Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
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Waxes And Polishes
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I applied Zaino for the first time on Sunday. It was 65 degrees (at most), rather windy, and about 69% humidity. It dried quickly. I put Z1 on at 11 AM, Z5 around noon, and wiped it off at 2:45 PM. The car was sitting in the sun, and it was plenty dry. I wasn't home before then or I would have checked it and possibly wiped it off earlier.
The key, I think, is to put on a VERY THIN coat. I kept thinking "am I putting on enough?" the whole time. It doesn't help that the car is light blue, so you have to be careful to watch where you've wiped and where you haven't. It did great.
This Zaino works like a dream. I did the 'bottle test' by accident (I put the bottle of Z6 on top of the roof so I could rotate my towel to a dry spot... it slid right off. I caught it on the way to the ground.. whew!)
Another note, this time about Z1. I started to do the car on Saturday (dawned the car, which I had clayed the previous weekend) and applied Z1 to the roof, hood, and one side. Then it started to rain (it had already hazed over). This stuff was beading water like crazy. Since it rained all afternoon, I dawned again on Sunday before polishing with Z1, Z5, and Z6. I want to do another Z5, and then a Z2 before I call it 'done'.
The car is eight years old, and has hail damage in addition to other blemishes, but boy is it SHINY now!
Bri
College Station, TX
I'd stay away from acrylic products. They are tough to work with and the tend to yellow eventually in my experience. Acrylics are tough to remove if they completely dry before you remove them.
graphicguy,
There's a fine line when working on dyed leather. If a solvent will soften and remove the ink there's a likely chance that it could also discolor the leather also. I wish I could give you a secret trick to remove the ink without harm but unfortunately I don't have one.
I have successfully used rubbing alcohol to remove stains from some leather seats but I have also had to repair seats that were discolored by the same process. I work in short sessions, rubbing with a cotton cloth dampened with alcohol for a few seconds and then wiping the spot dry and letting it dry fr a minute or two. This should minimize the risk of discoloration but it is no guarantee. Sorry.
I prefer Zaino leather cleaner and protectant over Lexol. The Lexol always seemed greasy to me and it attracted dust on the dash like crazy. Just my opinion after using both.
sebarge,
If I can help you with your website just let me know. I'm not an HTML wizard but I get by. Great start!! :-)
I haven't seen Zaino polish take over about 1 hour and 15 minutes to completely dry and that was in cool(low 60's) very humid (hazy outside) weather. I usually get dry times around 35 to 45 minutes in "average" Atl, Ga weather.
dkelly1,
I recommend using your favorite paint protectant on your chrome wheels. I use Zaino and I clayed my chrome wheels, applied Z1 and a few coats of polish and now I simply wash them by hand and wipe them down with Z6 to cut down on dust attraction.
ghicks,
I use around 3/4 of an ounce to 1 ounce of Dawn to a bucket (about 2.5 gallons) of water when I do a Dawn wash. Hope this helps.
shoman,
Sounds like you basically "wore" the stain off. ;-)
Chris Parrish
nd4speed@bellsouth.net
Since it came off without any damage or "dust"
BTW, Properly used, I have NEVER seen Lexol "attract" dust. I have seen people not wipe the product off and "buff" as recommended, in that case, ANY product would hold and keep dust that will fall on the surface.
I assume the dash you used Lexol on was leather? Must have been a Porsche or some other exotic, as almost all other dashes are vinyl, and Lexol should not be used on vinyl. Lexol makes a great product called Vinylex for that purpose.
Don
I typed up a "chip tips" form and a friend of mine was kind enough to host it on his website. Go to: http://www.angelfire.com/il/99redbird/rockchip.html to read over them. If you have any questions after reading them just let me know. :-)
shoman,
FYI, it was the Lexol brand Vinylex (in the blue green looking bottle) that I used on non-leather dashes/door panels. In my opinion it wasn't any better than Armor-All. I can get pretty much identical results from the two and neither last as long as Zaino Z10 or Z16.
Personally I hate detailing interiors so the durability of the Zaino is a huge plus for me. It means that I have to apply it less often.
As for dust "attraction", I'll allow you one "gotcha". :-) Technically that was worded wrong. I should rephrase it to say...I get less dust "accumulation" with Zaino than I did with Lexol Vinylex, Armor-All, Meguiars Vinyl & Rubber treatment, etc... I'm pretty sure that I used them "properly". I mean it ain't exactly rocket science. :-)
I'm not selling any of the above mentioned products, just posting my observations based on my experience with them.
