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Comments
Look at the pics in my profile if you want to see what it REALLY looks like with a fresh coat of Z!! The Pics you saw are 9 months with NO Z and SEVERAL detrimental car washes this winter!
graphicguy-
IF it ever gets warm here, I will be sure to get out the clay and the Z. To the unknowing/unaware, my car looks great. To me- knowing what it SHOULD look like, it stinks right now. Will e-mail you soon. Very busy time for me right now.
fastdriver
I especially love the pic with you holding the camera. This weekend the Ody was so shiny that my son was playing in front of it like as if it was a mirror. Stupid dad that I am I said no you'll get finger prints. After that split second I didn't bother, he was having fun, and he is the reason why we got the Ody. Heck, I'll just do some Z next weekend.
If I keep this up during the summer, I may not have to worry about old man winter this year.
Again job well done.
I for one am only using it on our Ody which we normally only use during the weekend. On some odd occasions where we need to run errands in the evening of the week we bring the rug rat with us.
Do you find on those using it on a everyday car that you need to apply more than once a month?
Just curious.
I know it isn't the answer you are looking for, but like you said, you don't want to use any or all of it on him. Stuff is too expensive.
My brother has the same car as I do, in fact we both pick up ours the same day from the same dealer, and I won't waiste any of my Z on him. One is that he is not as fanatic about car care as I am, so to do it once to show him would truly be a waiste.
I usually alternate when applying Zaino. Sometimes I wash and apply Z5 and then the next time I wash, I apply Z2. I don't have much in the way of swirls, so sometimes I won't use Z5 for a month....just wash and some Z6.
They are, however, chemically compatible, meaning that you will not cause trouble by mixing them in the bottle or on the car.
Sal suggests that you finish up with a layer of Z2 on top of everything else because it has higher optical properties than Z5, but it's not necessary. Z5 is just as compatible with Z6 and Z7 as Z2 -- it's only his suggestion that you finish with Z2, based on the premise that you want the end result to be as highly reflective as possible.
When I apply Z5, I am practically starting over in getting the shine back on my car.
Given the choice between the two, on a new car particularly, I'd choose Z2 over Z5 any day.
Thanks ahead for your help.
I'm using it now on my car by itself and it lasts about 6 months and looks like I wax my car weekly.
Does the Zaino shine last that long?
More on my brother. He's got money coming out of ears and all he talks about is how dirty his car is, but he still has not brought it to a car wash or even thought of giving it one. I would have gone crazy already. You should see his wheels, they look like they were 1 year old, I felt like picking up a brush to clean it.
My Zaino bug for this weekend. I was so irked that the Ody was left out of the garage this entire SOAKING weekend because we decided to do tons of house work. I am already planning to leave work early some time this week just so I can Z the car and end with Z2. I too think the Z2 gives it a better shine than the Z5. I thought I was set for several months just doing the wash and Z6. Anyway, I was just so bothered that the car was out in the rain for 3 days and felt sorry for the darn thing. WOW you think I got the Z bug or what.
After a good Dawn wash, and an application of Meguiars #83 (for the swirls), I applied 3 coats of ZFX'd Z5 and two days later, two coats of ZFX'd Z2. The car has a beautiful soft glow to it.
I definitely prefer the Zaino shine to what I got from Meguiars' products. Meguiars shine was a bit deeper I think, and tended to change the color a bit, but Zaino has a much more glassy wet look...and it's remarkable how smooth the surface is now.
And thanks to all the Zaino posts I read here, I was able to use it sparingly...I got 5 coats from about 2 ounces of polish.
One of the things that didn't quite work for me, however, was the Glass Polish. It didn't seem to make much of a difference, but to be fair, my glass was in pretty descent shape to begin with. I also put a coat of Z2 on the glass, but that didn't really seem to make much of a difference either.
Also, I wasn't able to do much about the swirls on my car. The Meguiars #83 helped a little bit...and the Z5 seemed to soften them a bit, but there are still swirls on my finish. I guess the only solution now would be a rotary buffer.
But overall, I'm very pleased with Zaino...I look forward to applying more coats of Z2.
Any advice much appreciated.
I say you do everything at the do it yourself place:
Wash the car with dawn, if someone is waiting just pull up because it will be a while to clay the car. Then go back in to wash the car after you clay, then pull in somewhere in their driveway to do all of your polishing. This way you drive off in a nice shiny car and have nothing to do but admire your work when you get home.
This at least is my novice opinion, if the Zaino gods will forgive me for speaking out.
