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Comments
Anyone drive their nicely polished SUV to ski? I have to because that is the reason I buy the SUV.
my car looks flawless after i use z7/or zymol car wash then either z2/z5 then z6 to finish it off
serioulsy the blade dries better than any towel you can find.
this dries 90% of your car before you need a towel
Well, I go to those wand type car washes in the winter and have for years. I know that others don't like them, but what choice do you have in the winter? I haven't been through an automatic car wash since 1990! I have applied Zaino in the winter on a sunny day with temps near the 40's and have had no problems applying it or taking it off.
My car looks as good in the winter as it does in the summer- almost!
fastdriver
I have read that if you use just the water, and maybe bring a bucket and some z7 to get some soap that won't be unduly harsh, there should be no problem. Bring a Calif water blade with you, while you are at it.
I know many folks who use these facilities and have had no great problems with the finish, although I think that those who use conventional wax tend to wash it off pretty fast.
I try to have two new coats of Z2 on the car prior to the beginning of Winter. Even with the dirt, mud, road salts, and brake dust sludge common in the North East, two coats of Z2 lasted me all through the winter of 2000. And the car was still beading water when Spring of 2001 came around. I'll admit to washing and using Z6 after heavy dirt accumulations. Simply wash very gently with Z7 and almost all of the 'winter stuff' slides off easily.
But be extra carefull during early Fall. Tree Sap Season. It depends of the type of tree with Pines and Mables leading the pack of 'sappers'. I hate those damn little spots. Don't try to 'dust' or rub them off as that will produce all sorts of swirl marks. Dry sap can be hard. Again, a good Z7 wash has worked for me. In some cases, I've also used clay. It worked but I'm not sure it was worth the effort.
Hey Fastdriver, how are you? How were you affected by '911'? Although I've had many 'quick' drying times, when the temperatures were in the 40's up in the Berkshires, I've experienced long drying times. When the termperature is low and the humidity is high, let the car dry overnight. In a garage. And don't stand there watching it dry. Won't work, believe me!
By the way, that rain storm last night deposited all sorts of dust on my car. Not just water spots. I wonder is the fallout from "9/11" is settling out. Has anyone else had this problem?
Time for Z7 (This should be our only problem...I really feel for all those who have been lost and their families. The world has changed and somehow my car is less important to me now).
I have a garage and driveway too, but when it's freezing out, I go to the wand wash. Sometimes I just use plain water and sometimes I use their soap. There have been times when I used the Z7 too. With the Zaino on, I'm not worried about how harsh the soap might be. My previous car and the current one show(ed) no ill effects from these washes.
pblevine-
I've read good things about the CA water blade too. I have the Absorber that I use to get the "big" water off and then I use my 100% cotton white towel. With the Abosrber, I don't have to drive fast around the block anymore. ;-)) Once I'm done drying it, I do go for a ride to get the water out of all the nooks and crannies.
Still never had the drying problem- summer or winter with the Z. I must just pick the right days for Z'ing.
As for 9-11- well, I've had better weeks! My cousin's husband, 31yo, is among the missing. He was in Tower 2. There's a Memorial Service this week in NY for him. They never found him. Then, the following Tuesday, a lady at the assisted living center where I have volunteered every Tuesday for the past 2 years to work with them on the computer, suddenly had her bone cancer flair up and passed away after a week in Hospice. She rarely missed a Tuesday with me. She was only 78. I miss her.
You're right- things have changed for everyone. It's kind of scary because these terrorists seem to be everywhere. Watching ABC right now. Seems like several of them lived in Patterson, NJ. They've even arrested a few suspects in CT too!
I have no doubt they we'll get them, but it won't be easy and it won't be fast. My heart goes out to all the families affected by this senseless tragedy and the hundreds/thousands of kids who have lost a parent or parents. It's hard to comprehend. If our country doesn't come together and STAY together after this incident, then there's no hope for any of us. After they get these terrorists, they better use the same tactics to get ALL the drug dealers in this country. To me, they're in the same category as the terrorists. They just kill people slowly!
I better get off my soapbox before I get yelled at. Hope all is well with you.
fastdriver
Love it
www.zaino.com
Also, I agree with sddlw about the leaf blower. It does remove the accumulated water from the nooks and crannies, but a short spin around the block also works.
Ah, so that's where the money comes from! Maybe a little vegetation kill sprayed there could eliminate this problem.
mbdriver-
Thanks. I'm going to have to try this CA blade. I have the CA car duster and the Absorber. Why not the CA blade too? Have to keep the economy going!
fastdriver
armtdm: I've been through Adams. 'Love the entire Bershires. I see what you mean by a lost economy. But the whole area still has a great charm from the tourist spots to the back areas. I even like in the Winter.
mbdriver: That's it, now I've got to try the CA Water Blade. 'Wonder if I can buy it at Pep Boys?
