Paint care and waxes

[dyelightning]

I've been having trouble with my car getting these very nasty water spots which require wet sanding and every time it rains they get worse. I think it may be the shoddy respray... I am forced to park on the driveway even after i try to correct my paint. So here's the question what waxes or products do you 02'ers use to protect your paint from the elements?

[adawil2002]

Zymöl. http://www.zymol.com/

Great products, in my opinion, nothing is better.

[1453aalapapa]

zaino

http://www.zainostore.com/

excellent stuff. the initial prep is some work. you need to remove what is on there, then put on a starter, then the polish. but after that is done, all you need is to keep applying the polish. it goes on and comes off really easy, and it can be done in bright sunlite. also, it can be layered, and each layer makes it shine deeper and deeper. greatest stuff i have ever used to protect, stuff like bird droppings, water spots, road tars, all come off easily, but you gotta make sure you have a really good base.

[02for2]

IMHO:

Zymol = GOOD

Zaino = BEST!

Nothing gets a depth and brilliance to the paint like Zaino. Sal Zaino and his Bro. have been hocking this stuff for years in person at car shows around the country until just a couple years ago when they began internet sales. I use Zaino Bros. exclusively on my 1990 Porsche 911 w/ 20k orig. miles, as I have on my Boxster and my Esprit - amazing stuff.

All that said, what do I use on my 2002? - Nu Finish liquid car polish.

Currently, my 2002 sports a poor quality respray, and it's just not worth the premium stuff. When I do repaint it in a couple years, I'll switch over to Zaino for sure.

For an everyday car, or one which doesn't have show quality paint, Nu Finish liquid car polish gives a good enough shine while being some of the toughest stuff out there. Being an acrylic coating and not a wax, it easily last a year or better. It's cheap and easy to use, and tough enough to withstand waterspotting.

Cheers!

[jdarwin]

+1 Zainos. I've used it for years on all my cars and the paint stays looking new.

[John_in_VA]

if you park outside unless you dry your car after every rain, or even morning dew.

Waxes (like Zymol) and sealants (like Zaino) only protect the finish. Sun will dry the rain and leave water spots. If the mineral or acid content is high they can be difficult to remove.

[1453aalapapa]

if you park outside unless you dry your car after every rain, or even morning dew.

Waxes (like Zymol) and sealants (like Zaino) only protect the finish. Sun will dry the rain and leave water spots. If the mineral or acid content is high they can be difficult to remove.

we have 2 cars we have owned for more than 10 years. both cars are zaino. one car is black. it gets sprinklered on all the time, and beaucoup water spots. if i wipe it will a damp rag, the spots are gone. i also use zaino z6 to wipe instead of a damp rag, and no spots. so here in north texas, zaino has protected the best of anything i have ever used. i think the main reason is because zaino can be layered, and i polish the cars a lot.

[bobthomas]

I'm in the Zaio camp too. Been using it for over 10 years & very pleased.

[skelatons]

dyelightning,

Like some of the earlier posters have said, Zaino is good stuff. But it takes more than just a coat of wax, and the process is pretty involved. I'll list the steps below, as I won't begin to try and put it all in a reply. If you really want or need to find out more, mail me your # and I'll call you. You really need to do all of these steps to get your car prepped for wax. Wax is actually the very last step.

1. wash car first. I use blue Dawn dish soap for this, but I think anything not meant for washing cars will. It is said that it has a high alkaline content and will strip the wax. Seems to work, but I'll also use liquid laundry detergent if I see it first.

2.clay your finish. you can waste money by using some of these special lubes, but that stuff you just washed the car with will work fine to lube the surface. Glide the clay over your well lubed surface to pick up surface contaminants. Heavy pressure not necessary. Some spots may need a fingernail scrub to help get it smooth. Use your hand to feel for small bumps on the surface, as you want to get it as smooth as possible. Some use their hand in a cheap sandwich bag to feel for these bumps, I just use my wet hand.

3. after clay process, wash car again.

