Are you a current Michigan-based car shopper? A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/2 for details.
Flooring it as you leave should get the point across...don't touch my car. I would hope if you asked them not to touch they wouldn't. Maybe they could just dry off the windows. Hope it warms up for you soon.
In general, it is not a good idea to leave most Zaino products out in the cold. I'm not sure exactly what temperatures are the "bottom line". I take my stuff into the house when it gets below about 40 degrees. You could ask Sal and I'll bet he knows his products down to the .001 degree level.
luckily i live in alabama, but just spent the last 2 months in d.c.and my 02 black slk is white-its killing me-i've applied about 15 or so coats of Z2/Z5 over the past year so ive felt pretty protected. but its warm down here so im z'ing this weekend. should i start from the beginning with clay or can i jump right in to the ZFZ/Z2,5. any special tips or tricks i should look out for. ill try to send some warm weather y'alls way. thanks
Does anyone here have any experience with Zaino and white cars? I've read many positive comments on the Zaino website, but most of them concern black or darker colored cars. The difference would obviously be more dramatic with a darker color, but still I wonder if Zaino is worth the extra dollars for the kind of color I have (diamond white pearl).
Your method of using 4 wash mitts sounds extremely thorough. I only use one, even if I do live in Canada (land of salt roads), but I use a high-sudsing soap and a very good wash mitt. It does the trick very well.
...I have a white Odyssey. During the summer months, I can see a reflection in the white paint - it may not be a brilliant one, but a reflection none the less.
The white looks best under lights at night. When in a parking lot it literally glows when it's is clean and freshly Z'd.
Right now it's a dull brown/gray from all the salt and sand.
...I've only used Z on my Ody. On my silver Accord (again a light color) I used to use various 3 step processes before trying Zaino. The real difference I see is in durability and ease of application.
The 3 step process would shine just as well when first applied but I never noticed that glow that I described. The main thing I found about using Z as opposed to tradtional wax products is the ease of maintenance. I can wash and apply a coat of Z in less than an hour. So doing it every other week in the summer is not a big chore. I found that traditional wax products took too long to do well so I tended to not do anything. That then made it even worse when I did force myself to do it.
As for durabilty, I washed my Accord last week for the first time since November. The finish was still slick and gave a pretty good shine. Not perfect, but IMHO I never found a traditional wax to last that long. YMMV.
There may be better products out there, but I've finally found one that I like and works for me. Good luck with whatever you choose.
kinda scared to see all the paint chips i probably acqired during the trip-despite a bra-was stuck behind and to the side of a salt truck on the way up there-got pelted for about a half mile
I apply Zaino not only to my black '98 Olds Aurora, but also to my mother-in-law's pearl-white Aurora, and my wife's '01 Grand Prix GTP.
Yes, you can note the Zaino shine on these white cars. The Z shine is really apparent at lower lighting levels, close to sundown - as others have described, the car just appears to glow.
Also, the Z does seem to help keep dirt and especially bugs from sticking to the paint surface.
Lastly, there's the issue of longevity. My wife's GTP hasn't seen many miles of late (she had carpal tunnel surgery and was off work, then her employer closed). I haven't put Z on the car since last June, but it still has a very nice "glow" to it, especially after running it through one of the touchless washes.
Bottom line: yes, I think it does help white cars.
Bretfraz, I like your method. Before I do my spring claying, I like to really wash the car well. I've been also using the two bucket approach. My first bucket contains Zaino car wash and my second just clean water. Every time I wash a panel, I rinse my wash towel and put it into the clean water bucket before soaking it again in the car wash bucket. This removes the dirt picked up from the just washed panel. I also wash twice and on the first wash, I also add a couple of drops of Dawn to my Zaino car wash bucket. I'm really not sure that makes a difference.
Be gentle during your first wash. All that winter's collection of salt, dirt, brake dust, and assorted bird droppings can create scratches if pushed along the surface by a mitt or towel. Just keep the towel full of suds and gently move it along the panel. On the second wash, you can be more aggressive.
I'm dying to get out there and clean my car off. I haven't washed my car since Thanksgiving and it looks like a snow ball. When will it be Spring? !
All these years and I see there may be something "else" out there, called ZAINOS? Google didn't have anything, so I'd like to know where I can find this product(s). I appreciate anything. thanks.
Below is a link that has order forms and a phone number. I have only been using Zaino for about 6 months, and have found it to be a great product. It is for the most part available by mail order only, but you may want to email Sal and ask if there are any distributors in your area.
Is Spring really coming this year? We certainly have made up for the past 2 mild winters!
