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100% Zaion products used on my car its entire life. All the way down to the towels and borderless micro fibres. Hell I even use their leather care products. Everything they have is awesome. I love the look it gives my car and will never use anything else.
Forget all that wax/glaze/polish crap, that is so 90's. Go with this ceramic Feynlabs Ceramic Lite
As a pro detailer that built an incredible business, Zaino was my go to product, but as we progressed through life the Feynlabs product became my go to product. The shine was far superior over anything I tried, durabilty was better than anything I have used, barring Ceramic Pro with 4+ coats and if you have a metallic finish, it will bring out the metalflake like you have never seen before.
Don't knock Zaino. In the right combination of products, it will literally kick butt over ALL of the non-ceramic products I have tried. I built a 7 figure detailing business with it and had 12 of 15 cars win their categories at Monterrey Car Week. The other three did not compete.
What made my detailing business successful was figuring out how to bring the absolute best in the Mfr's paint out and simply make it outstanding beyond anything else. My customers would pull into an event and without question their cars of the same color as others simply stood out. I received more phone calls than you can imagine about how their cars looked compared to others.
It is not about the shine, or durability, anybody can do that, and to be blunt to the uninitiated they all look good. It is about making the paint look absolutely stunning, many with a very simple lite paint correction and the right combination of products.
I have absolutely no interest in the company other than their superior products and my experience with them.
I recently bought a 2010 Vert, cyber grey, 90 thou mi. It still is shiny and looks pretty decent after a Meguiars’ hand wash, but the surface isn’t really glassy smooth and the depth of paint and gloss doesn’t pop. Want to make it look better and add some protection as it has to live outside. Thanks
I recently bought a 2010 Vert, cyber grey, 90 thou mi. It still is shiny and looks pretty decent after a Meguiars’ hand wash, but the surface isn’t really glassy smooth and the depth of paint and gloss doesn’t pop. Want to make it look better and add some protection as it has to live outside. Thanks
You didn't ask a question, so I will assume you are looking for advice. Your paint isn't smooth and doesn't look glossy. Well, you have some work to do...
1) Clean
2) Decontaminate
3) Clay
4) Compound/polish
5) Sealant or wax or coating application
There are, literally, hundreds and hundreds of product combos on the market. Before anyone can give you advice, you need to tell us what type of polishing machine you have, what types of pads you have available, and what type of paint correction experience you have. Then people here can make good recommendations for you.
^^^ I can do mechanical stuff but honestly I have no experience with car finishes. My motorcycle stays in the garage and gets a good liquid spray detailer wipe down and really looks good, but I got it new and again it stays inside.
The Vette is 9 yrs old with 90 thou mi, it does look good after a Meguiars hand wash but the surface is not glassy smooth and the paint doesn’t have that deep look. Also for it to stay outside I figure some finish protection will help.
the surface is not glassy smooth and the paint doesn’t have that deep look.
Again, that means it needs to be properly corrected. That means compounding and polishing. If you have no experience, I highly recommend paying a pro detailer to do it for you. It will be more than worth the small investment. There is no product you can buy to spray on and wipe off that will fix your paint's poor finish. It needs to be mechanically repaired.
I figure some finish protection will help.
Finish protection is mandatory, whether the car is inside or outside. Finish protection is what keeps your paint from degrading to the condition yours is currently in. Waxes, sealants, and coatings are what keeps your paint looking good after it has been corrected. Take your car to a pro. After the car is corrected, they will apply some type of protection on the paint. When you get the car back, there are many over-the-counter spray products that are very easy to use that you can apply every couple months to maintain the protection on the paint. Most of the products are as easy to use as a detail spray. Modern chemical tech has come a very long way.
^^^ I can do mechanical stuff but honestly I have no experience with car finishes. My motorcycle stays in the garage and gets a good liquid spray detailer wipe down and really looks good, but I got it new and again it stays inside.
The Vette is 9 yrs old with 90 thou mi, it does look good after a Meguiars hand wash but the surface is not glassy smooth and the paint doesn’t have that deep look. Also for it to stay outside I figure some finish protection will help.
i just don’t have experience with car finishes
While I agree with FYRARMS in the paint correction, it can be done without spending on a professional. A good orbital buffer will correct most imperfections and it will not harm the paint as will a rotary style. There are many good products out there, but I have used Adams for years and swear by his products. The C6 Corvette is known for its hard clear coat, so it can take a good amount of buffing.
