BlackC230Coupe

last.


like i said they are not good pics as u can see.

so stay tuned for more in the next cupple days.

JustinTRW

Lookin' good.

BlackC230Coupe

thanks,

i will try to get better pics up this weekend.

604_kpEscoba

ok wait with all that stuff you have to buy isnt it easier just to get a professional cut polish?

how often do u need to take out swirls?
i own a black c240 and i got really bad swirls
and was thinking of getting it professionally done but if i have to get it done more then once in half a year then ill do it myself!

info appreciaed thanks

JustinTRW

DACP is a professional product, I'm not sure I know what you mean. Maybe you mean why doesn't he just buy a rotary instead of a orbital?

How often he will have to remove swirls is a product of how well you take care of the car. If you let someone else wash the car very often, or worse take it to a car wash every week, then it will be bad. If you take the time to do it yourself, you will have to remove swirls far less.

It's up to you. Buellwinkle knows this and choses to let his MB dealer wash it and then he removes swirls with his rotary once a year or somethign similar.

The last thing is that picking a professional detailer can be touchy. You might get lucky and find someone like AlBoston or you might find someone who leaves rotary marks all over. Make sure you know their work beforehand.

604_kpEscoba

ok thanks

this is what i want to do..

1st: i want to clay my car this is better to do before polish right?

2nd i want to get it cut polished professionally since i dun trust myself polishing it myslef...(and thanks i will do my research)

then i want to learn how to wash my car from mbworld's detailing thread and follow it like the bible

lastly im going to invest into some ZAINO ^_^
the thing is i already bought meguirs gold wax whats the diff?

so if i do this will i still have to take it in for a cut polish more then once a year to get the really nice black "no swirl" loook..?

cuz i cant afford otherwise...

JustinTRW

The best way to remove swirls is avoid getting them in the first place. If you start washing your car yourself from now on, or taking it to a place that does not swirl (nearly impossible in my area), you will not have to remove swirls more than once a year. At the rate I am going, I plan doing it myself maybe every 18 months. It is really up to you and how much the swirls bother you. How swirled is your car right now?

To answer your questions:
1) Yes, you almost always clay before polishing. However, if your car has tons of tree sap and other grime that did not come out from a couple washes, then I would use some sort of chemical polish first. The clay will probably remove these, but clay is supposed to last you a few cars. If you have to throw away the entire bar after one car (because it is so dirty), then you know you should have used a chemical cleaner product first.

2) Go ahead if you can find someone you trust. I spent about $200 in product and my orbital. It will pay for itself over time. However, I feel like getting a rotary now.

3) Zaino is a great product, the main reason I use it is that it lasts longer than any wax. Gold class is a nice wax, but it will not last you that long and you will have to reapply every 6 weeks to 8 weeks. Zaino is synthetic, and thus it lasts very long.

604_kpEscoba

thanks for all the info man


my car is majorly swirled! :*(

i think il use the gold class until i use it all up thanks

Kar don

here is a pic of the buffer for those looking to purchase it...

JustinTRW

One of the best places to pick one up is from Coastal Tool because they package the unit (7424) with both the 5" and 6" counterweights, along with a velcro packing pad for $120. This is even cheaper than the unit you can find at Lowes for $110 (7336), because you would still need to buy a velcro backing plate.


For those who don't know, the 7336 and 7424 are the same units, but the former and packaged for sanding and the latter is fitted with polishing attachments.

BlackC230Coupe

thanks, i diden't know that.

Kar don

due to popular demand i will repost this article with more detailed instructions and pictures of every step of the process on our front page. Look for it after thanksgiving!.... here is a preview for now

vraa

omg i love pics! post more! lol

does this look shiny or can it be better? j/w .. cuz i have gotten it more shiny then this...

Kar don

ya, way shinier... it looks like u didnt clean ur rims . Here is our Black ML with zaino.

BlackC230Coupe

heres a pic of my c230 after i waxed it with zaino a couple weeks ago. I only took that one pic. dont ask why? oh and i dont know what that line down the middle is eaither.

ElDiabloJoe

Ok, it's not only after T-day, but X-mas as well.

Kar don

lol joe, i know if been slacking . It will be soon!

Intermezzo

Very nice pics, all of you!! I was really interested in those Zaino on black pics because I'm planning to switch my black BMW...err, I mean car to Z-5/ZFX. Those pics really do a good job of showing Z's "distinctive" shine on dark colored paint, which I think is quite stunning. Furthermore, with the recent rain-storms we've had here in LA, the amount of water-spots I was getting on my carnauba'd car vs. the amount I was getting on my Z'd car (coats are 8 months old!!) has me convinced.

oggle

I did the PC with 3M SMR and yellow CMA pad. Got 95% of the swirls out of my car. Then I applied P21S Cleaning polish (aka GEPC) with the white pad and Zaino afterwards. Whew... the difference is night and day! I can't believe it went from swirls galore to absoulely flawless!

Kar don

very good oggle! I hope you washed the car with Dawn after polishing with the P21S GEPC... or else the zaino will not have bonded correctly.

oggle

Yup did that. In a way I kinda didn't want to do it because the GEPC made the car look so beautifu afterwards. And seeing how other people say the P21S route gives you a wetter/deeper look, I almost ended up buying some carnuba wax and forgo Zaino altogether. Maybe I'll experiment later on down the line.

Do you have experience in this, wet/deep vs. reflective? How noticeable is it?

Kar don

LoL!!! I DO THAT TOO! The car looks so damn good then u have to wash it . P21S carnuaba wax on top of P21S GEPC LOOKS AMAZING! However it will only last a few weeks to a month. I the winter its hard for me to rewax all the time, but it definitely is easier. Here is a pic of a black 2000 Vette i did with P21S. Oh yea, go to a local harley store and just buy the S100 carnuaba wax, its the same exact thing as P21S only 10 dollars cheaper . S100 was used on this car.

Kar don

Zaino gives more of a "coated with glass" look, while carnuaba looks very oily and deep. Here is a good example of zaino's coated look. I personally like the look of Zaino more, others may disagree.

oggle

Great pics! Do you have one with a black zaino'ed car under the sun? I'd like to compare the zaino vs. p21 better.

Oh and I was told to put on GEPC then wash off with Dawn before applying Zaino. Is this what you did too? I'm still wondering exactly what this does if you're going to wash it off anyways. Perhaps because the GEPC has some mild polishing effects too?

Kar don

Yes oggle, GEPC has mild mild abrasives that just give the finish that final touch and will remove light hazing caused by the 3M SMR. GEPC has tons of gloss enhancing oils, these oils will inhibit zaino from bonding to the paint. Therefore you must wash with dawn (strips oils) to have the zaino bond to the bare paint.

my 1000th post!!!!