New here :)

[Vw Gti]

Hello. I have been a car guy for about 4 years now and have owned a Honda before owning a VW that i took care of pretty nicely. I always used Meguiars Gold class wax and have been very happy with it. My parents have told me many times that i take care of my car alot more then i take care of myself . After i got my new car i wanted to keep it looking really nicely just like my civic (the paint job was bad and started to flake).



Recently i have been doing alot of research on detailing, waxing, polishing, etc. I bought myself alot of good products.

List of products: Zaino`s Flash Cure accelerator, Z1, 2, 6, and 7. P21S carnauba wax, Sonus leather care bundle.



I also bought a Porter Cable 7424 from Amazon.com that broke after a few hours of using. The motor gave out and would barely run at setting 1. I am in the process of getting a full refund and will be ordering the Porter Cable from BCC and hope that the same will not happen.



I want to know a few things.

- I read somewhere that the Zaiono Z2 is actually a wax instead of a polish, is this true?

- My car is from Georgia (uh oh) and i have damage from acid rain (oxidation - correct me if i am wrong please) on my roof and my hood. I tried using Meguiars ScratchX and it helped a little bit but not that much (used it by hand). If i use the PC will it get it out alot better? Or should i try a different products like Sonus SFX-1? My paint has barely any swirl marks, but can be found if looked at really closely and is a silverstone gray color.

- Is it common to mix different products names for different uses? Like using Sonus SFX-1 then using zaino, will that in any way be bad?

[BobD]

Welcome to the site. Autopia is a great place!

[imported_cj99si]

post a picture or 2 of your problem areas, and yes you mix almost all products.

[former86camaro]

I am not new, but not a pro. For me Sonus has been a nightmare. I have went and tried every way to use it and it has not been user friendly. I prefer pooor boys, but I am still looking for a nice polish/compound.





I have SFX1, 2, and 3 all 80 percent or better full ready for the trash. I plan to make some small sizes and give it out for others to use. Must have gotten a bad batch.

[Vw Gti]

I have not ordered any SOnus products except the Leather care bundle. All of my care products that ihave right now are Zaino (still need a few more). I have the z1,2,6,7, ZFX and i will need to order the Zpc and the Z8 from what i have read.



I will try to post a pictures of the oxidation on the roof and hood.

[former86camaro]

It most likely is me, but SFX is the only product I have had a truly bad experience. Even at detail fest with the help of others it just did not cut it or really work the way it should.

[Vw Gti]

Here are the pictures. Sorry if they are bad quality, i am photo literate :D.

The car is a 2003 Vw Gti that has taken the beating of the Georgian weather. The hood is the same but not as bad since it has some downslope for the water to run off.

http://img478.imageshack.us/img478/6444/img85423bk.jpg

http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/5355/img85473ps.jpg

http://img478.imageshack.us/img478/4859/img85486pr.jpg

[TortoiseAWD]

I have SFX1, 2, and 3 all 80 percent or better full ready for the trash. I plan to make some small sizes and give it out for others to use. Must have gotten a bad batch.Mr. Clean 2K,



Do you have the first version or the newer version of the Sonus polishes? The new stuff comes in smaller bottles, and is a totally different formula (not a tweak of the first version). The new polishes have a nice, long working time, wipe off easily, and have no fillers. No dusting, either. My only complaint with the current Sonus line is that even SFX-1 is pretty mild if you`re trying to combat serious swirls and scratches. I`ve found it to be great stuff for light swirls, though, and really user-friendly.



If you think you do have the new version, by all means, contact the Autopia store, because it definitely shouldn`t be such a pain to use.




- I read somewhere that the Zaiono Z2 is actually a wax instead of a polish, is this true?Z2 (and Z3 and Z5) are all synthetic sealants. Sealants are similar to waxes in that they are applied as the last step in the detail, and are meant to provide protection for the paint. They differ in that they don`t contain carnauba (or beeswax, montan wax, parrafin, etc) that is usually found in waxes.



In general, if someone on Autopia refers to "polish", they usually mean an abrasive thats intended to remove swirls and scratches. The car care industry really doesn`t have a good standard for terms like that, though. For example, Meguair`s uses the term "cleaner" for abrasive polishes, and the term "polish" for products that are often referred to as "glazes" around here. Zaino uses the term "polish" to mean "makes shiny" rather than "it`s abrasive". Confusing, isn`t it?