Based on what you say about the paint, it sounds like you need to start with a complete wash that will strip any wax on the surface. Adams sell a Strip Wax and it does the job. After that you will want to clay the all the painted surface. Next is a compound or in the case of Adams there is the correction polish followed by the finish polish. This is what will make the paint shine and have the deep look. Next is a good paste wax to protect the paint.
Finally I assume that the car sits outside as you mentioned the bike is in the garage. If this is the case and it is a daily driver, you most likely will not get that show car finish, but if you do the above, you will see a marked improvement and what you want in the paint. That deep glossy shine. Also check out the Adams site, he has all the products you could ever need and great instructional videos.
While I agree with FYRARMS in the paint correction, it can be done without spending on a professional. A good orbital buffer will correct most imperfections and it will not harm the paint as will a rotary style.
He said he has no paint correcting experience or polishing equipment. That is why I recommended that he have a pro detail his car. He can't use an orbital buffer he doesn't possess.
FYRARMS.......1) Asking/Suggesting that you edit your above post #17 and insert Machine used & SPECIFIC PAD (Brand, Model, Size, Color) choices with your specific fave products
2) Your not using any of the SiO2 Topper product such as Beadmaker, Etc Etc ?????
FYRARMS.......1) Asking/Suggesting that you edit your above post #17 and insert Machine used & SPECIFIC PAD (Brand, Model, Size, Color) choices with your specific fave products
It's just wax. I use foam wax applicator pads. The only machine I own is a Porter Cable 7424XP.
2) Your not using any of the SiO2 Topper product such as Beadmaker, Etc Etc ?????
I don't use SiO2 anything. I use Beadmaker on my daily driver maybe once per month. I have used it occasionally on my C5Z.
I would agree totally with FY.. topcoats are great, but you must first do the groundwork with a buffer to get optimal results. Griot's released a new version of their midrange buffer for 6". I use a 21mm long throw unit, which may be a bit much to handle for a newer detailer starting out.. it can get away from you if not used to it. I use beadmaker on my Z all the time.. especially if I am cleaned up and a show next day or something that I want to go to. Once your prepped you can indefinitely keep shine and protection up.. so if you cannot at least get a pro to do it first time, then you can take over from there. Beadmaker is not for machines it goes on by hand. If your doing a car with hard clear coat with scratches I would go 3D one and a microfiber pad, or orange pad for a lighter color correction. You can also use 3D one with black polish pad later. I use a yellow pad after correcting sometimes with a polish like a perfecting cream, then I will go to black polish pad for wax, and glaze sealant.. then spray topcoat like say Beadmaker. You can also get white wool pads made for glass to get rid of fine scratches on windshield, and seal that with glass sealer when finished. During correction and perfecting good to have a little led light to check for fine swirls. I can say with a basic buffer and the Griots Boss System a beginner can get great safe results. Remember even with protection and even ceramic, continually wiping with microfiber with a quick detailer spray in between washings will over time cause micro scratches it just physics. Sorry for longish post.. but car in the garage for winter need to keep detailing in my veins...lol.. need my fix
My Xmas present to myself this year is the new Griot's G9 polisher. For my needs, it is perfect! I don't need a big long-throw machine, but I do want something with more oomph than my 7424XP. These clear coats are too freaking hard. Plus, I keep detailing friends' vehicles, and their paint is always more jacked-up than my cars. My poor little PC gets its butt kicked. LOL
I bought a vented 3" backing plate and a bunch of 3" pads, so my PC will become a dedicated "tight spot" machine.
Did you consider any of the Torq machines before you chose the G9? My buddy has his own mobile detailing business and sears by Torq so that why i've been leaning towards the brand. Did you get the G9 yet, or are you waiting til xmas.. if so what are your thoughts on it so far?
Did you consider any of the Torq machines before you chose the G9? My buddy has his own mobile detailing business and sears by Torq so that why i've been leaning towards the brand. Did you get the G9 yet, or are you waiting til xmas.. if so what are your thoughts on it so far?
I have never considered any Chemical Guys polishers, and especially not that little one. I already have an awesome little Porter Cable. I want to upgrade. Here is what Mike Phillips of Autogeek had to say about the small Torq machine. Torq < Porter Cable < Griot's:
"Between these two choices I would go with the Porter Cable 7424XP. I prefer the more compact size and the build-quality of the Porter Cable and the reliability cannot be matched by tools in this category. Plus this tool has the longest time-proven record for performance and reliability out of any 8mm free spinning orbital polisher.
If the Griot's Garage 6" Random Orbital Polisher is an option, then I would recommend it over the Porter Cable. It has a lot more usable power."
09-13-2019, 11:04 PM
