Actually, I was just kidding pjyoung. He thinks I post too many links to my GLEAMING, Zaino, 99 300M. LOL.... I do! I'm guilty. I love to show off that Zaino shine! I KNOW how well Zaino protects. I've been using it since November of 98!
As for the tree sap, I would suggest washing the car as opposed to just using the Z-6. This happened to me last Sunday. I had to go to a graduation party. There was no place to park except under a big, old Maple tree! I knew what the results would be, but I also knew that the Zaino would protect me. Quick wash and the car was as good as new! NO need to clay.
Ok, I'll try it (washing) first. And yes, your pictures are just about the best I've seen. And no, they're not posted too much. Your picture links are most welcome.
No, I don't think you post too much...most of these topics (Zaino and 300M) fill up pretty fast, so I don't mind seeing the pics. I'd e-mail you a pic of my car (post tar), but I don't have a digital camera, and I'm not sure how well they will scan in. I'll try it this weekend.
Thanks. It's just that when you have a new car, you want it to look its best all the time. So far, Zaino does that for me and hundreds of others who have tried it too. Instead of working in the yard tomorrow, you make me want to Z the car again and take some NEW pics of Christine! I brought the digital camera home from work. I'll see what the weather is like tomorrow.
pjyoung-
I really wasn't sure if you were tired of them. ;-)) I do need some new ones though. Scan your car pics and send them. I'll put it on the web in Geocities for you or even photopoint.com. No problem. I put Sungirl's Toyota Solara convertible up a few days ago. Her pics were PRE-Zaino.
That reminds me. I have to order some Z-5 and Z-6.
I have to say that I'm absolutely amazed at how helpful everyone is to each other her at Edmunds.com! I first started posting in the Smart Shopper arena a few weeks ago when I was researching strategies for how to buy my first new car. I just completed the factory order a few days ago, so now all I have to do is wait 5-7 weeks for my car to arrive (gaahhh). But y'all have me soooo excited to buy this Zaino stuff that I'm thinking of ordering right now! Talk about being a step ahead. I have a few questions, though, before I buy:
1) Is the Z-5 necessary for new cars? Or is it more designed for older cars that tend to accumulate scratches and swirls? 2) How well does the Z-6 work at repelling dust? I've heard that darker car colors are harder to maintain, partially because they show dust a lot more readily than other colors, and I am purchasing a dark blue car so I want to make sure I have all of my bases covered. 3) How long does one bottle of Z-2 typically last? Does it depend on how often I polish? Or the size of my car? The car is a 2001 Corolla, so I guess that's considered compact. 4) How long would you estimate that the entire process lasts? From the first Dawn to the last step?
I'm sure you'll get a few folks answering your questions, but let me throw mine into the mix: 1. Can't say, didn't use it and I had a new car when I began with Z. 2. Hard to tell, my car is metallic silver. But other "stuff" just wipes right off. Go up a few posts and read about how road tar just wiped off one person's car. 3. I've got three coats of Z-2 on my car, MB E-320 (quite a bit bigger than your Corolla), and I'd say I still have 50-60% of the bottle. And I probably used too much my first application, maybe even my second also. You really only need a very small quantity to spread very thinly. 4. For my size car, the Dawn-Clay-Dawn-Z1-Z2 took me almost 4 hours, but I wasn't running against the clock. More interested in doing it right. I probably could've done it in 3 if I pushed it.
Congrats on your new car. I can tell you are excited!
First and foremost...Z5 can be used on a new car whether it has swirls or not. I would guess that since it's new, you may have some swirls from the dealer. I have yet to see a dealer that does little more than run the new car deliveries through a "drive-thru" car wash with harsh brushes doing most of the washing. This will cause some swirls. Fact is, I prefer to put Z5 on first and then put a second "layer" of Z2 wax. This gives the best of both worlds. Either way (Z2 or Z5) you will have a great shine.
Z6 (shine enhancer) works well in repelling dust if you put it on thin (like all Zaino Wax) and wipe it off before it dries. Darker colors are harder to keep clean, but with Zaino on the finish, the job becomes much easier. That said, results of Zaino on darker finishes are more dramatic than with lighter colors.
I've gotten 10 applications from a single bottle of Z2. The key is very thin coats. It will not benefit you to put on thicker coats of Zaino (this is not a regular wax). You should get that easy with your new Corolla.
Start to finish time on first application as follows on my Grand Prix, which is larger than your Corolla (and I'm a perfectionist):
Dawn Wash--30 minutes Dry--15 minutes Clay--30 minutes Another Dawn wash (to get the clay residue off)--30 minutes Dry--15 minutes Z1 application--30 minutes Z2 application--30 minutes (Here's the tricky part) Time for Z1 and Z2 to dry could be an hour or it could be overnight depending upon the heat and humidity in your area. Wipe a little off with your finger. If it comes off clean, it's dry. If not, it will smear and needs to dry more. Wipe off--15 minutes Z6 wipe on/wipe off--15 minutes
3-3.5 hours (not including dry time) should give you a good estimate.
The beauty part is that all subsequent applications will take about an hour, at most.
Congratulations on your new car! The Zaino will look FANTASTIC on that color. Before I forget, you should tell your dealer NOT to WASH OR WAX your car when it comes in! That seems to be the beginning of most people's problems with scratches and swirls! They have some kid getting paid minimum wage most likely, clean your car. That may be fine for some people, but not if you want to start off on the right foot.
The other important thing is to go out and buy some good quality 100%, white cotton towels MADE IN THE USA! Fieldcrest and Canon are two such brands. I just have mostly the regular size towels. Some people seem to prefer the BATH size, but I find them to cumbersome. For your car, the regular size will be fine. Wash them in LIQUID detergent BEFORE you use them. NO fabric softener in the wash OR the dryer including those fabric sheets that you can throw in the dryer.
I would order the Z-5 too. No matter how careful you are, some scratch/swirl marks seem inevitable. Also, NEVER go through any car wash that has brushes or cloth/chamois strips. Go to a TOUCHLESS car wash or the wand type washes. Many times you will not even need to use the soap part of those wand washes, but just the plain water to get the "crap" off the car. Very little, if anything, sticks to Zaino. What does stick, comes right off when you wash it.
