I own a 99 Ranger. Before i owned it my father used it as a work truck. and with 184,000 miles on it, it's still running strong btw. Anyway, i do my usual washes (Blue Corral) and Waxing (Zaino) but i wan't to know more about doing the clay stuff and removing some of the light scratches. Now if you were to begin cleaning a truck up to make it really shine nice, what would you do. Oh, and btw, my truck is white, i posted in "Vehicle Snapshots" under "White trucks only!"

Oh, and how do you guys apply your wax? I saw a $20 hand buffer at walmart that i'm really interested in getting.

 

Don't even bother with a buffer. Do this:

http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/...de=APPLICATION

If you're not starting with the clay bar, you're not applying Zaino correctly, no wonder you're not satisfied with the shine!

Basically, I do this when I polish my truck (2x a year):

1) wash with Dawn liquid detergent
2)claybar
3)wash with Dawn liquid detergent
4) if it wasn't a new car, I'd use zaino Z5 swirl remover
5)Zaino Z2 with ZFX accelerator
6)Zaino Z6 Gloss enhancer spray (I'll subsitute Meguiars Spray in a pinch)
7)Zaino Z2 with ZFX
8)Zaino Z6 Gloss Enhancer

It takes about a full day to do it. Results are worth it.

 

Best thing is to buy a couple of products. One is a cleaner/body scrub, the other is a polish. The body scrub is basically just a tiny bit of grit in it, so it will reduce the appearance of any scratches, swirls, and some surface contaminents. Clays bars are all about removing contaminents, but I've never personally used one. Then after your surface is smooth and free of anything that doesn't belong, you polish. Polishing is not supposed to protect your paint like wax does, it's job is to bring out the luster and "deepness" of your paint. Polish, I've found can be a pain the *** to remove, but the more you rub it in with a microfiber towel the better.
Then you can use your zaino to seal it all in.

I would skip the $20 dollar hand buffer, and get your self 20 bucks in microfiber towels (also at walmart). Use them for drying, polishing, and wax removal. You'll thank me later if you do.

 

www.detalicity.com

Read every day for one month, then start the spending spree!

After 184,000 miles of roads and washing, you will need a swirl remover. Zaino has no swirl remover.

Also, Don't waste your money on a $20 buffer.

 

Oh, and when would i want to use scratch remover, before, after, or somewhere during the process?

 

use the scratch remover after washing before polishing waxing

 

i start off with a good wash then a cleaner wax. let it go a week (usually strapped for time) then wash good again and use a good wax (maguires gold class or NXT). i apply the cleaner wax with a buffer and hand apply the other wax. truck was recently painted (last july) so i havent polished yet. shines good enough to blind passing people and get several thumbs up so its good enough for me =D.

what kind of polish do u recommened? also doesnt the process go...cleaner wax, polish and wax?

i've also tried scratch remover but it didnt help...but then again my scratched are pretty bad (wheelin none-the-less) so its all good =D

 

Honestly I own a polishing wheel and I never use it for anything now. Zaino Z5 is a scratch remover, use that along w/ the claybar per the instructions on the Zainostore.com website and thats about as good as it gets.

 

If your gonna get a polisher get a real one. Harbor Frieght usually has one on sale for about 30 bucks. It is variable speed and it comes with a wool pad. Just get you a foam pad and you will be good. It works great for getting out scratches and making the paint really shine. I wouldnt use it to wax the whole truck but I do use it to put the first coat of the mothers 3 wax system. Or just to get out scratches.

Made my hood actually shine without wax.

Serial

 

Buffing is a great idea on older trucks where the maintenance of the paint is questionable. Theres absolutely no need to EVER buff the paint on a new vehicle if the paint is properly maintained from when it was new. I've used Zaino ever since I took delivery, and even tho I haven't applied Zaino in over 4 months, I still get compliments on how shiny my paint is.

 

Alright, so i'm planning on detailing the truck tuesday. I'm pretty strapped for cash right now so i'm buying supplies from wal-mart.

This is what i'm doing:

Wash with dawn
clay bar
wash with dawn
swirl remover
Polish
wax


Sound good?

 

Sounds like a plan. You want to spend the MOST time using the clay-bar.

 

sooo i shoulda washed the truck again after the claybar?

 

lol, sounds like it.

 

yup, you shoulda washed the truck again to remove any residue the claybar/spray left behind.