I own a 93 mazda rx7 painted red. the paint is in great condition but has minor swirl marks, some scratches a and a few spider webbing when the light hits it just right. Will someone suggest a polish, sealent, and a glaze/wax combination that are great and work the best with red paint. thanks
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- Thread starter fd3annen
- Start date
You are going to get about a zillion different answers on here. I'll try to keep it simple and stick to product categories.
Are you doing this by PC or by hand?
First start with a wash and clay. I suggest Mother's clay kit that is availabel at most auto stores. The clay works great, isn't too harsh, and comes with a bottle of Showtime QD
Then polish out the swirls. It's a 93 so it might have some significant defects. You will probably need to use a relatively abrasive polish followed by a fine finishing polish to remove any haze and micro marring caused by the abrasive polish. I would start with something like SSR2.5, XMT 3, Menzerna Intensive Polish, etc. Then I would follow it with something like XMT 1, SSR 1, or Menzerna Final Polish.
If there are still some defects, use a glaze like Megs #7, or XMT finishing glaze to fill in what's left.
Follow that with a sealant or wax, whichever you prefer. Sealants offer better protection, Waxes offer better looks (generally speaking). Or you can do both. Put a sealant like poorboy's EX-P down and then top it with a quality carnauba. I like souveran, but it doesn't last very long.
Are you doing this by PC or by hand?
First start with a wash and clay. I suggest Mother's clay kit that is availabel at most auto stores. The clay works great, isn't too harsh, and comes with a bottle of Showtime QD
Then polish out the swirls. It's a 93 so it might have some significant defects. You will probably need to use a relatively abrasive polish followed by a fine finishing polish to remove any haze and micro marring caused by the abrasive polish. I would start with something like SSR2.5, XMT 3, Menzerna Intensive Polish, etc. Then I would follow it with something like XMT 1, SSR 1, or Menzerna Final Polish.
If there are still some defects, use a glaze like Megs #7, or XMT finishing glaze to fill in what's left.
Follow that with a sealant or wax, whichever you prefer. Sealants offer better protection, Waxes offer better looks (generally speaking). Or you can do both. Put a sealant like poorboy's EX-P down and then top it with a quality carnauba. I like souveran, but it doesn't last very long.
mikelea4ever
New member
I agree with Less. There are tons of product that our fellow autopians will recommend on you. I believe they are all great product but IMO you use the product you like the most. Have you tried any detailing product at all? Are you in to looks or protection? If you're more on looks, I'll use wax instead of a sealant and vice versa. A good wax I recommend is DG AW. Besides of getting a very good outcome, it's price is reasonable.
Accumulator
Well-known member
fd3annen- Welcome to Autopia!
My wife had one of those 3rd-gen RX-7s, and IIRC the paint is pretty hard. So I wouldn't be afraid to get a bit aggressive. Perhaps one of the polishes for scratch-resistant clearcoats would be a good idea.
I would just choose between a wax and a sealant myself; I've quit combining the two. And I only use sealants on paint that I can get (and *keep*) basically perfect. I wouldn't put *too* much emphasis on good-for-red as most waxes and sealants will look fine if you do the polishing/prep well.
My wife had one of those 3rd-gen RX-7s, and IIRC the paint is pretty hard. So I wouldn't be afraid to get a bit aggressive. Perhaps one of the polishes for scratch-resistant clearcoats would be a good idea.
I would just choose between a wax and a sealant myself; I've quit combining the two. And I only use sealants on paint that I can get (and *keep*) basically perfect. I wouldn't put *too* much emphasis on good-for-red as most waxes and sealants will look fine if you do the polishing/prep well.
You don't always have to use a finer polish after a more abrasive polish. Take a look at your work and decide for yourself. I would suggest getting a set of halogen work lights on a stand for about $20 - $30. They help you see the flaws in your paint that are otherwise extremely hard to spot.
You may want to try the fine polish first then check your work under the lights. If you're not satisfied, move up to the more aggressive products. If they finish clean and glossy, you're done. If there are tiny scratches, or what looks like a "haze", then try the finer polish.
Get some painters tape and divide a panel down the middle. Try polishing on just one side, then remove the tape to see the difference.
You may want to try the fine polish first then check your work under the lights. If you're not satisfied, move up to the more aggressive products. If they finish clean and glossy, you're done. If there are tiny scratches, or what looks like a "haze", then try the finer polish.
Get some painters tape and divide a panel down the middle. Try polishing on just one side, then remove the tape to see the difference.
Accumulator
Well-known member
FWIW, I almost always see an improvement on hard paint when I follow up with a milder polish. It doesn't always look necessary, but after I do the follow-up I'm usually very glad that I did.