The MOST important step is to go to Sal's site http://www.zainobros.com and PRINT out AND READ his instructions BEFORE you start applying the Zaino. Seems as if many people just apply it when they get it, THEN they read the directions OR they don't buy all the necessary products and then say they're not impressed with the results! ;-))) It's like baking a cake. If you don't use all the necessary ingredients, you won't be happy with the results. Makes sense to me. This is NOT like regular wax/polish that you have ever used before. It needs to go on in VERY THIN coats! You will hardly be able to see it when you apply it. I just put some Z-2/Z-6 on my car this morning with no problems. It was hot and somewhat humid, but I still had NO problem wiping it off as soon as I had applied it to the whole car. I did it in the sun. One of the first nice days we've had in CT in ages!
You can't go wrong with all the great advice above.
It does take about 4.5 hours start to finish the FIRST time, but a lot of that is waiting time. After that, it goes as fast as you can move your hand over the car! 15 min. to put on, 5-10 min. to wipe off.
To help with the dust your dark car will collect - Dust it each night and morning with a California Car Duster. Don't press down. All the loose dust will come off with no scratches and the car will stay clean longer.
Inside, try Lemon Pledge (REALLY) for the all the vinyl, plastic wood and chrome - it will look great!
Thanks for all the advice! Payday is this Thursday, so I think I'll place my order that very day :-) I might feel a little silly having all of these wonderful supplies sitting there, ready to be used, while my car is still nothing more than a glimmer in my eye, but I've always held to the motto "be prepared." Besides, I've always enjoyed the time that I put into making my car look nice, so I'm looking forward to putting this stuff to good use. And who knows, maybe I can post some pictures on my website when I'm through! Just like the big boys ;-) Thanks again! Any more advice for a first timer?
I just finished applying a couple of the Zaino products to my new 2000 Fire Red Yukon. Early this morning I washed it down with Dawn to remove any of the dealer's polish. I dried it with a chamois and let it spend the day in the garage out of the hot sun. While it was in the garage, I applied the Z10 leather conditioner to all of the interior leather seats and the leather steering wheel.
This evening I started out by applying the Z1 polish-loc product to the entire vehicle. The only exterior parts that didn't get covered was the glass windows. This process took 2 hours and 25 minutes to complete. (I don't know how many square inches of surface area there is in this vehicle, but there sure is a lot. I suspect about double that of my 97 Bonneville) I used just under 1/2 bottle of Z1 in this application.
I let the Z1 haze for about 30 minutes while I caught my breath and regained my energy.
I then applied the Z2 polish, again to everything except the glass. It took only 2 hours and 15 minutes to apply. I used about 1/2 bottle of Z2 for this application.
I am letting the polishes dry overnight with the Yukon in my garage. On Sunday morning I will begin the 'buff' process with the cotton towels. I bought some white 100% cotton Utica made in USA towels at Costco for a real good price. Based upon the application times for Z1 & Z2, I expect to spend about 4.5 hours buffing the car and applying Z6 gloss enhancer. If this holds true then I will have put almost 10 hours into giving my Yukon its first coat of Zaino product. Hope it proves to be worth it. I drive over 40,000 miles/year, so my vehicles get almost triple the amount of bugs, etc. hitting the front of it than a normal car in the same time frame. I hope the Zaino products will protect better than the Turtle Wax products that I have used in the past.
One thing to remember if you are doing a Yukon with the liftgate/liftglass, is that there is lots of painted area under the liftglass and more around the liftgate that should get treated because water from the roof will drain through these areas. I also took care to do all the painted areas in each door opening and the underside of each door. I also applied Z1 & Z2 to various painted and plastic parts under the hood.
Another thing to be said about this process is that I don't have to do any 'STEP' exercises this week at the gym. I am 6 feet tall and I had to get out my step ladder in order to be able to reach all of the area on the roof and hood. Of course I had to move the ladder 4 times for each side, so I did all of my stair step climbing exercises for the week just getting to the roof.
Again this report is part one. Tomorrow after I buff the Z2 and apply Z6, I will post another report. If all goes well, based upon the Zaino instructions, I might be able to apply and buff a second coat of Z2 on Sunday before I have to drive the Yukon to work on Monday.
4 hours and 40 minutes just for Z-1/Z-2?? Is the Yukon the BIG SUV or is that the Tahoe? I always get them mixed up. ;-)) Do you keep your cars for a long time? I'm only asking because as I read on, I see that you did do EVERY part of your Yukon even the places you can't see! If you're only keeping it for 3 years or less, I don't think you need to expend all that extra energy on those unseen parts. Nothing will happen to them in that period of time. As for only having 1/2 bottle left, it sounds like you used a lot. I know an SUV is big, but when you consider the actual sheetmetal, is there really that much more then my 300M?? However, I forgot you did the inside of the doors and underneath the doors too. Guess that would account for all the extra Z that you used.
Wait until you get a few more coats of Z-2/Z-6 on!! Your color, I believe, looks almost like my Candy Apple Red 300M. See messages above for the links to the pics. It should only take you a short time to wipe the polish off and then Z-6 it. If it takes you 4.5 hours, something is wrong unless you are doing EVERY metal piece you can find inside and out! ;-)) If it ever took me this long to do the 300, I'd never do it. I'd pay a detailer and let them put their crap on.
The Yukon and the Tahoe are the same vehicle except for the grill area and the fact that the Yukon is considered more upscale. The larger version is the Yukon XL and Suburban, which are 20 inches longer but are the same otherwise.
I have always taken my new vehicles and given them a head to tail very complete 'wax' job when I first brought them home and before I really put them into service. Later on, I would do just the exterior parts that needed it.
It is because of how I care for my vehicles that the dealership could not believe the mileage on my 1997 Bonneville when they saw it. They said a 3 year old car with 82,000 miles should not look like it was brand new. Instead of trading it in, I am giving it to my parents to drive. If I like the results of the Zaino products on the Yukon, then I will apply them to the Bonneville before I turn it over to my parents.
One of the reasons for doing parts that are not normally seen is that those parts are still exposed to rain water, mud and dirt. They need their paint protected, even if you won't see the shine a wax or sealant gives that paint. I will see the area around the liftglass and liftgate each time I use those features. The same goes for the metal areas you see when you open the door. Why not make them look as good as the rest of the vehicle?
Anyway, when I put a second coat of Z2 on tomorrow, I will probably only do the main exterior panels and skip the underdoor areas, etc. for the second coat. I will still do the areas I see when I open the liftgate, doors, or hood.
By the way, it took me a little over one hour to completely wash and dry the Yukon on Saturday. It only took me 20 minutes to do the same to the Bonneville and it had all sorts of road tars and debris on it that I had to scrub off. Yes the Yukon IS THAT BIG.