I even broke down and went to the "touchless" car wash! First time in YEARS with my lease cars. Previous to learning about Zaino back in the summer of 1998, I used to go to the hand carwash place. After Zaino, even that was not good, so I did it myself. Not this year!
Have to say- the car did look good after the touchless wash. Especially, considering that the last Z application was in AUGUST!
I broke down about 2 weeks ago and used a touchless carwash. It's a unattended location so I chose the $9 basic wash and undercarriage spray.
Well I think the machine went haywire and it gave me the $24 works wash. Rocker panel blast, tire spray, tri-color foam Turtle Wax, and clearcoat protectant. It took over 5 minutes.
Looks like I'll be doing a Dawn wash in the springtime.
I found this posted on another board concerning the product Duragloss This is not my quote, I cut and pasted from the other board.
"I think Sal purchases his stuff from Duragloss, and repackages it as Zaino. However, others have e-mailed both Sal and Duragloss, and both companies deny any connection. Sal only admitted that he has "shared technology with Duragloss in the past", or some such statement.
All I know, is that I can take Z1, and apply Duragloss 111 Clear coat polish over top of it, as if it were Z2, and it works the same (and vice-versa with Duragloss 601 Polish Prep and Z2). The Car wash, and Z6 detailer spray are identical too (Duragloss car wash is red, Zaino Z7 is purple... other than that, there are no differences). Even the bottles are identical, except for the label."
Comments? this person says you can get Duragloss at half the price of Z at Carquest. www.duragloss.com
Very interesting. I took a spin around the duragloss site and their #652 looks suspiciously like Z3, #601 like Z1, and #671 like Z5.
I've long suspected that the Z line is rebadged versions of other products. Or, if not that, at least manufactured by a wholesaler ready for private labelling and distribution. I wonder if there is a way to confirm that this is the source? Also, it could be that Duragloss is simply selling the same products that the unknown wholesaler is manufacturing, and that neither of these two companies really develop or manufacture their products.
I'm a little surprised nobody has brought this up before. It would be very interesting if true.
and read their "history". "Two" brothers dissatisfaction with products offered at the time..... Sounds familiar! Hmmm! Interesting, anyway, I love the Z products but I would love to pay half the price IF the products are one in the same.
As you know many products in this country are repackaged and marketed under different names. What if Duragloss and Z are actually the same and linked at the top somewhere, same developer/manufacturer but Z, due to the distribution network and agreements cannot sell thorugh auto parts stores, only through licensed distributors. So, what do you do, go under a different name and sell to the mass market via auto parts stores. Same prolduct, two distinct marketing channels?
That scenario you pose is quite common in some industries. I've worked for companies who produced products under that very situation you describe. It's very likely that many products in our homes came from this type of system.
Is this true with Zaino? I don't know and am not sure we ever will. These kinds of secrets are very tightly kept. The profit margins on car care products are astronomical; people have much to protect.
It's been nearly 6 months since I have Zaino'd our 6-year-old Accord. If there are any doubters out there, here's how it looked after the 3rd layer of Z2.
Ahh - The Internet ! A great place to spread unsubstantiated rumors, eh? I think that I have heard this same story a year or so ago.
It seems that if I was associated with a company that had a slow-moving product similar to another that had a great reputation, it would be real easy to start spreading some Internet gossip that Item B was really the same as Item A to build up my own product. You just register a few different user names in different places, and say - "I read somewhere on the Internet . . . . " and poof! By the time it gets down a few layers, it has become the gospel truth! Great free marketing!
While it is true that many companies source similar items from the same factories, they are seldom exactly the same. A business is not going to spend the time and money to manufacture, market, warehouse and sell their own branded item if a competitor has access to the identical product. It may be from the same factory, but not the same specifications. The factories do not develop the products, they just make them to the customer's spec.
I wonder which product was out first, and for how long?
Also - If Duragloss truly was the same product as Zaino, why isnt' there a Duragloss forum with thousands of happy customers? Has anyone out there compared the two?
I haven't added another coat of Z-2 over the 6 or 8 already on my silver colored car since last September. Because of the very cold and very snowy winter here in the D.C. area, the car hasn't even been washed very often. However, it is garaged except when used for errands, shopping, etc.
Last week I drove the car to Williamsburg, VA, and back, about 340 miles round trip. It rained heavily on the way down, and on the return trip several days later, I drove along wet roads (I-64 and I-95) from the previous night's snow storm. There was no way to avoid the messy slop that cars in front of me were kicking up.
When I pulled into my garage, I noted that the edges of my windshield were filthy, but I was amazed to find that my car was fairly clean and had huge beads of water on the hood and all the horizontal surfaces. I've been a Zainoite for several years, but now I am a confirmed true believer! A quick wash will have the ol' Zaino shine right back!
