dkmura

iTrader: (64)

Over the past week, I've washed, clayed, polished and sealed the paint on three of my vehicles. The first is my '08 Titan and I have to say, its paint is by far the worse. The smoke (K11) metallic paint is beginning to fade in spots on the roof and hood. Blackfire polish and sealant helps to hide it a bit, but it's getting worse every year. This fall, I tried Optimum's Opti-Seal in an attempt to gain a little longevity, particularly as I plan to put almost 3K miles on the truck in towing from Colorado to Road Atlanta and back in the next 10days. It doesn't help that my King Cab longbed Titan needs to remain outside all season long, but my garage just isn't that big!



My '03 Redline (AX6) track model Z still responds well to a Blackfire detailing, but I'm reluctant to use an aggressive polish to get all the swirls out. With 13 years on the clock, the original clearcoat paint is getting thin, but still glows with just a little work. I love looking at the lines as I hand polish this beauty, but also note every small chip or scratch in the paint. In particular, the hatch and rear bumper is getting pretty worn where I open and close it. Still very proud of how good this Z looks!



Finally, I worked on my wife's Infiniti G37xS platinum graphite (K51) sedan. I have to say, while both the Z and G get sheltered in the garage, the G's paint is in much better shape. The '09 models were the first to utilize the scratch shield paint, and I am now a believer in this technology. While it won't eliminate any deep scratches or damage to the paint itself, there are virtually NO swirl marks or other signs of light scratches anywhere on the body! As the weather cools, the elastic clear coat will not flow as well, but after seven years it still seems to work well.

So, in summary, we Z owners can stop our bitchin' and moanin' about our paint. The Titan guys really have MUCH more to complain about in this area! And while some technology might seem iffy, if Infiniti (or Nissan) offers scratch shield paint in the future, GET IT. IMO it's worthwhile for the DIY detailer.

dcains

iTrader: (15)

My '08 Z's paint (K51) still looks as good as new, and I don't really baby it all that much, and I'm in south Florida. I claybar it a few times a year and use the German-made Sonax liquid wax several times a year, but I've never had to touch it with any sort of polish. I'm surprised how well it's held up. Still not a single door ding, either, which is hard to believe, but I do a lot of extra walking to park away from other cars.

dkmura

iTrader: (64)

Glad to hear your K51 paint is holding up so well. Do you notice any swirl marks at all?

As for parking away from crowds, doesn't it kill you when you're way out there and someone just has to park RIGHT next to you? Particularly when there's lots of other parking spaces available...

dcains

iTrader: (15)

I was going to hit the paint with my Griot's DA and fine polish, but no swirl marks at all. I think the trick to avoiding them is to touch the paint as infrequently as possible. I only wash the car maybe 5 or 6 times a year, and it's my daily, so it gets dirty.

And, yeah, I hate parking lot douchebags. I was driving my '69 E-Type about 30 years ago, and I parked at the far edge of the mall parking lot. Came out to find a 2-door Cadillac next to my Jag, and a big chip in my driver's door. I took the lead hammer out of the trunk (the car had knock-off wheels), and I smashed every piece of glass and dented every single body panel of that Cadillac.

travlee

iTrader: (8)

they guy that detailed my black Z used the Menzerna 400 with the meguires white cutting pad, followed by the Menzerna 3500 with the orange lake country pad, finished it off with a white polishing pad. looked like glass when he got done. i had pretty bad swirls in it, and he got all of them out.

on the corvette he just did one pass with the 3500 on white cutting pad, followed by another 3500 pass with the orange pad, final pass with white polishing pad. then we sealed with the opti-gloss

before we got to any buffing, we did the sonax fall out remover, followed by dawn wash, clay bar, dawn wash again, then tackle with the buffer. one thing he told me, the less you rub on the paint the better. now i use some thick microfiber towels after i blow most of the water off with the chemical guys blower

KornerCarver

iTrader: (2)

Here is the tool that is the key to no swirls. I have an older model Master Blaster but this thing is fantastic for drying any car.

http://autoweek.com/store/product/me...ter-revolution

travlee

iTrader: (8)

i wanted one, but didnt want to drop that kind of money. for cheapies like me, this is the one that i have

jhc

Lmk when you're down here for Road Atlanta, I'd enjoy meeting you. If time allows I'll go over your paint for free. Chad, Dave and Andy can vouch for me.
The keys to avoid swirls-
Dry with any leaf blower
Do not use a QD unless you wipe with Opti NR 1st.
Wash towels/microfiber after every use.
I ALWAYS clay before wax, polish or coating.

Megs 205 and a white pad will remove most light swirls, followed by Merzerna FP4500 for a the best luster.

dkmura

iTrader: (64)

Here it is: almost the end of November and three winter storms later, the cars are safely tucked away. Sometimes it's a nice feeling to look out the window, or peek in the garage and see my cars in a clean and dry environment. The Titan has it the worst, with about 6" of fresh Colorado powder sitting on top from winter storm Cara. But it looked good throughout its trip to Road Atlanta and back, just had a Mobil 1 oil/filter change when we got back and cleaned up before this storm rolled through.

My Z is safely tucked away with a cover over it until the weather warms up and the roads clear. While the snow is plentiful here, it melts quickly once the temp rises out of the subzero range. Glad I live where I do, but it does have its (detailing) challenges!

jhc

Great to see you at Road Atlanta! To your original post regarding paint, your truck is large and requires a lot of time. Meguiers and 3M make a liquid syn wax that should seal in and feed your paint. Easy on/off.

For your track model, perhaps wash and clay, then try a "glaze" product. Lots of finely ground clay and cayolin which will fill the scratches. Then top coat with BlackFire or your favorite carnauba.

I just did my Mag Black roadster last night with BlackFire Wet Diamond, very nice optical clarity.

dkmura

iTrader: (64)

Thanks John- and you're right, that Titan does take a lot of time! You'd laugh if you saw me clay it in sections and then seal it with Blackfire WD. I've tried a liquid syn wax in the past, but still not as good a finish as Blackfire. And the roof? It's a no-hoper (as I've said before) and will get fresh primer, paint and clearcoat when the weather gets better.

As for my street Z, I'll use Blackfire glaze next spring to reduce the impact of those swirls, as you say. As for now, it's just slumbering away, probably dreaming of open roads and blue skies...

35th4me

The Redline is a very classy looking Z. Congrats!