LOL.....Yukon=GMC and Tahoe=Chevy?? I could NEVER understand the difference between the two models. Seems like a waste of money for GM to make two like vehicles with different nameplates that are basically identical. I THINK I was getting these confused with the Blazer/Jimmy- they are "smaller"- right?
I'm not faulting you for polishing all those unseen areas, I'm just saying that in the 2 or 3 years you keep the vehicle, they would look just as good without all this extra work. I don't polish those areas, however, I do wipe the inside edges of the doors and the trunk lid when I wash the car. While I don't have anywhere near 82,000 miles on my cars when I get rid of them, the dealers cannot believe that I have ever driven them or even had passengers in them! I can remember my 1994 Infiniti J-30. It was white with white leather and white carpeting. When I returned this leased car, all the dealer could say was WOW! It was cleaner than what they had on the showroom floor. All they had to do was slap a price on it and sell it!
Good luck today. I hope it's a little cooler where you are because it's pretty toasty here in CT.
Don't give GM grief for selling basically the same vehicle under two nameplates. Every major US manufacturer does that. Ford sells the Explorer, the Mercury Mountaineer and the Mazda Navajo and they are the same SUVs. Even Chrysler sells the Plymouth and Dodge Neons. For a while they had the Chryler Concorde, Eagle Vision TSI, and also a Dodge car that were the same.
Anyway I believe in giving my vehicles a good protective coating all the way around. That includes the out of the way areas.
Hi, I'm new to the arena. Just bought a new 2000 Miata (Emerald Green Metallic) and was checking out the detailing tips. It seems I have 2 choices, Zaino or something else. When a product has that much of a following, It narrows it down to one choice. I will be placing an order Monday!!!! My car will be garage kept exclusively and covered. I didn't know if I needed to use the clay or not since my car is brand new with no swirl marks or rain on it. I washed it once with water only and dried it with cotton towels. I emailed Zaino Bros. with the same info and hoping to get a response soon. Sincerely, another new Zaino"ite".
Well I just finished buffing the Z2 off of my Fire Red Yukon and then going over it with Z6. The Z2 wipes off real easy and does not leave any white residue on the black plastic molding parts, etc.
The entire process took me two days to complete. I spent nearly 10 hours on applying just one coat. Reason so long: The Yukon is a big vehicle and I did the often overlooked areas like under each door, under the liftglass, around the inside of the liftgate, under the front hood, and several of the plastic parts in the engine compartment. One person asked why I did these areas since they normally aren't seen and my response was that they still are subject to rain water, mud, and dirt, just like any other painted area and they need paint protection too.
Overall I am pleased with the outcome. Only time will tell how well the product holds up on my Yukon, but I suspect it should do OK. I will say this, this process had me exercising muscles that I don't normally use that much. I will be sore and stiff for the next few days. Next time I plan to do the Yukon, I might just hire some of the neighborhood kids to apply it under my supervision.
Below are a couple of pictures I took after the treatment. You can see my reflection in the shot of the rear liftgate.
The effort was well worth it! The truck looks fantastic! IF you think it looks good now, wait until you get a few more coats of Z-2/Z-6 on!
You're right- it IS big! LOL....
BTW- I wasn't giving GM grief at all. I just think it's stupid to spend all that money, making the same thing, with a different nameplate on it. I know they all do it. Look at Chrysler- 300M, LHS, Concorde and Intrepid- all the same basically and all the same "QUALITY"- poor! LOL....... Just wish GM didn't drop the Buick Riviera because I would have leased another one and saved myself a lifetime of STRESS in dealing with this 300M!
Now that I have done the first Zaino treatment (Dawn wash, Z1, Z2, and then Z6) I have a question: Next weekend when I want to apply another coat, after I wash with Z7, do I have to use the Z1 again or can I go directly to the Z2?
I think the Z web site suggests Z1 only once or twice a year - though its not exactly clear to me what one is supposed to see to say "time for another Z1 coat." So, in the mean time just keep adding coats of Z2.
I have a question about the durability. I will admit that I did one panel on my Lincoln LS with Nufinish to do an unscientific test on durability. The test is over. Last week I had to drive the length of the State of Florida, up Thursday, back Sunday. Florida is loooong when being driven this way. As background, I had done the full treatment with clay, z1, z5, z3, and z6 over a weekend about two months ago. I drove to Virginia about a week later and before then, and in Va, I just hosed the car off and used z6. When I returned, I washed the car with the z car wash and put another coat of z3 on it. I think it had about 4 total coats and looked great. Just before the trip last week I put another coat of z3 and z5 on it. On the way back I drove through a terrible rainstorm and lo and behold, when I washed it this week, the water did not bead up at all. The car still looked good, but none of the flat surfaces beaded any longer. The zaino part of the hood was virtually the same as the nufinish side. The roof and trunk lid also was flat. I put 2 coats of z3 on over this weekend and it is beading nicely now, but do you think the fact that I was in a rainstorm for about 250 miles (at about 70+ mph) caused the z (and nufinish) to depart the area? No big deal as I doubt that I am likely to go through that type of rain again.
I am giving up on my nufinish experiment as I forgot which panel I used it on and zaino is as easy to use as anything I have ever used. Obviously, they both have about the same durability too. I also used a pressure washer (but no detergent) to remove the bugs from the front end, but that would not explain the loss of coverage on the roof and trunk, so I disregard that as a factor.
shoshana - The MOST important thing about keeping your new car nice is to maintain it regularly. Make a habit of cleaning and washing it every week, even when "it doesn't need it"! It will be very easy and fast, and you won't mind. If you wait until it's really dirty, it will be a lot of work and you will find yourself putting it off. I do 2 cars, in and out every Sunday, and it takes only about an hour or so. Develop a pattern and it will go fast.
tiltboy - Even if there are no swirls, clay will help in many other ways, and can't hurt. Read the full story at www.erazer.com Your car will be SO smooth afterwards, polishing will be even easier.
beading - I ran a 3 month test with Zaino, and found that after 90 days of being outside 24/7 there was no lessening of beading on the hood and other parts when I hosed the car prior to washing. I have found that Z-7 and other car washes seem to have a "wetting" agent than may make it look like beading is reduced. Joe, I've tried almost everything, and Zaino is the best so far.