Well, many products as you state are similar but teh specs are different but there are also many products that the specs are the same but sold under different names to increase distribution. Someone on another board ahs compared teh two as you ask (swear they are the same) but that is unsubstantiated anecdotal evidence.
Guess someone will need to go out and look and also investage who owns Duragloss and where Z purchases its ingredients, is there actually a manufacturing plant in NJ or just shipping etc.
You are correct - the same product is sometimes sold under different names, but both names are usually owned by the same parent company, or the item is a small part of the buyer's product line, such as some accessory like cellphone cases or batteries.
If the formula belongs to the chemical company, why aren't they selling it themselves? If it doesn't, then they can't sell it to anyone else.
Just because the items are chemically compatible doesn't mean they have the same origin. You can certainly intermix many of the different wax products - this doesn't mean that they come from the same factory. Of course it's possible that Duragloss happened onto the same chemical principles as Zaino - there are only so many ways to polish a car, right?
I think a detailed chemical analysis is in order. Anyone got a gas chromatograph in their garage?
I know for a fact that he's commissioned chemical analyses on numerous competing products so I'm sure he has detailed info on Duragloss in his files. Ask him nicely and I'm sure he'll tell you all about it. Not just about Duragloss, but most any product on the market.
Except his own, of course.
And while I'm typing, two other points if I may:
(1) I've learned not to trust online photography of detailed cars. Take a pic of a car waxed with NuFinish, wash the file thru Photoshop or Windows Photo Editor, and the pic will look like the car has a $25,000 paint job on it. A very easy way to fool people.
(2) Speaking of fools and people, if you go back to the early days of Zaino being pimped on internet chat forums you will recall many of the promoters were Zaino distributors who benefited from the hype. Dave Rose, a one-time Edmunds poster was exposed as a Z dist as have numerous other people. I also have direct knowledge of others receiving various benefits from Zaino for positive commentary about the product line. I strongly believe many posters in the history of this very thread personally benefitted from their support of Zaino. Maybe if Duragloss plagarized Zaino's "grass roots" promotional concept they would have similar business results.
I took a quick look at the Duragloss site and the products don't look anything like Zaino. From what is on there, the Duragloss exterior products contain abrasives and waxes. Zaino contains neither.
All this, "...products are the same thing." sounds like a bunch of meadow muffins to me. 'Course, as everything else on this forum, that's just a NSHO. =;-)
Just to set the record straight, AGAIN, I have been a Zaino enthusiast since the summer of 1998. I have never been a Zaino distributor OR benefited from praising Zaino products. The only benefit is the shiniest car in CT!!!!
Some don't like Zaino's shine. That's fine. Use what you want. That's why they make other products and OTHER wax/polish topics!!
Here's some pics of my car from this past weekend. I have not applied Zaino since last August. I think the car looks pretty good, considering that it has only been through 3 "touchless" car washes all winter and we've had well over 30 inches of snow all winter!
Of course, some will say that these pics are "doctored". As usual, they won't know what they're talking about. What you see is what you get! Believe what you want or come to CT to see for yourself. Oh well, so much for doubting Thomas'!! :-))
Nice pics. That animated ad to the right, however, is a bit of a distraction.
And oh yeh, I too have been using Zaino for about three years now. I'm not a stock holder or a distributor, and I do not in any way have a financial stake in Zaino.
I do, however, love the products. I doubt there is a connection to another company. 'Just common sense (see above posts). Creating a polymer product is much easier these days. Its sort of like picking attributes from a menu. A little anti-static here, a little UV filter there. Such items are very easy to add to a base polymer and the raw materials are easily available from many sources. Provided, of course, that you are an absolute expert in car paints, polymer chemistry, and detailing. Sal is, and that is why his products are worth their weight in gold.
Thanks. Ever since SNET, my ISP, merged with that "wonderful" SBC and then SBC hooked up with YAHOO, NOTHING has been the same! Took me WEEKS to straighten out my Netscape e-mail because ONLY YAHOO e-mail would work. You see, Netscape is hooked up with AOL. AOL and YAHOO are in competition, SO no one at SBC would help me straighten out my settings. WRONG! I never gave up with Chrysler, SBC is nothing compared to them! If you call enough times and complain loud and long enough, things get resolved. Just have to keep moving UP the ladder until you reach someone who knows WHAT they are talking about!! Good thing, because I was ready to DUMP everything that was SNET/SBC and switch to AT&T- cell phones and all. So, I understand the ADS! They are annoying! Everything is SBC/YAHOO! Now that I have my settings back to the way they were, I see NO changes at all. LONG before SBC/YAHOO, I had a YAHOO e-mail address, website at Geocities and photos at YAHOO. For me there is NO advantage to all these changes.
