Well the order from autopia and Zaino showed up this week so my plan is to go to work sometime this week and do the great deed from start to finish on the exterior. Living in Arizona this will probably be a 2 day process as starting at 6am will only give me about 3 hours before the heat is too much to work on Thompson (JB/B) even in the shade.

My general outline is based on agranger's sticky, and hoping I have it right will be as follows:

1-Wash wheels, glass, paint surfaces. Will use Dawn to strip the cheap a$$ Dealer job.
2-Being a new car I am not planning on polishing the glass or clay barring the car. Plus it would be very difficult to clay bar in the current heat and low humidity of the southwest, I think I am better off waiting for December to do this.
3-Zaino process. Z-5 x 2 coats (seperated by Z-6 application) to glass and painted surfaces. Using ZFX to accelerate curing. I think I can do this all in one morning. I will use a Sonus SFX professional applicator for this or the Sous Der Wunder Apllicator. Which is better? I also have 2 Sonus buffing MF towels to use in this step.
3-Zaino Process Part Duex. Z-2 x 3-4 coats seperated again by Z-6 treaments to glass and painted surfaces. Final treatment with Z-6 to really shine up the finish.
4-Zaino wheels. 1 coat Z-5 and 2 coats Z-2.
5-Treat exterior plastic (wheel arches) with Meguiar's #40 and Wunder Applicator.
6-Treat exterior seals with Aerospace 303 Protectant
7-Treat Tires
8-Interior vinyl and plastic with Vinylex.

Wow, long list, but I do have a couple of questions:

1-What should I use on the tires as a dressing?
2-Do I need to use a Cleanser like the Sonus Paintwork Cleanser prior to Zaino? Zaino's site seems to imply that Z-5 is sufficient but other things I have read say to use the Sonus or similar product prior to Zaino seperated by a wash with auto shampoo. I do have a Jet Black finish so I want to do the best I can to avoid swirls from the get-go.
3-I have PIAA silicone wipers, Will polishing the windscreen glass or using something like Aerospace on the blades ruin the silicone effects/surface of the blades?

Many thanks again to all the gurus out there. I can tell the Poter Cable is not too far off in my future. All I have to do is 10 full details on Thompson to offset the cost of this stuff vs the cheap detailer shop we were using previously.

Joel

 

I would clay the car even though it is a new car...I have heard that just from the manufacturing processes and transporting the car on rail lines can cause rail dust to be embedded on to the car's surface, so claying would be a good idea.

 

"5-Treat exterior plastic (wheel arches) with Meguiar's #40 and Wunder Applicator.
6-Treat exterior seals with Aerospace 303 Protectant
7-Treat Tires
8-Interior vinyl and plastic with Vinylex.

Wow, long list, but I do have a couple of questions:

1-What should I use on the tires as a dressing?"

Why not use Aerospace 303 Protectant on all these items? It would simplify your process. Aerospace 303 Protectant is reccomended for all these, I believe.

 

303 it is then for the tires, exterior plastic and all the rubbe seals. Thaks for the advise! I didn't know it ocul dbe used on all those surfaces.

As far as clay bar goes, anyone else of the opinion I should do it now? If so I may wait on the whole process as it is just too darn hot/dry now and I fear it would dry too quickly on the surface for me to do without damaging the paint.

Joel

 

303 Aerospace protectant, Vinylex and the Zaino plastic/rubber treatment are all about the same in my book... great products. The Meguiars #40 is slightly better on the exterior as it lasts about twice as long a has a nice medium gloss look that I like. You could use Meguiars #40 inside and out, but I like more of a matte finish inside (from 303 Protectant or Zaino tire/rubber in particular)

 

I don't use 303 Protectant on my wiper blades. 303 actually makes a product specifically for wiper blades that comes on an applicator pad like the alcohol swabs used on you before you get an injection.

303 Wiper Treatment:
http://store.yahoo.com/autopia/303-30336.html

 

Shoot... I keep re-reading the original post and seeing something else to reply to...

I would clay-bar the car as soon as you can... definately before using the Zaino. New MINIs have a fairly gritty surface that definately benefits from a clay-bar.

Polish I'm not so emphatic about. If you want the BEST possible surface, by all means use a paintwork polish after claybar. For a new car, I'm not completely conviced that it is necessary, but I'd probably do it just because I kinda enjoy the time out with a new car and my Porter Cable...

 

Okay so it looks like I am adding in a clay bar step to the above. Plan and will make a deicision for the vinyl rubber depending on how the mood strikes me!

Cheers, and I will show some pics once it is all done!

Joel

 

Yeh, Claybar it. When I did my first Zaino I thought about skipping that part because the paint looked so good. After clay bar, paint was smoother to the touch plus, it provides a better surface for that first Z-5 application. As I recall, first time I did two Z-5's then three Z-2's. With the ZFX you can do it in one day although, I waited couple hours between the last two Z-2 coats (break for dinner:smile

 

I could try it in one day but with highs predicted to be in the mid to upper 90's I don't think that will be the best application weather. I am gonna try to have it all done but 10am on both Saturday and Sunday.

Joel

 

If you want to convince yourself of the need to claybar, wash the car and rinse. Before you dry, put your hand in a plastic shopping bag (cheapie grocery bag) and run your hand over the surface to feel all the grit.