Shoshana - From all the advice I'd only like to reemphasize one thing. You've really got to let the dealer know you don't want your car washed or touched. That is where the problems all begin. They may think you are crazy (my dealer did) and some may think it takes some of the fun out of picking up a new car if it isn't clean (and it won't be - they are DIRTY after shipping. But a dealer will typically give it a wash in a bad car wash then wax it - putting in some swirls before you ever get it. I ordered a black GMC pickup back in March and they honored my wishes, it looks incredible after Zaino. As well this gives you time to go home and spend with your new auto !!
On a side note - it rained all weekend in Dallas, I mean all weekend. I enjoyed driving around just to watch the water bead. Its unbelievable. It's almost as if the water is afraid to stay on the truck the way it beads up and runs off. I have one coat of Z5 and 2 of Z2 Z6 between coats), the last coat was applied about 3 weeks ago. Even though the truck was new and the dealer didn't wash or wax it, I still put a coat of Z5 on before I switched to Z2, i didn't want to take any chances.
Yes, I used z3. I didn't have the stuff with me in the house and I get mixed up with all the numbers, plus the fact that I just bought the non clear coat z for my daughters car but I used the right one. I used z1 and z5 the first time and z3 since then (assuming z3 IS the one for clear coated cars). All these numbers confuse me, but I read the labels before I use them. Sorry about that. The point was, has anyone experienced a torrential rainstorm while on an interstate and had the same experience? No big deal, no telling what is in the rain these days. Might be like an acid wash. Strangely enough, I park outside at night and when I hose down my car in the morning after a light rain, the windshield foams as if I had put detergent on it even if I had not used the windshield washers since the last rinse. It takes about 20-30 seconds of strong hose stream before it is rinsing clear again. Maybe the rain in South Florida is just contaminated.
Regarding the durability and your test. Sal has said that if pollen gets on the surface it will retard the beading capability of the Zaino. However, the car is still protected and you will see the beads again after a Z-7 wash. Don't know it the same holds true for Nu-Finish.
Because I've never owned a new or even slightly new car before (been driving a '69 since I was 16) I have to say that I don't really know what swirls are, what they look like and why they are bad. Can somebody explain this to me? Are they permanent? Or are they just really hard to get rid of? Since I have ordered a dark blue car, I want to make sure I know the best way to take care of it. I can be kind of meticulous that way -- I got a scratch in my new coffee table the day after I brought it home and my eyes are inevitably drawn to that one area of imperfection (although I must say that the remote control does a good job of hiding it). Thanks again for the advice!
If your paint is perfect, you see nothing - it is like a clean mirror. "Swirls" are the circular marks associated with waxing, like really tiny scratches. If you look a reflection of a light in the paint, you should see only the light. If you see little lines around the light, you are seeing swirls. Lokks at some other cars, you will see what we mean.
Tomorrow when you are out - or at least on the next sunny day (not sure where you are) look at the cars with a good reflection from the sun (as suggested in the previous post - it is most noticeable on black and dark colored cards). It won't take you but just a minute to notice them. Just like your coffee table then, you'll always see them on others cars, but that is OK, because yours won't have them.
I live in California and it's supposed to get up to 104 today and 110 by Thursday, so I'm sure that's enough sunshine to let me research those swirls :-) I'm going to check out the cars in the parking lot over lunch.
On a side note, I think it's interesting that I now check out every car that drives past me on the highway and give it a mental rating on it's level of upkeep. Thanks to all the pics that I've seen posted here, I can now pick out a Zaino car in a heartbeat. Keeps me occupied in drive-time traffic.
'Been away for a few days and I just read through 30 new posts.
Fastdriver: Your advice (wash the tree sap off with Z7) worked very well. Even though I haven't Z'd my car in months, a good Z7 wash job did the trick. And even some low down tar spots washed away too. At this point, water still beads off, but now as well as when the last Z2 application (11/1999) was new. This July 4th, I'll clay the whole car again and apply more Z2 (and maybe some newly purchased Z5 too).
Shoshana: 'Guess you'll get all the advice you'll need here. My 2 cents: Graphicguy is just a little optomistic in terms of time. Well, I've got a slightly bad back, so maybe I'm just a little slow these days. But 4 hours? He must be good. I've found that claying takes me about an hour at least (vs 30 minutes). My second wash takes me about 30 minutes. I'd wait about an hour between Z1 and Z2. And depending on temperature and humidity, Z2 drying can take between 30 minutes to (extreme cold/damp) overnight. And oh yes, I'll take frequent water breaks and BS with anyone going by. Umm, maybe 4 hours of straight work WOULD do it!
cwmartin: Very nice pictures.
Joe166: Try an application of Z2 - it will make a big difference.
My Z products should arrive any day now. I have never used Z products before so I need advise on applying to my new 2000 Lexus brownish gold metallic. I'm in California and the temperture is a dry 90 degree plus. I'll be applying Z in my garage in the morning when it is coolest. Here is the procedure I have planned:
1. Wash with dawn (use 100% USA cotton towels) 2. Wash with Z7 3. Spray small areas with Z7 and apply Z18 4. Wash with Z7 after Z18 clay is completed 5. Apply Z1 polish lok and don't wipe off 6. Apply Z5 let dry 1 hr+ and wipe 7. Apply Z6 8. Apply Z2 let dry 1 hr+ and wipe 9. Wait 6 hrs or more 10. Apply Z6 11. Apply second coat of Z2 let dry 1 hr+ and wipe 12. Wait 6 hrs or more 13. Apply Z6
Maybe someone can re-write this procedure for me. Needless to say I'm confused.
I agree with graphicguy's suggestions. Z5 and Z2 drying & curing times will vary greatly with temperature and humidity. Alexs, if you are really in a hot but low humidity climate, you CAN shorten the drying times. But graphicguy's idea of waiting until the next day (initial curing) is very good. Some four hours! ha.
Hey Graphicguy. I'm not sure I understand. You say not to put "another" coat of Z2 on after the Z1/Z5 applications. In step 5. and 6.(see #95) I haven't put any Z2 on yet. Do you mean I should wait overnight between step 7. and 8. or between step 8. and 9?
I think graphicguy means that after your first coat of Z5, you should wait until the next day before applying your first coat of Z2. That way, the Z1/Z5 layer will have had time to 'cure'. That's your steps 7 and 8. And no, you don't need four days, I'm just kidding around with fastdriver and graphicguy. They know a lot (more than me) about this stuff.
