Complete Newbie

[equake]

Just got a new car. A black MB C300. I can wash and wax, but I am looking for a good detail kit for the new car and the wifes truck. I have looked at all the sites and would like a recommendation on a detailing kit. I know it is not an easy thing to come up with. So, I have a new car and a very dark blue truck that is in need of a detailing. I would like a kit that includes everything, or just a list of recommended products that I could order. I would also like to get the PC polisher and pads. I appreciate any responses that I may get and can we keep acronyms to a minimum, as I will have no clue what you are talking about.

Thanks,

Equake



:confused:

[dmatre]

Congrats on the new Benz!



I`ve got an `03 black C-class myself. I`ve used both Klasse (All-in-One & Sealant Glaze), and Zaino (Z-AIO & Z5); and both are remarkable for their results.



A PC definitely makes the job easier, and allows you to get a much better result. There are kits at ProperAutoCare (http://www.properautocare.com/porcabpolac.html), Autopia CarCare (http://www.autopia-carcare.com/pcdepot.html), AutoGeek (http://www.autogeek.net/bupo.html), etc.



In addition to the Klasse/Zaino systems, I would also look to get a mild polish - black will swirl after a while, and you`ll be wanting to bring back that like-new shine. If you decide to go with the Zaino system, Z-PC is a good polish - but if you have the Cerami-clear paint, you may need something stronger.



Enjoy your new car, and feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

[kustomsol]

Welcome. This is long, but as a newbie you asked for it, soup to nuts, and with as few acronyms as possible.



Before you touch that new black MB, please read the guide to detailing and the product review database here on Autopia. And even if you do not select Zaino products, reading Sal Zaino`s "Application Guide" and the "Tips and Tricks`" is worthwhile (Zainostore.com). At age 50+, I found out that I`d been doing some things wrong in car washing and waxing for 45 years. Remember, black looks great, but if there`s a defect or any dirt, black will "highlight" it. So in choosing your product list and application methods, do your homework and research first. As the old carpentry rule says, "Measure twice and then cut once." You`ll find a lot of discussion and occasionally it gets pretty heated since all of us have our own favorite products, but there`s a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge on these forums (formi??) and a lot of very nice people here to offer advice, product samples, and help. If you live near an Autopian, he/she/they will probably come over and help you with your detail.



And yes, I prefer the Zaino product line, but no matter which product you ultimately select, you`re only going to get results if you spend the time and effort to do it right, and then MAINTAIN it frequently. And yes, you should claybar it; you`ll be amazed at who much stuff is on the finish of every new car. And after you detail your new black MB, post pics for us!!!



This list may appear overwhelming, but you asked, and you do have a new black MB.



My list:

Patient wife (or girlfriend; if you have both, forget it; you won`t have time to detail)

I assume you have a good shop vac with a crevice tool

Enough (and more) good quality hose and reel

Good hose spray nozzle which is coated so you don`t run the risk of accidentally marring your finish

PC (Porter-Cable random orbital buffer)

Go ahead and get the full line of Sonus pads for the PC, you won`t regret it

Woolite

Spray Bottles for Woolite/water 1/6+ mix (Wal-Mart has some for a buck each)

Good 100% cotton towels

Good quality MF`s (microfibre towels)

2 buckets (one for soap, one for rinse)

Good wash mitt

Stoners Invisible glass cleaner (I prefer the spray-on can to the pump)

Shop Towels (by the roll)

Clothes to wear when you detail so you won`t marr the finish with buttons, zippers, buckles, etc.

Some sort of carpet shampooer with a furniture accessory hose)



Remember, I said I personally preferred Zaino products. And this is my list.

Z-2, (new car Polish)

ZFX, (flash cure additive for Z-2 and Z-5)

Z-CS Clear Seal)

Z-7 (Carwash)

Z-8 (Grand Finale QD)

Z-16 (Tire gloss, also works for any vinyl, interior and exterior)

Z-18 (claybar)

Z-9 (leather cleaner, also good for interior vinyl))

Z-10 (leather conditioner, also good for interior vinyl)



Z-5 polish and Z-PC Fusion if your other ride(s) have swirl marks



I also have Zaino`s All-In-One (one step cleaner, polish, and protectant) for when my daughter or one of my grand-kids wants me to help them clean and polish a car.



BTW, I`m a 66 (until the 14th of this month) year old retired medical doctor living in Greensboro, N.C. Until I really got into it about 7 or 8 years ago , I didn`t realize proper car detailing was so involved, interesting, and fun (and contraversial; watch this site). One of my fovorite experiences occurred right after I`d detailed my then 12 year old red Buick Reatta convertible (top down, of course). I was asked, "How do you like your new car?" They didn`t believe it was 12 years old, had 50+k on it, and had not been repainted.

