Car wash
#2
08-15-2002 | 03:15 PM
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 8,680
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From: Santa Clara, CA
Re: Car wash
conman,
If you have a dark color car...make sure you wash it when the sun is about to set...so the water doesn't dry up to quick..
This is my expierience so far...
I have used the Zaino, Meguiars and soon to use Klasse this weekend.
Zaino,
A good shine, very smooth surface, but a pain to remove, and way too many steps to get that shine...not worth it IMO
Meguiars...
A good shine, smooth surface and very easy to put on and take off...Love the shine and the smooth surface...
Klasse..
Haven't used this yet, but I am getting alot of good raves about it...Will try this weekend and will post...
To dry off your car...I use "The Absorber" this is one of the best products I used so far...its nice and big and drying is very quick...
Another good one is those chamois...they come in bright colors and very good on completely drying off your car..once u used the absorber...also very good for taking the dust off on the interior as well..I keep one in my car at all times..
Car Wash...
IMO, any car wash is good...I used zaino car wash, because when I bought the zaino wax, I bought it as well...I don't notice any difference in different car washes..so go whatever you think is good...
Interior...
I use amor care wipes..they are nice an simple and give it a glossy shine..but for vinyl only..not leather...haven't used anything on my leather seats yet..
For windows...
Water...is the best...especially for windows...
Hopefully this will help you..Also, you can visit the FA forums under car detailing for more Opinions...
Also, this site should have some useful tips on how to take of your car soon..
If you have a dark color car...make sure you wash it when the sun is about to set...so the water doesn't dry up to quick..
This is my expierience so far...
I have used the Zaino, Meguiars and soon to use Klasse this weekend.
Zaino,
A good shine, very smooth surface, but a pain to remove, and way too many steps to get that shine...not worth it IMO
Meguiars...
A good shine, smooth surface and very easy to put on and take off...Love the shine and the smooth surface...
Klasse..
Haven't used this yet, but I am getting alot of good raves about it...Will try this weekend and will post...
To dry off your car...I use "The Absorber" this is one of the best products I used so far...its nice and big and drying is very quick...
Another good one is those chamois...they come in bright colors and very good on completely drying off your car..once u used the absorber...also very good for taking the dust off on the interior as well..I keep one in my car at all times..
Car Wash...
IMO, any car wash is good...I used zaino car wash, because when I bought the zaino wax, I bought it as well...I don't notice any difference in different car washes..so go whatever you think is good...
Interior...
I use amor care wipes..they are nice an simple and give it a glossy shine..but for vinyl only..not leather...haven't used anything on my leather seats yet..
For windows...
Water...is the best...especially for windows...
Hopefully this will help you..Also, you can visit the FA forums under car detailing for more Opinions...
Also, this site should have some useful tips on how to take of your car soon..
#3
08-15-2002 | 03:30 PM
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Posts: n/a
Re: Car wash
You must have done something wrong cause Zainos is by far the easiest stuff to take off that I have ever used. And unlike meguires (used to be a big fan) it is not a WAX. Zainos is a polyemer (spelling?) so it actually bonds to the clear coat. Unlike wax which will heat up and eventually melt and wash off, the polymere based products resist heat up to like 500 degrees or something.
Also as far as the number of steps needed to apply Zainos, you would have been right in the past but since they came out with the ZFX flash cure, it is not a pain. You used to have to put one coat on, let it cure, then put another ontop of that and then take them off at the same time.. with the ZFX its not like that anymore.. you add a couple drops of this stuff the whatever # you are using and it lets it cure within minutes. Check out their website for a better explanation. I think this stuff is the best out there. I have used Meguires (professional), zmyol (professional), liquid glass, and many many others... Zainos is by far the easiest and longest lasting stuff I have ever put on my car.. and my GOD the shine man!!!!
Also as far as the number of steps needed to apply Zainos, you would have been right in the past but since they came out with the ZFX flash cure, it is not a pain. You used to have to put one coat on, let it cure, then put another ontop of that and then take them off at the same time.. with the ZFX its not like that anymore.. you add a couple drops of this stuff the whatever # you are using and it lets it cure within minutes. Check out their website for a better explanation. I think this stuff is the best out there. I have used Meguires (professional), zmyol (professional), liquid glass, and many many others... Zainos is by far the easiest and longest lasting stuff I have ever put on my car.. and my GOD the shine man!!!!
#4
08-15-2002 | 03:37 PM
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Car wash
I am still a big fan of meguiar's.
I use the shine/polish every 6 months and the yellow wax every quarter. That should be good enough.
Make sure you use a high quality cleaner/conditioner for the leather seating surface. Nissan's leather does not last as long as you think.