DropTop90,
I'd try clay first. If clay doesn't remove the streak then you may have to use a mild abrasive such as 3M Foam Pad Polish and a cotton towel to gently polish off the offending mark. I'd use abrasives as a LAST resort though.
I haven't used anything other than the Erazer surface cleaning material from Erazer so I can't comment other than my remarks above regarding acrylic products. :-)
Stillwater,
That's a problem that you may want to leave to a professional wheel repair shop. Wish I knew a good way to do it yourself.
Chris Parrish
nd4speed@bellsouth.net
""Chris-
Since it came off without any damage or "dust"
whatever, use of Lexol can't hurt.""
Thank you Shoman for that cutting edge technical advice on how to remove stains from leather. After just two short YEARS of using Lexol, it "can't hurt" and may just fade away! Wow. I will have to save that advice somewhere on my hard drive for future reference. Oh, maybe you have this technobabble on your website?
Rob
Have I got this right?
Are there any possible long term downsides to Zaino such as diffficulty of removal with many coats when repainting is needed? [People have already referred to the problem of removing Zaino when washing to establish a clean test.] What are the problems if Zaino is misapplied? [I'm a real klutz].
I've so far used Meguiar's Polish + Liquid gold Wax but would like to start claying and MAY try Zaino but wish the product weren't so new, untested, (by independent labs with systematic comparisons) and limited in distribution.
I would also like it better if I knew exactly what Zaino IS (chemically). (Please don't start with asking to define what is, is
My feeling is that if Zaino is genuinely better AND starts to acquire market share then the majors will eventually clone it at a lower price. But this is sheer speculation.
Sorry if I'm rambling. Thanks for any responses.
I don't care, I am leasing my cars, so I am getting them Zainoed soon.
Yes, I used the Erazer clay and then Collinite, superb finish and results.
Rob 360
Your note certainly added to the wealth of knowledge of the universe...I might add....
..."Whatever"
JVCN,
I think we talked on the phone, but for public consumption: I have found Meguiars Gold Class paste to be an excellent product, also I have used Collinite for years before starting my business and adding it to my products. I think Zaino is also an excellent product, I just don't see any advantage over the previously two mentioned products in shine, ease of use and for sure, both Meguiars and Collinite are "one-step" products and thus lots less time consuming initially.
Zaino lovers seem to apply multiple coats of the product several times a month, so longevity can't be tested that way. so far in applying and leaving Zaino/Collinite on my SHO, and not re-applying either, shine/durability/dust "attraction" is still equal between Zaino and Collinite. It's been about a month.
Ruski,
Only long-term lab testing will be able to really answer your question, but my personal opinion is that I don't think there is anything harmful in Zaino. Give Sal himself a call and ask the questions straight out. He has a vested interest in making his product look good but I think you or your friend will find it a worth-while call.
Don
I'll buy the clay and try it on the streak. Hopefully that will work. I'm afraid to use anything abrasive because the plastic mirror housing scratches very easily.
Shoman,
Thanks for letting me know that you've used Erazer and followed with a coat (or two) of Collinite. Sounds like a relatively quick and easy way of getting a great shine and great protection for my car's finish.
While opinions do vary,
(and why anyone would want to run their own A/B tests to see if they all get the same results, is beyond me. Most people not in the business have other lives??)
I have extensive experience with Meguairs' polish,#26, Astroshield, Meguair's Gold Class, and lastly Zaino. So in the process of considering Zaino, an A/B test was natural for the other products were already in hand and in some cases already in use. On any point, Zaino leaves far and away the better result.
There is no doubt in my mind that a Collinite product will equal and/or exceed a Meguairs Gold Class or #26 in shine or durability. (But Collinite is even more expensive than Zaino.)
For me the effort is multiplied 4x for I have to do 4 huge trucks. So my self interest is clearly less time and effort and longest durability between applications..Zaino clearly meets all my concerns.
My problem has to do with getting the clay. It sounds like the yellow Erazer is the preferred clay (according to the erazer guy and a few others that posted here it holds its shape better, has no abrasives, stores easier). But every time I go to www.erazer.com my Netscape locks up. So I can't even get far enough to figure how to order or how much it costs. Maybe I should give up and just stop by Pep Boys for the blue Clay Magic (how much does it cost?). Any thoughts/help appreciated.
I think I will use the bottle of the waxing product to spray it on someone's car in NYC who runs the red light and almost hits me - it happens 3 or 4 times on the way to work. I was thinking about smashing a raw egg on their windshields too. These people are getting worse and worse - they see a read light, so the accelerate to cross the street instead of stopping.
