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Comments
For the dust spots - If they come off with a light pass of the Califoria Duster, great. If not - I leave them till the next Sunday wash. Too much chance of causing scratches otherwise.
For Bugs and Bird poop - I flood the area with the hose to soften the offending item, and then gently scratch it off with a fingernail while running water on it, then wash the entire panel. A bit of work, but worth it.
Automophile, beautiful car. I've not driven one, but everything I've read says they are wonderful driving machines. Great job using Zaino, too. NOt only do you have a great machine, it looks "mahhhvelusss", also.
Just like a true boy scout, I came prepared, out of the trunk came a bottle of Z7+Water spray and my Z6. They all laugh. But that's ok, my car was still the best looking one out there.
They thought I was nuts that I actually came prepared for this occasion. They said, I would be ok if I forgot the stroller, but probably would drive back if I forgot my Z7 spray and Z6.
hhhhmmmmm, I wonder if I would even forget about the Z7 bottle and Z6.
The dark Graphite color really responds to Zaino, it is quite gratifying. The clean lines enable very fast application. The fresh, dark paint has made me more paranoid about swirl marks, and I went through my stack of car towels and found several with polyester in them that I removed. I am determined to keep this car swirl-free for as long as possible.
The only problem with the car? It's my wife's, and she won't let me drive it!
Can we see your RX-8? It is also an amazing car - congratulations.
I've gotta stop with this - It's getting way out of hand!
My FIL waxes his 38' travel trailer every spring with Nufinish. I think he's nuts for doing that thing.
lapvn: I've been there. I once forgot a package of food my wife was bringing to a family gathering, and tried to cool her down with a few well directed sprays from my bottle of water/Z7. I'll never do that again!
graphicguy & stachey: I too have heard good reviews of the MF towels. But I've been very happy with my Fieldcrest cotton ones. I think the trick is to keep them very clean. I wash them using liquid Tide and don't use any fabric softener in the drying cycle. Still, I may try a MF towel just to see the difference.
I just returned from a 1100 mile trip. Because of the bugs and dirt, I had to go through a "touchless" carwash while away fom home. It looked just fine and still had the great Zaino shine. Now that I am home, I want to give it a couple more coats of Z-2. Other than washing with Z-7, do I need to do anything special to remove any waxes that the car wash put on?
Thanks guys,
Morry
By the way - I DO get to sit in it when I am cleaning it!
I love daschtick's story about doing the boat! It's probably faster, and will stay cleaner, too. I bet he used more than 1/2 ounce, tho!
The funny thing is, I mixed up 1 ounce with ZFX, hoping to do one coat. Well, it turns out that I used about 3/4 of an ounce on the first coat, and was able to easily recoat with the remaining 1/4 ounce! It seems once you get the application pad damp, you rarely have to re-dampen it. I did the entire boat too, the top, the sides, as far as I could reach on the bottom, the splashwell, and even the engine! I did 2 complete coats with a Z6 spritz in between in just under 2 hours (not including the nearly 5 hours of prep!).
Secondly, I'll get any claybar from the local auto store. The question is do I really need Z1 or ZFX? Has anyone tried just using the Z2? I want to apply the Zaino this weekend, and I don't want to wait for another product to ship - hense I wanted to just clay and apply Z2. Is this a bad idea?
Any advice is welcome! Thanks!
ZFX makes Z2 really useable as it acts as an accelerator too. Apply Z2 + ZFX to your entire car and its ready to be wiped off ASAP. With Z1 there can be a lengthy wait until Z2 has cured.
I'm sure your old Z2 is fine as long as it hasn't frozen solid or been exposed to real hot temps. If it looks, feels, and smells OK, it prolly is.
Call Sal and ask for a local distributor. You might be able to get some product immediately instead of waiting for a shipment. That's what I do when I need Zaino stuff in a hurry.
mralan: The same recommendation, wash with Dawn.
sgrd0q: I agree with Bret. In addition, Sal's new website (www.zainobros.com) now has enabled on-line purchases which should decrease shipping times (and make it easier to make direct purchases).
automophile and daschtick: I too got a kick out of that boat story. But you have to be careful. The water under the Z'd boat may tend to bead up! LOL.
We love this car, and I am looking forward to a new TL for myself. The spy photos show it as a bigger version of the TSX.
daschtick - I think you may have set a record for the most "miles per ounce". A whole boat! However, you are correct- a lot soaks into the pad, and if you pay attention, you can see that it is still going on, even if you haven't re-applied more to the pad.
