My Vintage Experience...

codiddy said:
supe, there is a brand of soap called LAVA, you can buy two bars for like 99c cents at walmart. It is a bar soap with lots of pumice and grit embedded. I have yet to find anything it won't take off my hands quickly. you should try and find some and do an experiment on if it is strong enough to take off vintage.



Also about whether it uses more wax to apply with your hand, shouldn't a hand absorb less of the wax than an applicator while also warming up the wax and making it easier to apply a thin coat? I assume thats why they recommend hand application, It makes sense to me.
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I haven't seen LAVA soap around for years.. yeah, i bet that stuff would make quick work of the wax.



I think you're right on about the application method. The other thing about the wax... The flakes of wax (you can actually feel the gritty pieces of wax when you first take it out of the container) need to melt in your hand before you apply it to the car. You also need to rub the stuff around in your hands a bit to mix the melted wax into the solvents really well. It's kinda hard to explain well, but after you do it one time you think "oh, yeah, i get it.. so that''s how it works". Using an applicator wouldn't allow you to melt the wax flakes first.
 
BlackElantraGT said:
I find it it funny that you're considering dropping 14 grand for wax, yet you're worried about the cost of shipping. If I could afford something this expensive, shipping would be the last of my worries.
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I'm not REALLY seriously considering Solaris. Not even thinking about Royale . . . yet. My point was that if you're going to spend an astronomical dollar amount on Royale, why not just go for top of the line and get the Solaris (when it comes out). It's like everyone keeps saying that Vintage is $1852. It's actually $1852 plus the cost of shipping the container roundtrip each time. My point was that if I get Royale for $7000+, it's actually going to be $7000+ for the wax plus addtional money to get it refilled each time.



BTW - Royale can actually be for 2 different paint types since there are 2 cavities in the container. Just and FYI for anyone considering Royale.
 
SuperBee364 said:
There wasn't really any refill information sent to me with the Vintage. Do you just call their customer service number to get a refill approved, then an RMA number or something? Not that I'm even close to needing a refill, just curious as to the process for when the time comes. Thank you very much for all the Zymol information you've given... answered a bunch of my questions.
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My suggestion: The first time you need a refill, call up customer service and talk to them. There are 2 different addresses depending on how you are sending it. I send USPS which goes to their P.O. box. Tell then you're sending USPS so that they know to check it (it's just down the road from their office.) The will then ask for a credit card to keep on file. After that, you can send it in each time and they will automatically bill you. Just make sure that you always put a little letter with instructions: Hi I'm Joe Blogs, I need a refill, please send it to: XXX. Oh well you get the picture.



Welcome to the club! :hifive:
 
So yesterday I'm driving along in the late afternoon. The sun is quite low in the sky, giving me a great lighting angle to see every little flaw, bug hit, spec of dust, etc on the windshield. I notice what looks to be that haze you get built up on the inside of the windows on new cars. WTH? I haven't had that problem for months... so I do the thumb rub test on the inside of the windshield. Nope, it's definitely on the outside. So the only thing it can be is wax hazing! Wow, I really thought I'd done a proper wipedown of the car after I had removed the wax. Starting to wonder if this is the reason why my car really hasn't looked as well as I thought it should after the Vintage treatement.



So this morning I give it a good (but gentle) wash with a MF mitt. The beading was absolutely unreal. Just like those youtube videos of the Royale beading. Anyway, after the wash, I carefully dried it down with my WW towel, making sure I applied medium pressure to all parts of the care wth the towel.



The result ended up being the cleeeeeeeear, cleeeeeeeean, and deeeeeep finish (liquid shimmer) that lbls1 talked about. My inexperience in how to properly wipe off/polish the Vintage was sooo obvious now. The car looks ten times better. I am sooooo much happier with the result today than I was til now. Wow!



If I can find my stupid flash memory card I'll try and snap some more pictures... Apologies if you guys are getting tired of my story and my pics...my wife just doesn't seem to get this stuff...



