[paulcheung]

hi George
it looks like you have a lot of knowledge and was wondering can you help me out
i just purchase a 2010 BMW 335i Sapphire black and i had the dealer wax it and its been about 4 weeks now and i have been seeing swirls and some lite scratch marks and was think about purchasing products from Zaino, i have heard many people get great results from this sealant and was wondering is there better products to use and should i use wax instead becuase i just purchase this brand new car and want to use the best product for it

Thanks

[MKParris]

thanks so much, Ill put my order in soon!

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

I'd recommend starting off with a medium cut polish and see if it yields the results you are looking for before jumping to a more aggressive solution. If you don't have any pads or a backing plate, I'd suggest picking up the Meguiar's W67DA backing plate and some 5.5" pads for maximum results.

For more of a mild combo, I'd suggest going with Menzerna Power Finish on green pads and follow up with some Menzerna PO85RD using black pads.

A more aggressive option that will do better on deeper etching would be Meguiar's M105 using orange pads followed by Meguiar's M205 using white pads.

Here's a good read on properly using the M105/M205 combo with a PC if you go this route.

Keep us posted on what you end up going with and how things turn out.

[RDHTran]

Hey George,
I was claying my bros new camry he has a dark graphite color and after I was done I noticed it was scrached up more then before. I figured it was me because I like to go in a back and forth motion and it was clearly scratched up that way. I just Meguiars quick detailer as a lub and had the extra water from the wash still on the car. The only part I didnt clay was the roof and it barely had any scratches on it. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks!

[jopa489]

Originally Posted by paulcheung

hi George
it looks like you have a lot of knowledge and was wondering can you help me out
i just purchase a 2010 BMW 335i Sapphire black and i had the dealer wax it and its been about 4 weeks now and i have been seeing swirls and some lite scratch marks and was think about purchasing products from Zaino, i have heard many people get great results from this sealant and was wondering is there better products to use and should i use wax instead becuase i just purchase this brand new car and want to use the best product for it

Thanks

If your dealer is like most dealers, they probably used a filling glaze to make the paint appear pristine. Once the fillers wash off (generally after a couple of weeks), the true condition of the paint is revealed and it is often noticeably worse. By and large, dealer detailers are hacks and almost always seem to do more harm than good.

Zaino makes good products, but there are plenty of other alternatives out there (which are as good or better). To repair the swirls and light scratches, you're probably going to need a one or two step polish with a Porter Cable. You can then follow up with the sealant of your choice, followed by wax if you chose. Sealant protects the paint and adds some gloss; a carnauba wax offers some protection and adds tons of gloss. Using both is great, but you will likely be satisfied with just the sealant if your car is a daily driver.

Avoid the dealer detailing services in the future, and also ask them not to wash the car when you go in for service. Avoiding traditional tunnel washes will keep your paint looking good for longer periods of time - touchless washes are generally fine. Of course, the best thing is doing it yourself.

Originally Posted by Rtran

Hey George,
I was claying my bros new camry he has a dark graphite color and after I was done I noticed it was scrached up more then before. I figured it was me because I like to go in a back and forth motion and it was clearly scratched up that way. I just Meguiars quick detailer as a lub and had the extra water from the wash still on the car. The only part I didnt clay was the roof and it barely had any scratches on it. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks!

You probably used too much pressure or too little lube (or a combination of both). Hopefully the scratches are repairable.

In the future, use the lube very liberally with very little (if any) pressure. You essentially want to run the clay over the paint - the weight of the bar and your fingers is plenty. Let the clay do the work.

Also, what kind of clay bar did you use? Your technique may not have been bad, but perhaps you used a bar that was too aggressive for a brand new car (and no subsequent polish).

[RDHTran]

hey thanks, yeah i used way to much pressure and the scratches are visible but there not deep or anything. Im pretty sure I can get rid of them by polishing it. What kind of clay bar do you recommend?

