[RickRack]

Protection

Since the majority of the vehicle had been extensively polished by machine, it was time to go back and polish the hard-to-reach areas by hand. All the hard-to-reach areas (emblems, door jambs, hood jambs, hatch jambs, headlights, etc.) were polished with Meguiar’s 105, followed by Menzerna 106fa using a microfiber applicator and then sealed with Zaino All In One.









Before any wax or sealant was applied to the paint surface, I went around the entire vehicle using an artists brush to apply 2-3 coats of factory touch-up paint to all stone chips and other tiny imperfections that were not able to be buffed out.

For maximum protection, durability and intense gloss, I decided to use Zaino Z5 as my LSP of choice. Before applying the Z5, I wiped down all exterior surfaces with Zaino Z6, which ensures a perfect foundation for the Z5 to molecularly bond and cross-link.

ZFX flash cure accelerator was added to the Z5 because multiple coats would be applied. ZFX is a cross-linking and acceleration additive which offers almost instant cure time and improves bonding to both paint and additional layers of Z5.

A thin coat of ZFX enabled Z5 was applied to all exterior surfaces by hand. While waiting for the Z5 to dry, I dressed all tires and wheel wells with Kar Kraft Super Blue dressing. After about 20 minutes, I removed the Z5 using a new microfiber towel and sprayed each panel with a light mist of Z6 to buff away any remaining residue and enhance gloss. A total of 3 coats were applied, with an application of Z6 in between each layer.

The original wheels were in good shape, but needed a light polishing to bring back the original luster. I machine polished all of the wheels with Menzerna 106ff and followed behind by hand using Zaino All in One, followed by an application of Optimum Opti-Seal.













Finishing Touches

The last day was spent on finishing touches.

All painted suspension components were wiped clean with 91% alcohol, touched up using the correct color paint and polished with Zaino All in One using a microfiber towel.









All aluminum suspension components were polished with Wicked Metal Polish using a microfiber towel and sealed with Zaino All in One.