Anyway, even I can't believe the shine on my car after all these months without Z. Then again, with all the doctoring I did to those pics, it had to look GREAT!! LOL.... Hopefully, this winter will leave soon! I can't wait to clay and get some ZFX/Z5 on that red beauty! With the temps in the single digits, the touchless wash has been the only way to go.
I also use Z on a few cars and yes it is a great product. So is Collinite and a few others for other purposes.
However, whether we use Z or not is not the issue it seems with the duragloss thread. It is who actually manufactures Z. Is there a plant in NJ or is it simply a distribution center. Sometimes it is just nice to know how a product comes to market which will have no bearing on Z lovers enthusiasm for it. (well, unless it is the same as duragloss at half the cost).
You are not welcome here. You hate it when we say anything good about Zaino, you've successfully brainwashed the the hosts of Edmunds to police the other anti-Zaino site. Give it a rest and get a life.
It seems to me that there is a double-standard being set by Bretfraz. He is free to come in here and stir things up by calling Zaino users fools and pimps, which I though violated the terms of Edmunds Town Hall. Why is this allowed to continue? He has had a run-in with just about every regular in this forum over the years.
I'm surprised you still post in these threads. I cannot recall one bit of benefical advice you gave to anyone. My old adversary, JOEBOB6, knew his stuff. You on the other hand have virtually nothing to share other than parroting what's been said a million times before.
I'll bet that I've learned more about Zaino that most any of you. See, I've spent my time wisely learning behind-the-scenes info about car care products including Zaino. It's important for me to know what I'm talking about as I moderate or frequently contribute detailing advice on several forums.
I will continue to dispense advice and commentary derived from my almost 25 years of car care experience and product evaluation. I'm sure a few folks could benefit from what I know. If you're not interested in what I have to say feel free to ignore my posts.
Enough already. Bret is most welcome here, and the questions about Duragloss are legit. We're all trying to learn more about detailing and both positive thoughts and skeptical questions are fair game. Negative vibes on the other hand are a bummer. I not a censor, don't intend to be, and just want to get on with our little forum here. Nuff said!
I agree with pblevine -- you HAVE contributed here and in other forums, and I've learned a lot from you (and many others).
However, I gotta point out that you are dead wrong about Dave Rose lurking in this forum in order to enrich himself.
I quote your post: ". . . if you go back to the early days of Zaino being pimped on internet chat forums you will recall many of the promoters were Zaino distributors who benefited from the hype. Dave Rose, a one-time Edmunds poster was exposed as a Z dist as have numerous other people."
Dave Rose NEVER "hyped" Zaino. Instead, he always chimed in to answer questions posed by others or to offer advice -- not only on Zaino use, but on the use of other products (some competing) as well.
In fact, I was the one who "exposed" Dave Rose as a Z distributor. He's been my Zaino distributor for almost three years, and he was quite disturbed that I had inadvertently named him, because he felt his objectivity would be questioned! Ya really did him wrong!!!
I don't know of any others who you say "pimped" Zaino. But Dave Rose was NOT one of them!
I disagree with your last post. I believe the involvement of Zaino distributors in online chat forums was an integral part of promoting the products and the company. People like Dave certainly benefited from the exposure, maybe not directly but they did benefit.
The fact that Dave did not willingly inform Town Hall members that he was a Zaino distributor was a bit upsetting to people, IIRC.
I didn't do Dave wrong. He did it all by himself. I'm not questioning his knowledge or his motivation to offer advice. But he and other Zaino distributors do themselves and Zaino Bros a great disservice (IMO) by not publicly revealing their personal interests in a product line from which they derive income.
I must say, though that it is too bad that an intelligent discussion of Z versus other products cannot be reasonably convened.
I blame both types of posters: 1. those who are absolutely paranoid of ANY mention of "Z" on the "other" site (c'mon, now). Good grief, when someone even hints about it, the posts making a big deal about it with the goal of expunging the "sinner" keep the conversation alive longer than if they just took the slip in stride and moved on.
and
2. those "Z" zealots who make Z a religion, thus giving the "others" a viable reason to be paranoid! Not to mention the salem witch trials that go on for any non believer, potential non-believer, partial believer, etc.!!