[RDHTran]

also i heard there is a soft coat and hard clear coat depending on brand. This is a new Camry can i use the same set up that I use my car with a PC orange pad and white pad 105/205 ofcourse I would use less pressure. thanks

[paulcheung]

Originally Posted by jopa489

If your dealer is like most dealers, they probably used a filling glaze to make the paint appear pristine. Once the fillers wash off (generally after a couple of weeks), the true condition of the paint is revealed and it is often noticeably worse. By and large, dealer detailers are hacks and almost always seem to do more harm than good.

Zaino makes good products, but there are plenty of other alternatives out there (which are as good or better). To repair the swirls and light scratches, you're probably going to need a one or two step polish with a Porter Cable. You can then follow up with the sealant of your choice, followed by wax if you chose. Sealant protects the paint and adds some gloss; a carnauba wax offers some protection and adds tons of gloss. Using both is great, but you will likely be satisfied with just the sealant if your car is a daily driver.

Avoid the dealer detailing services in the future, and also ask them not to wash the car when you go in for service. Avoiding traditional tunnel washes will keep your paint looking good for longer periods of time - touchless washes are generally fine. Of course, the best thing is doing it yourself.

do you have a product that you would recommended？
thanks

[jopa489]

Originally Posted by paulcheung

do you have a product that you would recommended？
thanks

Depends on what you want.

I'm not saying Zaino is bad (it isn't), but don't feel tied to their numbered product line. For sealant, I personally prefer Menzerna FMJ on my black cars. CG JetSeal is also very good. For winter protection, I use Collinite 476s or 845 since it needs to last me a good 4-5 months.

There are tons of choices when it comes to wax, it depends on how much you are willing to spend. PB Natty's Blue is by far the best bang-for-your-buck on a black car. It's great stuff, and $20 buys you an 8oz container. Dodo Juice Purple Haze is another awesome choice for black, but is a bit more expensive. Dodo Juice Supernatural is in a class of it's own, but is one of the best waxes on the market.

[paulcheung]

Originally Posted by jopa489

Depends on what you want.

I'm not saying Zaino is bad (it isn't), but don't feel tied to their numbered product line. For sealant, I personally prefer Menzerna FMJ on my black cars. CG JetSeal is also very good. For winter protection, I use Collinite 476s or 845 since it needs to last me a good 4-5 months.

There are tons of choices when it comes to wax, it depends on how much you are willing to spend. PB Natty's Blue is by far the best bang-for-your-buck on a black car. It's great stuff, and $20 buys you an 8oz container. Dodo Juice Purple Haze is another awesome choice for black, but is a bit more expensive. Dodo Juice Supernatural is in a class of it's own, but is one of the best waxes on the market.

thanks for all the help

i just wanted to use one line of product instead of using so many different products and it didn't blend correctly and can cause damage to my car and that dodo juice supernatural is super high i think im go with the purple haze.
agains thanks for ur help

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by Rtran

also i heard there is a soft coat and hard clear coat depending on brand. This is a new Camry can i use the same set up that I use my car with a PC orange pad and white pad 105/205 ofcourse I would use less pressure. thanks

The M105/M205 combo should remove the marring the clay bar left behind. As Jopa mentioned, it probably was due to too much pressure or the use of a medium grade clay bar on soft Japanese paint. You could start with the M205 and see if that removes the marring and move on to the M105 as needed.

Jopa - thanks for replying, great advice as always

[Alan l.]

Hi George,

I picked up a bottle of Optimum Opti-Seal based on your recommendation when i got my new AW Msport back in August. I've been OD'ing me car with it and i'm already down to 10% left on the bottle (i'm alittle OCD when it comes to my car ).

Is there another product that you recommend that is as easy to use as optiseal but with more protection or shine? I'm not sure if the optiseal is doing anything in terms of protection but it doesn't really offer much more of a shine before and after i apply it. My car sits outside all day long so i want to make sure it has the best protection it can get without spending hours each time.

Alan

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by Alan l.

Hi George,

I picked up a bottle of Optimum Opti-Seal based on your recommendation when i got my new AW Msport back in August. I've been OD'ing me car with it and i'm already down to 10% left on the bottle (i'm alittle OCD when it comes to my car ).

Is there another product that you recommend that is as easy to use as optiseal but with more protection or shine? I'm not sure if the optiseal is doing anything in terms of protection but it doesn't really offer much more of a shine before and after i apply it. My car sits outside all day long so i want to make sure it has the best protection it can get without spending hours each time.

