Exterior Care

Z

ZYDA

Registered
Hi all, the weather is getting better in the Kansas City area and it is time for me to bring "Queenie" out of hibernation. She is a 1996 Mark VIII LSC. She has a few chips on the front (bumper and hood) but all told her paint has held up pretty good. She has spent almost all her young days in Houston; I acquired her last year and she now lives in Overland Park KS. She is Charcoal Grey (TR) although she looks more like lavender grey. I Claybared her and applied a few coats of Eagle 1 polish last year and although she looked pretty good, I feel she can look better... far better.

The surface is still pretty smooth and I don't believe I need to do the claybar dance again. I drive her sparingly... about 30 miles a week for excercise and so she spends most of her time under a cover. I drive an 1997 Oldsmobile Acheiva to work.

All that being said, I am looking for a GREAT wax or exterior treatment. I dont want to use a mechanical polisher and I am ok with the elbow grease it would take. From all the reading I have done here I gather the mcguires lineup (sp) is the best. What are your comments and suggestions given the exterior color?

I have read one member's comment about a product called Liquid Glass. I have read about it's properties and it seems that it's the sort of treatment I am looking for. One or two coats will keep Queenie looking beautiful for 6 to 9 months. Since I don't drive her in the winter that would be once a year.

I understand that Liquid Glass is not a wax but a chemical combination that shines and protects the paint and all non porus parts including chrome and glass. I would probably use it on painted surfaces only. I would love to hear your thoughts or experiences with this product.

All suggestions are welcome and if this thread turns into a discussion on waxes in general, I would be delighted.

Regards.


http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a132/Zyda/Elias Mark VIII/C1.jpg

1996 Mark VIII LSC
 
RE: Exterior Care

I have been a Zaino fan for the past 5 years. I am a fanatic when it comes to the appearance of the finish. For me, Zaino has been the only product that gets me the results I'm looking for. Opinions on what wax is best is like asking who makes the best pizza. I can tell you I have a shelf full of major brands of wax and they have been collecting dust after I tried Zaino.

After getting the 97 5 years ago which was my first black car, I had to go back to school when it came to techniques used to get a swirl free finish. Even though I had been detailing and showing cars at the national level for 15 years, I was humbled when it came to getting the black car looking perfect. Zaino was my saviour.

I recently learned a valuable lesson. I have always used cotton applicators from Zaino and 100% cotton polishing towels.
I purchased a "microfiber" towel since I have heard others say they are the best. I bought the most expensive towel the store had and put a coat of Z2 on my car. As I started to buff it off, I had great difficulty wiping all the wax off and normally Zaino is very easy to work with. After I finally got it off the finish looked bad. Not much luster or depth. I rewaxed the car using the cotton towel and now its back to being swirl free.

I could not believe the difference a polishing towel can make. Had a similar expereince when I needed an applicator last year so went and bought one locally only to be left with swirls when complete. Again, I was shocked at what a big difference the applicator makes. If I wouldn't have seen it with my own eyes I probably wouldn't believe it. I have not been able to find an applicator for sale locally equal to the quality of the ones Zaino sells. Admittedly, if I would have had anything but a black car I may not have noticed these differences but it was very obvious with black.

I emailed Zaino with my experience on the microfiber towel and they told me they have been lab testing various microfiber towels but the verdict was still out because of the inconsistent quality between brands and even within the same brand. He did say they had great results with some but still needed to do more testing. So there may be some good ones out there but don't be fooled into thinking just because it says "microfiber" means you will get superior results.
 
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