Wonder how long they last before the compound gets hard or brittle enough to casue damage?
As far as water spots are concerned, two great suggestions were made. One..."stream" a low pressure output of water from your hose (with the pressure nozzle off) over the surfaces of your car. This will leave only a few "water beads" on the surface. Two...if you can, only wash and rinse in the shade.
As everyone else has said, a little Z6 cures the water spot problem if all else fails.
Even for the entire 2 months where I couldn't wash, my car still beaded water better than any other car in the parking lot at work. If you looked at it from an angle where you couldn't see the dirt, it still shone better than any other car at work. Zaino ROCKS!
Brad
The vinegar, however, is a different story. I used paper towels to clean and a lint free glass cleaner (computer monitor cleaner) for the final wipe dry. A lot of black soot/dust came off, but I have horrible smears. I will reapply next weekend and try to get rid of smears.
Make sure that the vinegar is diluted with at least 50% water. You might want to try 30$ vinegar and 70% water combo. The "dirt" you saw coming off your windows is actually oily grime and tar that windows accumulate while driving. Remember, your windows are constantly subject to stuff coming off the road (which in itself is made from oily tar). When the weather gets wet, this mixes with the stuff on the road and tends to "cake" on your windows over time.
Vinegar and water "loosens" all of this off your windows. That's what you saw on your window cleaning cloth. The reason it smeared, was you didn't get all of it off the windows. You just moved it around the window. It may take 2-3 more tries to get it all off.
Zaino glass polish does it a little differently. It acutally has some fine abrasives in it that "polishes" the crud off the windows. It will also polish out the inevitable miniscule pits that windows get over time (from the same pounding of small pebbles, rocks, sand, etc).
Obviously, vinegar and water has no polish in it so it will do nothing for the pits in the glass.
Another trick is to use newspapers to wipe your windows either when drying them after a wash, or in conjunction with window cleaner (used as the "wiping/drying cloth" with the window cleaner). The ink in the newsprint consists of (among other things) very fine pumice that acts as a polishing agent. The newspaper itself is made out of the lowest grades of paper manufactured. That means that it is relatively corse (as far as paper is concerned) which will also give you some polishing properties.
Just make sure the newspaper is clean and is a couple of days old. The reason it has to be a couple of days old is that it takes that long for the ink to dry on the paper (the ink isn't totally dry when you read your newpaper the same day as you've noticed on your fingers). Plus, since the paper is so low grade, it doesn't lend itself very well to having the ink dry quickly. Use pages with only "black ink" as colored inks don't really have much in the way of pumice in them.
One of the many "minimum wage" jobs I had when I was (much) younger was working in a paper mill. I also financed part of my education as a car detailer many years ago. Some of the old tricks still work the best...some are best left dead (like washing the car with a mixture of Kerosene and water).
I will try black newsprint. I had wondered about the newpaper age and ink color. I have a print/design background myself, but I didn't know about the pumice in newspaper ink. I'm more familiar with the spot and 4-color process.
NOBODY touches my car!!! Grrrrrr!!! Maybe I can get away with this because I'm a guy (and a big guy at that).
Happy Z'ing (especially Z5 to get rid of the swirls!).
BTW--I noticed from your profile that you have a BMW 3. Which one?
Out of all the cars that I've owned, my favorite was a BMW 325.
I heard that the Pinnacle line and Finish First are also excellent products.
First of all my Zaino applications dry in 5-10 minutes, I never wait 1 hour to remove or even 6 hours between applications but that is neither here nor there
However, one thing is very clear to me in using both products, Zanio is not only easier to apply and remove, especially in sunlight, but as to durability, nothing comes close. Gold Class may last 3 months at the most, Carnubas rarely last 6 months, usually 3. Zaino kills them all.
For swirl removes, use a swirl remover product!
At the time I didn't think I wanted/needed the extra power of the 323/328. I never enjoyed driving very much, especially in the city.
But after driving this car for a short while, I have become a BMW enthusiast. I plan on autocrossing next summer and my next car (2-3 years down the line if I can wait that long) will definitely be the 6 cyl.
This car is so much fun, I find myself looking for reasons to drive...
Sorry to ramble on but I've gone from hating driving to eagerly planning road trips to the Niagara wine region just for the ride.
I saw absolutely zero benefits in ease of application ( each coat is easier because you put it on very thinly, but there are so many more coats, it's much more work ) or longevity compared to regular wax.
The combination of more work and more money for the same finish simply doesn't attract me.
Zaino certinaly does claim to be able to remove swirl marks on their site, and thsi is another way in which if dissapointed me. It didn't. The 3M product did a much better job.
dave
dave
It would be nice to have the extra oomph of the 6 cyl once in a while but those occasions are not frequent enough to warrant it. But next time...
