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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