Detailing questions answered here!

[Moose]

Hey folks! Sorry for the delay in responding! I was away for a long weekend. I'll get to your answers asap!

Thanks
Ed

[Moose]

Originally Posted by adamvol

Ed,

I really like the Zaino Cotton towels. However, they seem to get soaked through very easy because they are so small. This leaves streaks on the car when I try and dry it. Am I doing something wrong?

Are there other towels you recommend?

Also, I know have a TON of swirl marks that I can't figure out where they came from. I waxed the car twice. And use chenell (SP) mitts for washing.

First, next time you wash the car, remove the nozzle and allow the water to run over the surface. The majority of water will "sheet" away.

Regarding the "blond towels", did you wash them prior to using them? If so, and you're still not happy, you may try visiting a store such as Macys and look for 100% cotton, white, "Made in America" bath towels, concentrating on the Fieldcrest brand. They are more expensive, but worth the money.

As for the swirl marks, please forgive me, but I forget what you're using. There are any number of culprits for the swirls; are you making sure the wash mitt is completely clean each time; what applicators are you using to apply the wax; what are the conditions you're washing/dryingthe car in; etc.

Please let me know and we'll figure this out.

Ed

[Paperer]

I noticed some scratches on the roof as if some bird was trying to write his name. regular wax doesn't get rid of them. You think I'll have to get an abrasive like Scratch-X?

[Chris@glimmerglass]

Originally Posted by Paperer

I noticed some scratches on the roof as if some bird was trying to write his name. regular wax doesn't get rid of them. You think I'll have to get an abrasive like Scratch-X?

If bird crap (which is acidic) sits there long enough, it can start to etch in to the paint, in which case you may need a mild abrasive to help reduce the appearance of it.

[adamvol]

Originally Posted by Moose

First, next time you wash the car, remove the nozzle and allow the water to run over the surface. The majority of water will "sheet" away.

Regarding the "blond towels", did you wash them prior to using them? If so, and you're still not happy, you may try visiting a store such as Macys and look for 100% cotton, white, "Made in America" bath towels, concentrating on the Fieldcrest brand. They are more expensive, but worth the money.

As for the swirl marks, please forgive me, but I forget what you're using. There are any number of culprits for the swirls; are you making sure the wash mitt is completely clean each time; what applicators are you using to apply the wax; what are the conditions you're washing/dryingthe car in; etc.

Please let me know and we'll figure this out.

Ed

Ed,

I will try that. Thanks.

I'm currently using Zaino ultimate kit. I did the following:

wash with dawn
Clay bar
Zaino car wash
Z2
Z6 ?

Car looked great. Still had some swirls. A week later I washed with Zaino (chenell mitt) and it seems as though there are a lot of swirls now. I'm going to try the polish again.

I used the Zaino applicators. I washed my towels & applicators as you specified.

I forgot to mention my car is black. Black is beautiful but a pain to keep up.

Thanks again.

Adam

[Moose]

Originally Posted by Paperer

I noticed some scratches on the roof as if some bird was trying to write his name. regular wax doesn't get rid of them. You think I'll have to get an abrasive like Scratch-X?

I'd recoomend starting out with products with mild abrasives, working up if necessary.

Try either Meguires ScratchX or Ultimate Compound, both of which you can find at WalMart.

Ed

[showcamaro]

Ed,

Have serious water spots on glass ( windshield, rear window), tried using Stoner window cleaner and still cant get rid of them. What would be your suggestion.

Thanks in advance.

[Moose]

Originally Posted by showcamaro

Ed,

Have serious water spots on glass ( windshield, rear window), tried using Stoner window cleaner and still cant get rid of them. What would be your suggestion.

Thanks in advance.

You can try water mixed with vinegar, cleaning with old newspaper.

Also, you can try using clay.

If that still doesn't work, I've used a polish with a mild abrasive with success.

Please let me know how you make out.

