I just (about 1 month ago) purchased a new 2007 LS460L (BLACK). The weather here in ATL is great this weekend (in the 70s), so I decided to give Zaino a try. I washed the car with Dawn, clay bar, the Z7 car wash.

Now that the car is nice and clean, I've noticed all sorts of micro-scratches or swirl marks on the hood, roof, trunk. They are only noticeable under direct or high intensity light.

I've applied (4) coats of Z5, with Z6 in between, without any luck in clearing the marks up. I'm going to finish off with a couple of coats of Z2 tomorrow. Jury is still out (for me) on the whole "Zaino cult", its been A LOT of work so far and I've been more impressed with the Z6 quick detailer, than the Z5.

Any suggestions on what to use (chemical, pad, method, etc) to help with the swirl marks ? I was thinking ZPC (keeping with the whole "Zaino Theme") but not sure if that is too abrasive, or not abrasive enough ?? BTW .. I have a PC buffer, but I'm reluctant to "work" the finish on a brand new car with anything too harsh (at least, without asking first).

Thanks, in advance

 

Congrats on the new car. Now, i hate to buurst your bubble, but to remove the swirls, your 4 coats of Zaino need to be removed in order to remove the swirls. I'd recommend Pinnacle's XMT line or Poorboy's SSR line to remove the swirls, applied by pc. There's no need to worry about the pc and the new car, it won't harm the paint or clearcoat.

What you need to do is claybar, polish (remove swirls), then apply your Z5 and replace the Z6 with Z8 for a deeper gloss. Then, if you want, top it off with a carnauba wax like Pinnacle Souveran or Poorboy's Natty's Blue.

You might want to check out Auto Geek or Autopia.org for help on detailing.

 

Dishwash detergent/Clay bar a 1 month old car???

 

No difference. Cars can be detailed from day one. When I used Zaino, I Dawn'd, clayed, and Zaino'd my G35 3 days after I bought it. My RXh had to wait about a week to detail because of weather, but I didn't use Zaino. Still clayed and prepped the paint well.

Zaino is very easy to work with, IF the paint is well prepped. If not, it will enhance any imperfections, just like clambros experienced. The hardest part of using Zaino is to make sure the paint is perfect before applying.

 

next time use MICROFIBER MITT.....

 

Do you wash your car? It will get scratches and micromarring from autowashes and bad hand washing techniques. I washed my Black IS350 with a bad brush and it scratched my car. When the weather is better and I get a chance, I will use Pinnacle XMT to try and get rid of the micromarring and then try Zaino. I also did a lot of searching and reading about "proper car washing"! Now I have a soft lambs wool glove, grit guards, etc...