Can Z2 work as Z5 to cover fine swirl marks and fine scratches?? The scratches and marks are not very obvious on my car and I want to know if I need a separate wax (Z5) to "cure" them?! Please share your experience and advice. Thank you
I've got a scratch in my 2 month odl Odyssey which is just deep enough to catch your fingernail in. I've taken it to two body shops and both said they would charge $50 to 'buff' it out as much as possible. This process apparently involves using special 1500 grit sandpaper on the scratch area to remove as much of the clear coat as necessary until the scratch goes away and then buffing the finish smooth. They said that they would not go below the clearcoat so if it was deeper than the clearcoat then the scratch wouldn't be entirely removed.
I find this procedure of sanding away the clearcoat somewhat frightening! I'm wondering if anyone has experience with using Z5 (or any other scratch remover product) on a scratch deep enough to catch your fingernail? I've got Z1/Z2 on the van now. Will repeated use of Z5 end up just doing the same thing of removing clearcoat or does it somehow 'fill' the scratch? I guess I don't really know how Z5 does its magic. If someone could explain I would appreciate it.
Sorry about your scratch. If you can feel it with your fingernail there is no "homemade" remedy to cure it. The only way to remove it is by the use of very abrasive (sanding) techniques. There is no miracle ( i wish there were) in a bottle. Yours is more than a "fine" scratch or swirl. You have damage which should only be fixed by a pro.
True, the buffing method is the best, but if the scratch is very fine, I'd first try to fill it with touch up paint. Your dealer can supply the correct (color coded) touch up paint. You should still clean the scratch to remove any oxidation and then use a tooth pick to apply multiple layers of the touch up paint until the scratch is filled. Not perfect, but an acceptable solution in many cases.
Thank you for your help. You know I'm confused about Sal's instructions. He says in his instructions for a first time polish job to "finish up using Z2 as the last item". I was wondering why you don't make the last item Z6 since in his maintenance instructions he says to Z7 car wash and use Z6 each time?
What he means is that the last polish you should use should be the Z2. You should always Z6 after a wash, but it is not permanent like a coat of polish.
Just discovered very fine scratches on one of the outside mirrors of my new Solara. Does Zaino or anyone else make a product specifically for use on MIRRORED vs. painted surfaces?
I've been reading the posts in this section for a while and decided to take the plunge. This weekend did my first application: dawn, clay, dawn, z1, z2.
I must say, the application is a pain though easier than it appears when reading about it. The z1 and z2 went on and came off easily--much more easily than any wax. I used about an eighth of a bottle of each. The only problem was seeing the products on my light silver paint. The shine is very good though not incredible. It's a little better than Blitz which I've been using. Definitely wetter looking. It is also much more slippery to the touch. I'll do another application next weekend.
Anyway, I have two questions. First, how do you apply the Z6? Do you use an applicator or a towel. Do you spray it on the paint directly? Second, I did my wheels as well hoping to cut down on brake dust. Can I still use P21S wheel cleaner?
It sounds like you did it about right. 1/8 bottle might even be too much. It is important to spritz the applicator with Z6 a couple of times before applying the Z2. It will then go on a lot smoother and easier.
After buffing off the Z2, spritz the Z6 directly on your paint, about 1-2 sq. feet, max. Rub it in nearly dry for a few seconds with a clean dry towel folded into a pad, then turn the pad over and buff it completely dry, Then move to the next 1-2 sq. feet.
If you have Z1/Z2'd your wheels, you may no longer need to use any wheel cleaner, just the Z7 car wash and a soft brush keeps mine spotless. Since most of the wheel cleaners are caustic, I feel that the cleaners will probably remove any Zaino or wax.
Still waiting for my Zaino to arrive ... s'all right, though, 'cuz I'm still waiting for my car to arrive as well :-) In the meantime, I've been reading the archived Zaino topic and have come up with a few more questions:
1) I've read a little about temperature/humidity and how these affect the drying times of the various products. Living in California, I don't have a problem with cold spells, but I do see a lot of heat waves. Is it okay to apply Zaino under the blazing sun? Will that just help it dry faster, or are there any potentially negative consequences? I've never liked to wash my car outside of a shaded area, but it sounds like I might be able to use the Zaino in the sun without a problem. Is this so?
2) Several people have suggested that when I pick the car up, I ask the dealer not to wash or wax it to minimize the chance of swirls and scratches. I like this idea a lot, but won't that make it more difficult for me to inspect the car for scratches, dings, etc. that are under that big ol' layer of dust? What if I let him wash but not wax? Or maybe just hose it off or sumthin'?
Any thoughts would be appreciated! Thanks again in advance.
Comments
Actually, I was just kidding pjyoung. He thinks I post too many links to my GLEAMING, Zaino, 99 300M. LOL.... I do! I'm guilty. I love to show off that Zaino shine! I KNOW how well Zaino protects. I've been using it since November of 98!
As for the tree sap, I would suggest washing the car as opposed to just using the Z-6. This happened to me last Sunday. I had to go to a graduation party. There was no place to park except under a big, old Maple tree! I knew what the results would be, but I also knew that the Zaino would protect me. Quick wash and the car was as good as new! NO need to clay.
fastdriver
PS I have never clayed my car.
Thanks. It's just that when you have a new car, you want it to look its best all the time. So far, Zaino does that for me and hundreds of others who have tried it too. Instead of working in the yard tomorrow, you make me want to Z the car again and take some NEW pics of Christine! I brought the digital camera home from work. I'll see what the weather is like tomorrow.
pjyoung-
I really wasn't sure if you were tired of them.
;-)) I do need some new ones though. Scan your car pics and send them. I'll put it on the web in Geocities for you or even photopoint.com. No problem. I put Sungirl's Toyota Solara convertible up a few days ago. Her pics were PRE-Zaino.
That reminds me. I have to order some Z-5 and Z-6.
fastdriver
I am amazed about the tar, though! What good fortune!
1) Is the Z-5 necessary for new cars? Or is it more designed for older cars that tend to accumulate scratches and swirls?
2) How well does the Z-6 work at repelling dust? I've heard that darker car colors are harder to maintain, partially because they show dust a lot more readily than other colors, and I am purchasing a dark blue car so I want to make sure I have all of my bases covered.
3) How long does one bottle of Z-2 typically last? Does it depend on how often I polish? Or the size of my car? The car is a 2001 Corolla, so I guess that's considered compact.
4) How long would you estimate that the entire process lasts? From the first Dawn to the last step?
Thanks in advance for your help!/Sho
1. Can't say, didn't use it and I had a new car when I began with Z.
2. Hard to tell, my car is metallic silver. But other "stuff" just wipes right off. Go up a few posts and read about how road tar just wiped off one person's car.