Ed

[crzycicada]

Originally Posted by crzycicada

Well I washed the car this past weekend and I've come to accept the fact that no matter what you do, you're going to scratch the clear coat. I washed the car with just water to get the dust and dirt off. Then used Meguiar's car wash with a microfiber wash mit that was brand new. Then I used the Meguiar's Ultimate Quik Detailer using brand new Meguiar's microfiber towels. Followed all the directions to a T. It all looked great but then today underneath the midday sun...what do I see? The dreaded scratches!

The only reason I'm not crying? I have Zaino. Since I didn't receive my blonde towels just yet and did the above thinking it wouldn't do any damage. I guess Zaino will have to save the day. I am totally going off their reputation so I hope it pulls through. Z-5 here I come! I will most likely do two rounds of Z-5 and then finish with Z-2. I went to 6 different stores including Macy's looking for cotton towels made in the USA and found zero!

So...what did I do wrong besides not having enough patience to wait for the blonde towels so that I could have just started off doing the Zaino process??

I emailed Sal by the way and he said it would be safe to use either Z-5 or Z-2 on the rally stripes.

I'm finishing up the whole Zaino process. The last coat of Z-2 is drying as I type. After the first coat of Z-5 I still saw some scratches. I'm hoping after the second coat it'll lesson or totally cover up the scratches. I've moved the car into the garage before adding the second coat so I can't tell yet.

Here's what I did:
1. Washed car with Dawn soap
2. Clayed car with Z-18
3. Washed car with Z-7
4. Mixed and used Z-5 with ZFX
5. After it dried, removed with blonde towels then used Z-6
6. Repeated 4 and 5 above
7. Applied Z-2 straight from bottle (did not mix with ZFX) so waiting awhile for it to dry...no biggie, I didn't want to waste the ZFX on an ounce of Z-2 if I was only going to put one coat of it on
8. Repeated 5 above
9. Done

Update: added some pics and yes, I still have scratches! Any advice??

[crzycicada]

Moose,
One question I have on Zaino. I noticed that I must have missed a few spots during the claying process as there are still some gunk and bugs and stuff in a few areas. After I finish the entire Zaino process, can I later just use the clay bar in those few areas and re-wax then polish just that area?

Thanks!

[adamvol]

Honestly I'm not impressed with Zaino. I follow all the directions exactly and I still have swirl marks.

The cotton towels streak the car big time. They are so small the seem to get soaked and streak like crazy.

After leaving streaks in the car I thought I would try and use Z6 but it just cakes up on the car. Very frustrating.

[Moose]

Originally Posted by crzycicada

Moose,
One question I have on Zaino. I noticed that I must have missed a few spots during the claying process as there are still some gunk and bugs and stuff in a few areas. After I finish the entire Zaino process, can I later just use the clay bar in those few areas and re-wax then polish just that area?

Thanks!

Yep! You can actually clay anytime.

Ed

[Moose]

Originally Posted by adamvol

Honestly I'm not impressed with Zaino. I follow all the directions exactly and I still have swirl marks.

The cotton towels streak the car big time. They are so small the seem to get soaked and streak like crazy.

After leaving streaks in the car I thought I would try and use Z6 but it just cakes up on the car. Very frustrating.

Adam (?)

The swirl marks, what are they from? I ask because they may require more work. Re; What did you do prior to using Zaino?

As for the towels, did you wash them prior to their first use? A little tip; rinse by removing nozzle and allow water to sheet away...makes drying alot easier.

Z-6 "caking"??!! Somthing is wrong as that cannot happen.

Let me know
Ed

[adamvol]

Ed,

I noticed a few swirl marks when I bought the car. They seem to be getting worse. I did wash the towels like you suggested.

Letting the water run over the car helped a lot. However, I still have the swirl marks after drying. How many towels do you use when you dry?

I'm going to try and polish again this week. Black is such a pain. I love it thought.

Thanks,
Adam