keg1997

Since I'm such a great son-in-law, I offered to wash and wax my mother-in-law's 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis. I've been a Zaino convert for 2 years now but I decided to use some of my old Meguires stuff. I still had near full bottles of their 1 (Cleaner), 2 (Polish), 3 (Gold Class Wax) system so I used that. First I washed the entire car twice with Dawn and then I clayed a couple of problem areas/marks. The car has only 22K miles but there were a couple of areas to hit. In hindsight, I should have clayed the entire car but you can still feel different contaminants on the car as you rub your hand over it. Everything you hear about prep work is very true. It makes a big difference...although Granny probably won't mind

Below are some pictures. They live on the water near the Chesapeake Bay so I took a couple of shots around their place. It is difficult to tell by the pictures, but I definitely prefer the Zaino. I believe that you get more "pop" and a deeper reflection. I'm anxious to see how long the Meguries lasts. Nevertheless, the Meguires was easy to apply and take off again. It is definitely a good middle of the road system. You could apply all three coats over the course of an hour or two. The longevity will be the important thing for me- I don't want to have to wax her car often!!!

One final reflection- I now see why Ford MoCo is in dire straits. This car is what it is...an old rear wheel drive relic that Ford sells to people like Granny. But I was really disturbed by the poor quality leather (there are already significant creases/near cracks on the drivers seat and Granny is a little lady). In addition, the lower body panels/fenders bend and give like neither of our vehicles. This car just does not scream "quality" to you. I won't even get into the interior or exterior styling....

Hawhyen51

If you're comparing Gold Class to Zaino, pretty much a no contest. Zaino is a synthetic and they will have the durability as well as longevity over a 'nuba.

pttl

I've read many of your posts regarding the cleaning and care of cars. you certainly seem to know alot about waxes. Are there any other synthetic products you can recommend besides Zaino. Seems to me that Zaino is a 12 hour day in the cleaning department. I was thinking of the NXT from Meguires. Any thoughts? Thanks.

DutchCLS

keg, nice work on the car. I'm a big Meguires fan, I used NXT Meguires this time around on my CLS and I was very impressed. Not by the shine but the ease of use. I've seen Zaino in action and it is VERY good as well, however I don't have 12/24 hours to do a complete detail on my car anymore. Sure when I was 18 and living the single life it was great! I would spend the whole weekend claying, preping, polishing and waxing my rides. Now I have about 4-6 hours to get it all done before the wife starts to give me the evil eye! And plus if I spent a good 12 hours using Zaino on my car that would mean another 12 hours on the wifes car, I'm just not that picky anymore! Meguires does what I want.
But a word from the old and wise, it doesn't matter what wax you use. If the surface isn't a smooth as glass NO WAX IN THE WORLD will give you that mirrior finish

DutchCLS

oh...here's a pic of my CLS just after NXT.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...Picture052.jpg

Hawhyen51

Howzit' goin? Let me start off by asking if you're purchasing OTC or online? OTC products have limited selections to choose from. Megs and Mothers have an entire line you can choose from and inexpensive compared to online products. Both manufacturers have a strong following and good number of folks love the results of these products.

There is a vast array of online products and choosing one can sometimes be intimidating. As you know, synthetics (polymers) will have durability and longevity over natural waxes (carnuba). There are couple exceptions and Collinite being one of them. Check out these threads on what folks use and opinions on certain products.
https://acurazine.com/forums/wash-wax-23/newbieee-full-wash-wax-question-thread-305854/
https://acurazine.com/forums/wash-wax-23/wax-recommendations-313144/
https://acurazine.com/forums/wash-wax-23/zaino-best-334016/

A detailing hobbyist/enthusiast will have and use anywhere from 3 - 5 different products, sometimes more. My personal choice for a sealant is Four Star UPP. It's easy to use, gives a deep shine and provides protection with minimal upkeep. I also have on hand OCW and PB S&G.

As far as Zaino goes, it's one of the most popular products on this forum and a lot of people love the results. Not having used it, it's quite difficult to make any type of comparison. NXT didn't have the durability nor the look I wanted. Just food for thought, regardless of what product you choose - surface preparation is a vital necessity.

ry317

I've been thinking about trying that Four Star product; Zaino is awesome but I really dont want to spend all day on the car.

Hawhyen: Is a good application for Four Star include claying the car then applying a few coats of their product? Or do I need to use a clearner as well? I've been claying and using NXT on my last car and it gave great results.

Hawhyen51

You should have a sterile surface before applying any type of new sealant. I would recommend claying and if your surface is free of defects, use a paint cleanser/pre-wax cleaner. Paint cleaners are either chemical (AIO, for example) or mild polishes (Paintwork cleansers) contain very little to no abarasives. Using these will add reflectivity and gloss to the surface. If you have minor swirls or fine scratches, I would suggest using a polish to remove those defects. That process will make a difference and the results will definetly show it.

ry317

That's great advice, thank! Would 4* Ultimate Paint Cleanser be the product of choice?

cnst

Anyone know if it helps to leave the Meguair's NXT on for 24 hours? The directions do not call for that but since it's a polymer I'm curious.

Yakuza70

How does Zaino take longer to apply than other sealants? The surface preparation is the same for any sealant: wash, clay, polish. Also, as far as I know, Zaino is the only sealant that you can apply in multiple layers withing a 24 hour period.

Hawhyen51

I would have to answer "Yes" as those two products were designed to be used together. However, you can use any polish/paintwork cleanser of your choice and not just limited to the 4 Star. For example, I'll use PB Pro Polish or the SSR line, depending on the surface defect and then follow with UPP.

This link should answer your question.

ry317

Thanks for the info!

And Granny's car looks very nice.

cnst

Hawhyen51,

Thanks for the link. That's exactly what I wanted to know. My TL is in the basement now "curing". I only hope I didn't do too much wiping as I just now read your post.

keg1997

Thanks for the compliments. I put a couple of layers of Zaino on our Pathfinder today. Again, I think the shine has more pop to it but the Meguires is definitely easier to apply. It wipes off much easier than the Zaino. Zaino is still a half-day but it is well worth it...

I'll reiterate how important the surface preparation is because the Pathfinder still feels great. I last clayed it over the Christmas holiday but it feels smooth as a baby's bum. To those who are avoiding claying- don't!

Here are some more pics of the Pathfinder. Another one is of our garage with the TSX. That has not seen Zaino since late March and has not been washed for a week, but you get an idea of the durability.



[IMG]

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e363/kgoetz97/2006_0528Image0007.jpg[/IMG]

AlterZgo

Those of you who think Zaino is too hard to remove are simply using too much of the product. Try spritzing the applicator w/ some Z6 or mixing the Z6 right into the Z2 1/2 and 1/2. You should be putting on a layer so thin you can barely tell the haze. This not only saves a ton of product, but it makes removing the Zaino as easy as any regular wax. The protection is just as good.

I used to apply the Z2 directly and use about as much as I would with a typical wax and yes it was a big PITA to remove. After using the diluted method above, it's pretty fast and easy now.

keg1997

^^^^ I'll have to try that.
Thanks for the advice