My TL is 2 weeks old. I have read more on hear then I did in my 4 years in college. All it got me was dizzy.

My TL is SSM.
I live in the North East so here comes old man winter.
I can either go into a store or buy on-line.

Reading these forums it seems like something like Zaino is geared towards darker cars that are not brand new. Am I interpreting this correctly?

Wax doesnt give a shine, merely a protection? Polish gives a shine? Since my car is silver do I need to worry about polish?

Should I just wash-clay-wash-wax my car right now?

Which way should I go? Meguires? If I should Zaino, where do you get the stuff?

Please someone hold my hand and walk me through this!

 

Firstly, congrats on your new ride! I found all this stuff about wash and wax to be confusing at first too, but here's what I know:

Zaino can be used on both new and used cars. It tends to give more depth on darker cars than lighter cars (which is inherent in the properties of the paint color, regardless of whatever you use), but I have used it on lighter cars with good results. The Z5 swirl mark remover is targeted at "older" cars which have swirls, but you can just use Z2 on new cars that still have a pristine finish.

Waxes give both shine and protection. There are many types of waxes out there which will give different types of shine due to their formulation. Some will give a warmer shine, while others are geared for depth and others for reflection. Waxes will in general last anywhere from 4-12 weeks before they need to be reapplied.

Waxes are different from synthetic sealants, such as Zaino, NXT and Klasse SG. These are similar to waxes in that they also provide protection, but they are synthetic and tend to last longer.

Waxing is generally just applying a layer of protection on top of your paint and is different from polishing, which involves using an abrasive substance to grind down the paint to level out its surface. Polishing is generally done when the paint is dull, which removes oxidation and other contaminants and imperfections in the paint; or if there are swirls, which are tiny scratches, by grinding down the paint to the level of the deepest scratch to produce an even, reflective surface. One must still apply a wax or synthetic sealant after polishing for protection. Think of it this way: polishing restores a shine without offering protection, while waxes/sealants enhance that shine and provide protection.

Yes, it's always a good idea to put some protection on your car. Wash-clay-wash-wax/sealant is the way to go. The products to use really depend on what you want, how much you want to spend and how much time you want to put into it.

Zaino (www.zainostore.com) takes a while to prep properly and is expensive, but it lasts much longer and will leave your car with a slicker feel. Meguiar's NXT is good and less labor intensive, but you will probably have to apply more frequently. A lot of people speak well of Zaino, and it's probably a good choice if you live in an area that has a long winter where you may not be able to do anything again until the spring. I've heard good things about the shine from both Zaino and NXT.

autopia.org is another good resource for learning all about this stuff. Hope that helps, and good luck!

 

wow lokman, good stuff. you just took everything i have read here in 2 weeks and made sense of it.

so basically i am going to pick up the meguires i think. i already have some products including their wash and wax. i am going to check them out to see which of the products i have.

I should make sure I have the following?

2 buckets
Lambswool Mitt
Meguires Car Wash
Mothers Clay kit (including Bar and lube)
<then wash again>
Microfibre towels (6)
<i have a leaf blower for initial dry and MF for drying>
Meguires Wax (which? carn. or synthetic?)
MF or cotton for removal?
Meguires Polish


or no wax/polish, just nxt?

 

Your method looks pretty good, but it looks like there's still some confusion about waxes and polishes. The correct order is to 1. clay, 2. polish (if required), then 3. protect (using either a carnauba wax or synthetic sealant).

If the car is new and the finish is good, I doubt you need to polish, just a clay should be fine. If you do need to polish though, then something like Meguair's 3-step Deep Crystal system should be fine for application by hand (I'm assuming you're not going to use a polisher) for a relatively new car.

After polishing, you can protect with Meguair's synthetic NXT (probably best for you) or their #16 carnauba-based formula; don't use Gold Class Wax as it doesn't last very long. I would use MF for removal, and then you should be done! Some people like to put carnaube wax on top of synthetic for some extra shine or depth, but this is purely optional.

 

hey what kind of car wash shampoo do you guys recommend i use? and for removeing tar/bugs what do you recommend?

 

from what i have learned there are products specific to tar/wax and also that claying will help remove it as well. again, i would wait for an educated opinion.

and thanks again lokman.

i think i know all there is to know. i will not be polishing, but i will wash-clay-wash-seal this weekend.
NXT here i come.

 

 

Meguiar's Gold Class car wash is OK, but stay away from the Gold Class wax. I bought a big jug of Turtle Wax Zip Wax many years ago and I'm still using it, works fine for me.

For tar/bugs, I like to soak with regular car wash first to loosen them up. If that doesn't take care of it, there's stuff like Goo Gone - I've never had a big problem with bugs that a little scrubbing didn't take care of. Clay bar takes car of the tar and whatever else remains.

 

After I picked up my Type-S SSM in Jul 03, I clayed it right away. Reading the good tips in this forum, as well as researching it from the 'net, there is indeed a layer of "rail dust" on the paint that is evident on the wad of clay after I was done with it.

I used my tried and true acrylic sealant called Liquid Glass. I've used LG for years and it was great on black cars. Great on the SSM too and topping it off with Zymol pure Carnauba wax increased the depth. After the first year, I decided to forego LG (got sick of too much white residue and how fast it kills MF rags) and try Klasse (AIO and SG) instead. After claying, I applied AIO using an orbital buffer and buffed it off with a MF towel. After 3 layers of the Sealant Glaze, the silver paint looked thicker. The silver was enhanced 'coz it looked like it "glowed" especially at night in gas stations where the lights reflected on the car. I simply let others' impressions judge the shine of the car. I also found that Klasse stood better in the rain compared to LG. It also generated less static than the LG.