3. I've got three coats of Z-2 on my car, MB E-320 (quite a bit bigger than your Corolla), and I'd say I still have 50-60% of the bottle. And I probably used too much my first application, maybe even my second also. You really only need a very small quantity to spread very thinly.
4. For my size car, the Dawn-Clay-Dawn-Z1-Z2 took me almost 4 hours, but I wasn't running against the clock. More interested in doing it right. I probably could've done it in 3 if I pushed it.
Jeff
First and foremost...Z5 can be used on a new car whether it has swirls or not. I would guess that since it's new, you may have some swirls from the dealer. I have yet to see a dealer that does little more than run the new car deliveries through a "drive-thru" car wash with harsh brushes doing most of the washing. This will cause some swirls. Fact is, I prefer to put Z5 on first and then put a second "layer" of Z2 wax. This gives the best of both worlds. Either way (Z2 or Z5) you will have a great shine.
Z6 (shine enhancer) works well in repelling dust if you put it on thin (like all Zaino Wax) and wipe it off before it dries. Darker colors are harder to keep clean, but with Zaino on the finish, the job becomes much easier. That said, results of Zaino on darker finishes are more dramatic than with lighter colors.
I've gotten 10 applications from a single bottle of Z2. The key is very thin coats. It will not benefit you to put on thicker coats of Zaino (this is not a regular wax). You should get that easy with your new Corolla.
Start to finish time on first application as follows on my Grand Prix, which is larger than your Corolla (and I'm a perfectionist):
Dawn Wash--30 minutes
Dry--15 minutes
Clay--30 minutes
Another Dawn wash (to get the clay residue off)--30 minutes
Dry--15 minutes
Z1 application--30 minutes
Z2 application--30 minutes
(Here's the tricky part)
Time for Z1 and Z2 to dry could be an hour or it could be overnight depending upon the heat and humidity in your area. Wipe a little off with your finger. If it comes off clean, it's dry. If not, it will smear and needs to dry more.
Wipe off--15 minutes
Z6 wipe on/wipe off--15 minutes
3-3.5 hours (not including dry time) should give you a good estimate.
The beauty part is that all subsequent applications will take about an hour, at most.
Good luck and let us know if we can help.
Congratulations on your new car! The Zaino will look FANTASTIC on that color. Before I forget, you should tell your dealer NOT to WASH OR WAX your car when it comes in! That seems to be the beginning of most people's problems with scratches and swirls! They have some kid getting paid minimum wage most likely, clean your car. That may be fine for some people, but not if you want to start off on the right foot.
The other important thing is to go out and buy some good quality 100%, white cotton towels MADE IN THE USA! Fieldcrest and Canon are two such brands. I just have mostly the regular size towels. Some people seem to prefer the BATH size, but I find them to cumbersome. For your car, the regular size will be fine. Wash them in LIQUID detergent BEFORE you use them. NO fabric softener in the wash OR the dryer including those fabric sheets that you can throw in the dryer.
I would order the Z-5 too. No matter how careful you are, some scratch/swirl marks seem inevitable. Also, NEVER go through any car wash that has brushes or cloth/chamois strips. Go to a TOUCHLESS car wash or the wand type washes. Many times you will not even need to use the soap part of those wand washes, but just the plain water to get the "crap" off the car. Very little, if anything, sticks to Zaino. What does stick, comes right off when you wash it.
The MOST important step is to go to Sal's site http://www.zainobros.com and PRINT out AND READ his instructions BEFORE you start applying the Zaino. Seems as if many people just apply it when they get it, THEN they read the directions OR they don't buy all the necessary products and then say they're not impressed with the results! ;-))) It's like baking a cake. If you don't use all the necessary ingredients, you won't be happy with the results. Makes sense to me. This is NOT like regular wax/polish that you have ever used before. It needs to go on in VERY THIN coats! You will hardly be able to see it when you apply it. I just put some Z-2/Z-6 on my car this morning with no problems. It was hot and somewhat humid, but I still had NO problem wiping it off as soon as I had applied it to the whole car. I did it in the sun. One of the first nice days we've had in CT in ages!
Just to get you MORE excited about the shine you're going to have and to make pjyoung smile, here's a link or two to some of my pics-
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Flats/7501/Feb.html
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Flats/7501/feb_21/
I have some more that I just took this morning, but I have not posted them yet. I'll do that now and then come back and give you the URL! ;-))
Hope I've been of some help.
fastdriver
It does take about 4.5 hours start to finish the FIRST time, but a lot of that is waiting time. After that, it goes as fast as you can move your hand over the car! 15 min. to put on, 5-10 min. to wipe off.
To help with the dust your dark car will collect - Dust it each night and morning with a California Car Duster. Don't press down. All the loose dust will come off with no scratches and the car will stay clean longer.
Inside, try Lemon Pledge (REALLY) for the all the vinyl, plastic wood and chrome - it will look great!
If you need anymore convincing after the above and fastdriver's pics, you can see mine as well:
http://www.geocities.com/newwestd/Zainoat3mo.html
Good Luck!
This evening I started out by applying the Z1 polish-loc product to the entire vehicle. The only exterior parts that didn't get covered was the glass windows. This process took 2 hours and 25 minutes to complete. (I don't know how many square inches of surface area there is in this vehicle, but there sure is a lot. I suspect about double that of my 97 Bonneville) I used just under 1/2 bottle of Z1 in this application.
I let the Z1 haze for about 30 minutes while I caught my breath and regained my energy.
I then applied the Z2 polish, again to everything except the glass. It took only 2 hours and 15 minutes to apply. I used about 1/2 bottle of Z2 for this application.
I am letting the polishes dry overnight with the Yukon in my garage. On Sunday morning I will begin the 'buff' process with the cotton towels. I bought some white 100% cotton Utica made in USA towels at Costco for a real good price. Based upon the application times for Z1 & Z2, I expect to spend about 4.5 hours buffing the car and applying Z6 gloss enhancer. If this holds true then I will have put almost 10 hours into giving my Yukon its first coat of Zaino product. Hope it proves to be worth it. I drive over 40,000 miles/year, so my vehicles get almost triple the amount of bugs, etc. hitting the front of it than a normal car in the same time frame. I hope the Zaino products will protect better than the Turtle Wax products that I have used in the past.