So lbls1 or Vintage, if you guys are still around... Exactly how should I finish up the removal process? I removed the wax five minutes after it was applied, then waited three hours, and lightly polished it again with a very soft MF towel. That's pretty much exactly what the instructions said to do, yet I was left with a thin film of wax haze til after the first wash. Any pointers???
 
SuperBee364 said:
So yesterday I'm driving along in the late afternoon. The sun is quite low in the sky, giving me a great lighting angle to see every little flaw, bug hit, spec of dust, etc on the windshield. I notice what looks to be that haze you get built up on the inside of the windows on new cars. WTH? I haven't had that problem for months... so I do the thumb rub test on the inside of the windshield. Nope, it's definitely on the outside. So the only thing it can be is wax hazing! Wow, I really thought I'd done a proper wipedown of the car after I had removed the wax. Starting to wonder if this is the reason why my car really hasn't looked as well as I thought it should after the Vintage treatement.



So this morning I give it a good (but gentle) wash with a MF mitt. The beading was absolutely unreal. Just like those youtube videos of the Royale beading. Anyway, after the wash, I carefully dried it down with my WW towel, making sure I applied medium pressure to all parts of the care wth the towel.



The result ended up being the cleeeeeeeear, cleeeeeeeean, and deeeeeep finish (liquid shimmer) that lbls1 talked about. My inexperience in how to properly wipe off/polish the Vintage was sooo obvious now. The car looks ten times better. I am sooooo much happier with the result today than I was til now. Wow!



If I can find my stupid flash memory card I'll try and snap some more pictures... Apologies if you guys are getting tired of my story and my pics...my wife just doesn't seem to get this stuff...



So lbls1 or Vintage, if you guys are still around... Exactly how should I finish up the removal process? I removed the wax five minutes after it was applied, then waited three hours, and lightly polished it again with a very soft MF towel. That's pretty much exactly what the instructions said to do, yet I was left with a thin film of wax haze til after the first wash. Any pointers???
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I remember a friend of mine use to mist the car with cold water and wipe it down. He felt it locked in the wax, as he said. I never tried it. Maybe just a wipe down with a good QD will do the trick.
 
SuperBee364 said:
If I can find my stupid flash memory card I'll try and snap some more pictures... Apologies if you guys are getting tired of my story and my pics...my wife just doesn't seem to get this stuff...



So lbls1 or Vintage, if you guys are still around... Exactly how should I finish up the removal process? I removed the wax five minutes after it was applied, then waited three hours, and lightly polished it again with a very soft MF towel. That's pretty much exactly what the instructions said to do, yet I was left with a thin film of wax haze til after the first wash. Any pointers???
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Hi Supe, not getting tired of your stories or pics, always glad to help a fellow Zymol enthusiast.



I know you are "supposed" to wait 3 - 4 hours for a final wipe, but I don't. I wait over five minutes many times before the first wipe. I wait until just before it dries - it seems somewhat dry on top yet underneath, it's still very workable. Fold your mf twice when doing this. Use firm pressure.



The 2nd wipe down is usually within 30-60 minutes using firm to medium pressure. Another (final) wipedown in 3 hours. Always fold your mf twice, not just once, to help prevent and scuffing. I know it seems too tedious, but I have never had any problems with hazing.
 
SuperBee!!!! First of all...........don't listen to some of the detractors that will make random comments and all. The old saying goes............If you've got it, flaunt it. Zymol is made for all types of finishes and colors. It is an academic point in terms of what color your car is, etc. You are off to a fine start judging by the pics.



How I handle a zymol (sneeked another coat today lol..) is to take it down in stages. Don't go for the big wipe-off. Have three good towels at your disposal when you take off the vintage haze; A terry cloth towel, a medium grade mf, and a finishing mf (don't go crazy with the super soft, super fine finishing cloths.......a good, well graded mf will do just fine). The third wipe will be the one that settles the haze into a finished shine. I will wager that by that time a little over 2 hours (judging by the girth of your car !chuckle!) would've gone by. You can either take a fourth towel.....a really good finishing mf (again, don't go crazy with the super soft and super fancy $25+ towels) and go over the finish either dry or with atomized water (a squeegie). I would not advise using a qd or zymol's field glaze when you're finish buffing the zymol. You want a clear and sharp result when you're done. I find the atomized water with the final buff to be effective in tuning the zymol's finish to a razor sharp degree.



