Menzerna 106FF on Zaino Z5pro

oneseba

oneseba

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Hi, my car having black paint reveals a lot of swirl marks from my single trip to the auto car wash (yes I didn't know any better). I was hoping that Z5pro will do the trick but I decided to do it the right way, remove the swirled surface through polishing. As far as I'm aware Zaino does not have silicone oils, so is it safe to wash the car and go straight to polishing it with the Nano polish or should I remove the Z5 coating first? Before I applied the Z5pro I did clay it but since it was my first I'm not sure if it was really thorough or done consistently. So should I also consider removing the coating, clay and polish or just go straight to polishing it? Please help a poor know nothing newb. Thanks!
 
Do the baggie test... if the car needs to be clayed, do so. If not, just wash it with Dawn dishwashing detergent to remove the Z5, then polish.
 
makdaddy626 said:
Do the baggie test... if the car needs to be clayed, do so. If not, just wash it with Dawn dishwashing detergent to remove the Z5, then polish.
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So basically, dawn it -> baggie test -> clay if needed -> polish it, then protect it? Thanks!
 
If after washing, the surface is very smooth...i.e., you don't feel any gritty spots, you could omit the clay or just clay the spots in question. Some use a sandwich baggy over their fingers to amplify the feel.

The polish will remove the Z5 and reduce/remove swirls.

Then I would wipe the car down with a 50:50 isopropyl alcohol (IPA) to distilled water spray to make sure the surface is as swirl free as possible and super clean and then apply the Z5. The other prep product to use after polishing is ZAIO, then follow with Z5.

In my experience Z5 does little to hide swirls. Some say it takes 3-4 coats to do much. I could never get it to anything in this regard.

As I learned years ago, "proper prep" is the key no matter what LSP you choose.
 
Waxmax said:
The other prep product to use after polishing is ZAIO, then follow with Z5.
choose.
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I was thinking about that but I didn't know when to apply it or if it would take the luster/gloss that Menzerna will bring out. So if it doesn't I would it this way :

wash -> clay if needed -> polish with 106FF -> ZAIO -> Z5pro?

I need to use as much as possible the products that I already invested in :)

Thanks!
 
If you don't have the ZAIO you can omit it. I have used it with a finishing pad and it leaves a very nice finish.

Also, I am assuming you do not have the ZFX accelerator, so maybe do a second Z5 coat after 12 or so hours. With the ZFX, no need to wait for the 2nd coat.
 
Dawn Dishing Washing Liquids is one of the biggest fallacies in detailing. Its highly alkaline cleaning ability was suggested only to remove old waxes and oils prior to using a well known paint sealant called Zaino. Problem, nobody can prove it actually removes "all" items, and it can damage rubber surrounds if used over time.

So ...

Use a dedicated paint cleanser, or paint polish before any new wax or sealant. Dawn will not even remove cured Zaino, so the suggestion is moot. There are also commercial paint preps that can be used also, like Prepsol and Acysol and 3M Wax and Adhesive Remover but not needed IMO especially when polishing which abrasively removes any old contaminents and wax/sealant.
 
I apologize if I'm mistaken, but doesn't that make claying moot as well if I'm polishing anyway as Menzerna have abrasives? Could some surface contamination be that deep that it might just be partially cut only. Is claying still necessary if let's say you can cut considerably with 106FF with white followed by blue LCC pads?
 
Nothing will remove the contamination other than clay. If there is contamination, you need to clay. Polishing will not remove it...
 
oneseba said:
I apologize if I'm mistaken, but doesn't that make claying moot as well if I'm polishing anyway as Menzerna have abrasives? Could some surface contamination be that deep that it might just be partially cut only. Is claying still necessary if let's say you can cut considerably with 106FF with white followed by blue LCC pads?
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I think of claying as pulling up and away from the surface. I think of polishing as grinding into the surface. Thus my hope is the clay will pull away or out contaminents while polish will abrade the oxidation and bring the finish to a fresh level.
 
Both polishes and chemical cleaners will remove some contamination, BUT the claying process is the most efficient and reduces the chances of pushing the grit into the paint.
 
I did further research and found out that 50/50 IPA/distilled water will do the trick, so this is what I plan on doing :

wash->remove with IPA/ds->wash->clay->polish->wash->seal->QD

What do you guys think?
 
lots of work .. .but your steps are valid. I take it you with dry between claying and polishing (wink, wink)
 
Yes indeed, hopefully it's all well worth it.
 
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