I'm confused - Help me get restarted!

J

JR_Cobra

New member
I have lurked on this site for a couple of years and learned enough to know I am now thoroghly confused and need some expert advice! I traded an '03 Cobra (Torch red) for a new Lemans Blue C6 Vette a couple of months ago and have tried a few combos but have not been satisfied with the results.



I really enjoyed detailing the Cobra and trying different products. As a result, I have a cabinet full of great stuff - Souveran kit, Klasse Twins, Zaino kit, Menzerna FP and FMJ and others interior/exterior recommended from this forum.



So, when I bought the Vette, I clayed it, applied NXT and topped it with Souveran. Looked good, but I wanted to try the FMJ. That looked a bit lifeless, so I topped it with Souveran. Not as liquid as I would like. Now I'm just stumped and am not sure how to proceed.



This is a dialy driver car (30 miles/day). I wash it weekly and dust it daily. I enjoy spending an hour touching it up every weekend or so. I'm considering going back to Zaino (for the protection) and just applying a coat of Z5 (?) or Souveran every other week or so.



What would you do?



How do I effectively remove whatever is built up to have a good starting point?



Thanks for your help!!
 
JR_Cobra- Welcome to Autopia!



You could take off the current products with an alcohol water mix, or a paint cleaner, or a polish. I'd probably just do the car with AIO (assuming it doesn't need any polishing).



Sounds like you might prefer the "Zaino look" on that particular paint. Somtimes it takes numerous tries before you find the product combo that looks just the way you want it to. Heh heh, took me over a decade to find what *I* like best on Audi silver.



Note that any marring, even fine stuff that doesn't really jump out at you, will compromise the final appearance. I always find the pre-LSP prep to be far more important than the LSP, but different LSPs can look *very* different.
 
IMO you are applying stuff over stuff which is just clouding the beauty of the paint underneth. As said before clean it all up with a polish and start over with a sealant of your choice (Ziano, FMJ) then top it with your favorite carnuba. For what its worth you might just want to use a sealant only as I think you're looking more for that reflectiveness rather than depth. Souveran just might not be the look you're after.
 
I agree that from the process you described, you never really polished the paint. Just because the car's new doesn't mean the paint was in great condition when you received it. I don't think NXT's mild cleaning ability is enough prep for your paint.



I'd go over with a mild polish like SSR1 and polishing pad (I assumed you clayed the car when you first got it.) Follow up with good base like AIO, and then apply the LSP of your choice.
 
Welcome to Autopia, very nice looking car you have there (just Googled it), anyway as others said maybe giving it a good light polish and playing around with different waxes/sealants will lead you to the look you like. Honestly judging by the color from the picture I just saw my suggestion would be polish it with Menzerna PO85RD or FP2 for gloss and top it with a very clear sealant, such as Poorboy's EX-P+. *I* think for really nice metallic paint jobs like that its best to let the true color out and Poorboy's EX-P+ does a pretty good job at that.
 
Thanks for the words of wisdom!!



Would Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion remove the layers of sealants or would Menzerna FP2 be a better choice? I also have Z2 and Z5 in my garage! I have a good collection!
 
JR_C6 said:
Thanks for the words of wisdom!!



Would Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion remove the layers of sealants or would Menzerna FP2 be a better choice? I also have Z2 and Z5 in my garage! I have a good collection!
Click to expand...



Both will do it.
 
Yeah, either the PCL or the FPII will work. I always sorta liked using the PCL. If, after using it, you find a little marring, you could always go over it with the FPII.



I *think* you oughta use some alcohol or something after PCL if using Zaino. While it leaves things "squeeky clean" I *think* it might leave something behind too. That's just a guess though, I never used a sealant after PCL (only glazes and waxes).
 
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