Cat Scratches be Dam*ed!!

R

riotejas

New member
I just took my car to a local professional detailer to have my swirls removed and the surface prepped. Before the criticism starts, I don't have a PC, nor do I have any experience with removing swirls. I didn't want to start experimenting on my black car ;)



Thsi detailers is recommended by several BMW and Mercedes dealerships in the area and I've seen samples of their work. I'm picking up the car tommorow and I'm confident 75% of the swirls will be gone which will be a vast improvement in my finish.



I'm opting to put my own sealant on since I shelled out some bucks to buy Zaino. It's been raining cats and dogs here, so hopefully the drive back from the detailer to my underground garage at my apartment won't get the car too dirty. Anyone have any tips on getting the car clean from a 5 mins drive in the rain (to get it ready for Zaino)?



I will be posting my results with Z5+Zfx and Z6 sometime in the next couple of days. I'm an Zaino newbie so the results should prove to be interesting :)
 
Well before applying Z you need to dawn wash first. After that, since your surface is already been preped, Zaino your brains out. :xyxthumbs
 
Yes, still dawn wash. You to make sure there is nothing on the surface that will prevent the Z from bonding. And if you are driving the car home in the rain anyway, you should wash it before anything is applied to the surface.
 
You should definitely Dawn wash because you don't know what the P-Detailer put on it. Let's just hope he didn't put silicone spray on there that will come off and reveal any imperfections s/he left behind.
 
My Zee salesman just balled me put. He told me

last week to keep doing Z5/Xed till your happy with the finish.



I didn't ofcourse, put Z2 right away and now have

a little spider webbing going on.



Moral of the story is Z5 Z5 Z5 Z5 Z5 Z5 Z5 Z5

till you have a sheet of glass, then think about Z2.



My 2
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

tmchow, What year, make, and model is your black car?</blockquote>

Olivher: Black 1997 VW GTI

<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

You should definitely Dawn wash because you don't know what the P-Detailer put on it. Let's just hope he didn't put silicone spray on there that will come off and reveal any imperfections s/he left behind.</blockquote>

Puterbum: What if it's raining outside? Wash it quick with Dawn then drive it inside and dry it off?
 
Rain? Who cares about rain? :). Yeah, I would Dawn wash no matter what. If the car is clean and you know it, you could hose it down outside and bring it in the garage and Dawn wash the whole thing in there since you know it is clean and don't need to use 2 buckets and all that.



Then drive out in the rain, hose it down and bring it in and dry! Maybe a non-silicone QD like Final Inspection could help the dry process if you get any waterspots.



Prep the surface very well before zaino! Make sure you dont let any waterspots get past you or you will have to ignore / fix them later.



Good luck!! You will enjoy the process and end results!
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

Rain? Who cares about rain? . Yeah, I would Dawn wash no matter what. If the car is clean and you know it, you could hose it down outside and bring it in the garage and Dawn wash the whole thing in there since you know it is clean and don't need to use 2 buckets and all that.</blockquote>

I've got Z6 as well as EF CP.. which to use to help with the water spots? will it interfere with Z?

Also, when it's really cold, I've always had a problem drying my car. There's always this coating of water i just can't get rid of (it's 40 Deg here). Any tips?
 
Use the z6 for any spots.



As for the cold you are getting a dew like water on the paint. You gotta wait for it to dry else a PIA to apply the Z.



Good Luck and post pics when done!
 
If the swirls are not that bad, there is a decent chance the detailer removed all of them. If not, you ca get 3M SMR and go over your car, it's really easy and even from a newbie's view; really hard to screw your car up.



Your better just waiting and seeing what they did or did not do.
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

As for the cold you are getting a dew like water on the paint. You gotta wait for it to dry else a PIA to apply the Z.</blockquote>

Does anyone have any tips for getting this dew off when it's cold? I'm sure there must be a ton of autopians who wash and dry their cars in 40 deg weather!

In the past, it didn't make what I did, I couldn't get the dew off!
 
I do not know what 40 Degrees is as I live in the SOUTH!!!!!



when it gets this cold I stay indoors and watch auto racing!
 
It's gonna be freezing today! I don't think it will get over 75 degree's :scared I just hate when it get so cold..... :cool:



H
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by joed1228 [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>If not, you ca get 3M SMR and go over your car, it's really easy and even from a newbie's view; really hard to screw your car up.[/b]</blockquote>I disagree completely. Many experienced members here have gotten hazing from 3M SMR by hand and sometimes even by PC.
 
I bought a new to me (08 Limited 4WD, 18K miles) 4Runner right after the first of the year and didn't notice until I got home that it had some noticeable (to me anyway) what appeared to be cat scratches on the hood. Well, the weather has been horrible here since then and I just haven't had the time to tackle it. But, yesterday, I had a spare 30 minutes or so after work, so I figured I would bust out the PC7424 with 105 on a yellow pad and see what I can do.

I've never been one to be able to correct stuff like this as I'm pretty hesitant to screw something up!! Well, I figured what the hell and gave it a shot. Much to my surprise, I got it, 100% of it!! I used a bit too much 105 as it was tough to remove, but I just went over it 4-5 times and when I wiped it off, GONE!! No more cat scratches!!!

Now I can't wait for a nice weekend so I can give my "new" 4R a full polish with 105/205/BFWD and more importantly, our Passion Red XC90 the same treatment!!

I also ordered the Meguiars pads that I plan on using with 105/205 when they come in as well. So, I'm ready for spring!!!

Anyway, I know correcting scratches is nothing new for you guys, but I was pretty pumped.

Sorry, no pics, I was on the run!!!
 
I am glad it worked out for you Zack!:thumbup: Good luck with the new ride.
 

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bmw5541 said:
I am glad it worked out for you Zack!:thumbup: Good luck with the new ride.
Click to expand...

Thanks! It flat out made me sick to get rid of my Sonic Blue R, but I just ran out of room for the family, so I had to make a sacrifice.

So far, I like it. It's obviously a LOT different than the R, but I do like it.
 
That's great you were able to remove the mess Zack . Just to let you know you are no longer permitted to keep the S 60R part of your profile . You can keep the XC90 but the R has to go .\m/
 
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