Alan

Sealant wise, you could look into the Blackfire Wet Diamond. It's one of our best selling sealants and offers durable protection as well as enhances the gloss and depth of the finish. Here's a good product review on the Wet Diamond.

Opti-Seal is one of the longer lasting sealants on the market, what are you using to maintain your car? Perhaps you are using a strong shampoo that's reducing the amount of protection you should be seeing. Are you going through automatic car washes?

Hope this helps.

[RDHTran]

Thanks George and Jopa for all the help!

[SS e93]

is there any way to remove very light swirls by hand?
had the dealer wash my car ONCE when getting my first service (hpfp replaced) and i forgot to tell them not to wash it. otherwise it is always hand washed. Only visible in direct overhead lighting such as gas stations.

[Andrew9931]

Whats the best smelling air freshener? I like poor boys natural look dressing smell. Anything I find locally smells cheap and you can't smell it until you buy lol.

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by icyhot e92

is there any way to remove very light swirls by hand?
had the dealer wash my car ONCE when getting my first service (hpfp replaced) and i forgot to tell them not to wash it. otherwise it is always hand washed. Only visible in direct overhead lighting such as gas stations.

If you're going to attempt to remove swirls by hand, I'd suggest trying the Meguiar's polishes. The least aggressive product would be Meguiar's ScratchX, then the next step up would be Meguiar's M205. If that didn't do the trick, try some M105 followed by M205.

I wouldn't expect perfection, but you can probably improve some of the lighter swirls by hand. Ideally, you'll want to invest in a quality buffer, such as the Porter Cable 7424XP if you really want to restore your paints finish. Take a look at this polishing kit if your interested in a buffer.

Originally Posted by NVM3NYC

Whats the best smelling air freshener? I like poor boys natural look dressing smell. Anything I find locally smells cheap and you can't smell it until you buy lol.

I have enjoyed the Squash Air products, they have a pleasant smell IMO. Check out either the CS-X3 dispenser or the Giga Air Vent Clip.

If you try some of the Squash stuff, let me know what you think of the smell. If you liked PB Natural Look, I think you'd enjoy the Squash scent.

[Jeff@TopGearSolutions]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

Sealant wise, you could look into the Blackfire Wet Diamond. It's one of our best selling sealants and offers durable protection as well as enhances the gloss and depth of the finish. Here's a good product review on the Wet Diamond.

Opti-Seal is one of the longer lasting sealants on the market, what are you using to maintain your car? Perhaps you are using a strong shampoo that's reducing the amount of protection you should be seeing. Are you going through automatic car washes?

Hope this helps.

I use both actually, they are great, I love the blackfire wet diamond

[Fapster]

Hi George,

I need some help...I have a 2009 e93 Atlantic Blue BMW. I just bought a PC 7424XP polisher with a 6" hook and loop flexible backing plate and a 6" counter weight. I have no pads or chemicals yet and I want to purchase the best value for the buck.

I have a small scratch on my trunk and I would like to do a nice detail.

Could you please provide me what pads I could start with along with appropriate chemicals? I would appreciate it.

Fred

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by Fapster

Hi George,

I need some help...I have a 2009 e93 Atlantic Blue BMW. I just bought a PC 7424XP polisher with a 6" hook and loop flexible backing plate and a 6" counter weight. I have no pads or chemicals yet and I want to purchase the best value for the buck.

I have a small scratch on my trunk and I would like to do a nice detail.

Could you please provide me what pads I could start with along with appropriate chemicals? I would appreciate it.

Fred

Hey Fred, good question. Bang for the buck and the combo that will give you the best results as a beginner with a PC is the Meguiar's M105 / M205 combo using some orange and white pads.

Here's a link describing what you need to know about getting the most out of the Meg's polishes and Porter Cable 7424XP.

The other option is to go the Menzerna polishes, but I feel if you're starting with the buffer, you'll be able to remove more imperfections in less time using the Meguiar's polishes. Bang for the buck, the Meguiar's polishes are much more cost effect, as you get twice as much product for nearly the same cost.

