Getting out scratches, and better, longer lasting waxes?

[smurph98gt]

Maybe more scrapes than anything else, but some ***-hat scraped my car in a parking lot and its irritated the crap out of me ever since. Then some other douche bag bumped it into a pole when he was trying to park it (..it was me.. ), so now I have one on both ends.



Heres the back side:







I don`t really know what to try to get it out.. all I do is wash my car with Zymol car wash, and wax it using the blue Zymol wax you can buy at Wal-Mart. I stripped it all down using dawn, clayed it, washed it again, and then threw some zymol down on it. I`m always fairly impressed with the shine and smoothness of it, but it sucks for lasting purposes. The inital luster is lost after a couple of days, and it`ll keep water spots off my car (my parking spot is close to sprinklers) for maybe 2-3 weeks.











I`ve got little scratches here and there, most put there by dealerships not paying attention when fixing crap, and not caring after I bring it to their attention, so I`d like to get them out as well.



I`ve been thinking of getting Zaino for a good long time now, but the more I`ve been scouring, the more it seems there are better/cheaper/easier to apply alternatives.



Thanks everyone!



-Ronald

[imported_BretFraz]

:welcome to Autopia



First, a suggestion: you should resize the pics so those on dial up can see them.



Second, Zaino is a great product but it has no paint correction or defect removal ability. So if you want to fix those scratches and scuffs, you`ll need real polishes. There are a zillion types and brands so research those closely. Once your paint is polished to perfection, Zaino is a terrific sealant. You can use either Z2 or Z5 along with ZFX.



The bumper scrape might be fixable with a good detailer using a rotary polisher. I`ve removed plenty of scrapes like that, or at least made them hardly visible, with an aggressive polish and a rotary. If you can feel paint damage with your fingernails, it will probably need pro refinishing. Any decent body shop can fix this for ya.



Finally, polish those tailpipes Get some Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish at any auto parts store and some #000 steel wool and work on the pipes until they look like chrome.

[smurph98gt]

ahhh, yea.. sorry about that.. I`ll have to resize `em when I get home.



Rotary polisher, eh? Would something like a random orbital buffer and maybe some type of rubbing compound be sufficient?



I`ve been eyeing the Klasse stuff, it seems to be a great bargain, and appears to get out some of the smaller paint imperfections that my car has so many of. This stuff makes my head swim though there is so many types of things to do!



The thing I really liked about Zaino, is the ability to add on top of itself and give it more and more shine and deeper color, I suppose you can do that with others as well, but since I`m still new, I have no idea what that other stuff is!



LoL, yea.. my tail-pipes are looking rough, I`m actually thinking of just lopping them off and opting for some nice new shiney ones that can be welded in place.

[imported_BretFraz]

Yeah, something like a PC orbital and a compound might do the trick. Hard to say just from a pic but worth a try if you already have the equipment.



AIO is a good choice if you want to keep it simple. It`s a versatile product and you can top it with Klasse Sealant Glaze or a wax. Not too many products are layerable, their solvents or cleaners remove prior coats but Zaino is one of the few products that can actually be layered (to a certain an extent).

[smurph98gt]

Thats the big reason I liked the AIO was because of the simplicity. Plus it appears to help get rid of some minor swirl marks.



I just want my paint to last for awhile longer, I can`t afford to repaint it, and look amazingly fantastic. If that means I gotta shell out $100 for all the Zaino products, then so be it.



If I do go the Zaino route though, what do you recommend as a good starter to get rid of all the swirl marks and so on, I`ve heard Zaino`s not so great at doing that.

[imported_BretFraz]

Well, I assume you are doing all this by hand. If you have a machine, it might change things a bit.



For a polish I think you need something moderately aggressive. I like Meguiar`s DACP or Einzsett Paint Polish. Both products buffer down quickly to a light polish but are aggressive enough to work quickly so you`re not rubbing on the paint all day.



If that sounds too aggressive you could try a paint cleaner product which works mostly by chemical action. Meguiars and Mothers sell nice paint cleaners that are easy to use and affordable.



You might want to follow with a lighter polish to enhance the gloss. Something like a good swirl mark remover from Meguiars or 3M would do the trick.



At this point the next step is decided by which product technology you use. If you use a wax or AIO, just go ahead and apply it. Any residue left from the polish will be removed by these products. If you want to use Zaino, it needs a clean surface to bond to. So you`ll need to wash the car or use an alcohol/water mix to wipe down the car. Yeah, its an extra step but ya gotta do it to get Zaino to work its magic.



As far as what Zaino products you need, its easy. Either Z2 or Z5 (pick one) and ZFX for the paint. I`d also recommend Z6 detail spray and Z7 shampoo for regular maintenance. So that`s under $60 incl shipping with the Z2.

[smurph98gt]

What if I went and picked up an Orbital Buffer? You know, one of those cheap ones from Wal-Mart that cost like 15 dollars? I know some people have had good luck with them before.



I`d love to pick up a PC, but I can`t justify spending that right now.