Beginner, New car, product recommendations?

[InfiniteJest]

Hi,

Just took delivery last week and gave my 135 her first bath on saturday. Im looking to best protect the paint and give a nice shine. I unfortunately don't have a garage for the next year and the car will be outisde and subjected to a lot of dust/pollen/heat (I live in Georgia).

I read the detailer's guide and the guides on detailedimage and have already learned alot. Just looking to actually order some products. I already got 2 buckets, some cheap microfibers(will order some nicer ones) and a sponge, a hose/nozzle, and some mequiars QD to hold me over until I can really spend some time on the car.

I only don't know what product to order? Chemical Guy's Jetseal seems like it has great reviews on detailedimage but maybe M-seal or something would be fine for me (a beginner). Additionally, I notice a lot of people love Zaino products so maybe I should go the Z2-Z6 or 8 (which one?) w/ maybe ZFX route.

I also plan on ordering some applicators and wheel wax.

Oh, my car is Space Gray.

So Zaino or other? WHich other? If Zaino, Z6 or 8?

Also, any leather protecting recommendations?

Thanks in advance.

-IJ

[Lionel Hutz]

Zaino can be a pain unless you are really into detailing your car. There are a lot of steps involved, and you have to be very patient. That said, it has hands-down the best results of any paint treatment if you do it right. I recently put on some Z-AIO (their "all in one") which was a lot easier to use than their normal system. I'd suggest starting with something like Wolfgang Paint Cleaner + Wolfgang Sealant, or even Klasse AIO.

[Greg@DetailedImage]

Glad to hear you are ready to care for your new car and that you have already some of guides and others. I think you are on the right track with a lot of the products you mentioned. The Chemical Guys Jetseal 109 is an outstanding product that gives your paint very long protection. I use it personally and love it. The Chemical Guys M-Seal also works great and is a good value.

To protect the leather use the 303 Aerospace Protectant. It's an awesome UV protectant that I use on leather, vinyl, plastic and rubber surfaces. It's versatile and highly effective.

For sponges (Lake Country Blue Grout Sponge) and quality microfiber towels (DI All Purpose Microfiber Towels 50% OFF) make sure you check out our sale that ends on July 7th. There is a post in the forum about it.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Greg @ Detailed Image

[Evice]

Greg, what do you recommend for leatherette protection?

[Addict...Nah Im A Junkie!]

here here for the 303 Aerospace protectant. I use that on pretty much my whole interior (leatherette, plastic, etc) and most of the engine bay too.

I use zaino for the car......great products. If you don't mind spending the time get the cheaper all in one kit they sell:

http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/...roduct_Count=2

This is a pretty helpful guide from e90 post:

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9145

And wheel wax is great, makes keeping your rims clean much easier. Put some on the painted bmw caliper part too for ease of cleaning.

[pjdvd]

also interested in hearing what people recommend for letherette cleaning and protection product(s). My girl is wearing taupe if that matters.

[Addict...Nah Im A Junkie!]

use 303 Aerospace protectant, it has sun block in it for your car too. Leatherette, plastic, etc.

[Greg@DetailedImage]

Originally Posted by Evice

Greg, what do you recommend for leatherette protection?

Originally Posted by pjdvd

also interested in hearing what people recommend for letherette cleaning and protection product(s). My girl is wearing taupe if that matters.

My favorite products for cleaning are hands down the Leatherique cleaner and conditioner. The Leatherique Rejuvenator Oil helps penetrate deep in to the seat and force out contaminants while restoring conditioners to the seat. The Leatherique Prestine Clean helps remove contaminants and leaves a nice matte finish on the surface, no gloss and no fillers of any kind. We also have a full write up on how to best apply the Leatherique products in our Detailing Guide for best results. If you need a cheaper and/or faster alternative the Poorboy's World Leather Stuff does work well.

To protect leather and leatherette seats I would recommend the 303 Aerospace Protectant. It leaves a nice coating of UV protection and a relatively matte finish. I usually just put one spray, tops two sprays, on a microfiber towel and then wipe the seats down. This product can also be used on plastics, vinyl and rubber. Therefore it works great on the dashboard, doors, trim, engine bay casings and more.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Greg @ Detailed Image

[pjdvd]

Guess I assumed Leatherique was only for actual leather. So, it can be used on leatherette too? After reading the article from Esoteric Detail about leatherique, it sounds like a great tool to use once a year or so (depending on your mileage). A month to month cleaner for maintenance? Just some cheap armor all wipes? Or just some damp cloths? Then the 303 over that.

BTW, Evice we should see if we can get Esoteric to give a group discount if we bring in 3-4 1er's. I'm in the area too. I've had my car about a week now and I'm afraid to touch it (Monaco) to avoid putting streaks in it.