Oh, well, at least no one can accuse either side of lacking passion. :-)
Zaino is actually sold. Two months ago I purchased couple of bottles of Z2,Z5,and Z6 and was talking to the rep who handles our state. He told me that Zaino sales are finally starting to pickup due to the forum over at LS1.com. I asked if he gave up his full time job yet and he laughed. So how much Zaino is actually sold across the country based on individuals marketing efforts and not being allowed to market to retail stores or multilevel marketing? I have to wonder exactly how much Z is actually being sold. I'm sure its nothing compared to Duragloss and Turtlewax whether or not its the same product.
The same way that I stumbled upon Z and gave it a try, why wouldn't I try another product? Without trying there is no way to determine if it is indeed the best product out there. I for one was planning on purchasing P21S wax which according to some individuals outperformed Zaino.
After taking a 4 yr. hiatus from using Zaino (had to trade a new BMW in on a minvan, and just could not motivate myself to polish the van), I just bought a new car and am getting the itch to see that Zaino shine again.
I personally love the Zaino products. In my opinion, nothing gave a better shine, and it was quick and easy to use.
Also, Sal Zaino should be giving seminars in customer service. I haven't bought anything from him in years, but when I sent an email asking about the shelf-life of the products I bought way back when, he sent a very detailed response with the information on each and every product.
I really like being able to talk directly to the person who developed the product.
I'm glad we can agree to disagree. But seriously, I know Dave Rose well enough to stick to my original assessment. He really is a straight arrow -- unusual in many respects. He's almost (but not quite) as knowledgeable as you and Mr. Detailer about car care products, techniques and methods. Haven't had occasion to order from him in a long while, but I do miss his posts here and on the other "no Z" forum.
Sure wish I had time to read the previous 4491 posts, but can't do that. I did find the last page interesting though.
I have no interests in Zaino other than I use the product on our red 2000 Solara SLE. We have had a nasty winter in central Illinois with snow, ice and salt and it had been about 12 weeks since I had been able to clean the car. It was a mess to say the least. More dirt and salt showing than red paint.
But I hosed off the car and washed it down (100% cotton towel only!) with a bucket of Z-7 car wash and the result - without any additional Z products, was absolutely amazing after all of my neglect. The water beaded nicely and the shine was as if it had been just waxed. I did throw on a coat of Z-6 gloss enhancer, but it wasn't really needed.
I bet there are other great products out there that have similar quality. But once you find something so good, I just don't have the time to experiment with other contenders. That is no dig at any of them, just my concept of time.
On top of that, I appreciate the fact that if I need an answer to some question about the Zaino product or the particulars of the finish of my car, I can call or email Sal Zaino and get an answer that really helps. Usually that day, if not sooner! When a guy treats me like that, well, I have to give the guy (and his product) some extra due. I use less expensive store-bought products on some of my lesser vehicles where the shine doesn't mean as much. But I'd certainly recommend any of the Zaino products for anyone that likes EASY application and a "wow, how did you get that shine?" from the guy next door. I have had several people ask for Sal's address after seeing AND EVEN TOUCHING the car after a few coats of Z-2 and Z-6.
Okay, I'll quit and I reassure you that I have no financial interests in this product. And I bet there may even be better stuff. But Z is the best stuff I've ever used. Do I wish they sold it at Wal-Mart for less? Yeah, but until then I'll have to "order out".
Comments
I've had some mystery unsubscriptions in the past. Check that out.
behhpp: Thank you.
If I had tons of road salt on my car I'd do two washes using 4 mitts, two for each wash. Then I'd do the baggie test.
The white looks best under lights at night. When in a parking lot it literally glows when it's is clean and freshly Z'd.
Right now it's a dull brown/gray from all the salt and sand.
The 3 step process would shine just as well when first applied but I never noticed that glow that I described. The main thing I found about using Z as opposed to tradtional wax products is the ease of maintenance. I can wash and apply a coat of Z in less than an hour. So doing it every other week in the summer is not a big chore. I found that traditional wax products took too long to do well so I tended to not do anything. That then made it even worse when I did force myself to do it.
As for durabilty, I washed my Accord last week for the first time since November. The finish was still slick and gave a pretty good shine. Not perfect, but IMHO I never found a traditional wax to last that long. YMMV.
There may be better products out there, but I've finally found one that I like and works for me. Good luck with whatever you choose.
Yes, you can note the Zaino shine on these white cars. The Z shine is really apparent at lower lighting levels, close to sundown - as others have described, the car just appears to glow.
Also, the Z does seem to help keep dirt and especially bugs from sticking to the paint surface.
Lastly, there's the issue of longevity. My wife's GTP hasn't seen many miles of late (she had carpal tunnel surgery and was off work, then her employer closed). I haven't put Z on the car since last June, but it still has a very nice "glow" to it, especially after running it through one of the touchless washes.
