NO swirl marks at all. Remember, it takes several coats of Z-5 to eliminate any swirls.
pjyoung & tom3k-
I think that the wonderful smell of the various Z products acts as a phoneme(sp) for the birds!! You know, like cologne! Thus the love affair with them and your car!! LOL... WHAT else could it be?
this is nascar-
Try this site-
http://www.aardvarktowels.com/
I have never ordered from them because I have more white towels then I know what to do with right now, but these towels fit the description needed for the ZAINO and they have NO folded edges on them like the regular towels- if I remember correctly. Read about them in another car detailing site that is loaded with ZAINO experts.
Also, not sure what kind of car you have, but if the black plastic is NOT smooth, don't get the Z-1,2,3 or 5 on the surface. The Z-6 is fine. I have a Chrysler 300M. The black plastic that the windshield wipers rest on is a textured surface. None of the Z products, except the Z-6 work here. IF you should get some of the Z polish here, then you can use alcohol OR peanut butter to remove it! I kid you not. That's right from Sal Zaino.
Another tip when using the clay- put a blanket on the ground so that if the clay slips out of your hand it won't fall on the ground.
pblevine-
I had my cousin's BMW for about two weeks, but the weather was not very cooperative-rainy-so I think I was only able to put on about 3 applications of Z-2/Z-6. I did clay the car. It's a 98 I think. That was back in early November. I just got off the phone with her. I'm going to see her on Friday, so I'll bring the camera and take some pics of what it looks like after almost 4 months. You be the judge.
I think I covered everything. Any questions? ;-))
fastdriver
FYI - It's "pheremones" = subliminal hormone smells.
Also - I really believe that birds hold it in until they see a REALLY clean car, and bugs always try to kamikaze on the windshield right in front of the driver. Am I right?
LOL.....I knew it was something like that! Too lazy to go look it up! I'm on vacation!
The WORST bugs are the love bugs in FL. Now that's a test for ZAINO! It's like an Alfred Hitchcock movie when they're out in full force! Akin to The Birds! ;-))
fastdriver
Jeff
"Car Clay" is spefically designed for it's purpose of removing contaminants from the paint finish.
"Modeling Clay" is designed for..., well sculpting. Although their are different types of modeling clay, basically all of them cannot be used with any type of liquid, (basically they melt with water and allow the user to "sculpt" more easily"). Also, modeling clay is just that "clay", and contains many other "fillers" which can seriously damage the paint finish if they were to be rubbed on the paint. As for "play-doh", sorry, that won't work either, although I did love the smell of that stuff when I was a kid, and come on, who hasn't tasted it!
As for spending the $16-$20 for a bar of "car clay", it's well worth it considering that if you pay $16 for a 4oz container of erazer (www.erazer.com), you will be able to clean a full size vehicle at least 10 times, which is equal to about $1.60 per cleaning!.....even if you "clay clean" your vehicle 10 times in a year, that's only $16 per year.........a professional may charge you over $100 to do A ONE TIME "clay cleaning", and if they try and wet-sand & buff contaminants out of the paint, it may even cost over $200, and won't remove the contaminants like a good quality "clay".
I see all the posts about using the "100% cotton" towels to avoid scratching, well if you attempt to substitute "car clay" with something else, you will not only be leaving the contaminants in the paint, but you will surely introduce new scratches that will make the scratches from a non-100% cotton towel look like nothing!
Erazer is totally synthetic and does not contain any clay or cheap fillers. It will not dry out, and can be used with regular soap and water without worry of effecting quality and/or performance. It is the bar of choice by professionals to remove rail dust, brake dust, & industrial fallout contamination. To learn more visit our site at www.erazer.com.
Thanks,
John
fastdriver: I'd love to see your friend/relative's expression when she first sees her BMW with a new Zaino shine. Try to get that picture too. Now that has to be a treat!
pjyoung: I'll bet the birds are really more interested in your location than the car's shine. Try parking about a block away and see what happens. Or try using images of something much more attractive to them for sh...... purposes. Like a poster of Clinton arm-in-arm with Dan Quayle.
daverose: That's quite a post back there. Almost a complete manual. I think we'll refer future questions to that post as a reference. Anyway, welcome to the club. Live long and shine.
dharmabum: I haven't tried Zaino's clay product yet. I can report that the Erazer Clay is an excellent product. It does the job, lasts for a number of good hard uses, and is easy to use. Knowing Zaino as a company, I'm also sure that the Zaino Clay is also a class act.
I'm still waiting for a real break in the winter before I wash my car for the first time since December. Even with all the road dirt, I can still see a good Zaino shine under all those layers. Will keep you posted.
