Wait to Wax? / Zaino Products?

[VetteNZMan]

Two questions, is there any reason I need to wait to wax. Many years ago the thinking was some paints need to cure out for 6 months prior to applying anything other than soap and water.

Did a quick search and did not see anyone using Zaino products - these use to be a favorite of Vette folks, not sure if this is true now but I still use it (wax and clay bar). Thanks

 

[ibmaxx]

Two questions, is there any reason I need to wait to wax. Many years ago the thinking was some paints need to cure out for 6 months prior to applying anything other than soap and water.

Did a quick search and did not see anyone using Zaino products - these use to be a favorite of Vette folks, not sure if this is true now but I still use it (wax and clay bar). Thanks

IMO don't wax your car for 6 months is very good advice. When I purchased my Volvo the manual actually states not to wax for a whole year to allow the paint to harden properly. I took that advice and never regretted it. Often you need to remove something or other and I only ever use Pledge furniture polish. If it's good enough for your walnut and mahogany your car needs it too. Furniture polish is kind to plastic as well and really easy to use.

My two cents worth.

 

[Euljiro1ga]

Hum.. I have never heard about this before. In fact, quite the contrary, get your paint protected (with wax, sealants, coatings) asap.

In Korea, almost every dealer would throw in free ceramic coating to new Stingers right at delivery.

 

[jwhollan]

Yep. I would go for a ceramic coating or other sealant ASAP. The longer you drive it without it, the more chips you'll be repairing once you finally get around to it. The icing on the cake is that it will also provide you that post-wax shine for several years without ever actually needing to wax it. But the more important benefit here is protecting that very thin paint Kia put on these vehicles.

 

[StingerGT68]

Yep. I would go for a ceramic coating or other sealant ASAP. The longer you drive it without it, the more chips you'll be repairing once you finally get around to it. The icing on the cake is that it will also provide you that post-wax shine for several years without ever actually needing to wax it. But the more important benefit here is protecting that very thin paint Kia put on these vehicles.

From what I've understood, ceramic coatings will not help prevent chips or even swirl marks. A lot of manufacturers claim that but other "honest" detailers tell me ceramic is not the miracle coating people think it is.

 

[jwhollan]

Ceramic coating is quite literally a glass-like coating over top of the paint. For a pebble to chip your paint, it would have to get through that layer first and then through the paint. Is that impossible? No, I'm sure it's not. But it DOES provide significant improvements in protecting the paint. The same applys to swirling. IF you are getting swirls with a ceramic coating, then it is in the coating itself, not the paint. and if that is the case, then it was either mis-applied during installation, or you are using a very cheap and very soft coating (like one of the "spray-on" products for example), which will not last long anyway...

 

[voon]

Zaino seems to be a thing of the past atm ... also in most other detailing fora I read (The best being detailingworld UK, IMHO). Currently, if you want relatively longlasting "wax type" stuff at an affordable price, people go fusso coat 12M, or the old but good FK1000P or Collinite. Easy and good is Sonaxes brilliant Shine Detailer (who protects well for long as well) etc. For darker colors, people still love all sorts of carnauba waxes, that usually won't last long, but have their deeper shine.

The other hype is the "9H" type ceramic coating. Lasts longer, doesn't seem to last the advertised times as usual, and doesn't have magic properties (doesn't protect against any scratchy contact), but is among the long lasting coats.

 

[RaskyR1]

Two questions, is there any reason I need to wait to wax. Many years ago the thinking was some paints need to cure out for 6 months prior to applying anything other than soap and water.

Did a quick search and did not see anyone using Zaino products - these use to be a favorite of Vette folks, not sure if this is true now but I still use it (wax and clay bar). Thanks

Modern OEM paints are fully cured long before they hit the dealerships, wax away! Aftermarket (body shop) paint are totally different and will require 30-90 days for proper out-gassing of the solvents prior to waxing. In this case you should follow your body shops recommendation.

Zaino isn't talked about much now days, still a good product but there are better options now

Yep. I would go for a ceramic coating or other sealant ASAP. The longer you drive it without it, the more chips you'll be repairing once you finally get around to it. The icing on the cake is that it will also provide you that post-wax shine for several years without ever actually needing to wax it. But the more important benefit here is protecting that very thin paint Kia put on these vehicles.

Ceramic Coatings offer NO protection against rock chips! Whomever you heard that from is part of the problem with all of the outrageous claims being made for coatings and it needs to stop. Paint Protection Film (PPF/Clear bra) is what is needed for protection against rock chips.

Ceramic coating is quite literally a glass-like coating over top of the paint. For a pebble to chip your paint, it would have to get through that layer first and then through the paint. Is that impossible? No, I'm sure it's not. But it DOES provide significant improvements in protecting the paint. The same applys to swirling. IF you are getting swirls with a ceramic coating, then it is in the coating itself, not the paint. and if that is the case, then it was either mis-applied during installation, or you are using a very cheap and very soft coating (like one of the "spray-on" products for example), which will not last long anyway...

On top of my above comment, know that most ceramic coatings measure around 1-3 microns thick when applied to the paint, that's 0.0001 of an inch! Do you really think that's going to stop a rock chip? On the other hand, paint protection film is on average 8 mils, or 203 microns thick and made of a softer, more durable polyurethane to absorb impacts from debris.

 

[voon]

Indeed, ceramic coatings are just a longlasting protective layer, making it easier to wash your car and retain some water repellent behaviour after washing. No sealant, coating wax, whatever out there will keep your car magically clean or even protect against major scratching, let alone rock chips. At best, the hydrophobic effect makes dirt stick a little less, but you'll still accumulate oily traffic film, reducing the hydrophobicity to near zero untill you wash it. If you need some rock chip protection, you'll need a plastic wrap.

Also, take a look at this: Glossboss testet: Kratzfestigkeit von Quarz basierten Versiegelungen

Google translate it if needed. Basically, pulling a scratchy sponge over whatever ceramic coat leaves a metric ton of scratches. Both after 24h or 9 days later.