What others see when they see our Z/28's on the road:

[vinman]

Originally Posted by z28monster

:

Awesome pic!!! My favorite!

[SimonBelgium]

Originally Posted by Barbosa

I understand but after the paint correction process you can seal it with Zaino. However, your Z looks amazing ... Good job your Detail Guy.

Well it's not all that easy

Once you've cleaned the car (get all contaminants out of the clear coat), then compound and polish all the RDS, marring and swirls out, you can use sealants or waxes to protect the paint. Zaino is an example of this. For cars that have a (relatively) low value, don't see much driving time, or you don't want to put a lot of money in, this is the best way to go.

The next step up from that is a coating. There are a few available, both for prosumers and professionals (the latter require "baking" the coating), which create a silica-based layer on top of the clear coat. Once you have a coating, you can do sealants or waxes on top of it, if you want, for extra protection, and easier maintenance.

The "best" thing is a PPF wrap (Paint Protection Film), or clear bra as it's often called, which creates a thick (8 mils) layer on top of the clear coat. This is so strong that most rock chips and even attempts at keying a car will not go all the way through. Over time, there may be a need to replace the film on a single panel, but your paint will remain in perfect ORIGINAL condition underneath.

To protect the film itself from the elements (water drops, tree sap, road tar, etc), the usual regimen of sealants, waxes and coatings is available. Maintenance will be a breeze with those on top, as well as having the best possible protection.

Hope that clarifies how they relate to each other.

That said, great shots of your Z !

[AZ Charlie]

Thank you for sharing the photos! Beautiful Z!

[ZYBORG]

Any more pics OP?

Originally Posted by SimonBelgium

Well it's not all that easy

Once you've cleaned the car (get all contaminants out of the clear coat), then compound and polish all the RDS, marring and swirls out, you can use sealants or waxes to protect the paint. Zaino is an example of this. For cars that have a (relatively) low value, don't see much driving time, or you don't want to put a lot of money in, this is the best way to go.

The next step up from that is a coating. There are a few available, both for prosumers and professionals (the latter require "baking" the coating), which create a silica-based layer on top of the clear coat. Once you have a coating, you can do sealants or waxes on top of it, if you want, for extra protection, and easier maintenance.

The "best" thing is a PPF wrap (Paint Protection Film), or clear bra as it's often called, which creates a thick (8 mils) layer on top of the clear coat. This is so strong that most rock chips and even attempts at keying a car will not go all the way through. Over time, there may be a need to replace the film on a single panel, but your paint will remain in perfect ORIGINAL condition underneath.

To protect the film itself from the elements (water drops, tree sap, road tar, etc), the usual regimen of sealants, waxes and coatings is available. Maintenance will be a breeze with those on top, as well as having the best possible protection.

Hope that clarifies how they relate to each other.

That said, great shots of your Z !

GREAT breakdown.

[z28monster]

Originally Posted by Barbosa

Zaino is superior to all waxes. Just use Zaino and call it a day!

From my experience, Swissvax is tons better than Zaino and a good quality Glass Coating is better than all waxes, bar-none.

[mlee]

Originally Posted by z28monster

From my experience, Swissvax is tons better than Zaino and a good quality Glass Coating is better than all waxes, bar-none.

.... and Zaino is a polish not a wax

[The_Raging_Bull]

No wax or glass coating known to man will survive a 125 mph pebble strike like 8.5 mil Expel Ultimate will...IMHO>

[z28monster]

Originally Posted by mlee

.... and Zaino is a polish not a wax

either way, just doing a wax or polish or combo is old school tech. Best is to get a legit paint correction and seal this perfected paint with a full-car lear bra, the glass coat the film

[z28monster]

Originally Posted by The_Raging_Bull

No wax or glass coating known to man will survive a 125 mph pebble strike like 8.5 mil Expel Ultimate will...IMHO>

exactly, paint correction first though - it's worth the extra investment - at least for me it is as I will never, ever have to deal with marring/scratching again on a black car

[Mac-427]

My white Z28 had lots of rail dust on the finish because the selling dealership is near a train track. Rail dust particles (tiny bits of iron) are generated by contact between train wheels and train tracks. It gets into the air and floats until it lands. I am loath to wet sand a production car because factory paint is thin. Because of my concern about the thinness of factory paint, I used five clay bar applications to get rid of the black specs of rail dust. If rail dust sits on a car's finish for any length of time, it begins to oxidize. This oxidation (rust) is evidenced by the tiny orange stains that can be seen as rail dust is removed. In some cases, I used compound to get rid of the the small bits of oxidation under the rail dust particles, but did not need to sand. I now have five coats of Zaino on the Z car and the finish is very slick and glossy because the rail dust is gone. Zaino takes considerable work, at least for me, it's certainly worth it.

[Mikebrinda]

Originally Posted by Mac-427

My white Z28 had lots of rail dust on the finish because the selling dealership is near a train track. Rail dust particles (tiny bits of iron) are generated by contact between train wheels and train tracks. It gets into the air and floats until it lands. I am loath to wet sand a production car because factory paint is thin. Because of my concern about the thinness of factory paint, I used five clay bar applications to get rid of the black specs of rail dust. If rail dust sits on a car's finish for any length of time, it begins to oxidize. This oxidation (rust) is evidenced by the tiny orange stains that can be seen as rail dust is removed. In some cases, I used compound to get rid of the the small bits of oxidation under the rail dust particles, but did not need to sand. I now have five coats of Zaino on the Z car and the finish is very slick and glossy because the rail dust is gone. Zaino takes considerable work, at least for me, it's certainly worth it.

Interesting. If it does that to paint . . . I wonder what it does to lungs?

[Mac-427]

Now that is a good question! LOL

[SimonBelgium]

Originally Posted by Mac-427

My white Z28 had lots of rail dust on the finish because the selling dealership is near a train track. Rail dust particles (tiny bits of iron) are generated by contact between train wheels and train tracks. It gets into the air and floats until it lands. I am loath to wet sand a production car because factory paint is thin. Because of my concern about the thinness of factory paint, I used five clay bar applications to get rid of the black specs of rail dust. If rail dust sits on a car's finish for any length of time, it begins to oxidize. This oxidation (rust) is evidenced by the tiny orange stains that can be seen as rail dust is removed. In some cases, I used compound to get rid of the the small bits of oxidation under the rail dust particles, but did not need to sand. I now have five coats of Zaino on the Z car and the finish is very slick and glossy because the rail dust is gone. Zaino takes considerable work, at least for me, it's certainly worth it.

Originally Posted by Mikebrinda

Interesting. If it does that to paint . . . I wonder what it does to lungs?

IronX will get that stuff out, and on a white car, when IronX gets activated, it's one of the most satisfying things to witness

So wash first, then decon with Claybar and IronX, then compound and polish the car to perfection, then protect the flawless paint

[JDP Sales]

Wow OP the Z looks awesome!! Great combo with the paint correction and the clear bar all around. That will keep it looking good for awhile!

Best regards,

Kayla L.
801.545.4215