Car Wax

[Denny Nelson]

I just applied my new Zaino Brothers kit [#1-Show Car polish Lok for clear finish], #2-Show car polish for clear coat, #6-Ultra Clean"gloss enhancer", and ZFX catalist] with 3 coats [recommended]. The finish, I must say, is more 'pure' or consistent and there is a certain clarity and reflective depth, but I was hoping for an actual 'mirror' look and that breathtaking 2 foot depth stuff. Sooo, any helpful hints out there will be greatly appreciated--Is this the best product for a stock 1996 Polo Green [metallic clear coat] finish? Is there a better way to apply it? The instructions say no more than 3 coats. Can I ignore that and add more coats to enhance finish? Is there some kind of 'topping' that can go over Zaino? etc etc. I do have an orbital polisher, but have not introduced it yet. Not sure which step to use it on, and besides, it scares me. Denny Nelson

 

[Ctfoodguy2000]

Hi Denny. Welcome to the forum. I don't use Zaino, but from what I understand, their website is pretty detailed. You may want to start there. I'm sure with all the Zaino users on this site, someone will chime in soon.

 

[Denny Nelson]

reply from Denny Nelson

I kinda did things bass-ackwards. I will attribute it to a 'rookie mistake' [I would not want to admit to a bonehead mistake] I had actually printed out all of Zainos application tips and tips-and-tricks, but got so exited when the product arrived I ripped open the box [I did wash and dry the car first] and applied the products. THEN I wrote to the forume, THEN I remembered the info at Zaino, THEN I read my printout. So I am off to the market for Dawn soap, and I will be taking off all of the old wax, and now I know that I CAN apply many coats, but only 3 in 24 hours. Ctfoodguy2000, I am interested in what you DO use and the results you are getting. Denny Nelson

 

[Yoda]

Denny,
I moved this to the "Car Care" forum section, might help get a few more responses
BudD

 

[JonM]

Denny....I use Z...The more coats you use, the better it looks. I have about 8 coats on mine. I would suggest you clay bar your car before you polish it. You will not believe the contaminates that are on the car. Use the enhancer between every coat you apply. Use THIN coats. Use nothing but made in America 100% terry cloth towels. And PLEASE stay away from the buffer if it frightens you. In a nanosecond you can burn through the paint. Then its paint job time..$$Caa-ching$$

 

[Ctfoodguy2000]

Denny - I use Meguire's products. I am familiar with them from other vehicles and I am satisfiedwith how my Vette looks. In between waxing, I use their spray detailer. AS Jon M said, always use 100% made in USA WHITE towels. I also use a 215 mph leaf blower to get all he water out of the nooks and cranies. Leaf blower is great BUt your neighbors may think you are a bit strange:L :L

 

[DetailingDude]

Procedure

Denny, I do not suggest that you use Dawn on your car. Use 3M General Purpose Adhesive Cleaner to strip the wax off of your paint. Dawn is high in Alkaline and when Alkaline comes into contact with the black plastic trim it can begin to strip the oils that are in it. Also, the Dawn will go into places that you will never wax!

Then use a clay bar to remove all the surface contaminants. This is a critical part of any system (i.e. Meguiars, Zaino, Lusso, and the like). It eliminates anything on your paint that is not actually paint. (not including your clear coat [your clear coat is a non-pigmented layer of paint])

Once you have done these two steps re-do your Zaino procedure.

 

[Tanzanite3]

Hang on Guys

If I read this correctly, Denny has already applied some Z....

Therefore the dawn soap won't make any difference...

To get back to step "0".. you'll have to remove the Z

Takes rubbing alcohol to do that! Then you can wash with the Dawn .. Then you are at Step 1!!!

Good luck. Sorry that you jumped in .. results will be better when applied according to Sal's instructions correctly!!

Also, as JonM says, the more you apply, the deeper it gets!!

 

[DetailingDude]

Re: Hang on Guys

If I read this correctly, Denny has already applied some Z....

Therefore the dawn soap won't make any difference...

To get back to step "0".. you'll have to remove the Z

Takes rubbing alcohol to do that! Then you can wash with the Dawn .. Then you are at Step 1!!!

The 3M General Purpose Adhesive Cleaner will also do the trick and is SPECIFICALLY designed for painted automotive surfaces.

 

[RubyDropTop]

I was thinking the same thing, Tanzanite3. Dawn will not remove Zaino. Dawn is effective at removing a wax from the surface of your car, but Zaino is not a wax - it is a polymer.

Either isopropyl alcohol or a quality paint cleanser (such as Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion) will remove the Zaino.

 

[MsSchroder]

removing wax/ removing zaino

I am sorry for the utterly ignorant question, but I have never waxed a car before in my life (or used zaino). But I am considering it.

So, if you use wax, then eventually do you have to remove it and start all over again? or can you just keep doing it indefinitely?

same question for zaino.

 

[DetailingDude]

Re: removing wax/ removing zaino

I am sorry for the utterly ignorant question, but I have never waxed a car before in my life (or used zaino). But I am considering it.

So, if you use wax, then eventually do you have to remove it and start all over again? or can you just keep doing it indefinitely?

same question for zaino.

This is an excellent question! I hope that my comments here are not taken as sexist but with the understanding that I am trying to equate similar processes you might be familiar with.

Like a furniture polish like Pledge(which is actually a furniture wax), or a floor wax like Johnson's if you put too much on over a long period of time you can have wax build up. With any car wax Lusso, P21S, Meguiar's, Mother's, Pinnacle, Zaino, Zymol, etc you can also have buildup.

