A big, silky smooth and bright, shiney thank you to agranger and BradB!

I was finally able to do the MINI right all the way through this weekend. Wool wash mitts, microfiber drying towel, clay bar, Sonus cleanser and two coats of Zaino Z5. 303 cleaner and protectant on all the plastic and leather. (It even cleaned up the soda spill stain on the cloth backseat) Separate wash mitt for the wheels. The works. It all worked beautifully and easily.

Right after the last coat of Z5, we drove a 600 mile trip through the FL woods and got coated with bugs. Almost everything came right off with a water spray and the rest with the soft wipe with the wash mitt and I was back to crazy, silly shiney! The Z2 goes on this evening.

So thanks, guys, for the excellent list of recommended products and procedures!!

I will add one item to the list of tools. A lint roller. They work great for getting hair and miscellaneous bits off of cloth upholstery and the carpet that the vacuum leaves behind. Or if there is no vacuum, 3M even makes mini rollers that the obsessed can take with them.

 

I love success stories! A shiny MINI is a happy MINI!!

 

Is the best place to obtain Zaino products only from their website?
Or do local auto supply houses carry the product?
FOund their polish at WalMart, but nothing else.

Jay

waiting for warmer weather - coming soon.....

 

I've never seen Zaino products available from a local store. I've heard that there is a local rep in the Dallas area, but I've always ordered on-line from http://www.zainostore.com/

Aaron

 

For those within driving distance of Charlotte, NC, our local Zaino rep has a great supply on hand and a wealth of knowledge to share: http://www.zainocharlotte.com/

 

Zaino usually has one or two small stores per state that carry their stuff. I have seen one before in IL. But it is rare, so the simple answer is yes, buy from their site.

 

It's been over a year since I posted this thread and it's been a pretty good year for me! I had been lurking on NAM and almost pulled the trigger on a MINI a few years ago, but I was laid off and plans were changed. I still hung around, drooling over your cars and helping out in the only forum where I had real experience... the detailing forum. A few years at a stable company and a promotion later and I got my new MCS, Jango, in December of 2005.

I've been itching to get out the buffer since I got the car, but I had some custom paintwork done and I was waiting for the paint to cure. Here are some shots. This is after a claying, a round w/ Sonus SFX2 polish (swirl mark remover) and Sonus SFX3 (paintwork cleanser). It's only 1 layer of Zaino Z2 as my ZFX seems to have done something strange over the winter in my garage and it now looks like Jello.











Don't forget to polish (and Zaino) your glass as well... this is a shot in the reflection of my sunroof... check out the seam in the lower right hand corner if you don't believe...

 

OMG! That is easily one of the most striking MINI's I have seen. Awesome!!!

Is the roof white or PW? Was painting the black arches difficult to do? I am anxious to know how the paint on them hold up, especially against chips. (I worry because I track mine so often)

Just stunning!

 

Hey agranger,

see you got the web spokes too. I love mine, but there a pain in the a$$ to clean, any suggestions. I'm also using all zaino per your original post here,

Thanks

 

Actually, I'm finding them pretty easy to keep clean. I've got a brush that fits inside the spokes pretty well, and can even squeeze between the front brake caliper and the wheel... so I can get in there and really get things clean. I then use a cotton chenile wash mit to clean the rest of the wheel with left-over wash water... I haven't seen the need to get a wheel cleaner, as it seems to do the trick.

I just did my first Zaino treatment on the new car... delayed for paint curing, and I haven't even Zaino'ed the wheels yet! EEK! I have, however, washed them inside and out each time that I've popped the wheels off... 2 times in 6,000 miles so far.

If you are having troubles, I might recommend 1) washing more frequently , or 2) investing in a good wheel cleaner like P21S. I think that Brad has another favorite wheel cleaner right now, but I can't remember the name off the top of my head. It might be the Sonus cleaner.

 

Agranger, beautiful MINI!! Hmm, is there something I don't know about two of the most prominent detailing enthusiasts on NAM having white cars??? (You and BradB).

 

Hey Agranger,

I've been washing the car every week, but the web spoke sure get dirty very fast. do you recommend the liquid or gel for the cleaner

Thanks

 

Snooter... I'll see you on the Dragon in 3 weeks. Octane will be there too. Be sure to say hi (and check out the scenic drive that I'm organizing on Saturday)!

About the gel or liquid, I'm gonna let Brad or Octane handle that one... I haven't felt the need to use wheel cleaner since the old wire wheel hubcaps (tacky!) that I used to wash on my parent's car. If you get really stubborn stuff, I would suppose that the gel would cling a bit better, so it will stay in contact w/ the wheel longer. The liquid might be better for wheel designs with lots of nooks and cranies (wire wheels), but the webspokes are pretty easy to deal with and have mostly smooth corners.

You may also want to look into a brake pad swap. The factory brake pads are notoriously dusty. A switch to EBC Greens or Hawk Ceramics would give you the same (or better) stopping power with much less brake dust.

Why do the detailing nuts buy Pepper White cars:

1. Pepper White ROCKS!
2. White cars give us an excuse to wash frequently
3. We may have to wash frequently, but the PW doesn't show swirls or scratches as much as the dark colors, letting our compulsive nature rest a bit more than with other alternatives.
4. Did I mention that Pepper White ROCKS?

