| payton5812 |
| Well I have had my '06 Black SL for about a week now, and the paint is already driving me nuts. Regardless of how careful I was in washing it, there are already tiny scratches in the paint. From reading previous threads and searching online, I have read about 100 different opinions. From everyone's own expierence, what is the best way for me to take care of the paint? Should I only use microfiber towels in cleaning it? I used 100% cotton terry towels, but they seemed to still scratch the paint. Plus, before I make anymore scratches, is there anything recommended to get rid of these scratches? |
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| payton5812 |
Thank you very much, Enforcer. It states again to use a 100% cotton towel, but I am a bit leery of that. Any other type of applicator you would recommend?
I also have a question in regards to the application of Zaino. For the use of Z-5 for the first time, it states I need to use ZFX Flash Cure, which I believe I mix in with Z-5. Do others use this ZFX? Would you suggest I then follow that up with Z-6? Are these steps sufficient to where I do not need to hand wax my car?
As you can tell this is the first black car I have purchased and do not want to loose the amazing look of it. |
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| hfelknor |
You can use 100% cotton towels, but there ARE caveats.
1- NO Foreign towels (Sri Lanka, etc). They are just BSing and are not made of 100% cotton. Get Fieldcrest.
2- If there is a "pattern" in the towel so that it looks "embossed", cut that off. Cut off ALL edges and stitching.
3- NEVER use fabric softener on the towels. If you have towels that have been exposed to fabric softener, throw them away.
4- You will need "several" towels. Use 1 towel per layer of Z5.
And remember, when Sal says "buff" he doesn't mean HARD buffing. Just run the towel over the finish, turning often, until the Zaino has disappeared.
It does not require hard buffing. (I personally wish he would remove that word from the instructions. A more proper word would be "wipe". Zaino is ez on and ez off.)
I have yet to use the ZFX so cannot comment on that.
ALWAYS remember, you can CALL Sal and talk to the man himself (most of the time....if he is busy leave your number). 732-833-8800
You COULD use Email, but that sometimes leads to misunderstandings IMO.
info@zainobros.com
Hope this helps.
Homer |
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| gibby26 |
My 2006 Murano is the dark blue - also tough to keep clean and look good after waxing (but not as tough as black). My recommendation? Spend $50-75 at a good detailing shop and have them wax it with an orbital applicator and buffer. Had the local car wash do that to mine, and it looks like a mirror. Also, if you wash it yourself it's really hard to dry it without leaving spots, etc. Again - go to a good full-service carwash that uses spot-free rinse. We're lucky here in the Chicago suburbs - lots of excellent car washes around.
gibby26 |
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| Mr3Putt |
quote:
Originally posted by gibby26
My recommendation? Spend $50-75 at a good detailing shop and have them wax it with an orbital applicator and buffer.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
When I first got my MO, I had a good shop buff it. I'm still fighting swirls. The paint on this car is too soft. |
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| gibby26 |
Wow - that's a shame. I've had the dreaded swirls in a couple of black cars, and they're a pain. Good luck with trying the recommended waxes, cotton rags, etc. That likely will work best for you.
gibby26 |
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| Nfilippelli |
In my opinion...
if you take the time to wash, clay bar, polish, apply a glaze, and apply a good synthetic wax (i like Klasse or FMJ),
your car will look amazing....
better than any detial shop, cause you did it yourself.
just me 2 cents on detailing.. |
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| JCM_Murano |
quote:
Originally posted by payton5812
I also have a question in regards to the application of Zaino. For the use of Z-5 for the first time, it states I need to use ZFX Flash Cure, which I believe I mix in with Z-5. Do others use this ZFX? Would you suggest I then follow that up with Z-6? Are these steps sufficient to where I do not need to hand wax my car?
ZFX works great and reduces the dry time, however I've had some headaches with it. My major complaint was that the tiny bottle of ZFX dried up into gel in less than a year, making it useless after only a few applications. Now I just use the Z-1 instead.
The Z-6 is great when you really want that extra shine, I use it now and then. |
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| Halo |
My MO isn't black, but my other car is and it gets Zaino.