"Just slightly dampen the applicator with water or Z-6 "Gloss Enhancer" spray. Apply Show Car Polish directly to applicator. This technique will help increase flow and spreadability on the paint surface and yield more coats per bottle."
Before starting out, I lightly dampen the applicator with water, to aid in reducing absorption into the pad, and it also makes the pad easier to grip. Then during application, if the pad begins to 'drag' even though it has polish on it, I lightly spray just a little bit of Gloss Enhancer on it, and it glides much easier. I generally add a spritz of Gloss enhancer twice per coat of an entire vehicle.
On a side note, it rained really hard here tonight, and the 2-month-old Zaino on my car was beading as good as the day I applied it. Picture this; I walk out to my car after work, and there I am, standing in the rain, admiring the beading! I really need HELP!
Whew, I'm glad I am not alone!
As per Al, they suggest that you only need to apply ZFX twice a year, and we all understand that one order of ZFX is good for 16 once's of Z2/Z5.
NORMALLY this would mean that using ZFX 2x a year, will last me 8 years. However, I am one of the sick minded people here that I probably will be using ZFX 3 -4 times a year, Spring and Fall, and assuming 2 more times when I just can't help the urge to do more coats. Even at 4 times a year, this means this one order of ZFX should last me 4 years.
Will the ZFX last 4 years or a normal 8 years????
Even then, it is difficult.
Dealer's been good in letting me know where it's at in the delivery process. It hit the West Coast shipping dock yesterday. Dealer said that they'd "prep" it at the dock for truck shipping. That takes about a week. Why that long, I don't know. Then they distribute all the orders to trucks. He said their next scheduled truck shipment is last week in August. Dealer said he's got 8 of them that are supposed to be delivered that week....all are pre-sold.
I'm debating whether I want them to leave the plastic shipping material on it for delivery to me. The dealership service manager said I should let them detail it for me since they have to do more than just remove the plastic sheeting. He said they also come totally covered in some sort of ugly, "gunky" glaze that they cover the cars in to keep all the dirt from getting on the finish during the boat ride from Japan. I'm getting a mental picture of the cars being stored in the belly of this greasy, nasty tanker until it hits port. They even leave the gunk on the car during truck shipping in the U.S. Apparently, either the dealership or Mazda uses trains for delivery once inside the U.S.
Again, being anal, I told the service manager they could detail it if he would let me bring all my Zaino gear and let me instruct his detailers how to use it. I plan on bringing my own towels, too. They must think I'm nuts, but he agreed. I told him that I'm going to ask them to do a "clay job" before the Zaino wax. He's familiar with using clay but asked why I wanted to clay a new car? The service guy understood the need for a Dawn wash though. He mentioned that they use a special compound to remove the shipping gunk and then do a Dawn wash to remove any residual. There isn't a "brush car wash" at the dealership site, nor one within 5 miles of the dealership. They hand detail every new car.
I can see I'm going to have to "slide" the new car detailer an extra $20 bill to do it the Zaino way.
As soon as I get the RX8, I'll get pictures up.
Can't wait to see your RX in all its splendor!
The gunky glaze is probably the same as on the TSX. It looks horrible! You put a a lot of water on it to soften it, then start peeling it off from the edge while keeping the water on it. It comes off mostly in large sheets. The ONLY problem areas are the edges where a little residue can remain, and you have to scrape it with your fingernail. It's NOT a big deal, and factory fresh, swirl-free paint is a sight to behold!
Here's what the gunk looked like:
Yours looks like some sort of adhesive they used to keep the plastic sheets from coming off.
Thanks for the pointers on removing the "gunk". Can the residual be removed by claying?
You're right....I know I'll do a better job than the "lot boys/detail crew" at the dealership. I was trying to get them to let me detail my own car at the dealership detail shop. Ridiculous and vain, I know, but I don't want to drive the car back home from the dealer looking crappy.
I'll let them do the underhood and the interior prep/detailing. If need be, I will bring it home to do a "proper" Zaino job.
I can't imagine that they would use anything that was not water soluble on the car - i.e. oily, etc.
Just drive it home as-is, who cares, and do it properly without rushing! Drive it home in the evening like we did, and no one can see it!
Have Fun!
