Hello,

New to forum, tons of great advice here - thx. Just purchased a new silver MC with black roof and black bonnet stripes. Thinking about my wash/wax regimen. Lots of talk about Zaino and Klasse, which I must admit I have never heard of! Typically wash and detail my cars on a bi-weekly basis using Mother's products. Usually wax about 4 times per year.

What is best wax for cold winters and hot sunny summers? Looking for ease of use. Hadn't thought about white swirls on the black trim - learning things already.

Want to make sure I keep my new ride looking fantastic. Don't want to start out all wrong. Thanks and keep up the great information for us newbies.

 

First of all congrats!

Mothers products are really pretty good. I like them a lot and regulary use several of their products. So you really are on the right path already.

You want a Polymer Sealant for durability. Zaino and Klasse are examples of Polymer sealants. Reflections, by Mothers is also a Polymer. Quality polymers are far more durable to the harsh elements (heat, cold, sun, UV, salt, snow, rain, debris, etc) than any carnauba wax.

Personally, my favorite wax is Zaino. I have found, as have the most authoritative independant tests, that it is the most glossy, long lasting, durable polymer on the market. It is constantly being improved and is better than ever now. They have several ancillary products that make it work well as a "system". The basic sealant Z2, the quick detailer, Z6, a killer shampoo, Z7 are the core products. They make other fine products as well. The cool thing about Zaino is that you can apply many "layers" of it on your car improving the slickness and look. It's amazing. But it takes several hours for each coat of sealant to "cure" before you can add another layer. (not to dry and buff off, but to chemically "cure") So most people get an additive that you mix with the sealant each time you apply it called ZFX. ZFX allows the sealant to cure immediately so you can add many layers in a single day since it is so esy and fast to do. In a nutshell, that's Zaino.

Klasse (pr: klassey) is another favorite and I wouldn't hesitate to use this as well. They make two types commonly known as the "Klasse Twins". All-In-One (AIO) Is a protectant with some mild abrasives and a lot of solvent cleaners in it as well. You can use this even on a car in need of some mild cleaning and paint conditioning and it will improve things. They also make Sealant Glaze (SG) which has some solvent cleaners but is primarily just a protectant. Many people use both of these together, SG after AIO but it's not absolutely necessary. You can use them independently. If your finish is new and in good shape use SG. If you need a little cleaning use AIO. Using both is a little overkill, and in my opinion a waste of money since one removes the other, but it won't hurt anything. You can layer these to some extent but the solvent levels are so high it only works to a certain point. There are no real "associated products" with Klasse but a quick detailer that woks especially well with it is Sonus Acrylic.

Klasse and Zaino will last for several months while carnaubas start to diminish in weeks.

Reflections doesn't have quite the durability of the other two but is much more durable than a carnauba and application/removal is very easy. It's an under-rated product for sure. It has a very tough finish and I find it quite resistant to swirls and abuse.

Hope this helps.:smile:

 

I'll second the recommendation for Zaino. I'm still waiting on my '05 MCS (it's sailing on the Patriot at the moment), but my wife just bought a 2000 Miata and I used some Zaino on it that I had bought in anticipation of the MCS and it worked spectacularly well. It's looks amazingly better than the dealer's so-called "detailing" job. I followed the instructions exactly and stripped off the wax with Dawn dishwashing detergent, used the clay bar, and polished using the ZFX additive. The car has two coats on it and looks brand new. I got the Ultimate Kit, which comes with ZFX and other goodies. http://tinyurl.com/442sw

Mark

 

I'll third the recommendation for Zaino.

It can be purchased on-line here: www.ZainoStore.com

I also purchased the Ultimate Zaino kit and it will come with almost everything you will need to properly seal your new MINI. It also comes with leather cleaner and conditioner, clay bar, a proper auto detergent, a detailing spray and more. Sealants are slightly different from the waxes and/or cleaner waxes you have been using, so read the directions on the web site carefully. If you search the history on this section of the forum, I've seen several people list their full Zaino routine before as well... just for comparison sake.

I love Zaino for it's durability and the ability it has to layer... building up a thicker layer of protection each time I apply. It's also pretty easy to add another coat every month or two after a good wash... maybe 20 to 30 minutes after a good wash and dry to apply a fresh coat - let it dry and cure overnight - 10 to 15 minutes the next day to buff it off.

If you like your Meguiars products and have been waxing 4 times a year regularly, you may just want to stick with them. A good sealant will protect your finish better, though, and will speed up your weekly/bi-weekly cleaning routine. You may also want to consider a car duster (mine's from OXO) and a good detailing spray (I use Zaino's Z6) on your off-weeks (and maybe mid-week if you want) to bring the MINI back to showroom fresh between washes.

Good luck!

 

Hey Brad, Will Reflections turn white if u get it on the black trim?

 

Thanks for all the feedback! It is much appreciated. I do have the same question about REFLECTIONS on the black trim.

 

Reflections can sometimes leave a minor trace of residue (only picky people like me will notice it) but nothing like a carnauba based product. And it is MUCH easier to wipe off.

 

Thanks Brad! Much appreciated.