After your EGZ's finish has aged a little (2 weeks or more, and my personal recommendation would be after a few spaced out rounds of Vintaaaaaaagggghe), then you can service the finish with a very, very mild qd. Don't necessarily depend on the QD for shine or wetness.........that is the job of your exclusive wax!!!! The qd is for cutting some lingering haze in between waxings or washings, and it will add just a spice of moistness to the surface.



Shine on!!



Edit: You may occasionally see some of the limitations of your paint with vintage (like a few swirl lines that may have been missed, etc), and that is due to the fact that the (that word again) white carnauba content has a way of showing all of the good and the bad of your paint. That is one of the reasons that good prep is essential. You don't want controllable things like swirls interrupting the flow of the Zymol.
 
Vintage said:
Hi Supe, not getting tired of your stories or pics, always glad to help a fellow Zymol enthusiast.



I know you are "supposed" to wait 3 - 4 hours for a final wipe, but I don't. I wait over five minutes many times before the first wipe. I wait until just before it dries - it seems somewhat dry on top yet underneath, it's still very workable. Fold your mf twice when doing this. Use firm pressure.



The 2nd wipe down is usually within 30-60 minutes using firm to medium pressure. Another (final) wipedown in 3 hours. Always fold your mf twice, not just once, to help prevent and scuffing. I know it seems too tedious, but I have never had any problems with hazing.
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Thanks, man, the help is greatly appreciated. My enthusiasm for the Vintage is growing by the day. After I made my last post, I went back out with the softest MF towel I have and gave it another wipedown. The thing is just shimmering now. Can't wait to put another layer on it! The water beading is just unreal. It's like the water jumps off the car.



I did find another few holograms on it today in the sun, though, so I'm seriously thinking about another few passes with 106ff and starting over again. The only thing that prevents me from getting started on it right now is thinking about having to do the HD-Cleanse again.
 
lbls1 said:
SuperBee!!!! First of all...........don't listen to some of the detractors that will make random comments and all. The old saying goes............If you've got it, flaunt it. Zymol is made for all types of finishes and colors. It is an academic point in terms of what color your car is, etc. You are off to a fine start judging by the pics.



How I handle a zymol (sneeked another coat today lol..) is to take it down in stages. Don't go for the big wipe-off. Have three good towels at your disposal when you take off the vintage haze; A terry cloth towel, a medium grade mf, and a finishing mf (don't go crazy with the super soft, super fine finishing cloths.......a good, well graded mf will do just fine). The third wipe will be the one that settles the haze into a finished shine. I will wager that by that time a little over 2 hours (judging by the girth of your car !chuckle!) would've gone by. You can either take a fourth towel.....a really good finishing mf (again, don't go crazy with the super soft and super fancy $25+ towels) and go over the finish either dry or with atomized water (a squeegie). I would not advise using a qd or zymol's field glaze when you're finish buffing the zymol. You want a clear and sharp result when you're done. I find the atomized water with the final buff to be effective in tuning the zymol's finish to a razor sharp degree.



After your EGZ's finish has aged a little (2 weeks or more, and my personal recommendation would be after a few spaced out rounds of Vintaaaaaaagggghe), then you can service the finish with a very, very mild qd. Don't necessarily depend on the QD for shine or wetness.........that is the job of your exclusive wax!!!! The qd is for cutting some lingering haze in between waxings or washings, and it will add just a spice of moistness to the surface.



Shine on!!



Edit: You may occasionally see some of the limitations of your paint with vintage (like a few swirl lines that may have been missed, etc), and that is due to the fact that the (that word again) white carnauba content has a way of showing all of the good and the bad of your paint. That is one of the reasons that good prep is essential. You don't want controllable things like swirls interrupting the flow of the Zymol.
Click to expand...