HOWEVER!! It is very unlikely unless you are putting on wax several times a week and never driving your car. Similar to what you experience with furniture polish.

 

[klb76]

I hope that my comments here are not taken as sexist but with the understanding that I am trying to equate similar processes you might be familiar with.

Don't worry too much about that, because this bachelor knows all about the build-up from wax on floors. Here is a question, does the wax "wear away" from the actual driving? (wind, dirt particles) Or does it just deteriote over time?

klb

 

[MsSchroder]

Furniture Polish?? WHAT'S THAT?? :L :L
I'm just kidding... I'm not much for cleaning the house (or detailing the car either). I took no offense at your explanations
so, I could use wax or zaino several times a year, over many years, and not have to worry about removing it?
I just don't want to make more work for myself down the road.

thanks
Tammy

 

[DetailingDude]

Furniture Polish?? WHAT'S THAT?? :L :L
I'm just kidding... I'm not much for cleaning the house (or detailing the car either). I took no offense at your explanations
so, I could use wax or zaino several times a year, over many years, and not have to worry about removing it?
I just don't want to make more work for myself down the road.

thanks
Tammy

I've been detailing for 15 years and I have never seen an accumulation of wax on a car. What I have seen too much of a wax on cars and then damage happens to those areas around the damage need to be broght down to the level of the damage. I am not sure if you see what I am talking about but perhaps my next explanation will help.

Don't worry too much about that, because this bachelor knows all about the build-up from wax on floors. Here is a question, does the wax "wear away" from the actual driving? (wind, dirt particles) Or does it just deteriote over time?

klb

Waxes should deteriorate with time if they don't and you have damage happen to your car and it is extremely hard to remove then you can have some rather expensive repair work to remove the wax (natural or synthetic i.e. polymer).

Did either of these help you understand what I am talking about?

 

[MsSchroder]

Waxes should deteriorate with time if they don't and you have damage happen to your car and it is extremely hard to remove then you can have some rather expensive repair work to remove the wax (natural or synthetic i.e. polymer).
Did either of these help you understand what I am talking about?

Yes, I think so. Are you referring to zaino when you say polymer?

 

[DetailingDude]

Zaino, Klasse, Nu Finish and few others are polymers. Zaino tries to establish itself as a polish but a polish is something that cleans and protects at the same time and has limited durability........ so I still classify Zaino as a synthetic wax.

 

[MsSchroder]

I'm glad you cleared that up, because I have always been confused by Zaino's use of the word "polish", when in fact, it did appear to leave something behind (and I've seen many references to "coats" of zaino).

Next question: do you have any info or experience with a process/treatment called Perma-finish by Airamar? I had this done to my car when it was new. They advertise that waxing is not necessary.

http://www.permafinish.com/

 

[DetailingDude]

There are many

There are many of these type of companies out there. But I say 'Buyer Beware'. I have never found on single product that would last like this. If it was possible don't you think it would be an OEM option?

There is much hype on the site regarding the '6 year Warranty'. But if you read it the warranty is an utter joke: "The liability imposed by this warranty shall limited to a duty by Aramar Chemical Engineering, Inc. to re-apply the process, or to refund the entire treatment price and is in lieu of all other warranties, written or implied" So basically, if your paint gets screwed up they'll give you your money back but you have to take the expense of getting it repaired upon yourself! That, in my opinion, is NOT a warranty.

When you look for the price on their site you get led down the old infomercial tactic of falsely inflating the value and then discounting to make you think you're getting a deal. I am guessing it is rather expensive though.

The warranty is what really gets me though.

The thing is it is rather easy to wax your car. SERIOUSLY!! You don't have to be do the detailing to the n-th degree to preserve your finish.

There are a few simple products out there that are 'newish' twists to the old school of doing it right the first time.

One being Clay Bars, two being MicroFiber Towels, new generation waxes like Lusso, P21S, Pinnacle, Zaino and Zymol. They all have a little bit of a different approach but similar concepts. I have had good results with all 5.

With each of those systems you can add multiple 'coats' and increase the depth of shine and the clarity of the color.... as well as the durability of the protection.

 

[MsSchroder]

As far as the warranty, regarding having the process mess up the paint, that does not seem to be a problem. I don't know if that is something that will manifest later, though. Here's some info I sent to Denny about it:

I dug up my records and I paid $325. That included having the wheels done too, since they are clearcoated. (I think they were an extra $50, so the base price would have been about $275) I seem to remember that there was a special at the time, plus I had a return customer coupon (my husband had his truck done in 99) which I used to get the price down.

I am honestly not sure whether it is a rip off or not. Phil's truck looks really good, 3 1/2 years later. He has never waxed it. He polished it once. It is very shiny and quite easy to wash.

I think if you look at it from a perspective of merely protecting your finish for 6+ years (but not to the point of a perpetual show-quality shine), then maybe $325 is a reasonable amount to pay for never having to spend the time and money to wax... unless you just enjoy doing that sort of thing (I don't).

The water beads up on my vette, and it is VERY easy to just hit it with a hose and get 95% of the dirt and bugs off, but I am quite sure that I do NOT have a 2 foot deep, wet finish. I honestly can't say whether I would do it again or not. I guess I'll know for sure in 6-10 years

I am going to call the airamar place and see what they have to say about using zaino on it.