 

I posted this question/answer between Zaino and myself a while back. Thought it was relevant and helpful, so I went' fishing...


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My car has two different types of black plastic trim:
1. A smooth, shiny plastic that is not painted
2. A coarse, porous plastic that is not painted

If I used my old Meguiars wax on #1, it would shine it nicely and buff off perfectly.
If I used my old Meguiars on #2, I would have a horrible mess of white swirls in the pores. On previous cars, I've gone to the extreme (for me) of masking off the #2 areas with blue painters tape before waxing.

Can / should I apply Zaino to both types of plastic?

Answer from Sal Zaino:

Zaino Show Car polish is to be used on any non-porous, non-textured surfaces. If your plastic parts are non-porous (not textured) use Zaino Z-2, Z-3, Z-5 polish & also Z-6 Gloss Enhancer spray.
If you have porous surfaces(Cladding, front spoilers, grilles, rubber etc.) that need protection use Z-16 Tire Dressing. It's awesome on any textured, porous surfaces.

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Question:

Can / should I apply Zaino to windshield glass?


Answer from Sal Zaino:

Yes...
Z-6 works great on clean exterior glass. It will leave a high polished finish that repels water and makes the wiper blades work better...
Remember Z-6 is extremely concentrated, a little goes a long way.... Another Tip is... You can also use Z-2 on the exterior windows. The combination of Z-2 and Z-6 is awesome on exterior glass... and preferred by many of my customers....

Z-6 is also safe for use on aftermarket window tint.

 

wanted to add a question, do u guys polish, than wax before the polymer sealants? or is more like polish and polymer sealant after?

 

By "polish" I assume you mean use a solvent cleaner or abrasive (or combination of both to prep the surface and remove imperfections. Yes you do this first always no matter if you use a carnauba based wax or a polymer based sealant.

The next step is to choose a topcoat of protection. It can be a polymer sealant or a carnauba based product.

It's confusing because sometimes we generically refer to both of these as waxes. We even sometimes call them polishes, which is really confusing.

Technically, and correctly, a polish has a cleaner, either mechanical (abrasive) or chemical (a solvent) in it.

You cannot apply a carnauba product under a polymer based sealant because then the polymer will not bond (adhere) properly to the surface of the paint and you will lose the durability and gloss properties of the sealant. It screws up the chemical purity of the product.

You can, however, add a carnauba product on top of a sealant after the sealant has been applied and had dried. Some people do this to get special effects as far as different looks.

Confused yet?

 

not yet, so which mean the step should be something like, wash, clay, hand glace, polymer sealant than wax?

 

Correct!

Here's my process for paintwork. I hope it works.

1. Dawn wash (Alkaline base in Dawn stripps away wax)
2. Clay (Zaino Clay)
3. Dawn Wash
4. Dry
5. Paint Polish (Sonus)
6. Glass Polish (Rain X, but I think there are better ones... I just haven't finished the bottle yet)
7. Z7 wash (Zaino auto detergent)
8. Dry
9. Z6 detail with microfiber (Zaino gloss-enhancing detailing spray)
10. Z5+ZFX (Zaino sealant with swirl mark fillers)
11. Let dry (maybe overnight) and buff off
12. Z6 detail with microfiber (Zaino gloss-enhancing detailing spray)
13. Z2+ZFX (Zaino high reflectivity sealant)
14. Let dry (maybe overnight) and buff off
15. Repeat 12, 14, 14 once more if you can still see any swirl marks
16. Z6 detail with microfiber (Zaino gloss-enhancing detailing spray)
17. Repeat 13, 14, 15 at least two more times.

Quarterly (or whenever I feel like it)
18. Apply P21S (Pure carnuba wax - no cleaners), dry and buff off
Note: I don't find this to be any advantage on my light colored metalic daily driver. On my wife's dark blue metalic SUV, it gives the paint that rich, wet look that Zaino seems to lack. Zaino is very highly reflective... the wax just seems to add some pop (IMHO) on darker cars.

Every few days (if it hasn't been rainy/nasty lately)
19. OXO Car Duster
20. Zaino Z6 and microfiber to clean up

 

Kind of.

In the most basic terms:
1. Wash to get dirt, debris and old wax off car initially. Use Dawn dishwashing detergent because this is a strong alkaline and strips old wax. Do this only once. Not regularly.

2. Clay. Best to use a quick detailer lubricant or a quality auto shampoo as lubricant.

3. You mention hand glaze. What you mean to say is polish. This is the stage where you use an abrasive/cleaner to correct defects in the paint. (A glaze is something which mainly is made of oils and fillers and is a product that only disguises defects temporarily.) This is a step that we could elaborate on more. It can take several steps itself and use several products.

4. Wash with auto shampoo. This removes any residue left over from polishing. This is more important when you are topcoating with a polymer.

5. Apply Topcoat Now you apply a Polymer sealant or Carnauba wax

6. Apply a carnauba wax on top of the sealant if you wish. This is totally optional and not necessary.

7. You are done.


This is my basic strategy. Many people have built their own, more customized approach to detailing based upon their needs. This is what Agranger has done. But you can see how they are similar.