That shot is gone! She picked up her car at night! I had to turn on all the floodlights! LOL.... Better -would have been her audio expressions!! The oohs and ahsss and wows!!!!!
I'll see if she'll "pose" with her car!! LOL....
fastdriver
This attack of the love bugs happened one summer when I was driving from Lake Worth, FL to Disney via the FL turnpike! I never saw ANYTHING like this before! Hope I never do again- although with ZAINO, I guess it wouldn't matter.
fastdriver
White
Royal Velvet "BIG & SOFT" by Fieldcrest
Combed Cotton Face
100% Cotton/Coton/Algodon
Make in USA
Someone please tell me that these towels are the correct ones that have been recommended for the Zaino product implementation.
Also, it been said to remove the borders of the towel, since it's probably not cotton. What about the 1/2" decorative strips that run through the towel (about 4-6" from each end).
Terry
Sounds perfect! I have never cut my towels. I'm just careful to keep those parts of the towel away from the car.
As for the bird attacks- maybe we can get Sal to add some "bird repellent" to his formula!!
fastdriver
--Mike
BTW - Would it be a 100% rubber, made-in-the-USA snake, or can you use one made of man-made materials?
I personally do not cut my towels. I just try to make sure that I do not rub my truck with towel borders.
I hand wash my towels with liquid Tide.
Rubber snakes? I was referring to snake preserves. As far as I know, country of origin has no effect in preserving snakes. BTW, what does this have to do with waxes and polishes? ;-)
Besides, I'm off that and on to deciding whether I really need to spend $30-$60 to get 2-4 'proper' towels, or settle for being less-than-100% anal about my car's finish. Since it will still put me ahead of at least 99.5% of the car-owning public, I'll opt for the latter (and spend the savings on more Zaino).;-)
Wonder if a rubber snake is worth a try? Anyone have any humane suggestions?
Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference
I would think that with a properly Z's hood, the cats will side right off! After a few tries, they should quit. Otherwise, I know this great trick with radio vibrator and an old ignition coil......
Lexol leather conditioner seems to be a "hands on" favorite, along with Eagle One and the new Zaino leather treatment. All are good. Rub them in with your hands (really), let it set a little and rub off with a soft towel. Do it twice a year.
Between treatments, Lemon Pledge is good for everything inside the car - vinyl, wood, plastic, chrome and leather. Spray it on your cloth, rub, buff. Looks and smells great.
What good is a shiny, wet-looking car that's full of scratches?? I am by NO means anal about the looks of my car even though it looks like it, but I wouldn't be penny wise and pound foolish when it comes to a few good towels.
fastdriver
The entire process to me about 5 hours, including drying time, etc. The only thing that I did not like doing was the clay. It's the first time I've ever clayed a car, but I did notice the difference in doing it on my 2000 Impala LS. Thank God I don't have to clay again anytime soon.
If the weather holds up this weekend, I'm going to do Z6, then Z2 and Z6 again.
Interesting observation about Carnuba wax over polymer wax (like Zaino).
I quote:
"Carnuba wax has been a favorite among car enthusiasts for years, but don't believe that any wax is made of 100% carnuba. As the hardest natural wax known, carnuba is much too hard to apply directly to automotive paint. It comes in bricks that must be melted and aded to a company's formulation. If a paint protectant advertises 'pure carnuba', it means the part of the formula that is carnuba is pure, not that it's 100% carnuba. According to Pennington, today's synthetic polymer technology provides better protection than carnuba."
The last sentence is the one I read with the most interest, that synthetic polymers (like Zaino) offer the best protection. This is a statement from a guy who works for Meguiar's, who makes carnuba wax.
He goes on to talk about silicone-based waxes, oxidation, clear coated finishes (and how to care for them), paint scratching and swirling, machine buffing and the infomercial waxes that are "set on fire" (he calls it "sleight of hand").
Nothing that the enthusiast didn't know, but a good article none-the-less
nascar: Welecome to the club. How does it look. Yep, I've never enjoyed claying either, but then again, it does work.
graphicguy: Very interesting. Wax on.