 

Thanks agranger,

I'm gonna look into switching those brake pads in the near future.

I'd love to join your smokey mountain ride, but it's the same time I'm holding my Dillsboro trip.

See ya at the Dragon!!!!!!!!!

 

As Agranger mentioned, the deal with the gels is that they "hang" longer on the surface while the cleaner does it's thing. Many liquid cleaners come with a spray nozzle that foams the cleaner upon application and that also helps it hang longer.

Generally, wheels that are cleaned weekly will not require gels. It's more for abused wheels or heavy, heavy build up.

The trick, however, is to get rid of the majority of the dust with low-dust pads. This purchase will change your life!

Also, wax your wheels inside and out. This will fill the pores and make the surface slicker and repel some of the dust. It will also make them much easier to clean. I do this once or twice a year. Use a heat resistant polymer wax/sealant that will last a long time. (Klasse, Zaino, NuFinish, etc. Most any will do.) Avoid carnaubas as they don't last.

 

Wow!! I'm impressed. If you're ever in OC, Calif., I'll barter: A meal for a detailed car!!

 

You need to talk to OctaneGuy... I think he does this stuff for a living and he's in Los Angeles (or that area). He's a huge Meguiars fan, but we won't hold that against him (much ).

 

I have White Wheels, and I don't wax them, yet brake dust just wipes off with a microfiber towel. Yes I have Mintex Red Box pads, but this was true with my OEM pads as well. The trick is to use a QD like Meguiar's Quik Detailer everytime you wipe the wheels. It leaves the wheels shiny and a little bit slick. Wipe them frequently, once a day is preferred, but at worst, once every 3 days, assuming they aren't getting caked with mud or water between then.

For cleaning wheels, I use Meguiar's Wheel Brightener from their Professional Detailer line. With the proper dilution ratio, it's extremely mild and safe. Doesn't smell caustic or give off bad fumes. Just spray it on, and hose it off. I use a pressure washer, and it cleans the dirtiest of wheels without even touching it.

Take these S-lites

Spray it on, hose it off within 10 seconds

of course this picture wasn't 10 seconds later because the tires have been dressed and the paint has been polished, but you get the idea.

Didn't even touch it with a sponge.

As for bartering a meal for a detail, if I were to take you up on that, it'd have to be a two person steak dinner at Lawrys!!

As for the little nudge about Meguiar's, when was the last time someone posted a transformation like this, and said I did this only with Zaino???
BEFORE

AFTER (12 hours later)

Meguiar's Rocks! (And no that isn't a new paint job)
Read More
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=65967

 

I wish I saw this thread before. After picking up my MINI the next purchase was Zaino! I picked up the total protection package and was intimidated. For one I've never washed my own car before. Two I got paranoid I'd do more damage than good being washing noob.

Anyway, decided to give it a go, washed, I bypassed the claybar (wasn't ready for that mentally) used the Z2 with the ZXF. The Z6 was downright amazing. Since this was my maiden voyage I made only one pass. I can't tell you what just that little bit did for my baby. OMG. I can't imagine what today will bring when I get out there.

I'm sorry I didn't get the Ultimate package those leather products sound good. So if you are sitting on the fence between the two go with the Ultimate Package. What I still need is something to clean the rubber.

Anyway today, is another wash day after reading this I feel better, almost excited about starting.

Thank you for taking the time to share this labor of love.

Charlene

 

I've got them as well and I use the Ultra Safe Wheel Spoke Brush from Meguiar's - it works awesome and it can be bent to allow you to clean the back side of the spokes - then straightened out again...and it is long enough to scrub the interior of the wheels as well. No scratches either!

Here's a picture and a link:
http://www.meguiars.com/?wheel-tire-...el-Spoke-Brush

 

Thanks, just placed my order. I tried pressure washing it today, look nice until I got close.

 

For CLEANING, I just use auto detergent (car wash soap) and water.

For DRESSING and PROTECTING, I use two products:

Meguiars #40 - for exterior plastic and rubber
Zaino Plastic / rubber Treatment - for Interior dressing

BradB lead me to the Meguiars #40, which has a very soft shine and lasts longer than the Zaino treatment outside. I still like the greasless feel of the Zaino on the inside surfaces.

 

Got mine in this week, just used it today and it's great. Even got the inside of the tires almost spotless. You gotta love this website.

thanks KC MCS, agranger and BradB for all the get advice

 

Glad to hear it! I was wondering how it worked out for you. I was going to let you know I also use another Meguiar's wheel brush to clean the face of the wheels. Here's a shot of it:


It is super soft and won't scratch at all. It does a great job on the wheel faces and you can double back and get inside the larger of the two spoke openings on the web spokes. I actually have two of these. I use one on my wheel faces and I use the other to clean the underside of the black side skirts.

BTW, another great use for the spoke brush you just got, is to run it between the tire and the wheel wells to clean the wheel wells off. I spray diluted Simple Green in there, let it soak a bit and then just brush with the spoke brush. It works great!

One last thing, if you decide to get this other brush, you could probably pick it up at Wal-Mart instead of ordering it over the web!

 

I thought that Meguiar's products were for use only on Chip Foose wheels....

At least that is what the commercials say