[quanton]

I really wanted my vehicles to have a show room polished condition but never got to it. My local detailers are charging from mid $100 to several grand. I researched, read and learned as much as possible for the proper prep work and polish/wax application...the dos and don'ts. I didn't know how to use or what a clay bar before this researching and learning phase. I decided to buy the product and do it myself. The product I purchased can do about 20 applications. I will be able to save tons of $ for my effort.

Overall, the key that I learned is the surface prep is a must! Cannot cut corners and expect great results. It makes sense. That fundamental stuck in my head! If you won't spend the prep time, I would suggest you don't waste your money and be disappointed. Pay a detailer do for you.

I spent approximately 8 hours of washing, clay barring, and final washing the MDX. My neighbors might had thought that I had gone mad for washing the car so many times. OCD? I was also afraid of the water police citing me for wasting valuable resource. Our county is parched. Heck the whole state is bone dry. Nevertheless, nobody bothered me.

The next day I applied the first polish coat per manufacturer's instruction. Allowed the polish to dry and remove with a white cotton towel. After removing the polish, I applied the enhancer coat and buff to a shine. I repeated this process 2 more times. This polish and enhancer processes took me 7 hours. In the end, I got my 2 days of workout without going to the gym. It definitely gave me a cardio workout. I think I drank 16 bottles of water.

I am very pleased of the result. It's difficult to tell the "wet" look on my white SUV but the surface is smooth and slick. So I think I got a clean SUV.

If you are on the fence on getting your car polished, I encourage you to do it. It will be very rewarding after you finish it. Your car will be the only one on the road with glaring shinny finish. Think of this way, the first step will take you 2 days of work, but subsequent washes and polishes will be much quicker since the "foundation" had already been completed. So it's really worth it.

I will attempt on our two other vehicles. Both are dark colors perhaps I will get the wet look on those two vehicles.

I want to thank Zaino for the tips and tricks from its website. I am not endorsing this company but giving credit where it is due. I think all waxes and polishes out there do the same thing. Just different flavor and color. It's like debating on motor oil. It's personal preference/experience.

Sorry for my long writeup...people want to see photos so here you go

 

[MD101]

Looks wonderful!

 

[blacksheep]

I do this about once a year, makes you feel like you're driving a brand-new car!

The way I do it is a bit different from yours but takes the better part of a day. PS: Removing the dried polish & wax with a microfiber towel (the kind you buy in 10-packs at Costco) is about 10x faster than with a terry towel

I don't use any expensive high-end products, just Mothers or Meguiars quick detailer, polish & wax. My clay is some blue stuff I forget the name of

1) I wash the car twice (no need to dry it between washes), being super anal about getting into every nook and cranny. I use a 3" soft-bristled-paint brush (with the metal band covered with duct tape to prevent scratching) to brush all the dirt out from around the window trim, badges - basically everywhere you have a corner or recess that can hold dirt

2) dry it as well as you can - I use a synthetic "the absorber" chammy followed immediately by a microfiber towel. Let it air-dry an hour or two with the doors, hood & trunk open

3) Clay the car. Use plenty of "quick detailer" spray to lube the surface, work a couple of square feet at a time. When you're done with an area dry the surface with a separate microfiber towel and move on. Break up the clay into many little chunks because if you drop it on the ground, you have to throw it out and switch to a new piece...

4) Apply sealer/glaze. I do it by hand with a terry-covered sponge. I wet the sponge and wring it out, drizzle sealer glaze on the car and rub it in. If the sponge picks up a bit of dirt that's left on the surface just rinse it off and wring it out again. Remove the dried sealer with another microfiber towel

5) apply carnauba wax. Same as above, different product. Remove with yet another microfiber towel

Once the car's been clayed and sealed, you can just wash as necessary and re-apply wax once in a while

 

[voau]

Are these before or after. If they're before, where're the after.
Mine is, after, washed and polished by Bush car wash, and it was two years ago :roadtrip:

 

[Nico]

Looks great! Can you guys share the products you use and reccomend?

 

[quanton]

Are these before or after. If they're before, where're the after.
Mine is, after, washed and polished by Bush car wash, and it was two years ago :roadtrip:

The photos that I posted are after polishing.

Looks great! Can you guys share the products you use and reccomend?

I think they are all the same. It was my first time using Zaino. I can't say that it's a better product over others. Zaino was easy to apply. The website has lots of tips and tricks. You certainly can apply this method on any products that you will use. Remember the fundamental which should not be skipped

1. Thoroughly wash all surfaces clean (a must)
2. Clay bar the painted surfaces and trims (a must)
3. Apply wax/polish
4. Apply sealer

You will be very happy of your shinny car for your effort. Also, it will be easier to maintain since you deep cleaned the surfaces prior polishing/sealing process. Many had stated that you need to clay bar once every 6 months or so depending where you live and environmental exposure. I guess a good test is running your fingers on the surface to detect any contaminate.

So far, this is based on my experiences. I am no expert...still learning.

 

[jhue]

1. Thoroughly wash all surfaces clean (a must)
2. Clay bar the painted surfaces and trims (a must)
3. Apply wax/polish
4. Apply sealer

The products Zaino calls "polish" are actually paint sealants. Polish refers to a product which either burnishes paint through fine (possibly diminishing) abrasives, or a non-abrasive product designed to increase gloss and fill minor imperfections before application of an LSP (last step product, typically wax or sealant in the past, but now including paint coatings). Their Z-PC, which they call a "Paint Cleaner", is what most would call a polish.

Zaino is a decent paint sealant, and is what I used when I used to use paint sealants. Some pros whose opinions I respect are big fans of Menzerna Power Lock and Optimum Opti-Seal (I also have used Opti-Seal in the past, and was my WOWA sealant of choice).

I switched over to using Silica paint coatings about two years ago, as they outperform sealants in every possible way. They demand more surface preparation than waxes or sealants, but the 4x longer life and greater resistance to chemicals is worth it. For example, bird droppings are sufficiently acidic to burn right through any wax or sealant LSP in a day and etch, crack, or otherwise damage clearcoat. Silica paint coatings will usually stand up to bird droppings with no visible damage. The Gtechniq EXOv2 on my Lexus is a year old and still beads water tightly, far tighter than a freshly applied coat of Zaino ever could (not really a fair test though, since the Silica paint coatings are extremely hydrophobic and achieve water contact angles > 90 degrees, which just isn't a property of most/all paint sealants).

Many had stated that you need to clay bar once every 6 months or so depending where you live and environmental exposure. I guess a good test is running your fingers on the surface to detect any contaminate.

If you put your hand inside a thin plastic sandwich bag (a thin one, not a Zip-loc storage bag) before running it over your paint, it makes the embedded contaminants much easier to feel.

 

[quanton]

jhue...thanks for the clarification and pointers.

 

[Diode Dynamics]

Well done!

Thanks for the pictures and detailed write up!

Nick C.

 

[blacksheep]

PS: don't forget to clay the windows while you're doing the rest of the car! It makes them so clean they practically disappear

I don't know if you can wax windows - I don't, I use Rain-X on them after claying

 

[dj5]

Looks great! Can you guys share the products you use and reccomend?

I have used Meguiars, Zaino and several other products. My favorite by far is products by Wolfgang. Their sealant holds up longer than most of the others on the market.