The Menzerna FP is awfully mild, so I wouldn't expect any real correction on factory '03 RX-7 paint. Their products for the scratch-resistant clears would probably be a different story, but I've never gotten around to trying mine out
The Menzerna FP is awfully mild, so I wouldn't expect any real correction on factory '03 RX-7 paint. Their products for the scratch-resistant clears would probably be a different story, but I've never gotten around to trying mine out
Ok well I will research into some products but if there are any that are easier to use than others (for us newbies) then that is great. I have read alot about menzerna and Zaino but not familiar with the Sonus and other ones. And i have been doing a lot of reading on the procedures.... you apply the polish to the pad and then to the panel and work it until it goes to a clear substance? Thanks again for all the help. The only thing i need left to start to figure out is the difference in all the darn pads, there are so many sizes makes and materials. thanks again, you all are great help
SuperBee364
New member
Actually, you want to go the other direction... You need to do the compounding first, then go down in aggressiveness till you get to the final polish.
Accumulator
Well-known member
fd3annen-This can get confusing...I'll try to explain:
Generally, you start with something mild and see if it works. If so, cool but if not then you go on to something more aggressive. It's the "only get as aggressive as you need to" approach.
But then, as SuperBee364 said, once you've used something pretty aggressive, you almost always have to use progressively milder products to get the best final finish.
It's like using different grits of sandpaper on a piece of wood.
I'm not all that current of the numerous Menzerna products, better let somebody else tackle that one.
FWIW, I believe that the easiest stuff to use *PERIOD* is this approach:
Polish with polishes from 1Z (available here: Welcome to Exceldetail.com! or Aloha & Welcome to Our Oasis for All Your Auto Detailing Supplies & Accessories ) then top with the wax of your choice. Simple, effective, and simply as user-friendly as it gets (both by hand and machine). I would suggest Collinite 845 for your wax...again, because it's so easy to use and it's durable too.
Everybody has opinions/favorites but I'm utterly confident that you won't go wrong with that recommendation. And if you try it and you *don't* like it, I'd appreciate knowing about it as, AFAIK, I'm currently batting 1000 with that recommendation.
FWIW, and I haven't seen your car, I sincerely doubt that *I* could get it nice enough for Zaino to be the best choice. And I'm not too bad at this stuff
Generally, you start with something mild and see if it works. If so, cool but if not then you go on to something more aggressive. It's the "only get as aggressive as you need to" approach.
But then, as SuperBee364 said, once you've used something pretty aggressive, you almost always have to use progressively milder products to get the best final finish.
It's like using different grits of sandpaper on a piece of wood.
I'm not all that current of the numerous Menzerna products, better let somebody else tackle that one.
FWIW, I believe that the easiest stuff to use *PERIOD* is this approach:
Polish with polishes from 1Z (available here: Welcome to Exceldetail.com! or Aloha & Welcome to Our Oasis for All Your Auto Detailing Supplies & Accessories ) then top with the wax of your choice. Simple, effective, and simply as user-friendly as it gets (both by hand and machine). I would suggest Collinite 845 for your wax...again, because it's so easy to use and it's durable too.
Everybody has opinions/favorites but I'm utterly confident that you won't go wrong with that recommendation. And if you try it and you *don't* like it, I'd appreciate knowing about it as, AFAIK, I'm currently batting 1000 with that recommendation.
FWIW, and I haven't seen your car, I sincerely doubt that *I* could get it nice enough for Zaino to be the best choice. And I'm not too bad at this stuff
Accumulator said:fd3annen-This can get confusing...I'll try to explain:
Generally, you start with something mild and see if it works. If so, cool but if not then you go on to something more aggressive. It's the "only get as aggressive as you need to" approach.
But then, as SuperBee364 said, once you've used something pretty aggressive, you almost always have to use progressively milder products to get the best final finish.
It's like using different grits of sandpaper on a piece of wood.
I'm not all that current of the numerous Menzerna products, better let somebody else tackle that one.
FWIW, I believe that the easiest stuff to use *PERIOD* is this approach:
Polish with polishes from 1Z (available here: Welcome to Exceldetail.com! or Aloha & Welcome to Our Oasis for All Your Auto Detailing Supplies & Accessories ) then top with the wax of your choice. Simple, effective, and simply as user-friendly as it gets (both by hand and machine). I would suggest Collinite 845 for your wax...again, because it's so easy to use and it's durable too.
Everybody has opinions/favorites but I'm utterly confident that you won't go wrong with that recommendation. And if you try it and you *don't* like it, I'd appreciate knowing about it as, AFAIK, I'm currently batting 1000 with that recommendation.
FWIW, and I haven't seen your car, I sincerely doubt that *I* could get it nice enough for Zaino to be the best choice. And I'm not too bad at this stuff
What do you meen by getting it nice enough for Zaino? And thanks for all the help. I don't necessarily need something fool proof as I am pretty quick at picking things up. I don't want to sacrifice results for an easier to use product. thanks for all the suggestions though, much appreciated.