I had the same problem with the zfx, it does dry up even though the bottle was as closed as I could get it. IMO, the zfx is most useful if you decide to zaino on humid/cold days. If it is reasonably warm, say over 70, and dry out and you can be a little patient, you can do fine without it. I apply Zaino to the entire car (and break the rules GASP!). Then I go do something else for a couple of hours and forget about it. Come back and wipe.
I used 100% cotton back in the day, similar to what Zaino recommends, cut the hems off (since those are often stitched with synthetic fiber) yada yada yada. But, once I switched to microfiber towels, I've never looked back. Of course, these are also synthetic, but they do work very nicely.
Depending on the level of swirls in your black paint, you may need to consider getting a Porter Cable, pads and compounds. I have this stuff from a previous car (also black) that I bought used and was able to completely remove the swirls. It took 3 grades of pads and compounds and an entire weekend. But, I worked slowly as I didn't want to grind through the clearcoat completely :p |
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| Gonzo |
I too have black with swirls... I've like a clean car but I've come to terms to keep the car clean (washing it avg 2x week) then I'm gonna have swirls.
The Nissan paint appears soft but anything you put on the car, clay bar, poolish etc has great postention to leave swirls.
I wish there was a filler to use address the swirls. I've purchases some clear coat restorer that I plan on trying out next week but that is for limited areas and not the whole car.
Good luck. |
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| Halo |
| One thing I've always wondered about, but never had the time to actually look into, is to just have the entire car re-clearcoated by a reputable paintshop. Since I don't hear people doing this routinely, there must be some problems with this solution. |
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| gibby26 |
I hear you guys talking about "clay bar." Not familiar with that - what is it, exactly? And where can I get it?
gibby26 |
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| Nizmo |
Black Fire~
Viper Microfiber~
Good 3-4 hours of dedicated labor~
And....
Repeat every or every other month~
Do you see your MO smillin~
NZM |
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| Gonzo |
quote:
Originally posted by Halo
One thing I've always wondered about, but never had the time to actually look into, is to just have the entire car re-clearcoated by a reputable paintshop. Since I don't hear people doing this routinely, there must be some problems with this solution.
I read somewhere that the clearcoat finish is worn off after 3-5 years. Might not be a bad idea but I've never heard of it done before. |
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| Jim C |
Detailers aren't always the best bet. I went to one that used an orbital polisher and he polished the shine right off the black trim below the windows!! To restore it, I'll probably have to brush on some touch up clear coat :3: :3: Didn't notice it until well after so it wasn't like I could go back and hold him to it.
So from now on, I do my own. I've found that the Mr. Clean Autodry Car Wash system is great for the wash portion (no drying so no worries about the type of cloth to use!). Then I apply a coat of hand glaze (3M brand), and a high quality carnuba wax. To me, the glaze really does a good job on putting oils back in the paint so that the color really comes through. The wax then just seals it in. |
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| hfelknor |
Whatever works.
Just wanted to make sure you understand that there hasn't been any "oils" in paint, since back when we used to use paint!
Glaze is still useful as a pure polish with no protective properties. Makes a car shine deep.
Then The Carnauba will give you some protection over that.
But no "oils" in todays polymer coatings.
Homer |
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| Jim C |
| Thanks Homer. Just repeating what someone else told me about glaze. Guess I should have known better. In any event, it does really help bring out the paint's shine. I know it doesn't do squat for protection, hence the wax. |
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| mgthe3 |
Ya'll have probably seen me say I have a special parking spot at work in the deck between two pillars. There are two of these spots in the 3 floor deck. Once in a while this shmuck parks his acura in my preferred one of the two spaces. He lives less than a mile away in a condo. He parks there to keep it away from the shmucks in his condo lot, and, to keep it out of the sun.
I pass by it looking at his hood, a mess of 10 bazillion swirl scratches from automatic car washes.
I shake my head....
No one has mentioned Scratch Out by Kit. This will remove swirls easily without going to deep into the clear coat if used gently.
Try a bit on a very soft cloth or micro fiber towel by hand in a small area gibby, I know you'll be impressed. This is what I use under the door handles for jewelry and nail scratches. |
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| GripperDon |
That is our #1 problem these days.
IMO if you want perfection do the following.
Using lots of clean cotton cloths.
