Jeep soft top

T

TazmanSS

New member
Hi All!



I've been lurking for a day to check out the forum. What a great place and helpful group! I have a black/black SC430, I've always been a Zaino user and have done this car with the usual, Dawn, Z5, Z1, Z2 and so on.



I have flourescent lights in my garage and I can still see very fine "scratches", most likely from a towel. I use white cotton from Fieldcrest cannon, but after reading here a bit, there appear to be better options. I've searches for scratch removal and there seem to be a several suggestions, mostly dealing with actual scratches, versus what I have in very fine "towel scratches".



Any suggestions?



Thanks on advance!



Gene
 
What yu could be looking at are mars in the waxor sealent you have. Also, if they are realy fine, AIO or any light swirl reducer with some SG will clean them right up. Frankly if they are really mild, filling them in can be the safest option especially if they keep re-apearing, but i dont think it is the towels unless the fancy textured sides are the culprit...
 
I have a black car too. Welcome to the beginning of your obession.



1) These scratches get introduced every time you wipe the car with anything. I found terry (even the good stuff) didn't help. I recommend you switch to microfiber towels ASAP. Use foam pads to apply waxes and polishes. Study this site to learn how to wash your car, too. Believe it or not, you mnay be doing the most damage simply in your washing/drying regimen.



2) There are products called "glazes" that fill/hide these scratches. You wax over them and stuff looks pretty good for a while. Zaino Z5 CLAIMS to fill swirls - my experience is that is a crock of BS. The best "filler/hider" products I know of right now are 3M Imperial Hand Glaze and Meguiar's "Scratch-X".



3) To actually get RID of them, you actually have to use a very mild abrasive. The mildest of these are called "swirl mark removers" and both 3M and Meguiar's make them. Application of these products requires proper technique to get good results - you'll find articles on this site addressing those techniques.



4) You may even need something more aggressive - don't worry, these products are still very safe and you could use them many, many times before you would endanger your clear coat. Never use anything more aggressive than needed - always start with something mild, then try something more aggressive if needed. The more aggressive a product you use, the more likely you won't be happy with the results of that product alone. They are, after all, abrasives - so you're in effect sanding the paint with super-fine sand paper and it may leave the finish "hazy". The haze is caused by even finer scratches than the ones you just polished out. The secret then is to follow the more aggressive products with successively milder/finer ones to bring back the original shine.



Note that some mfg's have mild-abrasive products called "polishes" - other company's polishes have no abrasive - so you have to ba careful what you pick. "swirl mark removers" are mild, many "cleaners" are a little more aggressive. 3M has a commercial product called Finesse-IT II Finishing Compound which is still more aggressive, but not as aggressive as:



The most aggressive stuff, consistently called rubbing compound. You almost certainly do NOT need this and shouldn't use it. You would use rubbing compound only on a deep (but still not through the clear coat) scratch.
 
Thanks for the replys folks..



Here's a question. New Black SC430, what would you do?



Zaino

Z5, Z1, Z2, Z6



Or?





__________



I'd like to try the Klasse, or maybe I should wait for the new product next month? Also, could you please (just once) use the full names instead of the acronyms. AIO = Klasse All in One?



Thanks!!!
 
Ah...admire my own car:up :) . Ah, as far as Ziano, dont really know because i havnt ever used it. Since you are talking about very fine swirls then i like I said before would recomend ussing a semi-pperminant filller like Z5 (ZAINO), SG (KLASSE), or perhaps Blackfire Polish (never used it but sounds like a good filler/ fine polish)). Again they may be in the wax/sealent and not nescesarily in the paint itself, and since they are really fine, filling them in will sufice, and is the safer route. Check your toweling methods, maybee get them serged...?...
 
Zaino,



Z-7 wash, Z-1 polish Lok, Z-5, Z-6, Z-5, Z-6, Z-5, Z-6, Z-5 (with 24 hours between coats ot let cure and stop using Z-5 until the paint is perfect and free of very minor swirls), Z-2, Z-6, Z-2, Z-6....etc...



As always, get your paint as perfect as possible before sealing with any sealant. 90% depends on paint prep. Z-5 can be used to fill in minor swirls.



Proper technique will prevent any major swirls from happening and keep them to a minimum.



Klasse



Wash with qaulity shampoo, Klasse AIO (2 optional), Klasse SG (3-5 X), Carnauba topper is wanted.



Jason
 
Welcome to the board...



You're also from ClubLexus, right? How do you like that SC430?



You'll find half the people here like Zaino, half like Klasse. Both are superb products; when used correctly, you'll get the results you're looking for. Good luck!
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by gs3_4me [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>Welcome to the board...

You're also from ClubLexus, right? How do you like that SC430?
[/b]</blockquote>
Couldn't be happier! While some dislike the styling, I love it. Also, it's too bad that they never give it a close look. This car rocks! GPS is very cool, handling & performance is nice, and the stereo is amazing!

<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

You'll find half the people here like Zaino, half like Klasse. Both are superb products; when used correctly, you'll get the results you're looking for. Good luck! [/B]</blockquote>
I've always used Zaino, but I may try Klasse for my own opinion. This is a great board as well, tons of super advice. I was trying to follow a few forums on Edmunds but too much infighting on the Zaino board and on the other wax boards, the Zaino zealots always chime in with their $.02 and then the discussion goes sideways.

Regards,

Gene
 
I have a 2004 Jeep that has a soft top. There are small scratches on the windows nothing major just light scuff's. This soft top has the tinted plastic windows too.

What's the best products to use and the process to use to clean them up and get them back to perfection?


Thanks,
 
Jgraham37128 said:
I have a 2004 Jeep that has a soft top. There are small scratches on the windows nothing major just light scuff's. This soft top has the tinted plastic windows too.

What's the best products to use and the process to use to clean them up and get them back to perfection?


Thanks,
Click to expand...

If they are indeed scratches no product will remove them 100% :blacksmith:

I'm sure whatever plastic polish Proper Auto Care sells will fine as they don't sale junk Da Rules!

The product I use, I applie with a damp applicator pad and buff with a microfiber. You may have to repeat the process 2 or 3 times for ultimate results :wizard:
 
Flash,
try PlastX...its a Meguars product....Pac has it and if you need it right away,sum retailers stock it....the stuff is amazing buddy ,it may not remove deep stuff, but it will make tremendous difference on clearity...you wont believe what comes off on the cloth !!
Hope this helps ! :biggrin:
 
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