Need Help

E

Ed Hartman

New member
I have a 1999 BLACK conversion van, paint is in pretty good shape. I have been using Zymol since it was new. Iam not a pro, just like to keep the van looking good. Can someone recommend a wax/polish that will give me a deep, rich shine and some durability. Thanks
 
Ed,



For a black color you will need to get away from the idea or thought of a "one-step" polish/wax and shift over to a series of steps if you want a truly deep rich finish.



This may include a claying session, paint cleaning, polishing and sealing.



Does the paint have scratches and swirls? If so then you may need to use a high speed rotary or hire a professional detailer to do it.



No wax or sealant will give you a deep rich finish if the prep work is not done properly. Waxes and sealants are designed to enhance all the prep work done to the finish so proper cleaning and polishing are very important. If the finish is really not that bad you may be able to get great results by investing in a Porter Cable orbital polisher. Do a search on the forum for more info.



Anthony
 
Ok, thanks for the tip Anthony. I'll throw the one step idea out the window. So I start from scratch, from prep to finish. What do you recomend? I see they have "kits" for sale at properautocare.com, do you guys recomend getting one? If so, which one?
 
Without seeing the van, i can only guess...

With that said, i would do some searching on a mildly abrasive polish that you could use by hand(assuming you dont have any kind of orbital, rotary, eyc.). Maybe something like Meguiars #9. Given the condition, you may need something more aggressive such as #83 - Dual Action Cleaner Polish. As far as protection goes, you need to figure out what exactly you are looking for - long lasting protection(sealant) or warm glow(wax). Since this is a conversion van, i would look into a sealant. Popular sealants you can do some searching on are Zaino, Klasse, Blackfire, Platinum, Einzett, Meguiars #20, and some newer ones i cant remember the names of. Sorry for the genera/vague advice but thats all i can really give without a detailed description of your vehicle's paint condition;)
 
Ed,



Anthony hit the nail on the head. With black paint especially the preparation is the key to a good result.



IMO the products that you use aren’t nearly as important and the techniques and methods - - especially with black paint! Pick an inconspicuous area and use it to practice. A 2 sq. foot area would be fine. Wash it with dish detergent , rinse, and clay that area. Dawn is a good detergent, and Blue Magic or Zaino’s clay are my favorites, but most brands are okay. Then try a polish by hand. You’ll learn whether or not you need to go to a power polisher. Do NOT use a rotary buffer, only an orbital! 3M Swirl Mark Remover is a good product here, but there are many others. Next try a finer polish or a glaze. Again, many products, most of them good. The last step is the paint protection and you have to choose between traditional carnauba which gives a deeper, more wet looking finish - or a polymer which gives more sparkle and a harder look. If you change your mind the carnauba can be removed with dish detergent and the polymer with rubbing alcohol



You don’t even have to do that whole sequence in one day. You can do a step or two and come back to it later.
 
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