Looking to take my paint to the next level...

[megacabcummins]

So about a year ago a friend suggested Zaino products to get a better shine from my paint, and I must say I got more than I expected. So I put aside a a whole weekend and got to work on my truck. Started with Dawn Ultra and scrubbed the truck top to bottom. Clay barred the whole truck, washed with Z-7, then two full coats of Z-5/ZFX followed by two full coats of Z-2/ZFX and then wiped it down with Z-6. Then got to work on the under carriage, wheel wells, and wheels. This was the result...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=11135&d=1332086846

What I didn't do was fix the paint chips, the bad scratches, ect ect... It is a daily driver work truck, but I don't care I would really like to get my paint to the next level so to speak. So I have some questions... Do I stick with the Zaino products, which I was not unhappy with and then go with a good carnuba over that? The Zaino has a great wet look, but I wanted the paint to look really deep if that makes sense. Or should I strip it down to bare paint and start over with something else? I plan to get a Dr. ColorChip kit to fix the chips and deep scratches, I also plan to get a 7274 cause I was sore as hell after hand rubbing the whole truck down 8 times in one day. Anyways what I am looking for is that really deep wet looking paint, thought maybe giving Dodo Juice or Chemical Guys a shot though I have no idea which one to choose, do I get a specific one for my color or type of paint? Do I need to strip the Zaino before I fix the paint chips? Sorry for all the questions, just hoping to get pointed in certain direction, even if it is a completely different one. Sorry ahead of time if this is the wrong place to post this... :buffing:

[eaglefan]

1. Get a machine and pads. To get it to the "Next level", you need a machine
2. I have had nothing but fantastic results with wet diamond, along with many others. Never used zaino stuff so I can not comment
3. Many good brands out there. Can not go wrong with the blackfire or wolfgang line, or menzerna

[Mustang81]

Get the machine first. If you find a product that works for you, keep with it.

If you order more than 50 dollars in stuff from Autogeek, you can request a free sample of Blackfire Wet Diamond paint sealant and try it out. If you don't like it, just remove it with a Dawn wash and go back to Zaino. You're out 0 dollars, just some time.

[Kaban]

if you get the PC, you'll need all week (morning to evening) to polish that big ass truck and do any sort of correction. Get the Flex instead, you'll thank me later.

[HotWhipT/A]

Love Zaino Z2 and Z5. Stick with it dude. Easy to use and buff off, smells amazing and lasts forever. A Flex is nice, but if you're going to get a DA, get the Griots 6". Has the most power of the DA's for sure. That means you will see results faster when compounding and polishing. That's what will take your truck to the next level. As for applying Z2? Any DA can do that no problem. I use speed 3 for wax/sealant. 5 for anything else.

[dsottum]

Equipment:
I'd say get a Griot's DA polisher over the PCXP (much more affordable than the Flex as well, and it has a lifetime warranty). Get yourself some LC pads as well (you'll have to do a little more researching/experimenting the different types, but generally Orange, White/Green, and Black pads are your 3 different densities of pads to get for 3 steps of polishing).

Products:
You can't go wrong with some M105 (compound)/M205 (finer polish)/Menzerna PO85RD (very fine polish) if you want to do 3 steps of polishing (you could skip the PO85RD if you don't want to invest *that* much time in doing a third polishing step, it's a finer polish than M205 but you can get an LSP-ready finish with M205 on a white pad for most paints), they're all very widely used and proven polishes. Just keep in mind every time you polish/compound your paint it's thinning the clear coat (albeit very little every time).

[megacabcummins]

Thanks for the replies... So a Griot's 6" HD will be my next purchase, along with a Dr. ColorChip kit

[megacabcummins]

So will Dawn Ultra remove Zaino, or any other sealant for that matter, so I can fix paint chips correctly?

Just watched a video on how to apply the Zaino, damn I put way too much on... Is BlackFire pretty much the same application process?

[dsottum]

Every LSP I've used is "less is more". The amount of product that actually stays on the surface post-buffing is such a small percentage of what you actually apply, that the excess would just smear. Some LSPs are much more forgiving than others so you just have to be careful with each one to find out its quirks.