Hey detailfreak, you know a lot of ways to make paint look better. Do you know a quick way to ruin someone's paint in a hurry? without causing damage to my own clothes? and without it being so obvious that I get arrested on the spot?
Thanks for your comments. Can you tell me what's the longest you've waited between single applications of Zaino on your trucks? How well did that hold up?
shoman
Thanks again for your candid opinions on a range of products.
My Dad used to work at General Dynamics (now owned by Lockheed). He said that to test the canopies of their planes (F-16) they had a huge chicken gun. It would launch poultry at around 400mph. Now if only there were a way to strap that thing to the roof of my car. The next guy to cut me off wouldn't eat chicken for a year!
Of course the best (and cheapest) course of action is to control my temper.
The shortest time waited between coats was 30 min. The longest was 24 hrs.
The Zaino is holding very nicely. Four to six months for daily drivers that are parked outside. The ones parked inside I think will be able to go easily 6 months to a yr. But as I have stated I place a priority on longer times between applications consistent with good protection.
The Meguairs Gold Class/ #26 seems to last approximately 1 to 2 months on the daily drivers. And when inside seemed to go for 3 to 6 months max.
Specifically, she said "I need to talk to you abou t this slippery $#@t you put on my car!"
I said "what? Me? you mean... the Zaino?"
She says "yeah. I go to put gas in the car, I put the cap on top of the roof ~like I always do~ and it slid right off!"
I almost dropped my sponge I was laughing so hard (I was washing our van at the time, my new aerobic workout).
Like I said... 8 year old car, dings and scratches and hail damage (that will all be fixed soon) and ONE HELL OF A SHINE.
I also want to add that by far the most difficult part of putting Zaino on was washing the car first. Z1 - I used the applicator pad that came with it. Put a tiny stripe of Z1 down the middle (the pad was damp with tap water) and started applying it really thin. I had to look at the car at funny angles to see where I put it, since the paint is a light blue and the haze didn't show really well. I went inside after I finished, played with the baby for a little while, then went back out to Z5. For this, I flipped the applicator pad over, splashed some water on it, and got to work. Again a thin stripe and be careful where I put it on.
Then we ran to the store and to get a bite to eat at the local chinese buffet. Came home a couple hours later, grabbed my big white fluffy towel (that my wife doesn't know how much I paid for it he he he) and buffed off the Z5. Looked awesome. Grabbed the Z6 spray bottle and followed directions, spraying just a little and buffing it off with the towel (same towel, I bought great BIG fluffy white towels). Looked more awesome.
I love it. I'm going to Z7 wash it this weekend and put on at least one more coat of Z5, and finally a coat of Z2. Then I'll lay off a while and see how long this stuff really lasts. I can't for the life of me think it is any harder to apply than wax (I'm talking physical effort, the Zaino wiped off without any effort at all and went on almost as easily). Looking at the bottles (of Z1 nd Z5) it is hard to see that I used any. I think they'll last me a while.
I also get to polish the Van this weekend, and that WILL take more time, just due to acreage.
BTW, for those thinking of buying erazer, I got two bars that are I guess two ounces each. Look like bars of play-dough. One of them is still in the wrapper, cuz I'm sure I'll drop the other sometime soon. The stuff IS slippery.
Bri
College Station, TX
However, I have some queries which I hope I might be able to find help here, from Sal, Chris or anyone.
Before I begin, I have to admit that I am a lazy person. *8)
How often do I need to apply another coat (of Z5 or Z2) to the car in order to maintain it in the condition as it is now? The main point is to maintain it in OPTIMAL (which is now with 6 coats) with the LEAST effort. Of course, more coats would help. But as I said, I am lazy, and wanted the easy way out. And I would also like my car to be in tip-top condition as it is now. So, if I wash my car with Z7 weekly, and it is a daily driver, how often do I need to recoat (and how many coats)?
Please don't tell me as often as you like...*8( Based on your experiences, definitely you can give me some good estimates or guidelines...
Another thing is how do I know or gauge that I need to apply another coat? From the shine, feel of slickness, water beading, or whatever? Again, please not the "as you like" answer.
The "as you like" type of answer doesn't really help me. There is a struggle between the laziness in me and the "wanting of my car to look the best as it is now". I hope that from your answers, I can strike a balance.
Chris, I know your have 18 coats (or perhaps more now) of Zaino on my Trans Am. The application of the 18 coats was done over a period of how many months? And what is the elapsed time between each coat? How do you maintain it so that it remains at its "18 coat" condition?