[BrokenVert]

Saddle Soap, Mother's, and a nice clay bar. My car still shines after I wash it. Even though I drove it all through the winter.

[InfiniteJest]

Thanks for all the great responses.

Looks like ill be ordering some 303protectant, wheel wax, some applicators, a towel and...I still havent decided on a sealant.

That guide seems to recommend Klasse AIO then the Glaze on top.

So my options are Klasse, Chem. Guys, or Zaino? Which will give me the best bang for buck and longest protection as well as being easy to use for a beginner?

-IJ

[Addict...Nah Im A Junkie!]

If you are talking about the guide I posted up, he also has the procedure for zaino treatment. I tried zaino and love it now. Im pretty serious about cleaning and spend around 3-4 hours on a regular wash and do about 6-8 hours once every 3 months to re-apply sealant and polish if necessary. Good luck with the washing.

One very important tip. Cut the clay into small balls around the size of a marble. Then use these for small panels, needing them often to push the contaminants into the clay so it does not scratch your paint. Only use that ball on a small section and then throw away and use a new ball. I use one marble sized ball for a 1x1 foot square area, if heavily soiled I might use more than one ball. Lots of QD. If you drop this on the floor, throw it away or else you'll rub the dirt/debris from the ground into your paint and scratch it. (Works great for stubborn break dust, bugs, and rail dust too).

Hope this helps.

[InfiniteJest]

Ok, looking at maybe just ordering the Zaino kit but how come they include Z5 and Z2 in the same kit? Seems unnecessary for me.

-IJ

[camaromatt]

add the spongetech sponge into that list of goodies lol. Need a solid sponge to start your wash with and it comes with wax in it as a prebuff for the zaino kit

[Addict...Nah Im A Junkie!]

Z2 is when you have no scratches. z5 is once you have some minor scratches. At least I think thats the case. I guess the z5 has more hiding power. Some people layer coats of them from what I've read too.

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by InfiniteJest

Ok, looking at maybe just ordering the Zaino kit but how come they include Z5 and Z2 in the same kit? Seems unnecessary for me.

-IJ

Yeah, I'd agree that both are unnecessary. I only use Z2, I'd rather correct the paint with water-based polishes and seal with Z2. I also find that Z5, much like any LSP that claims to hide swirls doesn't really do much of anything. I will say that before the "pro" revisions to Zaino, I thought that Z5 had a little more depth to it than Z2, but I haven't noticed it since the last revision.

[Evice]

Originally Posted by pjdvd

.....

BTW, Evice we should see if we can get Esoteric to give a group discount if we bring in 3-4 1er's. I'm in the area too. I've had my car about a week now and I'm afraid to touch it (Monaco) to avoid putting streaks in it.

I wanna try this 303 1st...

[Greg@DetailedImage]

Originally Posted by pjdvd

Guess I assumed Leatherique was only for actual leather. So, it can be used on leatherette too? After reading the article from Esoteric Detail about leatherique, it sounds like a great tool to use once a year or so (depending on your mileage). A month to month cleaner for maintenance? Just some cheap armor all wipes? Or just some damp cloths? Then the 303 over that.

BTW, Evice we should see if we can get Esoteric to give a group discount if we bring in 3-4 1er's. I'm in the area too. I've had my car about a week now and I'm afraid to touch it (Monaco) to avoid putting streaks in it.

Glad to hear we've found multiple uses for the Leatherique now. I primarily use it on seats but I've found it does help restore some life to vinyl that is really faded. I generally use the Leatherique products about every 4 months or so, but it depends on the use/abuse, UV exposure, etc. Twice a year would probably be a good minimum. In between please do not use those armor all wipes. Instead just vacuum and use a slightly damp microfiber towel to remove loose oils and dust.

I'm not sure if Todd has any special pricing. Todd is one of the best detailer's in the country that maintains some really pricey vehicles and car collections. I would suspect these types of services would not have many if any discounts but you should ask him for a direct answer.

Greg @ Detailed Image

[Greg@DetailedImage]

Originally Posted by InfiniteJest

Thanks for all the great responses.

Looks like ill be ordering some 303protectant, wheel wax, some applicators, a towel and...I still havent decided on a sealant.

That guide seems to recommend Klasse AIO then the Glaze on top.

So my options are Klasse, Chem. Guys, or Zaino? Which will give me the best bang for buck and longest protection as well as being easy to use for a beginner?

-IJ

I like the list so far, you are gonna love the 303 AP. Best band for your buck might just be the Klasse AIO or the Chemcial Guys M-Seal. For best protection I tend to use the Chemical Guys Jetseal 109 and the Blackfire Wet Diamond is a close second.

Greg @ Detailed Image