Yes I did post this in the care/maintenance section, I just wanted to expand the replies/opinions from my fellow C4'ers

I have been a Zaino user since I bought a '99 Firehawk. My question is not Zaino related....although I just did a clay job.

I scored a nice DD, its a '03 Toyota Avalon and its black (ugh). It has what I'd call light oxidation. I've been told I need to use an orbitable buffer, but if not experienced, black is the worst color to start with...

My question is before I spend a couple hundred buck on someone buffing it out, is there a product out there that might be worth trying?

TIA

 

no "product" can replace mechanical polishing...

If its oxidized/hazed that layer needs to be removed.

 

Wolfgang Swirl remover 3.0

I used that on a Honda that had heavy oxidization in certain spots. it came off by hand and looked great. Seriously. Always start with the least aggressive product.

 

Yes but one of the nice things about a orbital buffer is that it is much more difficult to "burn through the paint" or "hurt the car" with an orbital buffer. For the money that you spend to have someone buff out the car you can buy yourself a nice kit & supplies and use it periodically on your vette, firehawk and this new to you car.

IMHO black is one of the hardest colors to keep looking nice because it tends to show dust, dirt and micro scratches more than other colors but it's not "more difficult" to polish out than other colors. You may have to spend more time getting a really nice polish on it as it will show imperfections but it's not any more technically difficult to do. Just takes more time.

Wash the car with dawn dish washing detergent to get all of the existing wax off of the paint.
Clay-bar the car to pick up all of the contaminants partially embedded in the clear coat. (you already are experienced in doing this)
Take some tape and tape around a square that covers say 1/4 of the hood of the car. Work on that square of paint with your orbital buffer for a half hour or so, pull the tape off and see how that portion of the hood compares to the rest of it.

I like the buffer from Griot's Garage for 3 reasons:
1) They say it's impossible to burn the paint on the car using their products no matter how ham-fisted you are with the buffer.
2) They have an adapter kit that will allow you to go from a 6" pad down to a 5" pad (to be slightly more aggressive).
3) Last fall after 7 years mine gave out. The friction mechanism gave up the ghost. I went into their store with my old one, showed it to them, they tested it in their shop and came out and gave me a new one and said our electro/mechanical tools are guaranteed for life. (not too many places still do that)

My unit is their inexpensive 6" model (item # 10813) cost me $150.00 and I'm very pleased that a no experience person like myself can learn to use the machine without damaging the car. I probably spent that much again on supplies for foam polishing pads, various levels of polish, wax, foam pad cleaning brush, micro fiber towels, etc, etc.

Everyone has their own favorite machine just like everyone feels that the wax that they use gives the best results.

 

Im a Zaino freak myself - love the stuff ever since I owned a black car (95 Vette) when living on a gravel road. So, what I'd suggest is buying an orbital polisher (I bought the Porter Cable orbital) and some Zaino "AIO" (their "All In One" polish).

Wash the car first using DAWN DISHWASHING DETERGENT to strip all the old wax or polish off.
Then use the orbital polisher and recommended pad and the AIO as directed on a test area (hood?) and see if the AIO is agressive enough to do what you need done.
If the AIO isn't agressive enough, Call or email Sal Zaino himself. He's a heck of a nice guy and often will take the time to personally talk to you and answer your questions if you call CS for help.

I find Zaino to be great stuff, and has great customer service to boot!

 

I actually did the (blue) Dawn twice and clayed the car. I spoke to the NJ distributor(Carl) and he said AIO won't help my situation (whew, saved $27). I do have a new in box Sears buffer, but don't think its of the caliber of the ones mentioned here.
My other problem is time, I have a high school senior and a college junior(see avatar) playing football, so what little time I have on the weekends is for "honey do's" and yard maintenance. So for the amount of time and actual usage of a buffer, I personal don't want to go that route and "experiment". Once the Zaino base is on, applying polish/quick detailer in a breeze and I can do it after work.

With that said, what do you think a detailer would charge(Northern NJ of course $$)? $200?

Thanks for the replies!

 

My friend had some of this to try and it works pretty good removing the haze/oxidation, but it didn't clean some of the other containments in the paint. Mind you this is a 2003, driven by an older couple who didn't garage it (and probably didn't wax/polish it, but just washed it)