If you apply the next coat this weekend, you don't have to apply the Z-6 BEFORE you apply the Z-2. Put the Z-6 on AFTER you apply the Z-2 and have wiped it off. Until I ZAINOED by cousin's black BMW, I had NEVER used clay either. I did not know what to expect. It did NOT sound like anything that I was looking forward to either. However, it was easy to do. I used the ZAINO car wash, mixed with water, as the lubricant. Of course, having a car this size to clay compared to my 300M makes a big difference. ;-))
Glad everything worked out for you. Now that the "hard" work is done, you'll see how EASY it is to maintain that shine with the Z-2 and Z-6. Hope you can post some pics.
fastdriver
I'm trying to think of an analogy other than penny-wise, etc: sort of a bride with a scoop-necked gown wearing a bra that shows because she won't be wearing scoop-necked clothes again, or failing to spend the money to get a good manicure and its absence distracts from the look she could have had with her ring. Or my mother replacing all the wooden windows with tight, modern vinyl windows and then opening them in the dead of Winter so she can get "fresh air."
This might not stop me from checking labels and pricing some 100/100 towels, but I'm not going to stop washing my car until I do.
Shine on, dudes.;-)
Actually, from what I have seen and read, it seems to me that Carnauba waxes are the hot product. Natural solutions to everyday needs are a growing trend-including the need to protect paint and give it a shine. Zymol is very popular: p21S has released an all-carnauba wax to compete; Pinnacle, Surluster, and One Grand's Blitz are also popular with enthusiasts.
A detailer I know does a "polymer teflon" treatment which last 1 to 5 years. Says bird dropping, tar etc wash right off and don't stain. He said he would do whole car including engine compartment and motor for $100.00.
Get a lot of sand/dust where I park at work. Old gravel pit with heavy truck traffic in and out. Don't have a lot of time to wax and detail but want a deep shiny finish.
What do you guys recommend. I read most of the Zaino post. Detailer had not heard of it. Is there any "anti static" products out there where the dust would just blow off while going down the road? (wishful thinking)
Pat
This is what I have read and heard about Teflon as a paint protectant: Teflon is not very useful for protecting paint. This is due to the fact that it needs to applied at a high temperature (500 to 600 degrees F.) in order to chemically bond with paint (or any other substance).
Supposedly Dupont Corporation (who patented Teflon) put out a statement stating that Teflon (PTFE) was not useful as a paint protectant. Can anyone else confirm this?
As for waxes:some people like polymers, others like carnauba waxes. Polymer waxes generally last longer. As for which looks better-that depends on who you ask. Some polymer products include: Klasse, Finish First and Zaino.
Quality carnauba waxes include Blitx Wax by One Grand, Pinnacle, and Surluster.
These products are available over the web-they are difficult or impossible to find in retail stores.
Meguiars and 3M make quality products that are available at auto parts stores or body shop supply stores.
I put a third coat of Z2 on my 300M yesterday. Looks great! I did a complete detail of this car and it only took about 2 and a half hours to wash, Z2 the entire car (including the wheels), clean the interior and apply Z9 and Z10 leather cleaner/protectant. And I took a little time out to help my wife bring the groceries in.
My point is, try the Zaino. It shines great, it's very easy to use, and it really does seem to help keep the car cleaner. It definitely makes it easier to wash.
There's also an added treat that has nothing to do with ZAINO.
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Flats/7501/febbmw.html
Enjoy.
fastdriver
The ONLY part that I do NOT put Z-1/Z-2 on is the black plastic area where the windshield wipers are! Z-6 is fine there, but the Z-2 gets in those little grooves.
I do the headlights, tailights etc. Wait til you see the sheen on the black between the front and rear doors!!
fastdriver
Yes! The Z-2/Z-6 works great there! It gets fingerprints anyway, so what's the difference. Try it!
fastdriver
My neighbor with a new, bright red '00 vette "borrowed" my clay, Z1/Z2. This guy was a Zymol addict until he saw the shine on my GTP. Once he tried part of my Zaino stash, he's now a convert. I helped him a bit with his first application yesterday while I put a second coat of Z2 on my car. He actually had over $200 of Zymol that is now on the back shelf of his garage. I have to say, even I was amazed at how Zaino looks on his bright red paint job. I took my stash back and told him to go to the next level with multiple Z coats, that he would have to place his own order.
It was kind of funny as we were both detailing our cars in our small cul-de-sac street, watching all the men come over to our driveways to see the mammoth detailing sessions that were going on. It turned into an impromptu BS and beer drinking afternoon with all the men on my street. I can see this becoming a "social event" every spring...men bonding over beer, zaino and cars. Since the weather was nice (about 60 degrees) we decided to "parade" our newly waxed cars for an hour or two through the "berg". Lots of pointing and staring as we would pull up to redlights, side-by-side. Of course, his vette got a lot more stares than my car (damn, the Corvette is one nice machine).
One last thing, I just placed a new Zaino order with Sal and just got off the phone with him. Zaino also comes with the best customer service I've ever experienced with any product.