Baby G gets its first bath!

[DC G-Man]

Hello all G drivers

Had my Black on Black baby for two weeks now and was able to give it its first bath. I think its a good Idea to wash and dry it by hand. I had noticed that there is a slight clearcoat defect in a quarter panel edge where the front bumper meets it. The dealer is very apoligetic and eager to see it to fix the problem.

It looked great after washing but since it has no metallic in it...swirls are hugely noticeable in the bright sunshine we've been having here in the Washington DC area. (awesome driving weather).

I saw a thread for something called "Zaino" which is a polish. I heard of some other polishes and waxes that minimize the swirls like Mothers and Mcguires. Im just concerned of the residue that it may leave in the crevices (which can be a pain!) and how easy it goes on and off.

If anyone has some suggestions and history on any of these products, that would be great if you can pass them along!

Thanks agiain in Advance!

[carman63]

I've heard of Zaino, some folks on other car forums swear by it. You might also look at http://www.detailersdomain.com and check out the 'starter kits' they sell.

I went out recently to Advanced Auto Parts, and picked up a few items:- Scratch-X (MeGuiars I think)- MeGuiars clay bar kit (detail spray, clay, microfiber cloth)- Zymol wax (the blue stuff)- MeGuiars Gold Class paste wax

I used the above items on my fiance's Subaru Outback Turbo and my GTI, in the order mentioned, with pleasing results. The Scratch-X does a fantastic job of removing scratches that go no deeper than the clearcoat, and I wonder if it'd work for your swirls.

I don't have a garage, or storage for tools like a buffer, so everything I do is by hand. Takes 2-4 hours per car, but the results are worth it

As far as crevices go, use some blue 3M painter's tape and tape off all your black trim pieces, the gaps between body panels, etc and that will help immensely. Also for the gaps, use Q-tips or where possible, open the various doors / trunk / hood and wipe the edges.

Hope this helps!

BTW - I've used the 'free car wash' service once so far, and they do a fantastic job. It was delivery-ready again when they were done. But I still wash it myself as well

[Helene]

We've used Zaino for years on our daily drivers and our show car, 96 Corvette Grand Sport. I have a PG G37 on order and I plan on not using anything else on it. Go to ZainoBros.com to learn more.

[verbatim]

dude, every car polish out there does the exact same thing. from my experience, Mothers has the best user friendly product so far. It's available at any parts store and its cost effective. best deal and even better product.

i have a black G and used mother products with the best results. it just makes my car look "wet".

i've tried "Meguires" but the results are less then stunning when compared to the Mothers product.

to remove swirls, 1st of all, stop using regular cloth towels. use microfiber towels and the 2 bucket wash method.

a simple wax/cleaner can remove swirls. follow that by a polish and then a coat of wax.

after that, wax every 2 months and use the quick detailer after every car wash. works wonders on blk G.

[DC G-Man]

I got a clay (which is very strange to use BTW)and a Costco size bottle of Zymol and a 20 pac of micro fiber clothes. (You gotta love Costco) Guess I'll use those first.

Before I do that though this clearcoat defect bugs me. Im going into the dealer soon to have them look at it....hope they fix it right and without painting the whole quarterpanel!

The Zaino looks cool but they have so many different products, not to mention $$$$....I wouldnt know where to start.

Hey Jim You travel with that blue tape and bucket of yours? Kiddin only.....Thanks for the tips Car washes are good but nothing beats wiping her down yourself and admiring the smile on your face in that glossy reflection.

[carman63]

Good luck with the clearcoat issue. I suspect (but hope not) they'll have to paint the entire panel to get it looking right.

Blue tape - Home Depot

[DC G-Man]

Thanks Carman.... It sucks...didnt make it to the delaer today since tags are still not in so will show them next week or send them a pic before hand.

Man do I have the meanest birds at work....They know I have a new car and wanted to test me ....I swear they eat sulfuric acid berries. They hit the bulls eye right on the hood. I washed it off today and it appeared to have marred the surface. I tried to clay bar it and I can still see the outline in the surface. DAMIT! It is noticeable! ....any suggestions....or maybe I should just squint a little more when I look at that part?

Carman....2-4 hours....dude do you work? LOL! I barely got enough time and light today to get the recent rain/dirt and bird crap off. Let alone get one coat of Zymol on. Man is DC dustier lately? especially now with this Black on Black G.

Moral of the thread beware of Birds with indigestion bearing gifts!

[carman63]

With the clay, make sure you use a lot of lubricant (I use the detail spray) and a clean clay surface, and bear down on it a bit. I have found it doesn't matter if you use a circular pattern or straight motions. Main thing is to keep folding the clay to expose a clean surface, and throw the clay away if you drop it onto the ground.

You might try scratch-x, or a more aggressive clay, or a fine polish to remove the bird droppings. Maybe someone from Florida can chime in. The 'love bugs' they have down there can destroy a paint job if you run into them. Floridians probably have a good cure/preventative they can recommend.

I use my early morning weekend time to detail I did my GTI a few weeks ago, then my fiance's Outback last weekend. The G just got washed yesterday and I finished off the interior (interior detail spray, leather conditioner/cleaner). (BTW some people that are serious into detailing their car probably spend more like 6-8 hours on it, and that's using power tools!)

Where are you in relation to Towson/Timonium? I'm headed up there later today.

[DC G-Man]

Thanks Jim I did use the clay with the spray, I was surprised it was still there. I wish I had the time like you or more the energy!

I live more in the DC area just north 20 minutes north of the Beltway, in Germantown. Towson Timonium is outside Baltimore. How are you going there through Frederick and 70? The drive up 15 can be nice!

I am going to Mclean this evening for a house party. Bringing the G. My friends found out I got one and want to see it. I hope you have nice birds over there in Virginia....

have a good drive it should be beautiful today. If you are in my neck of the woods give me a headsup again!

CU

[DC G-Man]

Hey Carman63

Heard about the H2O shortage out there, Wow how crazy is that! Hope that 37 is staying pretty neat. If you need a gallon or two, got some here in Germantown....Along with a Black 37 that could use another rub down. Bring some blue tape and it'll be a party.

Good Luck, Hope you all are well out there.

[carman63]

We've been on water restrictions for a while here. Longer than I've owned the G, matter of fact.

I can, however, use the pay-as-you-go car wash in town for my other cars - the dealer does the G for free.

Although soon I'll be claying / waxing the G so I'll have to wash it myself.

[UX149]

We've been on water restrictions that prohibit personal washing of cars for a while now. This week, the governor indicated that he will shut down commercial car washing next month if we don't get some substantial rainfall. Our new black G37 won't shine for long.

[marsb007]

I'd recommend either Zaino or Menzerna products.

I also still dont think you know what the difference is between polishes, glazes, sealants and waxes...

Polishes (especially when applied with a random buffer), actually use miro cutting agents to shave off a very small portion of your clearcoat (which is damaged and has swirls, marks, etc.).

You then apply a glaze, to make it nice and shiny.

So far, your paint really has no protection on it... it just looks good, and that's about it. You follow it up with a sealant. Both Zaino and Menzerna sealants are polymer based, and bind to your car's paint for a longer protection.

You can use some waxes on top of the sealant, to give you a superior shine.

Both Zaino and Menzerna have a full line of products to cover all of the above steps. A simple carnuba wax, like Maguire's or Zymol will last considerably shorter (a few weeks) after which you would need to reapply it.