If you want an alternative to the coin op joints do a search for "quick and easy wash". Its a unique product that allows you to wash your car with one bucket of water. I haven't used it but those who have say it works well.
There is a caveat, though. In my desert environment, I need to make sure that there is absolutely no wind. That gravelly sand soil is a bear.
I've used the spray places. I usually go to them when they aren't very busy like early morning. Fill your bucket with Z7 and water. Spray down your car. Wash it with the Z7/water bucket. Then dry it off. Then you can clay, rewash and apply some ZFX/Z2 (since it's new).
If you drive it home to do the ZFX/Z2, then bret's idea of wiping it down with Z6 first is a good one.
lapvn....you're now a veteran and have been awarded "Zainoite" status.
I know Fastdriver and I are dieing to do some REAL Z'ing. So far the past 3 weekends have been soaked weekends, and before that, maybe 1 day was dry, but not necessarily hot. Fastdriver don't look now, but no hope in sight for this weekend and the next.
Maybe I should have bought a boat instead.
1) If I wash the car with Dawn or Z7, what am I using to actually wash the car? Sponge? Towel?
2) After I wash it, I clay it using a Z7/water mixture in a spray bottle as a lubricant.
3) After claying, I rewash? Or just rinse it off?
4) What's the best method for applying the ZFX/Z2 mixture? Is the #314 Custom Polish applicator worth getting?
I know I use 100% Made in the USA cotton bathtowels for drying and ZFX/Z2 application removal, just not quite sure of the previous steps. Thanks again everyone for the advice. This is the first car I've owned where I actually cared about the long-term paint condition
I bought some other no name brand applicators to use for my Lexol leather cleaner/conditioner, and they just aren't the same. It's good enough for the leather, but I wouldn't use it to apply Zaino, IMHO only.
As for washing the car, I also bought the wash mit from Zaino. Have no comparison for this one from store bought brand, but II was happy. When I dawned the car, I did not use the wash mit, I use one of those car sponges, I didn't want to mix the dawn up with the Z7, that was just me being anal.
After you clay, you should do a Z7 wash.
Someone really went crazy, but it was a very good suggestion. He said to use 2 mits, one for the upper body area, and one for the lower body area. Also you would wash the lower body area last or have a new bucket of soapy water.
I want to ask you a question about leather vs. cloth seats. I'm thinking that the next car I get, I want leather. The cloth seats I have now are covered with seat protectors so my nephews dirty shoes don't get my tan interior dirty. (It kills me when they step on the "hump" in the back since I don't have anything protecting it.) Anyway, back to my question. If I get leather, will I end up having to cover them anyway or can you keep it clean with the Lexol. (I would clean and condition every week since I vacuum the interior every week now anyway.)I hate seeing cracks and dirt on leather seats!
I use Lexol and at first I wasn't too happy with it, but as I applied it more I could see how good the product was. But just to make sure I know what I am talking about I will try the Zaino brand and also Eagle One leather conditioner.
And yes I also hate the cracks and dry look of other leather seats I have seen. Lexol so far is doing pretty good, and it is easy to get your hands on.
I think the fact that you vacuum every week is very good. I don't think you would need to apply the conditioner every week, I would plan on doing it every month, especially during the hot summer months. Directions are to do it every 3 - 4 months.
I would probably only cover the area near a childs car seats during the summer months. I know my kid complains, "daddy hot hot". And believe me he wasn't talking about my roundish figure. At least to me, kind of silly to cover up your leather seats to protect them, then why bother getting leather seats if you are just going to hide the beauty of it. IMHO only.
Other forum of NON Z products has a lot more on leather products used for store bought. Bretfraz and others knows more on this than I do.
These are just my 2 cents on it.
Any other Zainoers with leather seats who can give me some insight? (I ask here in this forum because I figure, if you Z, you take care of your car pretty well. I know I'm out there every Saturday cleaning my car....)
I use a Prince Lion Heart rubber mat under one carseat and nothing under the booster seat. Still I have found smushed raisans and milk stains on the leather which clean up very easily. I have yet to encounter anything I have not been able to remove.
Personally I use leather cleaner and conditioner 2-3 per year. I don't recall the one that I have but it list "Eagle Ottawa" on the bottle - they make leather for Honda. It works for me.
Acura - They sell and recommened Lexol
Mercedes - The sell their own but it is made by Meguiars
Jaguar - Said they sell their own product. Couldn't tell me if it was one of their own formula's or one that they just slap the Jaguar name on it.