- My car is from Georgia (uh oh) and i have damage from acid rain (oxidation - correct me if i am wrong please) on my roof and my hood. I tried using Meguiars ScratchX and it helped a little bit but not that much (used it by hand). If i use the PC will it get it out alot better? Or should i try a different products like Sonus SFX-1? My paint has barely any swirl marks, but can be found if looked at really closely and is a silverstone gray color.The PC will make the job much easier, as will using a more agressive polish (ScratchX is really pretty mild). I really like the current line of Sonus polishes (v2.0), but even SFX-1 may not have enough "oomph" to take out your spots . . . it all depends on how badly the acid rain has damaged your paint. The general rule of thumb is to start with something relatively mild, and check your results. If it`s not doing the job, then move up to something more aggressive. Once you find something that works for the problem you`re trying to correct, move on to the rest of the car. If you end up having to use something fairly aggressive to get to the spots, you may need to follow it with a milder polish to bring out the gloss and remove any left over haze from the compound.




- Is it common to mix different products names for different uses? Like using Sonus SFX-1 then using zaino, will that in any way be bad?There is the school of thought that sticking to one product line gives better results, but personally, I like to mix and match, and I`ve never run into any problems because of it.



The caveat with Zaino (and some other sealants) is that you need clean, bare paint to get the best durability. Polishes that rely on oils and fillers for their results are generally not a good choice for prep if you intend to use Zaino. In my experience, I`ve had good luck with Menzerna and Sonus polishes before Z; both leave a relatively clean surface behind, IMO. You`ll often see the suggestion to wash the car after the polish step, or to wipe the paint down with isopropyl alcohol (or Prep-Solv, or other suitable degreasing step). I`ve gone right to Zaino after both Menzerna and Sonus with no apparent ill effects, but if you really want to be "safe", a wash or IPA wipedown will do the trick.



Sorry, didn`t mean to ramble on.



HTH,

Tort

[Vw Gti]

I used some scratchX on a small area and it hardly touched it. Should i try the Z-PC?

[imported_cj99si]

try washing with some vinager, clay the whole car, polish with a pc with products listed above (or what you have) use a good sealent (2 coats) and top with p21s . that should fix it. it really doesnt look that bad.

[Vw Gti]

What mixture should i use with the vinegar? The car has been clayed but still need a little more, i might clay it more but not sure. I want to use the Zaino products because i have heard alot of good things and also because i have all of them and only need to get Z-pc and the Z-8.



I am still kind of new to the whole detailing and polishing part. Correct me if i am wrong with these steps: Remove old wax with a wash -> clay bar -> wash again to remove the lubricant -> Polish with Z-PC -> ZFX+Z2 -> Z6 -> repeat if more coats wanted -> Z-8.



Please correct me if i am gonan do it the wrong way.

[imported_cj99si]

You have it under control, and you will learn what works for you as you keep doing it. definitly use your zaino. you dont need to dilute the vinegar. I would wash/dry, use the vinegar, and wash again.

[Vw Gti]

I would need to wax the roof after the vinegar since it probably takes away the wax. One more question. I ordered some P21S Carnauba wax, what can i do with it? Can i apply it over the Zaino or should i just keep it all Zaino? Also, my buddy has a `01 black vw gti and his swirl marks are horrible, he has some scratches and such. What would you suggest i use? I was looking into SFX 1-3 but want some more opinions. I want to detail his car after i get my PC.

[imported_cj99si]

I would need to wax the roof after the vinegar since it probably takes away the wax. One more question. I ordered some P21S Carnauba wax, what can i do with it? Can i apply it over the Zaino or should i just keep it all Zaino? Also, my buddy has a `01 black vw gti and his swirl marks are horrible, he has some scratches and such. What would you suggest i use? I was looking into SFX 1-3 but want some more opinions. I want to detail his car after i get my PC.



yes use the vinager wash right before you plan on doing polishing and waxing. Use P21S as your final coat maybe 2. It will look really good on your black. Yes practice with your PC on your budys car. you have the right products to get the job done.

[Vw Gti]

If i was not to use Zaino on my friends car and was gonan remove the swirl marks and scratches what would you suggest? I was thinking wash -> clay -> vinegar if needed (for acid rain) -> wash -> polish with SFX 1-3 -> P21S.



Do i need to do anything between the SFX 1-3 and p21s besides an IPA wipedown (what the heck is IPA widedown?)