Bottom line: yes, I think it does help white cars.
Hope this helps,
--Robert
I like your method. Before I do my spring claying, I like to really wash the car well. I've been also using the two bucket approach. My first bucket contains Zaino car wash and my second just clean water. Every time I wash a panel, I rinse my wash towel and put it into the clean water bucket before soaking it again in the car wash bucket. This removes the dirt picked up from the just washed panel. I also wash twice and on the first wash, I also add a couple of drops of Dawn to my Zaino car wash bucket. I'm really not sure that makes a difference.
Be gentle during your first wash. All that winter's collection of salt, dirt, brake dust, and assorted bird droppings can create scratches if pushed along the surface by a mitt or towel. Just keep the towel full of suds and gently move it along the panel. On the second wash, you can be more aggressive.
I'm dying to get out there and clean my car off. I haven't washed my car since Thanksgiving and it looks like a snow ball. When will it be Spring? !
http://www.zainobros.com/
I even broke down and went to the "touchless" car wash! First time in YEARS with my lease cars. Previous to learning about Zaino back in the summer of 1998, I used to go to the hand carwash place. After Zaino, even that was not good, so I did it myself. Not this year!
Have to say- the car did look good after the touchless wash. Especially, considering that the last Z application was in AUGUST!
fastdriver
Well I think the machine went haywire and it gave me the $24 works wash. Rocker panel blast, tire spray, tri-color foam Turtle Wax, and clearcoat protectant. It took over 5 minutes.
Looks like I'll be doing a Dawn wash in the springtime.
This is not my quote, I cut and pasted from the other board.
"I think Sal purchases his stuff from Duragloss, and repackages it as Zaino. However, others have e-mailed both Sal and Duragloss, and both companies deny any connection. Sal only admitted that he has "shared technology with Duragloss in the past", or some such statement.
All I know, is that I can take Z1, and apply Duragloss 111 Clear coat polish over top of it, as if it were Z2, and it works the same (and vice-versa with Duragloss 601 Polish Prep and Z2). The Car wash, and Z6 detailer spray are identical too (Duragloss car wash is red, Zaino Z7 is purple... other than that, there are no differences). Even the bottles are identical, except for the label."
Comments? this person says you can get Duragloss at half the price of Z at Carquest. www.duragloss.com
I've long suspected that the Z line is rebadged versions of other products. Or, if not that, at least manufactured by a wholesaler ready for private labelling and distribution. I wonder if there is a way to confirm that this is the source? Also, it could be that Duragloss is simply selling the same products that the unknown wholesaler is manufacturing, and that neither of these two companies really develop or manufacture their products.
I'm a little surprised nobody has brought this up before. It would be very interesting if true.
Sean
Is that possible?
Is this true with Zaino? I don't know and am not sure we ever will. These kinds of secrets are very tightly kept. The profit margins on car care products are astronomical; people have much to protect.
Not bad for an older car, outdoors 24/7.
It seems that if I was associated with a company that had a slow-moving product similar to another that had a great reputation, it would be real easy to start spreading some Internet gossip that Item B was really the same as Item A to build up my own product. You just register a few different user names in different places, and say - "I read somewhere on the Internet . . . . " and poof! By the time it gets down a few layers, it has become the gospel truth! Great free marketing!
While it is true that many companies source similar items from the same factories, they are seldom exactly the same. A business is not going to spend the time and money to manufacture, market, warehouse and sell their own branded item if a competitor has access to the identical product. It may be from the same factory, but not the same specifications. The factories do not develop the products, they just make them to the customer's spec.
I wonder which product was out first, and for how long?
Also - If Duragloss truly was the same product as Zaino, why isnt' there a Duragloss forum with thousands of happy customers? Has anyone out there compared the two?
Last week I drove the car to Williamsburg, VA, and back, about 340 miles round trip. It rained heavily on the way down, and on the return trip several days later, I drove along wet roads (I-64 and I-95) from the previous night's snow storm. There was no way to avoid the messy slop that cars in front of me were kicking up.
When I pulled into my garage, I noted that the edges of my windshield were filthy, but I was amazed to find that my car was fairly clean and had huge beads of water on the hood and all the horizontal surfaces. I've been a Zainoite for several years, but now I am a confirmed true believer! A quick wash will have the ol' Zaino shine right back!
Guess someone will need to go out and look and also investage who owns Duragloss and where Z purchases its ingredients, is there actually a manufacturing plant in NJ or just shipping etc.
If the formula belongs to the chemical company, why aren't they selling it themselves? If it doesn't, then they can't sell it to anyone else.