Zaino, well, if you include the Z1 and Z5 or Z2 yea, about twice as much. I really have found Z to be easier to apply though and no white after marks in grooves etc. But, what ever makes one comfortable. Sitting on my shelf I have Z, Collinite Marque d'elegance, # 26, Gold Class and a Cleaner/Wax and a Swirl Remover. Definitely Overboard!!!!!
So, the extra $10-$15 twice a year or so doesn't bother me. no doubt you spend that on a case of beer every two weeks!
If you ever get around to driving a 6 cyl 3 series, you'll notice the torque difference compared to the 4 cyl. That said, you get the "BMW experience" with your car.
Zaino content...just put a couple of coats on before winter and you should be all set.
Just to stay on topic, with 5 coats of Z on the black Lexus paint job, it looks great, even with the top up.
Here's the problem- I feel that the car is not as wet and shiny as it should be. Especially troublesome is hazing.
Anyone else have the problem or hopefully a solution. I'm hanging in there with zaino, but I'm getting a lot of pressure to change brands.
HELP!!!
That is a tough one. Without seeing the car it is difficult to tell if I or anyone else would agree or not agree with your observations. Some people have higher expectations than others. Some people prefer the look of a wax coating.
"Especially troublesome is hazing."
Try wiping off with a slightly damp towel the areas that are hazing. It does sound like you may be applying too much of the Z3 or Z5.
I too am a Meguiar's fan. However when it comes to durability I've found that using Meguiars #26 lasts a lot longer, even with weekly washings. Gold Class lasts only about half as long in my experience.
I really like the results with 3M Perfect-It Show car wax. Have you tried it? It is as brilliant as Meguiar's. I'm going to test it this winter for durability.
I am however having a problem in that I cannot see the hazing from the Z1 or the Z2. I can't see where I have been. I did apply Z2 after and it dried and came out fine, but I want to make sure I am getting the Z1and Z2 every where with out using to much. Could it be I am not using enough? or is it just the silver van?
JR
As is commonly stated, the effect on the black paint if far and away more remarkable. The dark green is deep and rich, and the blue car is nice and shiny, but the black Lexus looks like a mirror. Maybe the paint is also better to start with, and I applied Zaino when the car was only 2 weeks old, so maybe that has something to do with it, but I don't think so.
If you have a black car and see hazing, you are doing something wrong. Maybe too much z6? I'm no expert, and the black Lexus was the first car I used Zaino on, but I think it's pretty easy to build up a few coats and get an astounding shine and polish.
As for the silver van, my observation is that if you are putting on z1 and z2 correctly, it will be very hard to see where you have just applied it. It's hard on a black car, and the light blue car I did for a lady friend gave me the problem you describe. You just have to apply it methodically and slowly, and try to catch the light reflecting off the car just right. If z1 or z2 is easy to see as you apply it, then you are using far too much.
The answer to your question is, I think, it's just the silver color of the car that is giving you the problem.
You are right about the hazing...I have white vehicle and use Z5 exclusively(it is white colored). The only way I know that I have put polish on is by using a consistent pattern, overlapping and keeping track of where I have been and haven't been. I am sure if you do a couple of coats you will cover the whole van.
It is even worse when wiping off. It is so shiny, even with the unremoved polish, it is difficult to tell if it was removed. The next morning, in different light(at work), I sometimes notice patches that I missed wiping off. I feel like an idiot running back to my car(dressed in a suit) and pulling out some kind of towel to remove it. I am probably the only one that would have notice the missed spots anyway.
I have also missed several spots when wiping off the Z. It shines so brightly that I didn't even realize I missed an area. Despite all this, I wouldn't trade it for anything. I love that shine!
fastdriver
today. I have a 2000 ACURA 3.2TL/Navi its NightHawk Black Peal in color. I purchased the Zaino last year for the car but did not use the polish.When I purchased the car I had my windows tinted & paint protection/fabric protection put on. This was done by Ziebert Tidy Car as a pakage deal.I then saw alot of post on the Acura TL board about Zaino.I ordered some last summer but only used the Carwash & Gloss Enhancer. I also had ordered the polish but did not get the Cleaner Conditioner or Swirl Mark Scratch Remover.
This was because I had the paint protection on the car already & it was good for a year. I used the Zaino carwash & the gloss enhancer they work very well on the car. I have used many product like the gloss enhancer but it seems to work the best.I just have not got around to waxing the car but twice this spring/summer seanson. I just wash it twice a week & use spray detailer product. I ran out of zaino carwash & gloss enhacer 3 months ago & did not reorder untill today. I was also trying to use up some old wax that I had for my old car a 94 Accord. This was Zymol wax the $40.00 a pint stuff. I ordered the carwash,cleanar conditioner,swirl remover & gloss enhancer form zaino today. I have to get the car polished up in the next few weeks or it will be to cold.