One thing to remember if you are doing a Yukon with the liftgate/liftglass, is that there is lots of painted area under the liftglass and more around the liftgate that should get treated because water from the roof will drain through these areas. I also took care to do all the painted areas in each door opening and the underside of each door. I also applied Z1 & Z2 to various painted and plastic parts under the hood.
Another thing to be said about this process is that I don't have to do any 'STEP' exercises this week at the gym. I am 6 feet tall and I had to get out my step ladder in order to be able to reach all of the area on the roof and hood. Of course I had to move the ladder 4 times for each side, so I did all of my stair step climbing exercises for the week just getting to the roof.
Again this report is part one. Tomorrow after I buff the Z2 and apply Z6, I will post another report. If all goes well, based upon the Zaino instructions, I might be able to apply and buff a second coat of Z2 on Sunday before I have to drive the Yukon to work on Monday.
4 hours and 40 minutes just for Z-1/Z-2?? Is the Yukon the BIG SUV or is that the Tahoe? I always get them mixed up. ;-)) Do you keep your cars for a long time? I'm only asking because as I read on, I see that you did do EVERY part of your Yukon even the places you can't see! If you're only keeping it for 3 years or less, I don't think you need to expend all that extra energy on those unseen parts. Nothing will happen to them in that period of time. As for only having 1/2 bottle left, it sounds like you used a lot. I know an SUV is big, but when you consider the actual sheetmetal, is there really that much more then my 300M?? However, I forgot you did the inside of the doors and underneath the doors too. Guess that would account for all the extra Z that you used.
Wait until you get a few more coats of Z-2/Z-6 on!! Your color, I believe, looks almost like my Candy Apple Red 300M. See messages above for the links to the pics. It should only take you a short time to wipe the polish off and then Z-6 it. If it takes you 4.5 hours, something is wrong unless you are doing EVERY metal piece you can find inside and out! ;-)) If it ever took me this long to do the 300, I'd never do it. I'd pay a detailer and let them put their crap on.
Good luck. I don't envy you.
fastdriver
I have always taken my new vehicles and given them a head to tail very complete 'wax' job when I first brought them home and before I really put them into service. Later on, I would do just the exterior parts that needed it.
It is because of how I care for my vehicles that the dealership could not believe the mileage on my 1997 Bonneville when they saw it. They said a 3 year old car with 82,000 miles should not look like it was brand new. Instead of trading it in, I am giving it to my parents to drive. If I like the results of the Zaino products on the Yukon, then I will apply them to the Bonneville before I turn it over to my parents.
One of the reasons for doing parts that are not normally seen is that those parts are still exposed to rain water, mud and dirt. They need their paint protected, even if you won't see the shine a wax or sealant gives that paint. I will see the area around the liftglass and liftgate each time I use those features. The same goes for the metal areas you see when you open the door. Why not make them look as good as the rest of the vehicle?
Anyway, when I put a second coat of Z2 on tomorrow, I will probably only do the main exterior panels and skip the underdoor areas, etc. for the second coat. I will still do the areas I see when I open the liftgate, doors, or hood.
By the way, it took me a little over one hour to completely wash and dry the Yukon on Saturday. It only took me 20 minutes to do the same to the Bonneville and it had all sorts of road tars and debris on it that I had to scrub off. Yes the Yukon IS THAT BIG.
Thanks for the clarification.
LOL.....Yukon=GMC and Tahoe=Chevy?? I could NEVER understand the difference between the two models. Seems like a waste of money for GM to make two like vehicles with different nameplates that are basically identical. I THINK I was getting these confused with the Blazer/Jimmy- they are "smaller"- right?
I'm not faulting you for polishing all those unseen areas, I'm just saying that in the 2 or 3 years you keep the vehicle, they would look just as good without all this extra work. I don't polish those areas, however, I do wipe the inside edges of the doors and the trunk lid when I wash the car. While I don't have anywhere near 82,000 miles on my cars when I get rid of them, the dealers cannot believe that I have ever driven them or even had passengers in them! I can remember my 1994 Infiniti J-30. It was white with white leather and white carpeting. When I returned this leased car, all the dealer could say was WOW! It was cleaner than what they had on the showroom floor. All they had to do was slap a price on it and sell it!
Good luck today. I hope it's a little cooler where you are because it's pretty toasty here in CT.
fastdriver
Anyway I believe in giving my vehicles a good protective coating all the way around. That includes the out of the way areas.
The entire process took me two days to complete. I spent nearly 10 hours on applying just one coat. Reason so long: The Yukon is a big vehicle and I did the often overlooked areas like under each door, under the liftglass, around the inside of the liftgate, under the front hood, and several of the plastic parts in the engine compartment. One person asked why I did these areas since they normally aren't seen and my response was that they still are subject to rain water, mud, and dirt, just like any other painted area and they need paint protection too.
Overall I am pleased with the outcome. Only time will tell how well the product holds up on my Yukon, but I suspect it should do OK. I will say this, this process had me exercising muscles that I don't normally use that much. I will be sore and stiff for the next few days. Next time I plan to do the Yukon, I might just hire some of the neighborhood kids to apply it under my supervision.
Below are a couple of pictures I took after the treatment. You can see my reflection in the shot of the rear liftgate.
The effort was well worth it! The truck looks fantastic! IF you think it looks good now, wait until you get a few more coats of Z-2/Z-6 on!
You're right- it IS big! LOL....
BTW- I wasn't giving GM grief at all. I just think it's stupid to spend all that money, making the same thing, with a different nameplate on it. I know they all do it. Look at Chrysler- 300M, LHS, Concorde and Intrepid- all the same basically and all the same "QUALITY"- poor! LOL....... Just wish GM didn't drop the Buick Riviera because I would have leased another one and saved myself a lifetime of STRESS in dealing with this 300M!
fastdriver
Jeff
I am giving up on my nufinish experiment as I forgot which panel I used it on and zaino is as easy to use as anything I have ever used. Obviously, they both have about the same durability too. I also used a pressure washer (but no detergent) to remove the bugs from the front end, but that would not explain the loss of coverage on the roof and trunk, so I disregard that as a factor.