And nobody believes that my `77 black Excalibur Roadster has over 100k (daily driver for 14 years before I got the Buick) and has a 27 year old paint job.



Harmmmmmmoniously (I`m also a barbershop quartet and chorus singer; check out Barbershop Harmony Society - Keep The Whole World Singing (http://www.barbershop.org) ),

HRP

[howareb]

:xyxthumbs You are being steered in the right direction. One of the things to keep in mind though is how involved do you want to get into this. The detailing market is filled with decent and also crappy products promising this or that. If you are going to have the time to detail your car and add layer after layer every week then a sealant like (not because you have to)Zaino (http://www.zainostore.com) fits the bill, but a good wax such as P21s will give you more warmth. However, Zaino is chosen because it gives you the best of both worlds (a decent depth and shine, as well as great durability). It just takes a long time to do the initial application, if you go the full Zaino route. Zaino sells triple kits and one kit provides a shortcut to Zaino protection. By using the Z-AIO (Cleaner/Wax)(on the wife`s truck only - HRP reminded me how this could be interpreted (autopians always look out for each other)) and then using Z-CS and then maintaining it with Z6 or Z8 Quick Detail and Z7 Wash. But if you become like most "ZainoManiacs" you will opt for the whole ultimate kit and spend a three day weekend applying all the products inside and out. :shocked



Another product that you may want to try is NXT (great on black cars). I like the look of this product and it is fairly easy to put on. You cannot layer with it (if you are into that type of thing), but it looks good; its downfall is that it only lasts a short time, so you will have to reapply quite often. You also should maintain with either NXT Speed Detailer or Ultimate Quick Detailer. I have not found that either detailer adds any shine or gloss, but it does seem to extend the protection a bit. The look is good, the durability is not so great. Also only wash with a car wash (like NXT Wash) and not a dish soap (unless you wish to strip off your wax each time). :scared:



One of my personal favorites is the Optimum line (http://www.optimumcarcare.com/optimumcarkit.html)as well. This line works very well and it is also easy to use and not as expensive. It has great durability. The link points to their starter kit. The Opti-Seal product is also a must have for greater durability. Their polishes are untouchable, but you should not need any of that until later. Poli-seal is great to use when you get your PC and you want to make your car shine like new again and also add some protection. Plus their ONR product is unbeatable for those winter washes.



Just be warned that you are going to get overloaded with product recommendations from others. In the end you have to choose the products that are going to make you happy. So you have to look at how much time you have and how much work you wish to do, and how often you wish to maintain. These factors weigh heavily in your decision.



I personally like sealants in the winter and waxes in the summer. You must properly prep your paintwork for it to sparkle. Most here will tell you that the product chosen is not as important as proper preparation. That means stripping off old waxes or sealants with Dawn, claying the vehicle (even a new car and yes it is pretty easy to do on a new car), and also using the proper washing techniques and towels to avoid adding scratches.



My favorites are in this order Optimum, Zaino, Klasse, P21S, Meguairs, Zymol (on occasion I will use this, but the “real� Zymol line is expensive) Warning: the stuff in AutoZone/Advanced Auto Parts/ etc. is an over glorified Turtle Wax version.



Ultima Finish product are expensive, but they work well for those who want to protect their car and get on with their lives. (Ultima Finish Care (http://www.autopia-carcare.com/ultima.html))



Good Luck and I hope that I did not overwhelm you.

[kustomsol]

Howareb,

You wrote "There is a shortcut Zaino protection route as well and that is using the Z-AIO (Cleaner/Wax)..."



Would you use Z-AIO as a first application on a new car, especially a black one?



And re: time investment, you are absolutely correct, it does take several hours (a weekend) to Zaino a car properly, but Zaino products do go on and buff off easily. The initial time investment is, IMHO, more than recovered in the durability of the Z-stuff if maintained. Discounting the claying (which you gotta do anyway), I`ve done our LS430 with one coat of Z-5 (with ZFX), 2 coats of Z-2 (with ZFX) and Z-CS in a day, allowed the Z-CS to cure overnight, and then applied Z-8 the next day, at halftime.



I`ll squabble with you on "waxes in the summer" sometime later.

Harmmmmmmmoniously,

HRP

[howareb]

Equake (please forgive the use of jargon and acronyms within this message, you will understand it soon enough).



