Well, I finally got around to taking care of the beast. I didn't get done until pretty late tonight, I'll try to get some daylight photos if the weather holds. For now, these are some pretty decent pictures Still have to dress the tires. Products: Dawn Ultra, Leaf Blower, P21S Drying Towel, Clay Bar, Zaino Show Car Wash, Zaino Z5 (x2), Zaino Z2, 303 Aerospace (plastic/vinyl/leather).

Any dirt or speck you see on the car is a reflection. Trust me. I think the only dirt left on the car was on the tire treads (pebbles stuck in there, etc.).

 

Two things:

1.) That last picture is gorgeous.

2.) Where do you live? I need to remove your shelving and tool box for thorough inspection, then "accidentally" "lose" them in transit upon return.

 

Ha, thanks. I'm just learning about photography. Going to try and get a little more serious. Live in Northeast PA. These shots were taken in my father's barn-turned garage. It's where I'll be doing all the work on the 'stang, and where we'll be restoring a 1961 Mercedes-Benz 190SL (not pictured).

 

I've noticed some micro-scratches (barely visible) in my car's clear coat. I'm not sure where they came from. I always used a clean microfiber towel for buffing.

 

I've never used microfiber. For buffing, I use 100% cotton hand towels that I unbound and re-stitched with 100% cotton thread. I usually use a bath towel for the drying (experimented with the p21s this time, not bad at all). All white towels, so I can see any dirt in them.

If you've looked at your buffing towels, and your drying towels, the only culprit left is your wash mitt or towel. Wash it (if possible) or replace it. The good news is that if the scratches are really that small, you can get a product like Zaino's ZPC or something similar and polish those out. Put a new coat of wax/sealer over the top and you'll never know they were there.

 

Car looks great. Love the color. Zaino is really good stuff at least in my experience. What are your impressions of the hid lights? Do you feel they were worth the money along with the security package? Thanks.

 

Love how the highlights really bring out the specularity, really makes the paint look stunning.

I use really soft 100% cotton bath towels too when it comes to cleaning and polishing etc. Never scratches.

 

The HIDs... probably would still go with them again.

They really light up the road. It's a little odd dealing with the extreme cut-off. It seems to light up less of the road than incandescent lights, but then I compared side by side, and there's no comparison.

 

That looks awesome. I should be getting a Zaino shipment in sometime this week. Just curious, what did you use on the black moldings on the bottom of the car? Did you use the Z5 and Z2 on that also? If you don't, how do you avoid getting wax on that section of the car?

Thanks

 

You *can* use Z5/Z2 on the plastic moldings. I use 303 Aerospace on the moldings. UV protection, non-greasy feel. http://www.autogeek.net/16oz.html is the cheapest I've found it.