I have to resolve myself to wash my Speed Yellow GT3 for the first time (the dealership washed it once since it was delivered). Got the advice to Zaino it too, and I am researching the matter.

Disclaimer/context: I am a novice in this particular matter, I have never waxed or polished a car before, let alone one with a non-metallic paint which, I assume - is more prone to swirls. I don't mind spending an afternoon on the thing, but don't want to do anything stupid either.

Zymöl, Meguiars, Zaino, Autoglym, is there really an intrisic difference or do you just get what you pay for ?
Are products like Z-AIO more forgiving for novices ?
Meguiars' line confuses me, feels like shopping at Walmart.
Zymöl's website is really light on explanations.

Sorry for possibly dumb question - advice welcome.

 

Keep it simple. I call it the Trinity: Klay, polish, and wax. As long as you remember that, it doesn't matter what product line you use. Meguiar's, Klasse, Autoglym, and Zaino are considered synthetics and will yield you lots of shine and gloss. That a tradeoff between depth and clarity which is the hallmark of natural carnauba products like zymol and p21s. I think by keeping it simple, you can get your skills honed in and graduate to bigger and better things. If you want to go the synthetic route, get the clay, I like zymol's lehm klay and lehm lube because it's a happy medium between aggressive and gentle klay. Skip the over-the-counter stuff like Mother's and Meguiar's, you can do better for the same $$ or a little more $$. Klasse is a great product and so is Autoglym's Radiant Wax. If you want a little something special, go with a natural like zymol Titanium wax and Hd-Cleanse polish. It's a little bit of an investment, but the products last for a long time and the results are excellent. Zymol Titanium will do 50 applications, and at 3-4 times per year, you're set for more than 15 years of wax. Hope this helps. Oh, don't forget about the soap, towels, wash mitt, etc.

 

If you want to save time polishing and waxing, look into an orbital buffer!

http://www.autogeek.net/ed20pocacoki.html

I used to do it all by hand, but the orbital is much faster and gets better results. Just something to consider if you plan to do all your detailing on your own from now on.

 

With an orbital buffer, also known as a porter cable, it is pretty tuff to damage your paint. It takes a while, but you can get some great results.

One of the sponsors here, Phil, has great deals on a porter cable. His site is www.detailersdomain.com

 

Here's the best deal I've found on the PC

http://www.coastaltool.com/cgi-bin/S...htm?E+coastest

Make sure you get the 6" counter wieght as well.

 

Klay freaks me out a tad, i am concerned about making a mess. Same thing with an orbital buffer, isn't doing things gently by hand safer than using an electrical tool if you are not experienced ?
What do you guys think abuot Zaino Z-AIO. All in one polish and wax must sound like anathema to purists, but with a pragmatic approach, isn't that a worthy starting point ?

 

If you are scared, & don't want to take the plunge, find a good local detailer that will let you watch him do your car. Then once it's all nice, ask him how to maintain it, & do it your self.

 

I took the plunge and I have to say I am quite happy with the results using Z-AIO, will have to see how it holds up with time.

Took me hours to clean up the car, 3 months of winter grime and 3 track days had made the car really dirty, between tire gum traces and dirt that just would not go off from the yellow paint. The application of the Z-AIO on yellow paint was not easy on clear paint, can't quite tell what you are doing depending on the angle, but the end result is silk smooth and nicely shiny.
The all-in-one clean/polish/wax formula may be sub-standard to experts or purists, but for the very mild enthusiast, it seems to be a worthy alternative to consider.

 

zaino all-in-one is a very good synthetic cleaning wax. it will protect your paint for months. get some zaino z-8 grand finale spray seal if you want to give a "wet" look shine. z-8 also helps to extend the time between waxings with Z-AIO wax.

i have used zaino for a few years and always gotten great results. with the encouragement and advice of folks on this forum, i am just now beginning to be more adventurous by starting to work with some good polishes and natural waxes to see how good i can get.

but if you're just looking to safely maintain your finish, zaino is far and away better than the over the counter stuff at auto zone, etc. and will definitely protect your beautiful GT3's finish.

 

I wouldn't use Zaino on a nice car. I use it for my daily drivers, but I'm willing to take the time and use a natural wax on the 996tt.

 

The guy at carcareonline.com give good advice if you ever need it.

 

P-car looks great. Don't worry about what people may think about using the products you did. zaino falls into the pro-sumer category and is an all around good product. If you were using Meguiar's or Mothers, then we'd be coming down to SF or Switzerland to knock some sense As long as you've enjoyed working on your car, are proud of the results, and would do it again, what more can anyone ask for. Great job and thanks for sharing.