I recently purchased and applied the Zaino car polish (Z1, Z3, and Z6) assuming the car was not clear coated. I was dissapointed the car was not a wetter red color when done. I was expecting to see some red paint on my white cloths when removing the wax, but I did not see any red paint. The car was repainted by the previous owner 5 or 6 years ago and I am wondering if clear coat was added to the paint. Is there a way to tell, or did I already prove that fact? Also if the car is clear coated, would using the wrong Zaino cause a problem? Thanks....

---Andy Garabedian

 

Maybe your sig pic is not an accurate representation of the car, but exactly how much "wetter" did you want it. I have to go home and look at the homely MoneyPit with the paint that looks like a big blue broken egg shell. forgive me if the tears don't flow.

 

There are certin parts of the car that look better, but many have a haze to the paint and I cannot make those parts shine(more noticeable now that I applied wax). I can also see swirl marks from someone that did not know how to wax. That is why I am wondering if the paint was clear coated.

----Andy

 

Try some rubbing compound on the hazy parts. If you get color off on the pad, then it's not a clear coat topcoat. After compounding the hazy parts, rub out the spots with a glaze then follow with some wax. I wouldn't expect the Zaino to return any color on the applicator, since it has no abrasives. See if you can rub out the hazy spots before going any further. Take it slow and see if you can get the shine back.

Shannon

 

try using a claybar it might just have dirt imbeded in the finish

ZD

 

Before trying rubbing compound, make sure you look really closely...I mean eyeball on paint close. Now look at the paint on the hazy parts and make sure there is paint. I had this happen to me where I kept trying to buff and compound but there were these tiny microscopic cracks where there was no paint. Now compare it with the parts that look fine. Its possible a respray is necessary.
Good luck :cheers:

 

Andy
For some in depth information on reviving old paint go to my website in my signature, but here's the short version. You will not get any color on the cloth using Zaino because there are no abrasives in the product. If your car is looking dull and you can see swirl marks you will have to bring up the shine in steps. I wouldn't use compound unless you are dealing with some very deep scratches. Most of the haziness that dulls a finish can be taken out with 3M Swirl and Haze Remover. I've found that it's best to use this with a foam pad on a random orbit polisher. This is a very mild type of compound (more of a polish) and takes a while to use. You should work an area about 18" by 18" until the surface is smooth and you don't see any swirl or haze when the product is wiped off. Use a good terry cloth towel when wiping the product off or you're just going to be putting more scratches back on the paint. When the surface of the entire car is smooth you will have a mirror finish. To protect this finish you can top it with a good wax but I've found Zaino to be much more long lasting and much better at keeping dust off the car. If you are going to use Zaino I would wash the car after the 3M Swirl and Haze remover and then apply a coat of Z1/Z2. This will give you the protection you need. More coats will bring up the shine even more. It took about 3 coats before I really was satisfied. Make sure you follow Zaino's advice on application and taking the product off. Go to Sal's website for more info. Hope this helps a little. :seeya