1 Do a really great wash.
2. Rinse with de-ionized water.
3. Clay bar with lots of lubricant.
4. Use Colinite Insulator wax.
5. Smile.
6. Keep the dust off your Mo.
7. Always rinse the dust off before you start the wash |
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| njjoe |
With all the recent advances in coating technology (i.e.-Nissan's "self-healing" paint) you would think someone somewhere would develop a more swirl-resistant clear coat. Maybe next year, or the next, or...
-njjoe |
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| GripperDon |
Thas why you really need a great coat of wax for protection and then wash it carefully. Plastic will never compet with glass for scratch resistance. Check out eyeglasses. If they ever stop careing about VOC then you will be able to get it painted with a hard curing paint. Some epoxies will meet requirement and do the trick but they lack the required flexability and cost a lot.
As you say maybe next year. |
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| hfelknor |
Well you are absolutely right Don, as usual.
The new paints with very restrictive VOC regulations ARE softer and more scratch prone.
So where do these scratches come from?
Us. The great Nissan Murano public.
I would hazard a guess that more than half the folks here use a "wax" that contains an abrasive.
Hint: There are damn few "pure" waxes.
And if you use a cleaner/wax then YOU are the one scratching your car.
If you use anything other than a 100% soft cotton or microfiber cloth, then YOU are the one scratching your car.
As a matter of fact there are fewer pure waxes than there use to be.
Try to buy a tin of MeGuiars #16 carnauba wax.
#16 never contained ANY abrasives........but it is gone.
Why?
Around Jan 1 2005, the EPA turned it's attention to car care products and legislated #16 out of existence.
No more than 15% VOCs are allowed in any car care product.
Without VOCs, carnauba wax is impossible to spread. It is as hard as a rock.
If you can't use VOCs, then the wax itself could scratch the soft coatings being used to day (To meet EPA clean air requirements).
What can you do?
Use synthetics.
That's what Meguiars did, after many years of denigrating Zaino, they replaced #16 with NXT Wax.
It's a synthetic! (Yes, I know they call it a wax.....)
There is not one drop of Carnauba in it.
Are there any abrasives (ie: "Cleaner")?
I don't know.
But if there are, then welcome to more swirls and spiderwebs.
What will happen to the remaining pure products?
I don't know.
I sure hope P21s survives as there is nothing better as a final finish to a Zaino job. Like all carnauba waxes it won't last very long, but while it does......DYN-O-MITE!
What if I want to keep my car scratch free but it is already scratched?
Try a clay bar. It will remove the tiniest of "swirls" (called spiderwebs), but not serious swirls.
If that doesn't do it, then their are some excellent suggestions here in this thread.
The two links to MeGuiars are great.
And of course if you will just take your Murano to a shop that does Porsche, BMW, MB and the like with your hat in your hand they will trade your $1000 for a perfect buff job.
BTW, you could always have your Murano custom painted.
IMRON is a hot number.
It is very hard.
It does not easily scratch.
It chips.
Homer |
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| nissanlove |
i'm always wonderfully amazed by the wealth of information you posses. and you convey your message so clearly.
but one thing i don't know about are these p21's; could you elaborate on this?? |
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| hfelknor |
Thanks for the kind words. But no one is born with knowledge. I just have a knack for regurgitating that which I have heard or read or done.
P21S is just a wax.
What makes it unique is the incredible ease of application.
Try it.
Zaino has a very superior system. The base of which is an optically pure finish.
Makes the surface of your car look like glass.
Now those who use Carnauba are using a finish that is not optically clear......but close. THis tends to refract the light slightly and imparts a "tone" to the surface. Some say it adds "depth".
So, if you do a full Zaino job, you have unsurpassed protection. And a finish that is almost too perfect.
So, if you put on a coat of carnauba wax, you have added "character". "Depth". Even if it is temporary, it looks good.
P21s is just the easiest to apply/remove that I have ever found. And the results are gratifying.
Homer |
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| nissanlove |
| thanks homer. i'm always looking to try something new and potentially better. i've already been amaized by the zaino system(which i've delayed on trying out for years now) now a bit more portection will not hurt. |
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| GripperDon |
I am going to try it on my Phaeton
Thanks for the good info. |
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