Been reading for days but I got a few questions.2003 Neon detail questions,clearcoat?

[hodgesdodges]

I think my paint on my 2003 Neon is clearcoat, but how do I know for sure..This car is a Atlantic Blue Pearlcoat color and im not sure exactly what polish to buy...This car has been very neglected..Lots of swirl marks..I plan on starting off with a good wash of Dawn, then use a clay bar, then Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover 3.0 on a porter cable machine..now for the polish I dont know exactly what to get..I was thinking about Zaino Bros. Z-2 PRO Show Car Polish for clearcoats or should I get Z-5? Also thinking about then moving onto Wolfgang Finishing Glaze 3.0 then Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0.. Anyways..and then top it all off with some Wolfgang Füzion Estate Wax...maybe also get me some Zaino Z-6 Gloss Enhancer Detail Spray..is this sounding ok or should I stick with one company..and if I should do you think it would be better to use the Wolfgang products or the Zaino bros stuff?? I have never used any Wolfgang products but seen the 3.0 swirl remover in action and was impressed..I have used Zaino but its been a few years back..Help please..man im lost now..I better go read some more.. thanks guys..Joe

[Setec Astronomy]

Both Zaino and Duragloss use the "quaint" terminology of "polish" for their sealant products. Usually when we say "polish" here we are talking about an abrasive product meant to remove defects, although Meguiar`s frequently refers to their glazes as "pure polishes". So the process you have outlined goes back and forth between abrasive polishes and sealants (in other words, the Wolfgang Finishing Glaze is going to remove your Zaino). Zaino makes good products, I`m presuming Wolfgang does (I`ve never used any). You just need to sort out your polishes, sealants, and waxes. BTW, if you were going to buy the Z-6 for "gloss enhancement" skip that and go for the Z-8, it`s good stuff.

[hodgesdodges]

OK got ya..do the finishing glaze before the Z-2..would you guys use the fuzion wax or some dodo supernatural?

[Setec Astronomy]

I`m not entirely sure the Zaino would bond properly to that finishing glaze, but I really don`t know. Before you get all wrapped up in expensive waxes, we used to have a saying here that "process > product", meaning that understanding the steps and doing good prep work is more important than what brand of product you use. 90+% of the final look is going to depend on how good your prep is, not what sealant or wax you use.

[hodgesdodges]

OK..I will probably just use one company then..Now which one to use..hmm

[Setec Astronomy]

Well, I was reading the description again on that Wolfgang Finishing Glaze, says no silicone or wax, so it seems like it should be ok under the Zaino--I`d do a Z-6 wipedown first.

[hodgesdodges]

What do you think about this..Zaino Z-18 Clay bar..Z-PC swirl remover..ZFX flash cure in some Z-2 polish..then DoDo Supernatural carnuaba on top..will that work? I will probably get some Z-6 spray too..what do you think?

[Setec Astronomy]

Usually people don`t top Zaino with a wax. ZPC is a light polish, may not take out what you are looking to take out.

[hodgesdodges]

Thats exactly what I wanted to know! So should I use the Z-2 or the supernatural? I think I will go all Zaino..

[craigdt]

I for one, really like to top Z2. I use Supernatural most of the time. I also like the Fuzion wax but haven`t put it on top of a sealant.



I like your plan but I think you are making it too hard.



Pick a good soap.

Pick a good claybar.

Pick an abrasive polish- Meguiars 205, something on that level

Pick a good sealant

Pick a good wax



Zaino certainly is a popular system, but I dont think its necessarily the best choice for your application.

[hodgesdodges]

So I should wax after I seal??..Maybe I will clay bar it, lime prime it, then supernatural...heck..maybe I will order it all and do a test..so its come down to a polish polymer (Zaino) V/S a carnuaba wax (Supernatural)..how do i know which one is right for the paint and color of my car?

[craigdt]

Zaino is not a polish. Period. Its a sealant.

If you really want to remove swirls, dont use Lime prime. Its the equivalent of Z-AIO. Dont get the idea stuck in your head that you have to

use one brand of products.



If you want to remove swirls, you will need an abrasive polish, such as Megs, Menzerna, Optimum, poorboys etc. DO research on that. Hopefully you have a machine polisher.



And yes, after you lay down the sealant, you can top it with wax. Or pick one or the other. I bet you wont be able to see a difference. Sealants typically last longer

but waxes often provide better environmental protection.

[Accumulator]

Some sorta-random thoughts follow:



-If doing significant correction via PC, better use 4" pads and expect the whole thing to be a lot tougher than you`d ever imagine.



-I bet it`ll need something like M105 or Optimum Spray Compound for the initial correction. Don`t underestimate how aggressive you`ll need to be.



-I would be *very* surprised if the car in question will end up nice enough that I`d want to use a sealant on it (and not, that`s no bash on the car or the person doing the work). I only recommend sealants on vehicles where you can get, *and keep*, the finish basically perfect. Sealants are utterly unforgiving of any flaws.



-If you do the prep well, you could just use Collinite wax and get great looks and super protection that`ll rival (or exceed) that of most sealants. While being a bit more forgiving of any residual flaws.



-IMO topping sealants with wax isn`t just (usually) a complete waste of time looks-wise, but it also precludes adding more sealant later. And that can be really important as many (most?) sealants don`t last as long as people expect.



-I`d distill this down to wash-clay-compound-polish-wax. And even that will be a big undertaking. How long can you spend on this? As in, can the car be off the road for a few days of detailing?