Ok guys and gals.. Im fed up with my Meguiars Gold Class wax.. It doesnt last as long as I would like. Im going to take the Zaino plunge.

What zaino products do I need to do it correctly? Keep in mind, I have a black car. I wax it regularly with Meguiars Gold Class. I've only have the car for a year, but I dont think its ever been given the clay bar treatment. I also have a fair amount of scratches and swirls. Not too much, but I can see them

So what products do I need?

 

You might want to see if someone can move this to the Show and Shine forum-I think some people hang out in there and nowhere else on the board. I also have a black car, and I have several of their products: Z1, Z2, Z5, Z7. However, to tell you the truth I mainly use the Z5 (I feel it works better on darker cars). I use the Z5 about every week, and the Z1 and Z2 once a month. And the Z7 is the wash, so I use that everytime I was my car.

 

I'll move this to the Show and Shine forum... even though this is the "Appearance" forum it is for appearance modifications Thanks!

 

Z-2 Show Car Polish for clear-coated paint
z-5 Polish for swirl marks & fine scratches
z-18 ClayBar
zfx Flash Cure Accelerator Additive

thats pretty much the bare minumum, the total is under $100
zfx takes the place of z-1, and its supposed to be faster, so go with that. now go to zainobros.com and see how to use each of those

 

Actually, if you are looking to save a few bucks, skip getting the Z-2, and just use the Z-5. Z-2 seems to be more effective shine-wise on light colored cars. Alot of guys with dark colored cars don't see much, if any, difference in the shine between the two, plus the Z-5 will help with those swirls that dark car owners alwasy have to battle with.

 

Admitting the problem is the first step towards recovery. J/K

Anyhow, I'd recommend ZFX, Z5, Z7, and Z18 at a bare minimum for your car. You need to clay with the Z18 first, then it sounds like you need to do some prep before the Zaino goes on, or else you will end up with less than stellar results. You'll need a scratch/swirl remover like 3M, Meguiar's, etc, to deal with the scratches/swirls first. Once the paint is in as good a shape as you can live with, then apply the protectant (Zaino) to seal it in. Applying Zaino over scratches and swirls = shiny scratches and swirls. But, doing a really good prep (which is the hardest part and should be done regardless of the protectant you use) will make 10,000x the difference. You'll be in no time!

 

So are you saying clay and then 3m or 3m and then clay.

I have a very similar situation as the first poster: Black 87 IROC with swirls. I believe it has a laquer finish. Is that unusual? Most people are talking about clear coat. Anything special for laquer?