One last question...
Do we need to apply Z6 after every Z7 wash? I know it is recommended, but does it really help? In what way does it help? Durability? Shine? Z6 in such a bottle is very "precious" and it sure takes quite an effort for Zaino to be shipped to my country. Thus, I need to use it sparingly.
How often do you apply Z6?
Sorry for the length mail, but I do need answers as I am a novice in this area.
Thanks a lot. *8)
There are some other products which are also highly recommended by users of this forum. I suggest reading back posts and get a feel for what this bunch is about. Like I said, lots of info here!
Congrats on your purchase!
Bri
College Station, TX
""Give Sal himself a call and ask the questions straight out. He has a vested interest in making his product look good but I think you or your friend will find it a worth-while call. ""
Well, Don, I don't see Sal Zaino on this board promoting his products like you do. It seems to me that you get in a promotion of Collinite or Lexol etc whenever you can, and are always sure to add the fact that you sell these products! Would you not call that a vested interest? Sal has more credibility, knowledge, and experience than you could ever even pretend to have. Sal tells it LIKE IT IS. He relies almost entirely on word of mouth to promote his products. Based on word of mouth alone, the Rx-7 mailing list that I subscribe to just completed a group purchase for Zaino in which approximately 60 people participated in! Sal has NEVER made a single post to the Rx-7 mailing list in an effort to promote his products. Why should he, they promote themselves! The same cannot be said for Collinite...thus the need for you to promote the product you sell at every opportunity.
NEEDAVAN-
Your results and opinions on Zaino are typical for most users! Glad your happy with the product. I think one of the biggest misconceptions about Zaino is that it is somehow "difficult" to use. Just the opposite is true....it is the easiest to use product I have ever used. It goes on, and especially comes off easier than anything, without any white or yellow dust.
Rob
Rob,
As you said "It goes on, and especially comes off easier than anything, without any white or yellow dust.". That is what I expect too.
However, other than the part on easier to come off which I agree, the part of no white or yellow dust I have some difference on my part.
When removing Z5, there is no white or yellow dust at all. However, when removing Z2, there is some amount of white dust. Is this normal? Or could I have applied it too thickly?
Anyway, I find that Z2 is thicker and that it is harder to spread Z2 than Z5, which seems odd since Z5 is supposed to be thicker.
Please advice. Thanks.
speaking of a paintball gun under the hood, I remember reading someone's post on some other forum. This guy had an Audi A4 and turned his headlamp washers 180 degrees so that they would point forward. He then filled up his headlamp washer tank with a colored liquid and had fun with other cars and pedestrians who were cutting him off.
That type of childish schoolyard drivel is beneath an adult.
I won't bore the rest of the good people on this list by addressing points we have covered before. If you can't accept a compliment to Sal and Zaino for what it is, then maybe you should stick to whatever it is you do when you are not being a pain.
Don
Man!! Where did THAT vective come from?!? You clearly have a hard-on for Shoman that is way off-base for this forum. It's ironic that I just got off the phone with him - ordering Erazure - and read your post. Ouch! I'll tell everyone here that I found Shoman to be cordial, professional, and exceedingly helpful. And when asked about Zaino and Collinite, he actually had equally positive things to say about each product.
Shoman:
I want to thank you for your time and help. I have learned a lot from you and Detailfreak and others in this forum. Perhaps others can just cool off a little and we can concentrate on important worldly topics - like car paint, waxes, and polishes.
I got a question for all you detail people out there. I want to get my car tinted, dark. (Rear window), but the rear window has a defroster, and a large one at that, I am worried about it peeling, I heard rumors that you shoudn't use your defroster when you have tinting, and other ugly rumors... I just want to know what's best.. and the truth. I own a 1999 Mistubishi Eclipse GS-T, and it's black.. so tinting is nearly a must, but if it's just going to peel and be a waste of money, they I will deal... Keep in mind I plan on having it done professionally. Also how much does that run, getting a back window, the two small back rear windows, and the side windows done? A guesstimate would be nice... thank in advance.. and Keep that ZAINO coating! woo woo Sal kicks!
-The Darkness
1) Don't know the answer to this ?
2) I recently decided to make the comittment and send off the order. After listening to guys on several forums talk about how easy and effective it is, I'm willing to try it. In the (literally) hundreds of posts I've read not a single person has regretted trying Zaino. And besides, are the other waxes/polishes really that easy if you have to reapply them twice as often.
Think about this: When does the "new car feeling" wear off? It's when the car stops looking new, right? So keep it Zainoed and preserve that feeling!
