Any detailers out there?

[CrosX731]

per my last post I had a blast washing my car, clay barring it, washing it again, drying with microfiber towels, then waxing a good coat of NTX tech paste on. I love how smooth it and glossy it came out. However I've come to discover that this was has cleaners in them. So you can't really layer it. I don't mind taking time and work to get the job done for a good glow. What products do you use and where do you get them? I hear a lot about of different names. Zaino comes up a lot. What would be a good list of products to buy for a nice mirror and glossy appearance? for silver and black. (g/fs black mustang). both probably don't need any polishes because they are fairly new with about 25K miles. some minor scratches.

[Camarorulz]

Zaino has a lot of fine products. Make sure to apply the Z5 additive to cure each coat before applying another. Otherwise you have to wait about 24 hours for a coat to cure.

I use Klasse Sealant Glaze on my paint and its fantastic. It adds a great mirror-like shine and protects the paint very well. For looks I top it with P21S carnauba wax.

For an expensive shine on dark colors try Pinnacle Souveran. I don't have any personal experience, but from what I've heard it's unmatched in shine on dark colors.

Edit: Btw from everything I've heard P21S is BEST on colors like your silver. You should definitely give it a try. It's $31 a bottle, but the stuff will last you a long time if you apply it in very thin layers like you're supposed to.

you can purchase P21S and Klasse Sealant Glaze here:

www.autopia-carcare.com

or here:

www.topoftheline.com

There are many other online vendors that sell these products, so you might want to do a search and look around, see if there are any good deals.

[ May 04, 2005, 02:46 PM: Message edited by: Camarorulz ]

[CrosX731]

Hey, thanks a lot Eric!! [img]smile.gif[/img] Those are some brands I've heard mentioned but along with a mess of other things that confused me. I kind of have a stupid question. what is the glaze and whats it for? just shine?? polish? as you saw in my pics my cars paint is in pretty good condition except for a few minor scratches. There would be no need to really polish right?

[Camarorulz]

Glazes don't polish (I.E they don't have any abrasive materials) but (depending on the product) they have some swirl-filling capabilities and will definitely add shine. You have to watch out for the names companies give their products though. Klasse Sealant Glaze is not a GLAZE, they just use the word to add appeal to the product. Klasse Sealant Glaze is primarily a sealant and acts as a wax to protect and shine your paint. Glazes don't protect. The same is true for Zaino Show Car Polish: this is a wax/sealant, not a polish.

[CrosX731]

So ill the Klasse Sealant Glaze still definitely add a shine like you just said? Or since its not a actual glaze will it just protect. thanks for you help btw. Also on the Autopia site you can get a extra 12% off if you type autopia in the coupon part.

Also since I just claybared and waxed my car with ntx tech paste wax would that mean i have to somehow strip all the old wax before using these products?

[CrosX731]

one more question.. whats the difference between this product : http://www.autopia-carcare.com/pin-312.html

and this one : http://www.autopia-carcare.com/pin-310.html

[shenanigans]

He listed all great stuff...

as for zaino you don;t have to wait 24 hours for it to cure.

Get a zaino starter kit, has every product you need from all the polishes, claybars, carwash, and applicators.

The zaino process looks very intimidating at first but its not bad, no more then any other higher end stuff.

Zaino coats cure in like 10 mintues if even that long, slightly longer then most waxes off the shelf, meaning you do the whole car, instead of like one panel at a time. Then you can start removing it.

You can layer it, it has no cleaners or abrasives in it, thats why you have to prep the car well so it bonds to the paint.

www.zainobros.com to order it all.


If money and time are no object go for the other stuff listed above.


My opinion of Zaino is its good for the average guy, not too outragous in price, looks spectacular, and lasts a long time.

I took some pics of how long it lasted me and looked good on my site, check the "appearance" section of my site in my sig.

[ May 04, 2005, 10:41 PM: Message edited by: shenanigans ]

[shenanigans]

By the way the best way to clean all the old cleaner waxes off off your car...

Wash it with dawn, claybar the whole thing the wash it with dawn again, shoudl get it all.

[Camarorulz]

I haven't really heard much about the Pinnacle Signature Series, but the Souveran is VERY nice. As for your car, I'd recommend P21S just because it works well with silver. If I was going to shell out $30 or $40 for a wax though I'd definitely go with P21S. Remember, the carnauba wax doesn't have as much durability as an acrylic based product like Klasse SG. I use carnauba purely for looks.