4. now you are ready to polish. this works well for your first time. http://www.autogeek.net/dual-action-polishers.html'>http://www.autogeek.net/dual-action-polishers.html I also have this http://www.autogeek.net/flex-orbital-polisher.html'>http://www.autogeek.net/flex-orbital-polisher.html and this http://www.autogeek.net/dw849.html'>http://www.autogeek.net/dw849.html . These are for later when you become confidant and want more power. But the first polisher will do everything you need. You'll need pads also. Here is a good starter set http://www.autogeek.net/vcpad-6pack.html'>http://www.autogeek.net/vcpad-6pack.html . this is good to start with LC-43-148DA Dual Action 6 inch Hook & Loop Flexible Backing Plate .

This is fine to get you started http://www.autogeek.net/p2paincleanl.html'>http://www.autogeek.net/p2paincleanl.html . As you get comfortable, you can move on to more involved products. These 2 work well, all you need http://www.autogeek.net/meguiars-mirror-glaze-105-ultra-cut-compound.html'>http://www.autogeek.net/meguiars-mirror-glaze-105-ultra-cut-compound.html , http://www.autogeek.net/meguiars-205-polish-8oz.html'>http://www.autogeek.net/meguiars-205-polish-8oz.html .

5. now for your sealer, if you like. http://www.chemicalguys.com/Paint_Sealant_JetSeal_109_p/wac_118_16.htm

If using Zaino, skip this step.

6. now you're ready for wax LSP (last step product). Zaino- all you need for a great shine. This is a complete system. http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=ZKIT-1&Category_Code=Zaino&Product_Count=2 . An extra Z6 and Z8 are your friends. With Zaino, http://www.chemicalguys.com/, and http://www.autogeek.net/ you can get anything you want. And don't forget the micr fiber towels.

This will take you all day, so start at daybreak while its still cool.

[BDB]

dye,

if you want to go natural to get out hard water spots, try white vinegar mixed in with a tad bit of baking powder. water spots is basically calcified water. to break down the calcification, white vinegar is a good natural product to break it down. the baking powder is a natural abrasive but not a very harsh one. after you've tried some different ratios, you will figure out what ratio works for the hard water spots in your area.

bob

[dyelightning]

Thanks for all the intuitive information everyone.

Skeletan, I've got my car to look pretty nice by the process of wet sanding, compounding, then polishing all in steps of different cuts. I just needed a sealer or something to protect my paint from the acidic rain. Or whatever it is that caused this eye sore...

[roadhog0]

Thanks for all the intuitive information everyone.

Skeletan, I've got my car to look pretty nice by the process of wet sanding, compounding, then polishing all in steps of different cuts. I just needed a sealer or something to protect my paint from the acidic rain. Or whatever it is that caused this eye sore...

I've got the same problem on my original paint... NOTHING I have tried fixes it. I've waxed it with good wax and it doesnt help... Pretty much you have to just live with a polkadot car

[Cyclone101]

Thanks for all the intuitive information everyone.

Skeletan, I've got my car to look pretty nice by the process of wet sanding, compounding, then polishing all in steps of different cuts. I just needed a sealer or something to protect my paint from the acidic rain. Or whatever it is that caused this eye sore...

I've got the same problem on my original paint... NOTHING I have tried fixes it. I've waxed it with good wax and it doesnt help... Pretty much you have to just live with a polkadot car

If it is realy THAT stubborn it might not be watermarks. I know some trees have a sap on their leaves that WILL not come off with washing if not removed immediately, and looks a lot like watermarks. But the better your wax, the easier it should come off.

Ive had good luck with Maguire's NXT Gen Tech Wax 2.0, but it is certainly not the best out there.

Just a thought

Regards

Jacques

[Napes]

I, too, use many of ChemicalGuys products. My son has a professional detailing company in Tucson, doing mainly Ferraris, Mercedes, BMWs and Porsches, and uses Chemical Guys products extensively. I'm heard him say the Zaino products are excellent, but also very pricey.

Bob Napier