Just because the items are chemically compatible doesn't mean they have the same origin. You can certainly intermix many of the different wax products - this doesn't mean that they come from the same factory. Of course it's possible that Duragloss happened onto the same chemical principles as Zaino - there are only so many ways to polish a car, right?
I think a detailed chemical analysis is in order. Anyone got a gas chromatograph in their garage?
Except his own, of course.
And while I'm typing, two other points if I may:
(1) I've learned not to trust online photography of detailed cars. Take a pic of a car waxed with NuFinish, wash the file thru Photoshop or Windows Photo Editor, and the pic will look like the car has a $25,000 paint job on it. A very easy way to fool people.
(2) Speaking of fools and people, if you go back to the early days of Zaino being pimped on internet chat forums you will recall many of the promoters were Zaino distributors who benefited from the hype. Dave Rose, a one-time Edmunds poster was exposed as a Z dist as have numerous other people. I also have direct knowledge of others receiving various benefits from Zaino for positive commentary about the product line. I strongly believe many posters in the history of this very thread personally benefitted from their support of Zaino. Maybe if Duragloss plagarized Zaino's "grass roots" promotional concept they would have similar business results.
All this, "...products are the same thing." sounds like a bunch of meadow muffins to me. 'Course, as everything else on this forum, that's just a NSHO. =;-)
Question, does Z have a manufacturing plant in NJ?? Does anyone know? Is it strictly a shipping location?
Some don't like Zaino's shine. That's fine. Use what you want. That's why they make other products and OTHER wax/polish topics!!
Here's some pics of my car from this past weekend. I have not applied Zaino since last August. I think the car looks pretty good, considering that it has only been through 3 "touchless" car washes all winter and we've had well over 30 inches of snow all winter!
Of course, some will say that these pics are "doctored". As usual, they won't know what they're talking about. What you see is what you get! Believe what you want or come to CT to see for yourself. Oh well, so much for doubting Thomas'!!
:-))
http://photos.yahoo.com/ramrod2@snet.net
Take a look.
fastdriver
PS I THINK that's the only URL you need to see the pics.
And oh yeh, I too have been using Zaino for about three years now. I'm not a stock holder or a distributor, and I do not in any way have a financial stake in Zaino.
I do, however, love the products. I doubt there is a connection to another company. 'Just common sense (see above posts). Creating a polymer product is much easier these days. Its sort of like picking attributes from a menu. A little anti-static here, a little UV filter there. Such items are very easy to add to a base polymer and the raw materials are easily available from many sources. Provided, of course, that you are an absolute expert in car paints, polymer chemistry,
and detailing. Sal is, and that is why his products are worth their weight in gold.
Thanks. Ever since SNET, my ISP, merged with that "wonderful" SBC and then SBC hooked up with YAHOO, NOTHING has been the same! Took me WEEKS to straighten out my Netscape e-mail because ONLY YAHOO e-mail would work. You see, Netscape is hooked up with AOL. AOL and YAHOO are in competition, SO no one at SBC would help me straighten out my settings. WRONG! I never gave up with Chrysler, SBC is nothing compared to them! If you call enough times and complain loud and long enough, things get resolved. Just have to keep moving UP the ladder until you reach someone who knows WHAT they are talking about!! Good thing, because I was ready to DUMP everything that was SNET/SBC and switch to AT&T- cell phones and all. So, I understand the ADS! They are annoying! Everything is SBC/YAHOO! Now that I have my settings back to the way they were, I see NO changes at all. LONG before SBC/YAHOO, I had a YAHOO e-mail address, website at Geocities and photos at YAHOO. For me there is NO advantage to all these changes.
Anyway, even I can't believe the shine on my car after all these months without Z. Then again, with all the doctoring I did to those pics, it had to look GREAT!! LOL.... Hopefully, this winter will leave soon! I can't wait to clay and get some ZFX/Z5 on that red beauty! With the temps in the single digits, the touchless wash has been the only way to go.
fastdriver
Or an email to Sal????
However, whether we use Z or not is not the issue it seems with the duragloss thread. It is who actually manufactures Z. Is there a plant in NJ or is it simply a distribution center. Sometimes it is just nice to know how a product comes to market which will have no bearing on Z lovers enthusiasm for it. (well, unless it is the same as duragloss at half the cost).
I'm surprised you still post in these threads. I cannot recall one bit of benefical advice you gave to anyone. My old adversary, JOEBOB6, knew his stuff. You on the other hand have virtually nothing to share other than parroting what's been said a million times before.