BTW, I recommend the Concours buffing towel on the autopia site, I have two and I love them. The microfiber strands are hooked so as to pick up any loose material. They're great for buffing or quick detailing. Another site you might want to look at for products is www.pakshak.com

[LD]

is this the starter kit you are referring to?
http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/...ory_Code=Zaino

[CrosX731]

Very Impressive results Eric. I do have some extra time on my hands now and then so I might try going with the slightly more costive stuff however. Should I use the Klasse Sealant Glaze on both the black mustang and the silver firebird then use the designated waxes per car?

[shenanigans]

Originally posted by LD:
is this the starter kit you are referring to?
http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/...ory_Code=Zaino

Yep the $85 set...

I know people will jump and say "OMG WTF $85 BUCKARROOSSS@!!!!!!!"

But think what you get, you get everything you will need to detail your car, in a day.

Only other things you need...
-bucket w/ water(needed with everything else)
-Good towels so they don't swirl your paint(needed with everything else)
-dawn dish soap, (likely already have it)


When you look at other products you need to buy

clay bar, $15-20
carwash, $5-10
polish $???
wax $???

when you buy the higher end stuff, and get to using more then one type of product it cost the same or slightly less, slightly more.

I think awhile ago some guy bought every meguiars product for a long step process, all off the shelf stuff and it cost him like $120 and was a carnuba wax so wouldn't last as long as zaino, since its a synthetic polish.


I love my zaino, works great on my car imo, people say it doesn't look good on lighter cars like silver and white, but I do my rims with zaino as well and I think they look wonderful after I do them, to the point where I wanna use it on my girlfriends car one day(silver cavalier) and see how it looks.

PS if you do get Zaino, DEFINITELY use it on your wheels, zaino bonds to any smooth hard surfaces so they can be chrome or whatever, but it really kept down on dust, and I threw away all my rim cleaners, I just wash them the same way I wash my car and any brakedust on there, comes off easily and looks great.

I have heard good things about the interior products from zaino, especially the glass cleaner but I am content for now. I think Viper04f(or whatever the suffix is) has used them...

I enjoy Stoner's invisible glass for windows(its a foam, I have a few glass cleaners contracted to my work, and I asked them what they reccomend for stuff and they said just about any foam product works ideally on mirrors and glass)

I have yet to try it since I cannot find it off the shelf but i hear boat stores will have it(haven't checked yet) is 303 aerospace something or another, is the best to be used on dash, plastics and that sort of stuff that it looks great but isn't as glossy as Armour all(In FL I can barely see out my windshield form the glare of armourall) [img]smile.gif[/img]

[shenanigans]

PS I forgot to add this....

Though I love zaino and many others do as well. There are lots of people that hate it. Not sure why they go to such ends to go pyscho and hate it, its just a competing product.

But I will admit its probably not the number one product used at a car show. But then again, I have never entered a car show and only had one of my cars ever sit in one(not competeting) But I drive my car daily, live in an apartment in FL, and have to pay to use a hose. So I try and use a product that looks good and lasts a long time so I don't have to wash and wax by weekly or even monthly.

I might try other stuff or just start laying zaino like a fiend weekly once I move into my new place(drywall is up, think they are painting it now)

[Camarorulz]

Originally posted by CrosX731:
Very Impressive results Eric. I do have some extra time on my hands now and then so I might try going with the slightly more costive stuff however. Should I use the Klasse Sealant Glaze on both the black mustang and the silver firebird then use the designated waxes per car?

The P21S will work great on your silver Firebird or the black Mustang, but if you want to spend the extra $$ to buy some Souveran as well then more power to you. Yes, the Klasse SG will work great on both cars. I would recommend at least two coats of it before topping with the finer wax. The thing about SG is that if you continue to layer coats on, the depth and shine will improve. I don't even let it cure for a day, I can apply one coat after another and it improves gloss and depth of shine.

btw, as shenanigans pointed out, zaino is going to have the best durability: Klasse SG is second ONLY to Zaino in durability and if you layer it I think the SG looks better. That's my $.02, there will be others that disagree.

I use 303 Aerospace Protectant on my interior, it is ten times better than Armor-All. The finish isn't quite as glossy, but it doesn't get greasy and attract dust like AA. It leaves more of a matte finish, although it does have some shine to it. I use it on my trim to protect it. They say you can use it on tires too but I've never tried that.

[ May 06, 2005, 12:38 PM: Message edited by: Camarorulz ]

[CrosX731]

which is better?? Klasse SG or Klasse all in one... this link said to use all in one because it doesn't actually effect the paint but removes old wax. or since they are new cars just stick with the SG??? http://www.properautocare.com/klaskit.html