99 Nissan Maxima SE-L
02 Mazda Protege 5
Coming soon..... 03 G35 Coupe.
I use the shine/polish every 6 months and the yellow wax every quarter. That should be good enough.
Make sure you use a high quality cleaner/conditioner for the leather seating surface. Nissan's leather does not last as long as you think.
99 Nissan Maxima SE-L
02 Mazda Protege 5
Coming soon..... 03 G35 Coupe.
#5
08-15-2002 | 06:18 PM
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Posts: n/a
Re: Car wash
Just washed/sealed/waxed my car this morning, 3 hours of elbow grease needed(Never buy a black car 
)
Wash: Any Car Soap(Don't use dish soap unless you want to strip the wax/sealant on it). I use meguire's deep crystal clean.
Dry: Towel dry + Calfornia waterblade.
Sealant(apply every 6 months): BlackFire
Wax(Applied every week or two): Meguire's #26
Tires: Meguire's Endurance.. this stuff last weeks!
Interior: Vinylex.. I wouldn't use Armour all since it contains mineral spirits which will aftertime break down the rubber/plastic.
I don't use polish yet since my car is new and there's no swirl marks(knock on wood).
03 Black G35
Premium/Sports/Winter/Xenon/Aero
)Wash: Any Car Soap(Don't use dish soap unless you want to strip the wax/sealant on it). I use meguire's deep crystal clean.
Dry: Towel dry + Calfornia waterblade.
Sealant(apply every 6 months): BlackFire
Wax(Applied every week or two): Meguire's #26
Tires: Meguire's Endurance.. this stuff last weeks!
Interior: Vinylex.. I wouldn't use Armour all since it contains mineral spirits which will aftertime break down the rubber/plastic.
I don't use polish yet since my car is new and there's no swirl marks(knock on wood).
03 Black G35
Premium/Sports/Winter/Xenon/Aero
#6
08-15-2002 | 11:25 PM
Re: Car wash
I agree with adr. Use any good CARWASH soap and also don't use a REAL chamois to dry anything except your windows. Sometimes natural chamois can also strip the wax/sealant off the car. Synthetic is okay though. A California waterblade works great and is fast.
I heard really good things about the MING process and so had this done inside and out to my G. Paint warranty for 7 years, Rust limited Lifetime perforation, Leather/vinyl for 7 years, Underbody limited lifetime.
They also provide a 'revitalizer' to apply annually and free carwash soap. Claims are that MING is not a paint sealant, but nothing sticks. We'll see if it's all it's cracked up to be or if I got taken by hype. Many luxury/sports cars seem to have it done here. Check in your area to see if anyone does it. Check out http://www.truckinamerica.com/ming.html for some info on the net (yea, yea I know we don't drive trucks).
Pearl White/Graphite, loaded except Aero & Navigation
I heard really good things about the MING process and so had this done inside and out to my G. Paint warranty for 7 years, Rust limited Lifetime perforation, Leather/vinyl for 7 years, Underbody limited lifetime.
They also provide a 'revitalizer' to apply annually and free carwash soap. Claims are that MING is not a paint sealant, but nothing sticks. We'll see if it's all it's cracked up to be or if I got taken by hype. Many luxury/sports cars seem to have it done here. Check in your area to see if anyone does it. Check out http://www.truckinamerica.com/ming.html for some info on the net (yea, yea I know we don't drive trucks).
Pearl White/Graphite, loaded except Aero & Navigation
#7
08-16-2002 | 12:51 AM
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#8
08-16-2002 | 03:06 PM
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Posts: n/a
Re: Car wash
5 dings already....I'm going to park my Coupe 1 mile away from everyone else. 
I hope they put some proper door guards on the final production model.
As for washing....I hand wash in the summer and use a polymer (no wax for me), but I use a no-touch car wash in the winter. No way I'm hand washing in the Cdn. winter.....-30C Yikes!.....I like myself more than my car.
I hope they put some proper door guards on the final production model. As for washing....I hand wash in the summer and use a polymer (no wax for me), but I use a no-touch car wash in the winter. No way I'm hand washing in the Cdn. winter.....-30C Yikes!.....I like myself more than my car.
#9
08-17-2002 | 12:11 AM
Registered User
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From: Texas
Re: Car wash
I use a car wash called Kit Carnuba Wash and Wax. I use the absorber and microfiber towels to dry my car. California water blades also dries the car quickly without waterspots.