I'll bet that I've learned more about Zaino that most any of you. See, I've spent my time wisely learning behind-the-scenes info about car care products including Zaino. It's important for me to know what I'm talking about as I moderate or frequently contribute detailing advice on several forums.
I will continue to dispense advice and commentary derived from my almost 25 years of car care experience and product evaluation. I'm sure a few folks could benefit from what I know. If you're not interested in what I have to say feel free to ignore my posts.
Have a nice day!! :-)
However, I gotta point out that you are dead wrong about Dave Rose lurking in this forum in order to enrich himself.
I quote your post: ". . . if you go back to the early days of Zaino being pimped on internet chat forums you will recall many of the promoters were Zaino distributors who benefited from the hype. Dave Rose, a one-time Edmunds poster was exposed as a Z dist as have numerous other people."
Dave Rose NEVER "hyped" Zaino. Instead, he always chimed in to answer questions posed by others or to offer advice -- not only on Zaino use, but on the use of other products (some competing) as well.
In fact, I was the one who "exposed" Dave Rose as a Z distributor. He's been my Zaino distributor for almost three years, and he was quite disturbed that I had inadvertently named him, because he felt his objectivity would be questioned! Ya really did him wrong!!!
I don't know of any others who you say "pimped" Zaino. But Dave Rose was NOT one of them!
The fact that Dave did not willingly inform Town Hall members that he was a Zaino distributor was a bit upsetting to people, IIRC.
I didn't do Dave wrong. He did it all by himself. I'm not questioning his knowledge or his motivation to offer advice. But he and other Zaino distributors do themselves and Zaino Bros a great disservice (IMO) by not publicly revealing their personal interests in a product line from which they derive income.
I must say, though that it is too bad that an intelligent discussion of Z versus other products cannot be reasonably convened.
I blame both types of posters:
1. those who are absolutely paranoid of ANY mention of "Z" on the "other" site (c'mon, now). Good grief, when someone even hints about it, the posts making a big deal about it with the goal of expunging the "sinner" keep the conversation alive longer than if they just took the slip in stride and moved on.
and
2. those "Z" zealots who make Z a religion, thus giving the "others" a viable reason to be paranoid! Not to mention the salem witch trials that go on for any non believer, potential non-believer, partial believer, etc.!!
Oh, well, at least no one can accuse either side of lacking passion. :-)
The same way that I stumbled upon Z and gave it a try, why wouldn't I try another product? Without trying there is no way to determine if it is indeed the best product out there. I for one was planning on purchasing P21S wax which according to some individuals outperformed Zaino.
After taking a 4 yr. hiatus from using Zaino (had to trade a new BMW in on a minvan, and just could not motivate myself to polish the van), I just bought a new car and am getting the itch to see that Zaino shine again.
I personally love the Zaino products. In my opinion, nothing gave a better shine, and it was quick and easy to use.
Also, Sal Zaino should be giving seminars in customer service. I haven't bought anything from him in years, but when I sent an email asking about the shelf-life of the products I bought way back when, he sent a very detailed response with the information on each and every product.
I really like being able to talk directly to the person who developed the product.
I have no interests in Zaino other than I use the product on our red 2000 Solara SLE. We have had a nasty winter in central Illinois with snow, ice and salt and it had been about 12 weeks since I had been able to clean the car. It was a mess to say the least. More dirt and salt showing than red paint.
But I hosed off the car and washed it down (100% cotton towel only!) with a bucket of Z-7 car wash and the result - without any additional Z products, was absolutely amazing after all of my neglect. The water beaded nicely and the shine was as if it had been just waxed. I did throw on a coat of Z-6 gloss enhancer, but it wasn't really needed.
I bet there are other great products out there that have similar quality. But once you find something so good, I just don't have the time to experiment with other contenders. That is no dig at any of them, just my concept of time.
On top of that, I appreciate the fact that if I need an answer to some question about the Zaino product or the particulars of the finish of my car, I can call or email Sal Zaino and get an answer that really helps. Usually that day, if not sooner! When a guy treats me like that, well, I have to give the guy (and his product) some extra due. I use less expensive store-bought products on some of my lesser vehicles where the shine doesn't mean as much. But I'd certainly recommend any of the Zaino products for anyone that likes EASY application and a "wow, how did you get that shine?" from the guy next door. I have had several people ask for Sal's address after seeing AND EVEN TOUCHING the car after a few coats of Z-2 and Z-6.
Okay, I'll quit and I reassure you that I have no financial interests in this product. And I bet there may even be better stuff. But Z is the best stuff I've ever used. Do I wish they sold it at Wal-Mart for less? Yeah, but until then I'll have to "order out".