Accumulator
Well-known member
fd3annen said:
I too consider myself a mighty quick learner, so I know where you're coming from.
I sure hope I didn't come across as condescending/insulting
I just meant that even with decades of experience at this stuff I still run into challenges that really put me through the wringer. IMO anything that can make things easier without compromising the end-result is worth considering (and my version of a decent end-result is likely to satisfy most anybody ). FWIW, the best finish I've *ever* achieved had 1Z polish for the penultimate (pre-Last Step Product) step, so it's not like that stuff is a compromise just because it's easy to use.
Sealants like Zaino (and the KSG and UPP that I use) are utterly unforgiving of any residual flaws (yeah, even Z5). Unless I can get *and keep* a finish basically perfect I use a wax-based approach instead. And FWIW, even starting with a showroom-new car, that "perfect finish" can be elusive. FWIW, I only use sealants on two of our vehicles and I keep 'em all *very* nice.
If the somewhat unique look of Zaino is what you're after, then OK. But otherwise I'd keep an open mind about which approach, and especially which LSP, to go with...and the Collinite isn't likely to disappoint you. Some of us find it better than most products for driven vehicles as it tends to readily shed dirt/etc., which not only makes washes easier (and less frequent), but also helps keep the marring to a minimum because you can employ more gentle wash techniques. And carnaubas sometimes (perhaps inexplicably :nixweiss ) seem to offer unusually good protection against environmental hazards like bird droppings, even better than the sealants that I woulda expected to be the best in this regard.
Accumulator said:I too consider myself a mighty quick learner, so I know where you're coming from.
I sure hope I didn't come across as condescending/insulting
FWIW, the best finish I've *ever* achieved had 1Z polish for the penultimate (pre-Last Step Product) step, so it's not like that stuff is a compromise just because it's easy to use.
Sealants like Zaino (and the KSG and UPP that I use) are utterly unforgiving of any residual flaws (yeah, even Z5). Unless I can get *and keep* a finish basically perfect I use a wax-based approach instead. And FWIW, even starting with a showroom-new car, that "perfect finish" can be elusive. FWIW, I only use sealants on two of our vehicles and I keep 'em all *very* nice.
If the somewhat unique look of Zaino is what you're after, then OK. But otherwise I'd keep an open mind about which approach, and especially which LSP, to go with...and the Collinite isn't likely to disappoint you. Some of us find it better than most products for driven vehicles as it tends to readily shed dirt/etc., which not only makes washes easier (and less frequent), but also helps keep the marring to a minimum because you can employ more gentle wash techniques. And carnaubas sometimes (perhaps inexplicably :nixweiss ) seem to offer unusually good protection against environmental hazards like bird droppings, even better than the sealants that I woulda expected to be the best in this regard.
No you weren't condesending in any way at all, I was just saying that about the product. I am a bit confused! What is it about the Zaino Look! I am not sure what that means or how it looks. I am just trying to achieve a deep wet look and get all the swirl marks out, the spider webbing and the imperfections. Once I polish those out i figured I would just top it all off with a good wax. That should achieve that look right? Or do I need a glaze inbetween the polish and the wax. thanks again for all your help.
Accumulator
Well-known member
fd3annen said:
This can be a contentious topic, so I feel like I'm walking on eggshells :nervous2: Let me say that a lot of people like how Zaino looks, including my best paint/body guy. On white, I like how it looks myself. But on many other colors I find it's just not....uhm..what I want the car to look like. Some have called it "plastic looking" or "saran-wrap". I find it sometimes looks too bright/reflective for my taste. I'm an old-school guy who likes depth and "richness" and *IMO* that's not how Zaino looked on most of the cars I've seen it on. I've never tried it on my vehicles, but the Klasse twins (which are similar but not as extreme in some of these regards) are already far from what I like.
How was that for a mealy-mouthed response! Zaino has a rather unique look that most people either really like or really don't. If somebody who loves Zaino thinks my opinion is all wet, well...opinions differ.
Getting all the imperfections out may very well prove harder than expected; it usually does. A good wax will cover some remaining flaws that Zaino would render highly visible.
Glazes sometimes add richness and depth, and can also help hide residual marring. There are some very highly-regarded new glazes on the market these days that I've yet to try (e.g. Danase SpeedGlaze, ClearKote Red Moose Glaze) and they might be worth considering. But I myself seldom bother with a glaze between the polish and the wax.
The 1Z polishes leave "glaze-like stuff" behind anyhow; I have *no* problem going straight from 1Z polish to wax and like I said, I'm pretty particular about how our vehicles look.