With about 4 coats of Klasse SG on it now, then I applied Meg's #7 show car glaze and topped it off with Meg's HTYW #26 and it's nothing short of phenomenal. The #7 and the #26 I think will just add to the shine but I think that the Klasse will see the car thru winter.

I am interested in getting my hands on some Meg's #16 (heard the shine and durability is even better than #26), 3M show car paste wax or some P21S (proven combo for Klasse). But those can wait for next year.

As far as car washes, I have used Armor All car wash solution ($5.00 at Wal Mart), Turtle Wax Zip wax and Meg's Gold Class with great results. Armor All leaves that fresh smell (I think it's the water softeners) and leaves the car squeaky clean. The Zip wax kinda leaves streak marks on the glass if you don't rinse it off fast enough, but is just as good as AA. And the Meg's Gold Class, a little goes a long way.

 

I performed a chemical analysis of Liquid Glass, and found it loaded with dimethypolysiloxane - a typical silicone product used in almost all polymer-based products. It has a lot of fine abrasive, which is the white powder residue it leaves behind.

I used to sell LG as part of my small restoration and service business, but stopped after i did more analysis, and worked with other products.

As to its claims that it "build up" and that xx number of coats equals a clear-coat layer, that is baloney. With the stroing chemical and mechanical cleaners in LG, there is no way it can do that. We sectioned some of it and used a scanning electron microscope to view the surface, and found no more coating than any number of other priducts of its type. So I find it a bit archaic and overpriced.

By comparison, the 3M Show Car Perfect-It wax i have been recommending is a modern formulation, with Carnauba and montan wax, an emulsion in an acrylic base that does form a fluropolymer when exposed to ambient humidity, and has ---- drum roll please - polysiloxane in it as well.

 

How else to prove them wrong except by scientific proof! Gosh RR, what would we do without you?

Would the 3M perfect-it be OK to top off Klasse SG? I guess there are no abrasives on it, so it's OK?

Thanks again for this great info.

 

In leading up to the showdown with my car this weekend, here is what I have purchased so far...

Meguires GC Car Wash (owned it already)
2 buckets
Mothers clay kit ($19)
applicator pads (5 for $2)
Meguires NXT Wax ($16)
Meguires Wheel Cleaner ($6)
Black Magic Tire Wet (owned already)
Leaf Blower



I am having a difficult time finding Microfiber Towels. Everyone sells those super absorbant Shammy's.

I also have:
Blue (Something) Leather Cleaner
Blue (Something) Leather Conditioner

What else for the interior?
I am going to use an Air Duster in the vents and all the opening in the inside of the car. Then wipe it down with some sort of cleaner/protectant product but I dont know which one yet.

Should I scotch guard my carpeting? I would want to do it ASAP. I did get the all-weather mats for my TL, although I have to pick them up still.

 

For microfiber towels, try www.exceldetail.com - from a post in the TSX forums:

I've never applied Scotch Guard protectant on carpet, so I don't know what's involved in that, but that's something that I would take to a shop.

 

Great info RR, i have never been a fan of LG anyway due to its user unfreindliness....I dont care what they claim or how good they may be, if there difficult to use, they get a storage spot in my arsenal.....

 

Any of the better wax/polish/whatevers can be used effectively over another, although i do not see the benefit.

I was a Zaino fan, and like the Klasse products, but the layering thing has lost its attraction to me. Paint needs a good cleaning/polishing several times a year, and with the layering products, do we have to start over again? Seems counter-productive.

So I use a cleaner/polish, then the 3M, followed by a second 3M coat in a week or so, and it holds up for my "outdoor" cars. The "innies" gets the P21S/S100 (see my review, and the outing of S100 as a lower-cost alternative to p21S' products).

 

I am really getting sick of hearing people say how long Zaino takes to "prep".

Sal is a perfectionist, as am I. In order to get the paint ready for ANY wax/polish, it needs to free of contaminants. Well I guess if you're using that cleaner/wax crap you could skip the prep, but every other product needs to bond to the suface of the paint.

Do you put a band-aid on your hand before you wash it?

Maybe someday people will understand the method to Sal's madness. Until then, pay no attention to him. He only has like 25 years+ in the autobody/paint industry.

 

Sal might be a perfectionist but I know I am when it comes to my cars. The amount of time to prep and apply is a major consideration. I have done the whole process with a PC 7424 and it took me a whole weekend from start to finish. Was it worth it? Hell no! I could of gotten the same shine if I splattered Turtle Wax on the car. My car at the time was a brand new G35 and there was no depth at all to the shine. I don't care how many years Sal has been in the autobody/paint business for the price of his products and the number of products you need and the time to complete his process Zaino should blow away the competition and it doesn't come close if you look at it objectively. Make no mistake Sal is in the business to make money and there is nothing wrong about that, but the more products he introduces into the process the happier Sal becomes.

 

, not to mention how much he has invested in his products, kind of late to turn back and revise processes and such. For the time and effort, I would rather have a little more depth. Ive heard many opinions that Z is said to lack depth, and appears kind of "plastic'y"............
Cosmo, your last post did not reveal any polishes.......Did you forget that step? It is probably the most important of all.........