Advice on car!!! Zaino? klasse? souveran?

93LSCOUPE

New member
Hey Guys,



I've been reading posts on this messageboard for a few days now, and I'm really amazed at how much you guys all know!!



You guys really know your stuff! I'm glad I was referred here by a friend. You guys got some real nice rides. I'm going blind from the reflections.



I hope you guys can help clue me in on how to start making my car as nice as your guys'! I need A LOT of help!



First off, I have a Black 1993 Acura Legend. The paint is in very good condition for a '93, but it does have some light scratches and I'm sure it has swirl marks and hazing. I'm not looking to spend a fortune, but I am looking to make the car look better (and shine better) by taking as many of those swirls away as I can.



I already bought some Zaino prods b/c of recommendations from the acura forum I visit. This was before I heard of any of the other stuff i.e. klasse, souveran etc....



I picked up Z1, Z2, Z5, and Z6.



Can you guys tell me what I should do to my car? What kind of towels do I need? MF or Cotton? Is the absorber bad for my car?What other products should I try? (I read that Z5 is pretty useless??)



Feel free to give me all the advice you can, as I need it!



Thanks a lot guys. You guys are great!



Howard
 
Here's a picture of the condition of the paint on the car! Forgot to post it!
Mvc-098f.jpg
 
Get MF towels from PakShak, they are great ones... get a few waffleweave for drying (I'd get three), and like 4 or 5 medium sized ones. Then get a few small ones to throw into a glovebox and use for minor detailing.



As per the Zaino... just use the regular application instructions.



Dawn it up, clay, then do a regular wash.



Then apply the Z5 for a few coats, and top it with Z2. Should come out looking *slick!*
 
Hercules is right about the MF towels, they are a must-have. A few people have reported luck using Z5 to hide swirls, but if you want to get rid of them, you'll need a better product. Since you're working by hand you might want to try #9 and for treatment of deep scratches use Scratch-X. You can search the forum for complete instructions and tips on application.



If these products don't do the job for you, you'll need a more aggressive product. I know a lot of the guys on here use DACP by hand (Check out Scottwax's gallery if you like...I think he's one of 'em). Working by hand will limit the amount of swirls that you can remove and it may take more than one application to get it done...it might take many more, but be patient. The secret is to get it in the best shape possible before you put the Zaino on.



If you haven't checked out the acronym list yet, do so....there is a link to it in the "Features" box on the top left of the page. Good luck!
 
Thanks for the info guys!



I will get some Pakshak MF towels. I still have some questions though.



So should I keep my Z-5 and see how it works?? Or should I try #9??? What do you guys think? anyone ever try either? How did they work? Can anyone suggest a product that works well with Black cars? I stopped by Pepboys and saw that there was a 3M Swirl Remover for Dark Cars. Is this stuff any good?



Also, when would I apply the #9 if I decide to use it? Before or after the Z1?



What are cutting pads, CMA ? What kind of applicator should I use to apply all these things?



Please let me know. Im still confused Too much jargon for me!Thanks a lot guys.
 
PakShak is a forum member here. Ask for the autopian discount. Great service and Ranney is Top notch!



I would stick with the Z5 it actually helps fill in some very light swirling.



The swirls on the BMW in this thread were light to moderate. Now after a year of having 3 coat of Z5 with ZFX applied last year, the swirls are filled in slightly, now they are just light.



http://www.autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=25401



Meguiar's #9 and 3M SMR for dark colored cars are pretty mild by hand, you actually fill in the swirls the slight abrasives in these can't remove. So you might be pleased with the finish until you wash with dawn and remove the fillers. A good product is 3M Finesse It II. by hand its hard to use and the technique is tricky, but some forum members get great results by hand. Its the middle ground between a Swirl Mark Remover like #9 or 3m's SMR but not as strong as a light compound.



If you use Meguiar's #9, you would wash, clay, Meguiar's #9 (be prepared to spend a lot of time by hand working this in and follow up each panel with a 50/50 mixture of alcohol to water to remove the fillers.), then dawn wash if you would like (optional but I always seem to dawn wash before doing the initital Zaino application. Since you removed the fillers with the alcohol mixture, then I would say its safe to Zaino, but I am pretty much alone in the fact that I like to dawn wash a fresh surface that has never seen Zaino.) Zaino away.



Here is a list that might help.

http://www.autopia.org/display.php?file=acronyms.htm



CMA is www.properautocare.com You will find the yellow cutting pad is apart of the Porter Cable and polisher pad made by Lake Country Mfg. You will find them for cheaper at www.topoftheline.com



For the Meguiar's #9 or any polish use foam for a finer finish, or try microfiber or terry for more bite, then finish it off with foam. For Zaino I always use foam.



Hope this helps,

Jason
 
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