The MOST important thing about keeping your new car nice is to maintain it regularly. Make a habit of cleaning and washing it every week, even when "it doesn't need it"! It will be very easy and fast, and you won't mind. If you wait until it's really dirty, it will be a lot of work and you will find yourself putting it off. I do 2 cars, in and out every Sunday, and it takes only about an hour or so. Develop a pattern and it will go fast.
tiltboy - Even if there are no swirls, clay will help in many other ways, and can't hurt. Read the full story at www.erazer.com
Your car will be SO smooth afterwards, polishing will be even easier.
beading - I ran a 3 month test with Zaino, and found that after 90 days of being outside 24/7 there was no lessening of beading on the hood and other parts when I hosed the car prior to washing. I have found that Z-7 and other car washes seem to have a "wetting" agent than may make it look like beading is reduced. Joe, I've tried almost everything, and Zaino is the best so far.
On a side note - it rained all weekend in Dallas, I mean all weekend. I enjoyed driving around just to watch the water bead. Its unbelievable. It's almost as if the water is afraid to stay on the truck the way it beads up and runs off. I have one coat of Z5 and 2 of Z2 Z6 between coats), the last coat was applied about 3 weeks ago. Even though the truck was new and the dealer didn't wash or wax it, I still put a coat of Z5 on before I switched to Z2, i didn't want to take any chances.
Greg
You only need to apply Z-1 after every 10 coats of Z-2 OR twice a year.
joe166-
Why are you using Z-3? That's for non-clearcoat finishes. I'm sure your Lincoln has clearcoat. You should be using z-2.
fastdriver
Greg
On a side note, I think it's interesting that I now check out every car that drives past me on the highway and give it a mental rating on it's level of upkeep. Thanks to all the pics that I've seen posted here, I can now pick out a Zaino car in a heartbeat. Keeps me occupied in drive-time traffic.
Sho
Fastdriver: Your advice (wash the tree sap off with Z7) worked very well. Even though I haven't Z'd my car in months, a good Z7 wash job did the trick. And even some low down tar spots washed away too. At this point, water still beads off, but now as well as when the last Z2 application (11/1999) was new. This July 4th, I'll clay the whole car again and apply more Z2 (and maybe some newly purchased Z5 too).
Shoshana: 'Guess you'll get all the advice you'll need here. My 2 cents: Graphicguy is just a little optomistic in terms of time. Well, I've got a slightly bad back, so maybe I'm just a little slow these days. But 4 hours? He must be good. I've found that claying takes me about an hour at least (vs 30 minutes). My second wash takes me about 30 minutes. I'd wait about an hour between Z1 and Z2. And depending on temperature and humidity, Z2 drying can take between 30 minutes to (extreme cold/damp) overnight. And oh yes, I'll take frequent water breaks and BS with anyone going by. Umm, maybe 4 hours of straight work WOULD do it!
cwmartin: Very nice pictures.
Joe166: Try an application of Z2 - it will make a big difference.
1. Wash with dawn (use 100% USA cotton towels)
2. Wash with Z7
3. Spray small areas with Z7 and apply Z18
4. Wash with Z7 after Z18 clay is completed
5. Apply Z1 polish lok and don't wipe off
6. Apply Z5 let dry 1 hr+ and wipe
7. Apply Z6
8. Apply Z2 let dry 1 hr+ and wipe
9. Wait 6 hrs or more
10. Apply Z6
11. Apply second coat of Z2 let dry 1 hr+ and wipe
12. Wait 6 hrs or more
13. Apply Z6
Maybe someone can re-write this procedure for me. Needless to say I'm confused.
Skip your #2--no need to wash with Z7 after the Dawn Wash (can if you want to, though).
Mix a small amount of Z7 (1/2 capful) with water in a spray bottle for your lube to clay.
After you apply the initial Z1/Z5 and wipe off, don't put another coat of Z2 on until the next day so the bonding of the wax is allowed to "cure".
Everything else looks fine.
pblevine...When I really get into detailing, I can't be stopped. The only stoppage is for drying time. Don't know how "good" I am. LOL!;-)
Hey Graphicguy. I'm not sure I understand. You say not to put "another" coat of Z2 on after the Z1/Z5 applications. In step 5. and 6.(see #95) I haven't put any Z2 on yet. Do you mean I should wait overnight between step 7. and 8. or between step 8. and 9?
Yeah Pblevine, how about 4 days for this job?
Z-5 is specifically made to reduce or eliminate fine scratches and swirls- NOT Z-2. Get the Z-5. You won't be disappointed.
fastdriver
I find this procedure of sanding away the clearcoat somewhat frightening! I'm wondering if anyone has experience with using Z5 (or any other scratch remover product) on a scratch deep enough to catch your fingernail? I've got Z1/Z2 on the van now. Will repeated use of Z5 end up just doing the same thing of removing clearcoat or does it somehow 'fill' the scratch? I guess I don't really know how Z5 does its magic. If someone could explain I would appreciate it.
I must say, the application is a pain though easier than it appears when reading about it. The z1 and z2 went on and came off easily--much more easily than any wax. I used about an eighth of a bottle of each. The only problem was seeing the products on my light silver paint. The shine is very good though not incredible. It's a little better than Blitz which I've been using. Definitely wetter looking. It is also much more slippery to the touch. I'll do another application next weekend.
Anyway, I have two questions. First, how do you apply the Z6? Do you use an applicator or a towel. Do you spray it on the paint directly? Second, I did my wheels as well hoping to cut down on brake dust. Can I still use P21S wheel cleaner?
Thanks for the help?
After buffing off the Z2, spritz the Z6 directly on your paint, about 1-2 sq. feet, max. Rub it in nearly dry for a few seconds with a clean dry towel folded into a pad, then turn the pad over and buff it completely dry, Then move to the next 1-2 sq. feet.
If you have Z1/Z2'd your wheels, you may no longer need to use any wheel cleaner, just the Z7 car wash and a soft brush keeps mine spotless. Since most of the wheel cleaners are caustic, I feel that the cleaners will probably remove any Zaino or wax.
1) I've read a little about temperature/humidity and how these affect the drying times of the various products. Living in California, I don't have a problem with cold spells, but I do see a lot of heat waves. Is it okay to apply Zaino under the blazing sun? Will that just help it dry faster, or are there any potentially negative consequences? I've never liked to wash my car outside of a shaded area, but it sounds like I might be able to use the Zaino in the sun without a problem. Is this so?
2) Several people have suggested that when I pick the car up, I ask the dealer not to wash or wax it to minimize the chance of swirls and scratches. I like this idea a lot, but won't that make it more difficult for me to inspect the car for scratches, dings, etc. that are under that big ol' layer of dust? What if I let him wash but not wax? Or maybe just hose it off or sumthin'?
Any thoughts would be appreciated! Thanks again in advance.
Shoshana