Recommendations on Cleaners and Wax

[mindovermatter81]

I was thinking about getting Meguirs Mirror Glaze 21

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st....20833

and maybe something like

http://www.autopia-carcare.com....html

for the leather. This is my first nice car and I want to really take care of it and have never really washed and waxed my own car before.. Just at other places where they wash it for you..

[CakeDaddy]

I was thinking about getting Meguirs Mirror Glaze 21

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st....20833

and maybe something like

http://www.autopia-carcare.com....html

for the leather. This is my first nice car and I want to really take care of it and have never really washed and waxed my own car before.. Just at other places where they wash it for you..

congrats on the ride. I saw your other post.

Diamond Graphite on Black, correct ? I use Meguairs leather/cleaner on my leather and Eagle 1 "wax as you wash" works great on my black car when the car is wet. I spray it on the car when the car is wet. It looks like wax and water mixed together, but works great.


Modified by CakeDaddy at 3:28 PM 11/7/2007

[MagicM]

I use zymol products on all my cars, makes the cars shine like mirriors.

[mindovermatter81]

Thank you for the replies. That Black M looks fantastic! You do have the hardest job to keep your car color looking great, but in the end It is the most rewarding. I think it's Diamond Graphite... It look like silverish gray.
Modified by mindovermatter81 at 3:12 PM 11/7/2007

[szh]

1. Lexol for leather is what I use and recommend. Someday, I will find the time to use the other highly rated product: Leatherique. I have it, just have not used it yet.

2. IMHO, nothing, and I mean nothing, comes close to the kind of exterior car quality look and feel that the Zaino products provide. Check out http://www.zainobros.com for more information!

[paperfootball]

*All* sealants or waxes (also known as "last step products" in the detail world) require, and are dependent upon prep. The more swirl-free and defect free your clear is, the better your paint will look. Applying *any* wax or sealant to poorly prepped, swirled/marred paint will only result in marginal (at best) gains.

The #21 is a really good sealant, Zaino makes a really good sealant (I would personally recommend the Z5 PRO for your color should you go that route), but both are heavily dependent upon prep.

What are your goals? Durability? Looks? How long are planning on spending on your paint? Do you have a machine buffer? Any knowledge of such a machine?

If you brought your car to me (I run a detail shop in Memphis) I would prep it with Menzerna products creating a swirl-free finish, and then seal with whatever product fit your needs/goals.

[szh]

Yes, good points, and great info, thanks! I am not familiar with the Menzerna products at all, though!

When I last did my cars, I prepped with:

(a) wash (hand wash ... towel mitt and with Zaino car wash)(a) wax removal wash (with Dawn ... as recommended by Zaino)(b) clay bar the entire car (carefully ... by hand! Ouch! I was sore afterwards. No machine buffer. )(c) second wash to remove the clay bar residue (hand wash ... towel mitt and Zaino car wash)

and then did I the:

(d) Zaino sealant on one of the cars and 5 Star Shine on the other - two coats each time. The 5 Star Shine uses a dual liquid process to do it right, by the way.

On the whole, I like the Zaino better, although both had great results. The Zaino was easier to see where it went on too, since it is a pink color - the 5 Star Shine was clear and tougher to see.

Each of the above products worked wonders ... the slick, clean, shiny, deep gloss look is just stunning! For pictures of my old 1995 Q45 that came alive with Zaino, please do a search ... that post is somewhere in the Q45 forum here at NICO.

Z