Proper order of application wash/plastics/Zaino

MisterGuru

MisterGuru

New member
Hi, I'll keep this short:

Washing the car (black 95 Firebird TA) today with Dawn and Zaino is on order (Z5+ZFX, Z6, Z7).

1) After washing.... I assume I need to dry it as normal or drip dry?

2) There is large black plastic around the cowl/wipers area... how do I approach this? Mask off car? Do it before the Dawn wash?
2a) Plastic/rubber around windows?

3) Anyone want a 12.1 second TA loaded? (and soon to be shiny!) :jump

-- Tim Williams
http://shootmyphoto.com
 
Hi Tim,

1) Not a Zaino user but would follow their recommendations on drying. I like to dry simply because I can see the paint without any distractions (like water spots).

2) Are you wanting to mask off the cowling to simplify wax splatter/removal, or are you masking to repair a stained cowling?

2a) If seals around widows are clean after washing, proceed to dress with a water-based dressing. If seals are still rough or look like they have mold growing on them, scuff lightly with fine sand paper or steel wool misted with a ph neutral all-purpose, (careful to keep APC off paint and glass) then poceed to dress with water-based dressing.

3) Not me. Was the proud owner of 3 F-bodies, (86 IROC, 88 T/A, 92 Z-28) and now with family, am in a Volvo wagon. Much safer that way. But I love those F-bodies!!!

Mike R
 
stainbuster said:
2) Are you wanting to mask off the cowling to simplify wax splatter/removal, or are you masking to repair a stained cowling?
Click to expand...

I wasn't clear... sorry!

I mean: Should I dress the rubber parts before waxing... masking off the freshly Dawn-washed paint?

Thanks for that quick reply.
 
Does Zaino leave a white residue on the trim? If you think it will, I would mask the trim while applying the Zaino.
It seems like applying the dressing just before applying the Zaino might possibly end up with some of the dressing getting on to the paint enough to not be a good thing for the Zaino.
Once the Zaino cures, I would think you could apply your rubber/vinyl dressing with no undesireable side effects.
I happen to use UPP and I follow that procedure with good results.

Charles

On the F-bodies. My son had 1 Formula and 2 TA's. They all were rust buckets. Fast rust buckets, though. One of the TA's lasted 176,000 miles before he gave up on it.
 
Ah yes, I see now.

To me, it depends. If you're using a machine to apply polish or watever, and you dress trim first, then you will have to go back and re-clean and dress the trim (as there inevitably will be splatter). Also, if you dress the trim first, then mask, you will have a hard time getting the masking tape to adhere to the trim.

If you're waxing by hand and applying dressing with an applicator pad, then you should be able to keep it clean and it wouldn't matter.

If you mask, do the paintwork first, unmask, then dress, be sure to be careful when applying the dressing so you don't get it on the freshly waxed paint.

OK, one of my favorite polishes, and another wax for that matter, are extremely effective at revitalizing rubber trim, so I just polish or wax right over it. No white staining, and the trim looks and feels as if it was just dressed. Buffs right off. Nice one step, but for harder plastic trim like cowlings and body moldings, I stay away from waxing these, obviously.

In short, I suppose it all depends on the condition of the paint/trim/cowling and what you want to achieve, as well as they types of tools (if any) you'll be using and your technique.

Make sense?
 
STAINBUSTER said:OK, one of my favorite polishes, and another wax for that matter, are extremely effective at revitalizing rubber trim, so I just polish or wax right over it. No white staining, and the trim looks and feels as if it was just dressed. Buffs right off. Nice one step, but for harder plastic trim like cowlings and body moldings, I stay away from waxing these, obviously.
Click to expand...

What wax is that, or what do you recommend on that large, plastic trim? I have been using a tire lotion... purple now... used to be white, but they changed it.


groebuck said:
12.1 quarter mile? :) - how much and how many miles :)
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I'd like to get about $12,000 out of it... it is street/strip and has made 200+ mile trips to distant dragsrips in total comfort (leather, air, stereo, elec. windows... etc) The engine is original and has ~70,000 miles on it... just now broken in :jump

Here is a list of mods... over $10,000 in parts!


Mods: 58mm, 30# Accel Injectors, GMS MAF, Mez Elec Water Pump, Underdrive Pulleys, Alum. Driveshaft, exhaust cutout, BTE 3600 stall, TH350 with Transbrake, B&M Pro Ratchet, Moser 12-bolt with spool, MAC Torque Arm, Dynatech headers, Tim's Custom Y-Pipe, XE230/236 cam, 1.6RR's, STAGE ZERO heads, MSD 6 Digital+, Accel Coil, LineLock, Eibach Drag Springs, KYB adj struts, CE Shocks, Lakewood LCA's
Best Times: 7.70 1/8th mile, 1.68 60', 90.36 MPH
 
What wax is that, or what do you recommend on that large, plastic trim? I have been using a tire lotion... purple now... used to be white, but they changed it.

Stereo #2 from Ardex, BC-2 from AM. I do not, repeat, do not use these on the harder, grained, plastic trim such as the cowling on an F-body. Rather I do run it past the paint line and just lightly over the lower window trim, for example.
 
Dawn wash first then *thoroughly * dry it .. if you have a compressor blow out every nook and cranny.

Zaino does not stain trim. Only mix up 1 oz of Z5 ZFX mix at a time and spread it thin as possible to the complete car then buff with a good M/F towel. You can repeat up to 3 layers in a day but then wait a few days before more layers.

Us the Z6 between layers.

Z7 wash is only required after the initial layers and before the next layers.

I never did buy the Z7 .. no ill effects.


This is Zaino Z5 x 3 .. Z2 x 2 on my black B5.5

12805stang.jpg
 
Great looking finish. Like looking into a mirror. Nice looking stand next to you as well. Looks as if you were at an outdoor auto show.
 
Cobra - 402 RWHP, 420 RWTorque

Jesstzn - that's beautiful... makes me want to go clean it now!

Unless someone tells me to STOP I plan on wet-sanding a boo-boo in the hood were there was once some bird-poop (before I owned it). It etched into the paint some and I cannot image a clay bar touching it! I had planned on putting on a fiberglass hood if I was keeping it.

Thanks for your advice - it will go a long way on my Dodge truck too :-)
 
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