Brad
Thou shalt use ONLY 100% cotton, white, made in North America towels,
Thou shalt use separate towels for each different step,
Thou shalt use different towels for top panels, bottom panels, and wheels,
Thou shalt use two buckets to wash – one for soap, one for rinse,
Thou shalt Dawn wash before any other Z step,
Thou shalt Z18 clay a new car and twice yearly thereafter (YES, I said clay a NEW car),
Thou shalt use water/Z7 mix as the clay lubricant,
Thou shalt discard any Z18 clay that ever touches the earth (even once),
Thou shalt perform a Z7 wash after clay,
Thou shalt thoroughly dry car before next steps (California Water Blade and one towel),
Thou shalt apply ZFX/Z5(OR 3 OR 2) after wash and within 6 hours of mixing,
Thou shalt apply no more than 3 coats of ZFX/Z5 within 24 hours,
Thou shalt slightly dampen ZFX/Z5 applicator with water and Z6,
Thou shalt use ZFX/Z5 SPARINGLY (you’re still using too much),
YOU’RE STILL USING TOO MUCH!!!!!,
Thou shalt apply ZFX/Z5 in straight lines front-to-back on hood, roof, and trunk,
Thou shalt apply ZFX/Z5 in straight vertical lines on side panels,
Thou shalt apply Z6 between coats of ZFX/Z5 and following last coat of ZFX/Z5,
Thou shalt not panic if ZFX/Z5 appears to smear or leave lines because thou knows that thou screwed up by using too much and thy mistakes will be forgiven by Z the next time you use Z7 wash (or maybe even Z6 will help it),
Thou shalt apply Z16 to tires and vinyl trim,
Thou shalt not forget to clean glass,
Thou shalt clean interior (negative pressure cat-frightening devices with long hose attachments are particularly useful for this step),
Thou shalt summon spouse to admire the gleaming object in driveway,
Thou shalt not become angry with spouse for not understanding the importance of the gleaming object in driveway,
Thou shalt dust gleaming object with California Car Duster at least once a day, followed by a light treatment of Z6 with a new towel each time,
Thou shalt carry a bottle of Z7/water mix, bottle of Z6, and supply of pristine towels in trunk of gleaming object in case of attack by white gravelly substances dropped by winged attackers,
Thou shalt perform Z7 wash as often as required to maintain object in gleaming state,
Thou shalt apply additional coats of Z5/Z2/Z3 as required, with or without ZFX, in order to maintain personal zen-like state (or more appropriately Zaino-like state) offered by gazing at gleaming object,
Thou shalt describe in as much detail as required the means by which inquisitive passersby can have their own gleaming object too,
Thou shalt defend thy sanity against any and all individuals who feel the need to question thy sanity for worshiping Z, 100% cotton, white, North American towels, and the gleaming object in driveway.
Finally put in an order for microfiber towels from Classic MOtoring Accesories. If I get them this weekend, I'll report back next week. I forget the exact ones I got, but they better be good since I ordered $80 worth.
Graphicguy and Automophile: I had no idea that a dealer would let you take a new car without their prep. work. And to cooperate with your wishes including applying Zaino? Wow! BTW, that oily glaze you mention is what they normally apply after taking the plastic stuff off the car. It is a combination of wax and mineral oil. Looks great until it washes off.
I have mixed feelings. They do, indeed, hold a lot of water. They also tend to move water around the vehicle as opposed to absorbing most of it. It's probably a cross between a chamois and a regular 100% cotton towel. Verdict? I'll stick to using my synthetic chamois, The Absorber, which does a much better job of soaking up the water.
I did get some polishing cloths and wax applicators that are made from microfiber. I like these. Matter of fact, the polish applicators are bigger and feel softer than Sal's applicators.
The polishing cloths are very soft, as are the applicator pads.
If I can ever be succesfu at posting pics here that I have stored on my computer, I'll show the Zaino job I did on my new Winning Blue RX8.
Sean
Since we can't stop this cult, how do we convert the real (dumb) people? This isn't anal, it's easy and lasts a long time. Darn sight better than that can of TurtleCrap that took me 3 hours to buff off. Ok, I'm lazy, but proud.
Have fun with your cars, and just wait 'till you see what the 3rd coat brings!
I think it is rare for a Z application to last 1 year. Twice per year is more normal, and in my case, I think I need new applications three times per year.
Z1 or ZFX need to be part of the process at least once per year. Once you have met the once-per year minimum for Z1 or ZFX, you can apply extra coats of Z2 without Z1 or ZFX.
"Z-1™ Polish Lok is recommended twice a year on everyday vehicles and once a year on show cars."
Using ZFX with Z2, Z-3 or Z-5 eliminates the extra "wipe on" step of applying the Z-1.