I use Pinnacle car polish and Blitz paste wax as well as Pinnacle liquid souveran wax. Both of these are two of the best carnuba waxes on the market and they produces a showroom glossy shine especially on dark color cars. The Blitz wax is relatively cheap and is easy to apply and remove while producing a great shine. The Pinnacle wax has been proclaimed by detailing experts as one of the finest wax money can buy and it's probably true because this wax is expensive. I use the liquid souveran wax on top of the blitz wax paste and the shine is spectacular.
I have a black G and I polished and waxed my car both for looks and to protect the paint only a week after getting it. Polishing the car before waxing not only removes swirl mark but also produces a deep gloss shine in the paint. After waxing I apply a detailer made by the wax shop called Slick stuff. This is the best detailer I have used. It has an anti-static that helps prevent any accumulation of dust after waxing. Microfiber cloths are great for wax removal and shining without causing swirl marks.
I use Black Magic tire gel on my tires. Adding a coat of wax to your rims will keep it shine and protect it. Like I said my car is black and it always looks shine.. Washing once a week helps maintain that showroom shine. Waxing is the key but it helps having a garage. Do a search on car detailing or waxing on the web for more information or check out autogeek.com
I use Pinnacle car polish and Blitz paste wax as well as Pinnacle liquid souveran wax. Both of these are two of the best carnuba waxes on the market and they produces a showroom glossy shine especially on dark color cars. The Blitz wax is relatively cheap and is easy to apply and remove while producing a great shine. The Pinnacle wax has been proclaimed by detailing experts as one of the finest wax money can buy and it's probably true because this wax is expensive. I use the liquid souveran wax on top of the blitz wax paste and the shine is spectacular.
I have a black G and I polished and waxed my car both for looks and to protect the paint only a week after getting it. Polishing the car before waxing not only removes swirl mark but also produces a deep gloss shine in the paint. After waxing I apply a detailer made by the wax shop called Slick stuff. This is the best detailer I have used. It has an anti-static that helps prevent any accumulation of dust after waxing. Microfiber cloths are great for wax removal and shining without causing swirl marks.
I use Black Magic tire gel on my tires. Adding a coat of wax to your rims will keep it shine and protect it. Like I said my car is black and it always looks shine.. Washing once a week helps maintain that showroom shine. Waxing is the key but it helps having a garage. Do a search on car detailing or waxing on the web for more information or check out autogeek.com
#10
09-01-2002 | 02:22 PM
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Posts: n/a
Re: Car wash
Went to Pep Boys and they recommended NOT waxing the new car for 9 months, and said only to wash it because anything else would only hurt the new paint and clear coat. Is he full of it?
He also recommended Maguiar's wash, and 3M liquid hand glaze and liquid wax. Anyone else use those?
He also recommended Maguiar's wash, and 3M liquid hand glaze and liquid wax. Anyone else use those?
#11
09-01-2002 | 07:41 PM
#13
09-27-2002 | 09:39 PM
Re: Car wash
So far, I'm happy with the MING. It continues to be very easy to clean, and if I spot a bird dropping or something, I can just spritz some water at it with a plant sprayer and the stuff breaks up and slides off.
Being the obsesive-compulsive type, I have also used the 'Revitalizer' and it seems to help keep it slick. I'm still not sure what 'Revitalizer' is as I've been told it's not a wax nor sealant of any kind. Could be some kind of specially formulated polymer of some kind, but the MING people are pretty evasive re what it actually is. They just say "It's a FUN thing you can do to your car whenever you want, but you don't need to!" Since the stuff is free anyway and VERY easy to apply, I'm probably going to do it a couple of times a year.
Someone posted on Fresh Alloy that his red Prelude was MING'd 2.5 years ago and "still shines and looks better than most new cars." He also recommends getting a 'mini-ming' every 1 to 1.5 years, so he probably sells the stuff LOL.
I think the real challenge would be to see how MING does on a black car.
Anyway, four months and so far, I'm happy.
Being the obsesive-compulsive type, I have also used the 'Revitalizer' and it seems to help keep it slick. I'm still not sure what 'Revitalizer' is as I've been told it's not a wax nor sealant of any kind. Could be some kind of specially formulated polymer of some kind, but the MING people are pretty evasive re what it actually is. They just say "It's a FUN thing you can do to your car whenever you want, but you don't need to!" Since the stuff is free anyway and VERY easy to apply, I'm probably going to do it a couple of times a year.
Someone posted on Fresh Alloy that his red Prelude was MING'd 2.5 years ago and "still shines and looks better than most new cars." He also recommends getting a 'mini-ming' every 1 to 1.5 years, so he probably sells the stuff LOL.
I think the real challenge would be to see how MING does on a black car.
Anyway, four months and so far, I'm happy.
