Only tips I can offer is do not skip the clay, use microfiber towels, and top the Zaino with a carnauba when you're done.

 

I actually ordered the clay bar too, so I'll get cracking on that once I'm done washing it with dishwashing soap.

Now I gotta stop by Bed bath and beyond to pick up some cheap towels that I can use.

 

whats a carnauba?

 

Wrong. You'll likely be buying nice, expensive towels. Don't skimp now. They should last you a year. It's money well spent, if you want to avoid swirls and scratches. It did suck cutting the ends off those towels (12 assorted sizes at a cost of $200), but every time I wash/polish the car I realize how essential the good towels are.

Get hand-towels to use for washing your car, with bath towels or bath "sheets" (big F'n towels) making up the rest. I use one towel to dry, one for Z2 removal and one for the Z6, so get a minimum of 3 or 4 towels in addition to the handtowels for washing and detailing. I even use the hand towels for conditioning the seats, etc. Only the softest towels touch my G.

 

where can i get microfiber towels?

 

thanks topher that helps a lot

 

I haven't looked for them. And after using the good bath towels, I never will. 100% USA Cotton AND Made-In-The-USA towels have treated my car's finish better than anything I've used in the past... ...AND they're thirsty buggers! Even if I spent $200/year on towels (won't buy that many next time), it would be worth the expense. Over the years, I've wasted a lot of money on inferior towels and then paid the additional price of swirls/scratches in my finish.

Go to Bed, Bath and Beyond and price the proper towels (origin and material) in the Wamsutta line. Be sure to avoid the most expensive, Egyptian cotton and Made in Pakistan towels available within that same Wamsutta brand. You'll feel the difference right off the shelf.

 

Carnauba wax - type of wax that comes from a Brazillian palm...but I have never put wax over a polymer sealer like Zaino.

 

Sweet god almighty don't use cheap towels, please. I will personally pay for you to buy at least one nice mf buffing towel if you just promise me you will use it and not cheap cotton. Good cotton is *ok*, but really, go with mf or at least nice cotton (like gt-ron mentioned), please. I'm not going to get into a mf vs. cotton debate, maybe try both and see what you like. I personally like good mf towels to dry and buff.

You can get them at just about any online detailing shop like:

http://store.pakshak.com/ultra-micro...l-16x16-1.html

That.

Use these or something similar to dry.

http://store.pakshak.com/waffle-weav...l-16x24-1.html

Oh, and get some of these to apply the Zaino.

http://store.pakshak.com/ultra-micro...pad-4x6-1.html

I promise you, as the owner of a black Infiniti (with the same soft clearcoat you will have) that if you use cheap cotton you will get more micromarring than you will eliminate with polishing or filler wax, thus defeating your efforts entirely.

Carnuaba wax is the stuff that's been around forever. There are tons of varieties and generally they have worse durability that a sealant like Zaino, however, they tend to, imo, look better on darker colors, which is why some people apply a layer over Zaino. You just have to re-apply every 2-3 months compared to Zaino's 6 months. The nice thing is once you have a base of Zaino down you can slap on a carnuaba and just re-apply it over the Zaino whenever you want. I do a layer after each wash. I just think it adds a certain depth to the paint which Zaino lacks. Don't get me wrong, I love Zaino as a sealant and think it looks good, just sort of plasticy and sterile by itself.

 

Right on. Even with the best wax, your results will only be as good as your towels.

Using sub-standard towels is like spending $4K in suspension mods and then rolling on $50 econo-tires. It's a waste of money and simply not worth the effort.