Yes, exactly! I searched my car for holograms under the halogens and in the sun (I found just a bit on the hood as shown in the first set of pics) prior to applying the Vintage. Now after I've finally gotten the hang of buffing the Vintage to an absolutely amazing shine, I'm seeing holograms in numerous other places, as well as a few mild surface defects that escaped the buffer. So now I'm waffling between spending another 8 hours on it starting over again, or just living with it and seeing what a second coat of Vintage will make it look like.



In the first set of pics, there are two halogen shots that show the passenger side door. See any holograms? I didn't. In fact, I was pretty happy with what appeared to be a flawless finish. The Vintage now shows there to be some slight hologramming in that very area shown in the pics!



I really would like to start with a flawless finish to see what the Vintage is capable of looking like.



I can't tell you how much I appreciate the information on removal/buffing. I'm definitely going to do the next removal/buffing as you have suggested.



I do have one last question (last one, promise : ) ). I have some brand new synthetic wool DA bonnets that are meant to bring carnauba to a perfect shine. They are made from the softest material I've ever felt, and are supposed to be used on a DA machine after wiping off the initial carnauba haze. So it would be: apply the vintage, wait 5-10 minutes, wipe off with a folded towel, then go over it with the bonnet on a PC at slow speed. Think this is worth giving a try?
 
thesacrifice said:
I love the Charger, it looks so mean.



If I wasn't saving for a house, $1800 probably wouldnt seem like that big of a punch to the nuts for a wax.
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LOL, I completely missed this post... I'm still using ice packs. :)
 
Its not for me to tell you what to do with your property, but in a word............HellNo!!!!! After the wiping final stages, you should be done, friend. Anything more applied to it (even with a buffer) may actually cause more swirling or issues. Zymol is especially formulated to be manipulated with your hands, so at the risk of alienating anyone............get that buffer outta here!!!!lol!!



In all seriousness, if you feel strongly about trying it, then do a small section and see what you get.



As for the Holograms, IMO if its not seriously sticking out, I'd say skip it and start slowly collecting the zymol layers and have some fun. Eventually you would've accumulated enough to conceal very slight defects. But........analyze your polishing steps. If you see holograms after you've polished, then you may need to notch up the aggressiveness of your polish team. I've never really needed anything stronger than a moderately aggressive polish such as a swirl remover. Try using an aggressive pad (just wagering a suggestion just in case you haven't covered it yet) with a good swirl remover, and if its the pc, then notch that sucker progressively until you hit the highest speed (6), and hold on tight!!! Then on your next big clean, I'd try a new polish combination and then re-start your zymol (that's bc I hate doing things over unless its absolutely necessary). The EGZVintage has very amazing qualities, especially in the lower layering stages. Its not so much about the shine (anything can shine) as it is about how color, depth of reflected images and overall paint appearance gets translated thru the wax. When the color and the quality of the paint gets well rendered, then in another session or two, all Hell (Heck...sorry for the loose talk) will break loose....shine, reflectivity, you name it....will all be in attendance.
 
Hey Diesel, thanks for the continued interest. :) I've been getting a bit concerned that I might be wearing out my welcome on this subject.



My car is currently sitting in the garage, dirty from the rain storm we have passing through. I was hoping that I would be able to put on another coat of Vintage today and post some pics, but the weather here is not cooperating. It's supposed to stay this way for another few days, too.



Now that my wool pads got here, I'm seriously thinking about correcting the wife's suv paint and putting a layer of vintage on it before I do another coat on my car. Might be kinda fun to see how well I can make a gold Sequoia look.
 
"Anyway, I'm taking another detailing break. Just finished an alcohol wipedown now that all the polishing is done"



Hello SuperBee,

Great job on your car. What I would like to know is, "what is alcohol wipe down" are you talking about regular Alcohol?? Something you can get at a local store. or is it a special alcohol just for cars. Just would like some feed back on it.



Thanks



David R
 
Just a 50/50 mix of water and isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. Lot's of people use it after the last polishing step to remove any polish residues before putting on glaze, sealant, or wax.
 
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