I've just purchased a 2007 Prius Touring in black and have ordered the Zaino products. My questions are does the paint have a clear coat and are there any areas on the painted surfaces of the car (ie: bumpers, mirrors, etc) that should NOT be waxed since they may not be metal?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SEIZETHEDAY49 @ Jun 15 2007, 02:55 PM) [snapback]462475[/snapback]</div> I've had my Prius since June of 2004 and it is also black. There is nothing you cannot wax on the vehicle, but I would keep the wax away from the rubber around the windows and the B pillar, which, even though it is painted, seems not to like wax much. Yes - the car has a clear coat - almost all cars do today. My only caution to you is this - the paint on these cars, or at least on mine, is susceptible to chipping and scratching very very easily. Something that would normally not leave a mark on a clearcoat, is alarming visible and deep on my Prius. Denting of the doors, front hood, etc, from minor stone hits or parking lot rash are far too easy to make and too hard to level out once there. So - a word to the wise - put a nose bra on your new car, use whatever means you can tolerate to defray side bumps from other doors (moulding??), and keep the car waxed with a non-abrasive polish, followed by a good wax, like Mequiars - wax only, not a cleaner. ICE makes a new wax that will not leave that white residue - which on our black cars will create more cleanup time then it did to wash, apply and buff the wax! I love my Prius - but the only weak sister in it is the paint!!
Zaino is not a wax, it is a polish. You can use it on everything on the car, Glass plastic paint etc. Go for it and enjoy.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ACD @ Jun 25 2007, 05:33 PM) [snapback]467950[/snapback]</div> Zaino Z-2 Pro and Z-5 Pro are sealants, not polish. Zaino likes to call them polishes but anyone with the slightest clue about auto detailing and paint care knows they're sealants. And even though they may not harm glass or plastic, there are better products to apply to both, such as 303 Aerospace Protectant for plastic.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priusenvy @ Jun 26 2007, 03:56 AM) [snapback]468158[/snapback]</div> Yes exactly correct. You can use these sealants everywhere, but they really do not last very long on the vehicle if not covered with a good wax. Polishes usually have sealants in them, with a very mild abrasive to take out swirls, sealant fills what is left of the surface imperfections, or tries to, and also adds emulients back into the paint. A "dry" paint will suck these sealants up like oil on a piece of paper. Gives it a great wet look for a very short time, but will not protect like a wax will. Detailers (i am one), usually polish with a fine clearcoat polish and power buffer, followed by a swirl remover/sealant/polish application and light buffing, then a good quality yellow paste wax, buffed at relatively slow speed with a foam bonnet. You cannot beat the shine. Less serious defects - start with clay and a good liquid spray wax to keep the clay moving, then move on to the sealant and wax. Good luck - certainly is not what the typical car owner does these days (car wash polish - or liquid spray wax applications), but that's why they need detailers! One thing I have found that is kind of new and am testing it out is the ICE wax that just arrived - not supposed to leave a white residue. We'll see - would help on darker color paints, but don't know what's in it.
The Zaino CS (Clear Seal) which is just wiped on and then left to dry, works well on the plastic and the glass areas. Personally, I prefer to just Rain-X my glass, but the CS works fabulously as a polish.