3) Sal Zaino recommended using Dawn for the wash before your first application to remove oils and waxes.
4) I can't think of a single new car that ISN'T base coat/clear coat. Yes, your car has a clearcoat.
Check out www.zainobros.com Sal was very helpful and quick to answer my questions. Don't hesitate to email him about specifics.
We called the Altamere store that originally tinted the car and have made an appointment to have it fixed. They didn't mention cost so I'm assuming they will fix it for free. And they said they can remove it without damaging the defroster or antenna. Remind me on Monday and I'll tell you how it went.
You'd get stopped by a cop in a split second if you were carrying around a weapon like that in town. We'd all see you on a Fox Thursday Night TV special! That story about the headlamp washers is funny. Too bad my car doesn't have 'em. Some folks here in Manhattan have no sense of humor so it'd probably be a bad idea anyway.
Here's an example, my company makes videogames. Would you believe me if I said my videogame was the best? Probably not. However, if www.pcgamer.com or www.next-generation.com praised my game, then you know it's good.
However, in defense of shoman, I don't believe that he praises Collinite because he sells it. I think he sells it because he thinks it's the best.
Anywho, enough with the personal attacks, before the town hall people come in here and scold us. =(
Oh, and the test is still going. Very interesting results, I haven't had a change to make a page for it yet though. In the middle of week 4. Although I have to say this, "Your results may vary". However, I've been pretty easy on the wax so far, and I'm going to try to abuse it a bit more. I may wait to put fresh layer on though before, I still don't know...
-- Dale
Will that be feasible? Will it cause problems to abandon Zaino and switch back to regular waxes?
Thanks.
If Shoman really wanted to pay Sal a compliment, I don't think he needed to add the part about having "a vested interest in making his product look good", and I certainly do not think he has room to talk, considering he is the ONLY person on this board who actively sells the products that he recommends. I hope others here can understand this, and see the point I was trying to make.
As for my "problem" with Shoman, I am not about to go over all the reasons, other than to say go back and read all the prior posts under the old forum (if they are even still accessible).
Rob
Shoman posts fairly regularly with follow-up posts to other users in this topic. He contributes quite a bit, and he tries to be helpful to others. Now, I'm not a wax freak, and I don't know if what he's telling people is useful or if it's rubbish, but I appreciate the fact that he's trying to be helpful. After all, cooperation and consideration are what we're striving for here in the town hall.
I can't say that I see you acting in the same spirit of cooperation and consideration that shoman does. Whenever I see your posts, they always seem to come on the heels of a post by shoman, and they seem to include some non-constructive piece of criticism, if not an outright personal attack. Please try to curtail the negative criticism and personal attacks. As you may have read, other users find them distasteful as well.
If you have problems with how shoman conducts himself, please email him.
Gus
Conference Host
New 300M! That is one very nice car. My wife's cousin works for Chryco in the St. Louis area and has one for a demo, nice ride. Too bad about the scratches.
The following advices comes from my own dealings with similar problems.
If the scratch is such that you can just barely feel it with your fingernail, the dealership MIGHT be able to buff it out, but if the scratch is deeper, the chances of them buffing through the clearcoat or making it dangerously thin is real.
Also most factory paint has some orange-peel and buffing would make that area have a higher gloss, smoother finish than the rest, so they will have to buff the entire panel and then that panel will look different from the others...etc...I think you get my point.
I prefer slightly damaged original paint to re-worked/buffed paint or a repainted area.
Having a paint pro look at the area can't hurt, but don't let anyone near your car with a buffer or paint gun till you have decided that is EXACTLY what you want to do. Also get more than one opinion.
Chris on this list is a painter, I am sure he can give you more advice.
About Zaino in the future, applying Zaino, or any other product now or even for years doesn't mean you can't change to something else in the future. Don't stay away from Zaino for that reason.
Follow the directions on the website and that come with Zaino, and I believe that says to use Dawn in the wash water as a cleaner for your paint.
I am sure your 300 has clearcoat paint. The showroom brochures should tell you this, or just ask the dealers body shop when you talk with them.
Don
The friends and, yes, a few customers, I have made from this list mean a lot to me. I plan on continuing to contribute when I feel I can be of help and will continue to work to keep any commercial aspects to a minimum, but I AM in business, a fact I have never hidden, and do have credible experience in detailing and maintenance that I don't mind sharing...,and, this is an open forum. I will let my business ethics keep things in line and perspective.
Again, I appreciate the sense of fair play that the people of this forum have exhibited.
Don