btw, sherwooa, if you ever get the chance give vmw+ex-p (a wax/sealant combo) a try. i would be interested in hearing what you think. your car looks like it would be good for it. many have said outperforms zaino by a fair amount. ive never tried zaino, because my car is black i will be trying p21 next.

 

Mr. CLEAN AUTODRY!! IT's the *#&$

 

Thanks for the tip about the towels, tekknikal. The micro fiber towels I use are from autozone, not sure the quality of them, but they've always worked well for me. I really like the waffle weave micro fiber towels you recommended, though. I already went to that website and ordered a couple for myself. I can't wait to try them out.

 

I use the California WaterBlade that you can find at Pep Boys or Wal-Mart followed by the Absorber (find at the same place). Some will say that the water blade scratches but that has not been my experience. During cold weather when I am using it, I keep it in a bucket of warm water to keep the blade soft. Microfiber towels work great on the glass and for wax but I haven't had too much use for drying. The other system (absorber) works so well.

 

I gotcha. Fortunately i had read a while back that quality of MF towels varies greatly, and thus went only with quality ones like the ones from Pakshak. I haven't noticed any swirl marks or or fine lines in the sun, but I think I'll take your advice for the future and try some WW towels to avoid getting any. Thanks.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. Sounds interesting...I didn't know you waxes and sealants were compatible - Zaino says not to put wax anywhere near a Zaino'ed car. How often do you have to apply the VMW/EX-P combo?

Overall, I've been happy with Zaino so far - only thing I don't like is the number of coats you have to put on. Then again, I'm only up to 4, so I can't really complain yet.

I had heard great things about P21 over on Twinturbo.net.

 

im not using zaino so i cant comment on it (beyond saying that your car looks good with it!) vmw/ex-p is a good combo, i like it,...others on autopia and other forums have used it with good results as well. it makes the car very reflective but it isnt as effective on darker colors. im still experimenting though. normally i think the vmw/ex-p can stay on for a few months or more, but where i live i have to reapply it very often (monthly) depending on how often i wash. cars get very dirty here very very quickly
the good thing about vmw-exp and other combos is that you dont have to layer it so much and put nearly as much work into it to get excellent results... ill have to report back when i try p21. im afraid about how long that will last though, but we'll see...

 

P21s is great stuff. Probably the best Caurnaba based product I've ever used. I love the Klasse twins though because its very easy to use and lasts so long. I find that Klasses doesn't look as good as P21s but I'm willing to sacrifice looks for durability and ease of use. This is not to say that P21s isn't easy to use though. Its probably the easiest caurnaba based wax I've ever used.

 

Talk to Nick at www.detailersparadise.com He's great. Local guy here in CO that has an Elise now I used him all the time when I had my S4 and plan on resupplying my detailing toolbox when I get my G35C. Also check out www.autopia.org. Great site w/ more info on detailing than you could ever want to know. Spend some money and get good quality products.

 

drying with a chamois works best for me.

 

As far as drying....Mr.Clean autodry and a quick run down with the california wiper blade. Works fast and very well for me.

 

ABSORBER!

Have been using it for years. Nothing beats it.
As for wax, I always go with Meguires.

 

Not sure if anyone mentioned it above, but if you have a high pressure air compressor,
use that to blow all the water off the car before you use a microtowel or chamois.
(especially around the mirrors and gas cap, around trunk lines, etc.

 

Hello Guys,
Can anyone please give me the list of items I need to wash my car ? I never washed my new car and I am planning to wash it this weekend. I dont know about those products in the market. I will appreciate if someone can give me the list of items(with brand) I should buy from some particular website.

Thanks in advance.

 

What I use:

Washing
1) Meguire's Gold Class Car wash soap
2) Microfiber-covered sponge
3) Only wash one section at a time (ie hood/front bumper/fenders then sides/roof then rear bumper/trunk) then rinse - this will keep the soap from drying... continuously rinse car to keep wet

Rinsing/Drying
1) use a garden hose without any attachments to do the final rinse - the normal stream is the softest, and will "sheet" the water off, in essense...
2) I use the Absorber to dry the car's regular panels - Microfiber cloth for windows along with good ole' Windex to finish it off
3) Use Meguire's all-wheel cleaner for wheels, along with same rinsing technique, followed by drying with Microfiber cloth

Waxing
1) I only use the regular Zaino Z2 wax on car/wheels every other month (more often during spring/summer) - apply with regular applicators, allow to dry, then remove with Microfiber cloth

Everything besides the Zaino is bought at a local Autozone - great prices and always just a short drive away...