If there's anything else I can give you a hand with, please do not hesitate to ask.

[Dackz]

George,

I have VERY light (at least I have to be at perfect angles in the sun to see them) swirls on my car. Could I get away with JUST the Meguirs 205 and the Porter Cable ROB?? Im considering trying to do this on my own, FIRST time detail (of the exterior, first time by me anyway, its been professionally done before). I would then follow up with Blackfire Wet Diamond sealant.

Im afraid of messing something up but from reading it sounds like I couldnt do much wrong with this combo. My paint still has a VERY nice gloss to it, just some LIGHT LIGHT swirls on certain areas.

Could all these products also be applied over a clear bra? My hood, entire front bumper, side skirts and lower panels on the bumper are clear bra'd (excessive yes but helps immensly with our rocks here in CO in winter).

Im still on the edge, Im trying to find a good pro detailer in my area and get their prices and then decide between purchase on this stuff/time to do it is worth it. Im thinking doing it myself is worth it over the long run though, lol.

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by Dackz

George,

I have VERY light (at least I have to be at perfect angles in the sun to see them) swirls on my car. Could I get away with JUST the Meguirs 205 and the Porter Cable ROB?? Im considering trying to do this on my own, FIRST time detail (of the exterior, first time by me anyway, its been professionally done before). I would then follow up with Blackfire Wet Diamond sealant.

Im afraid of messing something up but from reading it sounds like I couldnt do much wrong with this combo. My paint still has a VERY nice gloss to it, just some LIGHT LIGHT swirls on certain areas.

Could all these products also be applied over a clear bra? My hood, entire front bumper, side skirts and lower panels on the bumper are clear bra'd (excessive yes but helps immensly with our rocks here in CO in winter).

Im still on the edge, Im trying to find a good pro detailer in my area and get their prices and then decide between purchase on this stuff/time to do it is worth it. Im thinking doing it myself is worth it over the long run though, lol.

It sounds like you've already done some research on the topic. At this point, I think the M205 and PC 7424XP combo would be a great fit for your needs. The nice thing about the Meguiar's polishes is you control the cut by how much pressure your exerting. If you take things slow, read up on a few guides, perhaps watch some videos and test on a small area before going to town on your car, there's almost nothing to work with.

If you go the Meg's route, be sure to read this Meguiar's M105 / M205 how-to and our polishing guide.

If you tape off your trim, go slow, there's really nothing to worry about. You can polish your clear bra, but what I'd recommend is taping off the clear bra as you do your paint, then taping the opposite as your polish your clear bra.

As you mentioned as a long term investment, doing it yourself is going to pay off big time in the long run. Figure a 32oz bottle of polish is going to last you years and the buffer will as well.

If there's anything else I can help with, please do not hesitate to ask.

[Dackz]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

It sounds like you've already done some research on the topic. At this point, I think the M205 and PC 7424XP combo would be a great fit for your needs. The nice thing about the Meguiar's polishes is you control the cut by how much pressure your exerting. If you take things slow, read up on a few guides, perhaps watch some videos and test on a small area before going to town on your car, there's almost nothing to work with.

If you go the Meg's route, be sure to read this Meguiar's M105 / M205 how-to and our polishing guide.

If you tape off your trim, go slow, there's really nothing to worry about. You can polish your clear bra, but what I'd recommend is taping off the clear bra as you do your paint, then taping the opposite as your polish your clear bra.

As you mentioned as a long term investment, doing it yourself is going to pay off big time in the long run. Figure a 32oz bottle of polish is going to last you years and the buffer will as well.

If there's anything else I can help with, please do not hesitate to ask.

What would a good car wash, clay, QD be to use? Would I want to glaze, or since my car is in good shape already, skip that? The sealant I want to use is the Blackfire Wet Diamond. That stuff looks great on the gray M3 (I have a Space Grey 335), so I know what I want to use there, plus I like that it will last a while...I plan on sealing it at least 3 times a year (Spring, Summer, Fall-hope it to last through winter...to dang cold to detail without a heated shop), and probably polishing just once each spring and maybe fall.

I think this is something I could really do, and I appreciate the advice.