Is the Zaino leather care products the same as the cleaning products that "a little goes a long way". I ask this because it only comes in 8 oz size.
I've sort of given up on the Zaino Glass Polish. Instead, I now use Sprayway on interior windows. 'Much better than Windex. The trouble with the slightly abrasive Zaino Glass Polish is that it requires a lot of rubbing to remove. Unless you are trying to remove those micro-scratches, Sprayway will do just as good a job. I have used the Zaino Glass Polish on my exterior windshield to reduce/remove some of those nasty tiny micro-scratches. It requires some effort, but the results were good. I now apply Z2 to my exterior windshield glass and wash it with Sprayway. This combination seems to keep my glass clean including a great reduction in those little scratches you only see when driving directly into sunlight.
The back headrests, the parts of the leather with greatest sun exposure, already feel dryer to me, and it seems the seat covers have really helped.
The Z seems to work great, and it sure restores the "leather smell" but it sure does not compare to covering with sheepskin.
Regarding those of you who have kids - scuff marks are murder on leather. There is no way to get dark scuff marks off of light leather. I know - a friend scuffed my driver door the first week I owned my car - and the scuff mark is still there.
I use a "recommended" towel (hand size) wrapped around a sponge to wash my vehicles. Be sure you thoroughly rinse your car after "Dawning" it; I've found that Dawn makes Zaino clay temporarily separate and develop bumps and become harder to handle. For your clay lubricant, mix the Z-7 with distilled water to avoid water spots as it evaporates while you move from one end of your car to another.
Everyone else seems to have covered your other questions.
A few weeks back, I used some 3M fine-cut polish in spots on my car to reduce scratches (not too aggressively, and with mixed success). More recently, I noticed the appearances of swirl marks on my hood and trunk (not related to the 3M treatment).
I also learned, through this forum, that these last couple of years I have not been Z'ing correctly (by not letting the finish cure for 24 hours), so I _know_ I am poised to get the best glow on my car since the day I got it.
I know that the Z finish is paper-thin. Is it probable that I removed it in the places on my car where I applied the 3M? If so, should I start my Z-day with Z1 and build from there? (I was gonna clay anyway.)
Or, should I just go straight into 2-3 coats of ZFX/Z5 and then on?
Steve
Putting on a coat of Z1 to a convertible with a canvas top can't take more than about 10 or 15 minutes, as you will put the Z2 or Z5 right on top of it.
The incremental time involved is negligable.
Happy motoring, and yes, the abrasive polish would have removed the zaino. When you have to to that, you should reapply z1/Z2 to that area right away.
I know what you mean, figures the only sunny days are during the week when we are all at work. I was so disgusted with the dirt on the car, that at least last Friday I was able to give the car a wash, no Z6
I think we better just plan on doing a pre-winter treatment instead on the cars.
I am a former user of Lexol, which is another good product for leather care. I switched to Zaino for the "authentic" leather smell.
We are known to have some brutal summer heat in the Ohio valley. I can remember some of my older cars having vinyl seats and they were the worst for transferring heat to one's backside. While warm, I find that today's leather seems less likely to give the "burn" when compared to vinyl. If it's still a concern, there is the above mentioned "sheepskin" covers. I've also seen some that are made of synthetic that seem to do well.
Best thing to do is to picke up a "car and driver" or "motortrend" and look at the advertisements at the back of those rags for some seat cover alternatives.
As for the hot seats, when I had black leather seats, I just kept a cotton hand towel in the car in the summer to put under my legs. I find that the white leather does not get so hot, and although I still have a towel, I haven't used it.
As far as sheepskin covers go, I'd rather walk.
I think it's great, although it probably doesn't look as good as the plain leather does.
I will say one thing. Installing the covers (or swapping them between passenger and driver seat) has got to be the WORST part of my biannual maintenance scheme (including Zing, vacuuming, cleaning leather, protecting rubber...). What a PAIN!! Modern seats are the problem. My driver's seat has a 10-way seat adjustment capability and side airbags on the seat. The underside of the seat is full of cables, tubes, wires and you name it, all of which interfere with trying to connect the front to the back of the seat covers. For the seat covers to remain clear of the seat airbags, you have to push these elastic hook things down between the seat upholstery and the plastic frame until you feel like you are going to break a finger.
I could go on and on about the woes of installing these seat covers, but I won't bore you all, and this is a Z website, anyway. Let's just say that installing custom sheepskin covers on these newer luxury cars with seats that do everything is not a very pleasant task.