So I spent this past weekedn zaino-ing my car.. and now, three days later, it's no longer nice and smooth like it was before. This weekend if it doesn't rain I'm going to wash and polish it again, but with the bumps it makes me wonder if I need the clay again (eh?)? Will the bumps come off when I wash it with just the zaino soap and water? Is that normal?

-Steve

 

hmm, did you clay it before hand?

 

Yep! 2 washes with zaino soap, clay, dawn wash, polish, waited a day (not on purpose), zaino wash, poilish, gloss enhancer.



-Steve

 

could be water spots or a little dirt.. The wax on your car will keep the dirt from touching the clearcoat surface, thus preventing scratches and keeping a great shine. Even after a wash, clay, polish and wax your car will "pick-up" dirt by just sitting there or driving, it's inevitable. What the wax does is it allows you to wash the car lightly and get the same "Just waxed" look, plus it will keep it's depth and shine longer because the work done on the "polishing step" is being protected by the Wax (the durability ingrediend).

If the bumps you are talking about feel like they are under the wax, sorry to say but you're kind of screwed until the wax wears off or you try to strip it..

By the way guys DAWN dishsoap will NOT remove Klasse AIO or SG at all!! It is an acrilic coating, the only wat to break it down is with strong stripping chemicals, varsol won't even work, friends tried it, had to call the company and findout what will break it down..

If if feels like it is sand on the car, just give it a wash, it they (bumps) are still there there is a chance dirt blew on to your car between steps and got trapped between layers.

 

yeh man i clayed, polished, and waxed my car with meguiars and it was so smooth. It naturally attracts dust a couple days later but a simple wash should be good.

 

Bumps can often be tree residue or droppings from insects. Go easy with the clay - they should wash off. Claying removes Zaino and a bit of the clear, That is my only gripe with Zaino. On the S2000, which is a garage queen (covered, in an air conditioned garage), I am going for ultimate shine and clarity, so I use a mild polish, like P21 or Pinnacle Bodywork cleaning polish, every three months to remove all the old wax, and any hard residues from driving (bumps or whatever). Then I finish with 2 coats of P21s carnauba/beeswax, which is the best clarity and depth of shine I have seen. So my car gets a fresh start every 3 months (only 700 miles use).

With Zaino, you have the issue of having invested numerous "coats". Now, some of the previous coat will be removed - of that i have no doubt, as the carrier fluids have to have some effect, and just the mechanical activity of application will remove some Zaino. So having an effective wash is important. But don't think clay is benign - it has fine abrasives in it, and does remove more than just embedded dirt. There are several threads about this that are very good in this forum so you might check them out.

So, for me, the ultimate shine is achieved with the P21S system of quarterly light polsihing and then 2 coats of wax, separated by 24 hours. This is not the most durable - just the best looking. On ablack car, I do not think any modern miracle polymer can top a polished, carnauba/beeswax shine. All polymers, but especially silicones, leave black with a silvery effect (hard to describe) or a bit of cloud. Zaino is by far and away the best of the lot in being optically clear of the synthetics.

I do like Zaino, and use it on the TL. I also like Meguiar's NXT, as it gives to my eyes similar results without all the fuss for drying time. Plus NXT has a tiny bit of cleaning, which deals better with the effects of day to day driving.

Klasse All-In-One is a more aggresive cleaner, but the one I use on my wife's dark green outback. It cleans great, shines fine, and is durable. Since she only gets the treatment (and I in return from her - heh heh) every 6 months, a bit more aggresive cleaning and durability are appreciated.

Like many things in life, it comes down to objectives and variables. Just saying Zaino rules or NXT is the best or Klasse is the bomb does not adequately share information.

 

Road Rage, that's one of the best posts I've read on waxes on this forum. Plus it's nice to see someone who can type regular English not Internet jargon, all caps, run on sentences, etc...

Anyway, I want to pick your brain. My wife's IS300 Sportcross has very fine scratches on it. I prefer to use Zaino on it but I think I need a more powerful polish than Z5. Recommendations? Also, what would you recommend in a Zaino solution for a brand new 05 TL? Thanks for your input in advance

 

I agree on mostly everything you have said, however claying doesn't take off the clear coat, but the rest of the write up was very well put.

 

Any thoughts from anybody? Would claying and Z5 be good for a brand new TL?

 

Even if its a brand new car, claying will get some crap off that the normal wash missed. Z5 is not necessary, I would skip the Z5 and go to Z2. Do an extra coat of Z2 for skipping the Z5.

 

[QUOTE=Road Rage]
So, for me, the ultimate shine is achieved with the P21S system of quarterly light polsihing and then 2 coats of wax, separated by 24 hours. This is not the most durable - just the best looking. On ablack car, I do not think any modern miracle polymer can top a polished, carnauba/beeswax shine. All polymers, but especially silicones, leave black with a silvery effect (hard to describe) or a bit of cloud. Zaino is by far and away the best of the lot in being optically clear of the synthetics.

Road Rage, I've used Zaino but never heard of P21S. What exactly is this stuff? thanks!

 

P21S is a great pure caranuba paste. Goes on and comes off like butter.. it gives an incredible depth and shine to the paint, however it is typically used on show cars or as a topper to an acrilic sealant like Klasse, Wolfgang, Zaino, etc... due to it's short life span, 1 to 3 months max

Hope that helped.
Patrick

www.ShowShine.ca

 

Quote: Bumps can often be tree residue or droppings from insects. Go easy with the clay - they should wash off.

~One mans opinion / observations~

Tree Resin (Sap)- appears like a dark brown/ red coloured surface mark) some of the most common resinous tree sap types are: White Pine, Maple, Oak, Popular, and Blue Spruce, none of which are water soluble, the acidic content of the sap will etch the paint surface, causing a concave surface (Turpentine is made from tree resins). Tree sap that is still soft can be removed by soaking with Isopropyl Alcohol (or Stoner’s Terminator) wet the area with the product and allow it to remain on the surface for 3-5 minutes, then wipe with soft dry towel. For tree sap that has hardened, carefully scrape the top of the spot off with a plastic razor blade to expose the softer sap inside.

Bird Excrement- (or insect excrement like Gypsy moth, June bug, etc) contain highly acidic concentrates (uric acid) which if left for any length of time the will cause the clear coat to ‘cloud (a non-transparent area) or etch (a depression in the paint) both paint and glass surfaces, so they should be removed without delay. They are water-soluble and can be removed by washing with plenty of water. Birds use gravel to digest their food and grit and sand are some of the major components, so take your time and be careful when removing them

~Hope this helps~

Knowledge unshared is experience wasted
justadumbarchitect / so I question everything/ Jon