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Comments
fastdriver
leaf blower - mine's electric too, and I always blow my driveway clean before I start to wash.
Thanks
Check you local yellow pages under auto body repair. This link explains the process: http://www.dentwiz.com/pdr.htm
Blood pressure dropping to normal,
: )
I absolutely WOULD NOT skip doing your roof, the horizontal surfaces of a vehicle are the one's most susceptible to sun damage. I sympathize with the effort involved; I'm 5'6" and have TWO mini vans and I KNOW what a pain doing the roof is, especially with roof racks. Now, perhaps you don't want to spend a lot of time perfecting the look and shine on the roof, but I think it's foolish economics to save a few cents in product to allow the roof of a mufti-thousand dollar vehicle to be at risk of sun damage; kind of like brushing just your front teeth because few see the others.
Side note: I talked to a guy who worked for PPG (the owner of N. American patent rights to the clearcoat process) and he was skeptical about all the high dollar polishes on the market today. He said they may make the car shinier and easier to clean bugs/dirt off, but the claims about sun screen, etc... are hype/unnecessary. He said the clearcoat already has this built in and no one ever really touches the actual paint on a clearcoat finish.
Thanks for the info. There is a Dent Wizard located about a mile from my house. I will check that out first.
Regarding Dent Wizard, I have a few dings on the passenger doors from stones flying up while driving on the highway. Local body shop quoted $300 per ding. I know this is way out of line, but my question is that is it necessary to remove the interior door panels to "push" out the dent/ding. I have always thought that small dings were removed by dent wizards without interior panel removal.
We have a 1987 dark red two-tone regular wheelbase Caravan and a 1999 metallic blue regular wheelbase Silo. My guesstimate is that I use a little more than an eighth of the bottle per application. I'm sort of a poor person to gauge use because I became a Zaino distributor after trying the products and am constantly lending my "personal stock" to folks to try, so I haven't really kept any bottles from opening to the last drop. Using the Z6 in conjunction with applying the polish really cuts back on the amount of polish used and the time to do the vehicle. I use one squirt of Z6 on the applicator before I put the polish on the applicator; it really thins and evens out what you apply.
Depending on your weather/climate and how much the vehicle is garaged/parked under cover, versus being exposed to the elements would dictate how often to apply polish. Two coats at the outset, as you indicate you have done, with an occasional Z7 wash and Z6 rundown, followed by a single application every three months to as long as a year seems like it would do.
I wash/dry in the shade so direct sun is not the problem. I tried again with two capfuls of Z-7 in a gallon of water. It was raining outside, so I rinsed with a hose and left it in a natural good rain for 1/2 hour and pulled it into the garage to dry. It still looks streaky. I did not strip off any old wax prior to using z-1 and z-4. It looked great when I was finished, but the two times I have washed it, it looks streaky. The streaks will buff out using a dry towel, or some z-6 and a towel.
I remember a "deionizer" car was system on late night TV a few years back that promised a clear rinse even in hard water. It was a car wash wand with a chamber in the handle filled with some granular chemical to "deionize" the water. Anybody ever use one of these? Any advice?
I'm no expert, but that may be your problem right there. Ever put hairspray on top of hair gel already in your hair? Things tend to get murky...
Just a thought.
I agree with tonychrys above. I have found over the years that the people having trouble with Zaino are those who use too much Zaino OR don't follow the directions per Sal.
If I were you, I'd DAWN, clay and start all over. WAX and Zaino don't mix as you have found out.
fastdriver
Gene
Did you wash the car again AFTER claying? I think that may be the step you missed. Also, did you use a sufficient amount of the lubricant while claying?
fastdriver
If you do go the Zaino route, there are steps to follow, all directions are on the www.zainobros.com website and/or you can scroll through the previous posts here as Zaino prep has been explained many times before.
Nearly ALL the dealer offered things are total ripoff money-makers - Paint sealer, undercoating (can actually CAUSE rusting) etc.
In general, it is probably not BAD for the paint, but I would figure out how to strip it off, clay and Zaino the car in the next few months. The Solara paint is not bad. I have a Diamond White Pearl SLE, and after clay and 2-3 layers of Z-2 is it just god-awful shiny and slick! bug spots just flick off and nothing else seems to stick.
I feel that most of these dealer things are offered with the hope that you will sell the car or not come back when the problems DO occur down the road.
Good Luck!
The past couple weeks, I've been applying Z6 every morning as the car warms up. Is this advisable or should I just Z6 after a wash?
Thanks.
It is sort of like painting over a slight film of oil. Sure the paint will dry but over time it won't look good or last because it was unable to bond properly.
Can you?...yes, but be careful about too much dust and dirt. If your car is garaged at night generally this is no problem. I don't right now because of so much damn pollen that will scratch. Should you?...that is your call, there is no one right answer.
"The past couple weeks, I've been applying Z6 every morning as the car warms up. Is this advisable or should I just Z6 after a wash?"
Answered above, but remember too you will run out of Z6 very fast at the rate you are using it.
However, you can dilute the Z6 up to 50:50 with distilled water to make it last longer.
Here is what I do: I keep one Z6 bottle at full strength to be used before applying a fresh coat of Z5 or Z2. I use my diluted bottle for times I am interested in Z6ing after washing(without applying an additional coat) or at times between washings as a quick detailer.
I'm pretty against buffers in general, a DA Buffer is fine (only shakes side to side) Swirls are a [non-permissible content removed] and orbitals seem to have a knack at creating them. Foam wheel or not..
Gene
Listen to fastdriver. I found it a little tricky to learn how to clay without leaving a residue. Lots of lub and just the right amount of pressure. Sometimes just a but of pressure when going over a scratch or low point will still leave some residue. But I've found that on a given panel section, I do best by first using almost no pressure and then (if necessary), going over the same area with just a little more pressure. Wow, a run-on sentence. I rinse each section as I'm doing it and I also use a final wash after I'm all done. Its a bit of an art, but you'll catch on quickly.
armtdm,
Z over wax is like walking on an ice covered pond in Spring. Beware. As joebob6 says, it won't last. Endurance? Is that what you want? Just a simple coat of Z2 (OK, Claying, Z1, Z2, Z6) lasted me all winter in the Northeast. That includes ice, snow, acid rain, sand, and road salt. I'd just let the Z wear off (you'll know when) and then start over with a good session of Dawn and claying prior to applying Z1/Z2.
Bushwack,
As a rule, I'd never apply Z6 on a dirty or dusty car. I use it before Z2/Z5 and after each washing. If the car is clean, however, and has been dusted, then using Z6 is alright. You can tell when the car is clean simply by running your finger over a section and seeing if there is any difference. And if your Z6 towel starts picking up dirt/dust, you've got too much residual dust.
These may not be scientific testimonials but there is a reason products come with directions and a reason Sal is so adamant about the way his product is used.
Most polymer products have high solvent cleaners and abrasives that will remove the wax layer. Since Zaino does not have these it is necessary to remove the wax with Dawn prior to applying the Zaino polish.
You must be a Fan of Frank Sinatra, "I did it My Way".
I suppose armtdm can say that has learned how to get the least results out of applying protectant to four vehicles. ("armtdm" hmmm? Does that somehow become "Arm tedium?")
Wax "bond"ing to paint sounds too strong; I would say it adheres or attaches to paint.