HRP, You are preaching to the choir. My job here as a fellow Autopian is to provide options and choices. Zaino is a great product, do not get me wrong. For a newbie though it can be a little overwhelming and expensive to go the full Zaino route. Some people like to try different products before deciding that they like this one or that one. The shortcut I suggested (Z-AIO and Z-CS) was meant as an example based upon one of the kits that Sal sells that would give him what he needs for both of his cars/truck (EQUAKE wanted to purchase a detailing kit). On a new black, I would wash, clay, and use Z-CS only, but the Z-AIO can be used on Equake wife`s truck. Aside from going the whole Zaino route, what better way to quickly get acclimated to the Zaino family. Also, the beautiful thing is that later you can layer some Z2 or Z5 (wZFX) on top of the Z-CS without issue. :woot: In addition, Z-CS is advertised to be used with anything (ie Polycharged Megs NXT base, Topped with Z-CS), but I would never tell a newbie to experiment with such a thing. :nervous2:



And what is wrong with using Klasse sealant topped with P21S in the summer. In any given summer I will try a lot of different products, but Optimum and Zaino are my goto year round products. :grinno:



I like being diverse, because each product has it`s advantage and disadvantages.

[kustomsol]

Thanks for the clarification. I was worried about the use of Z-AIO on a new black car since it does contain some abrasives. You and I are indeed on the same page. And I agree, with the overwhelming part, but Equake did write,



"I would like a kit that includes everything, or just a list of recommended products that I could order. I would also like to get the PC polisher and pads."



So I wrote my reply to include "everything (I use)" from an understanding wife to Z-18. And being a fairly experienced amateur Autopian, I agree with your diversification philosophy, but a single product line for a newbie affords not only a simplified ordering system, but from personal experience and reading the posts here, Sal Zaino does provide good product support and advice. Something not easily obtained when dealing with several different product lines. And the Z system is pretty straightforward with good instructions, etc. And there are a lot of "Zainopians" on these forums with a lot of information specific to their experiences and problems with Zaino. For a newbie, a mixture of products can be confusing. Heck, it sometimes gets confusing for me!



Car care, like medicine, shares several basic rules, and a primary one is "First, do no harm." And none of us here wants Equake to screw up his first detail or get less than an excellent result. And his appreciation of what is really involved in a full professional detail will spread way beyond this forum. For example, just the knowledge that a well detailed car (like a nice owner) usually commands better attention, care, and respect from service personnel is well worth the detailing effort. And a well detailed black car does get a lot of attention!!



Harmmmmmmoniously,

HRP

[howareb]

I find it funny and I hope EQUAKE benefits from our spritied debate, but I will say that we do have his best intrest in mind.



Not all newbies are the same though. I remember finding Zaino and reading the website from top to bottom about how it was the best. I brought into it and then found out that there are other products that work as well, if not better (meaning shine, depth, ease of application and durability).



All I am saying is that as a newbie you can`t make the mistake of buying into the marketing of just one product line (I know a whole lot of Meguairs fans like this, I use to be one).



In the case of Zaino, it is not that easy of a product for a newbie to use, because newbies have a tendency to apply too much product (and Z-CS is no exception). Zaino is also tailored to be specialized to use certain applicators, towels, ect. which can make a head spin. Once a newbie gets over this hurdle, Zaino is a cinch to use.



LAZaino.com (http://www.LAZAINO.COM) has some good application info on applying Zaino. Their towels are great also (I use them all the time), but microfiber has come a long way so don`t buy into the whole microfiber towels are no good. Good quailty micorfiber towels can be purchased at SONUS, Autogeek.net, Autopia-Carcare.com, or many of the websites found here. I would stay away from towels at Walmart, Target (although some autotopians here use VRoom alot without issue), AutoZOne, ect.



Oh we forgot to add an All Purpose Cleaner, to clean up your pads, towels and applicators.

[kustomsol]

D`accord, but Equake has a definite advantage, both of his vehicles are dark. Much easier to use "just a little" on a dark surface than on a light one, especially white and silver. Equake, take note: a little Zaino goes a long way. My wife and grand-daughter "helped" me to Z-CS my grand-daughter`s car (91 Camry) and used more CS than I`d used on my LS, Reatta, and Excalibur combined. So read and reread closely directions on any product.

[equake]

Thank you everyone for the replies, I also appreciate the minimum use of acronyms. ;) It will take me a little while to digest all the information provided. I am sure that I will have questions. Again, Thanks everyone!

[howareb]

Meditate on it. We are here if you have questions. Also this forum is just filled with things for newbies to educate themselves with.

[Rob Tomlin]

Having black paint means that you *need* Pinnacle`s Souveran carnauba wax.



*Ok, it isn`t a necessity, but nothing will make black paint look better.....