Zaino Car Care Experiences

pblevine

Julie: We were only kidding. Welcome to ZA!
And every time it gets cold, I too think its not "a Zaino day". Next you will become an expert on buying 100% made in USA cotton towels.

fastdriver: Your CL-S looks fantastic. 15 Coats! Great pic again. I've only got 5 coats since May. 'Hoping to get another during Thanksgiving. I'll need it for winter as my Honda is now a daily commuter.

Bushwack: I wish we had LA temperatures here in NY and MA. If I smell some Z when its below 32, I may cry.

graphicguy and bidand sell: Yeah, thin paint. I'm hoping that enough coats of Z will help protect my paint job from the commuter environment and the dirt roads I frequently travel. This car does take a beating. But it still looks great! On BMW's, I once had an old 1600 which was a great performance machine. 'Looked like a Lark (before Bimmers became popular) but could beat a Vette in the lower gears. The newer ones are still great cars but now are much more luxury oriented and are not as well made. Today, I'd rather buy an Acura CL-S.

To all: Have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING. And drive safely too. 'See ya Monday.

fastdriver

Bushwack-

LOL......"metallically challenged" I hear you. You know what- maybe I derive a greater benefit because of the color, but I keep applying it because I'm hoping for a better shine! Of course, thjere is no better shine. I'm just addicted!

Julie-

15 coats of Z5/Z2/Z6 since 3/28/01. Hopefully, before it really gets too cold here, I can get a few more coats on before the snow falls. It looks great in person. The pics don't do it justice. When I look at it from a distance, it just glows!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you too. I'm thankful for good health, good friends and a great family. My thoughts and prayers to all of those affected by the events of 9/11 including my cousin, who lost her husband in Tower Two that day and is now left with a one year old and a one month old.

pblevine-

FIVE coats- that's all? Seems like you've been here for ages! What happened? I would have thought that you had at least as many coats as I do by this time. You're slipping! ;-))

fastdriver

bigbadboss101

Your Acura looks HOT. Red is not a popular color, at least not here. When you got your car did you get paint protection etc? I had a black 99 Maxima and after Zaino it looked very nice, almost better than new. I now have a blue 2002 and it doesn't shine as well as black. I got paint protection but will soon do the Zaino process.

fastdriver

bigbadboss101-

Thanks! Paint protection???? I told them not to even WASH the car. I told them NOT to touch it! They didn't even take the plastic off of it! LOL.... I told them that I used special polish and that if there was going to be any swirl marks on it, I would be the one to put them there and not some minimum wage car wash kid!

Only thing on that Acura is ZAINO! WHY did you ever get paint protection? I don't even want to know how much they charged you for it. I'm sure that it would have enabled you to buy a LIFETIME supply of Zaino! ;-)))

fastdriver

squidd99

Fastdriver is right -- "Paint Protection" is a dealer scam. It refers to either clearcoat, which is already on the car anyway (in which case you are paying for nothing at all) or a quick wax job applied in 20 minutes by a kid who helps clean up the shop and uses a power swirl maker to be sure that the job is done fast and wrong. In this case, you are paying for the privilege of washing off the wax with Dawn and then trying to get out the swirl marks before laying down the first coat of Z1.

Fastdriver's advice is good, and I wish I had known that when I purchased my new car last May, as I would have told them the same thing he did. However, the wax job they did was not bad and I did not see any swirl marks on it either before or after removing the wax with Dawn (and the car is black), so I guess I was lucky and/or maybe the guys at Lexus are a little better at waxing the new cars than the guys at the Dodge dealer.

Next time, however, (which I hope will be a long time in the future), I will drive the car home with the shipping plastic still stuck to the sides, put the car in the garage, and apply Z1/z2 immediately. The first joy ride will have to wait for day 2.

bigbadboss101

I thought about it and the dealer talked me into getting the protection package. I told them I thought the package is bogus and most of the stuff is already there and they convince me they do all the stuff in the shop, about 4 hours of work. Anyways, paid about $450 for undercoating/soundening/leather protection/paint protection. The car smelled 'strong', sorta like gasoline. I guess that is the clearcoat? I took it Monday and it got dirty right away. Tuesday I went to a touchless wash and then I did the Z7 Zaino.

Now, since the car is new, I am NOT doing dawn to take off what they put on. Do I need Z5 for swirl since there aren't many swirls? I will surely do Z1, and then a few Z1. I live in Western Canada and it is unusually warm. Normally we will be in snow by mid September. Today we have temp of +10 celsius for high, and minus 5 or so for low.

Fastdriver, that car of yours is bootylicious

joe166

Whatever they put on the car is what the Dawn is supposed to remove so that the shine is better. Now, I am not sure that it really is needed, but if ANYONE needs to Dawn the car it is someone who got a "protection" package as they must have put something on it. Dawn is not for old paint, it is to remove underlying coats of wax or other protectants so that the Zaino shine is not compromised. Maybe you have Dawn and Claying confused. Some new cars may not need to be clayed, and some new cars which do not have any wax added to the paint may not need to be dawned, but if it has had anything put on it in the process, it should be dawned the first time. As to clear coat, I would NEVER let a dealer put a clear coat on top of a factory paint job. I don't believe that is what happened. They just put some stinky wax on your car and put your money in the bank, betting that by the time your paint fades or peels you will no longer own your car or you will have lost your paperwork, or at least not enough people will make claims so that it is no longer profitable to run this scam. If there were a lot of claims, they can always run that particular corporation through bankruptcy court. It is a no lose situation for them. Money in the bank and little downside. There is one born every minute and two to take them in.

luthor1

I have to park my solara outside and noticed bird doo on hood. The doo must have been there at least a week before I was able to wash it off, will my 5 coats of z2 since april protect the paint from it's acidic effects or has the damage been done?

squidd99

First, I hope that $450 was Canadian dollars. Anyway, let's move on.

When you say "Now, since the car is new, I am NOT doing dawn to take off what they put on," you are wrong and have not read the Zainobros web page enough. As brother Joe mentions above, new has nothing to do with Dawn. It is to take off the wax that the dealer put on.

Joe says take off the wax so that the Zaino shine is not compromised; my understanding is that it's more complicated than that. Z1 will "bond" with the paint. If there is wax on the paint, the Z1 just sits on the wax, and will come off as the wax wears off. It will compromise the shine also, because the wax will yellow over time while the Zaino, being a polymer (and not a wax) will not yellow as it ages. So even if the Z1 stays on the wax and the wax stays on the car, eventually the wax will yellow and the high optical properties of the z2 will be lessened.

So for both of those reasons, wash the stupid car in Dawn; how much is that going to cost? It only takes 15 minutes (unless you have Julie's Ford Valdez) and you will be able to put the Z1 directly onto the paint as God and Sal (same thing) intended. Start off right, and you will be thankful all year long.

squidd99

I asked Sal about bird doo once, and he said that speed is the most important thing in removing bird doo. As you know, it is an acid, and it will eat through the Zaino, then through the clear coat, then eat into the paint.

Coats of Zaino help, and will slow it down.

I don't think anyone can say if the damage has been done, but if you wash it carefully with z7 and then apply z6 onto the area and you cannot see any residual pattern of where the dropping sat, then you are OK. If you can see the pattern even after that, then I don't know what to do to remove it. You may need to use a light abrasive or scratch remover.

Finally, be careful in removing bird droppings, as they contain gravel, which will scratch the paint if you just rub it around with a wet cloth. Get it wet first, let it soak, then remove it as carefully as you can. I use a Z7/water mix in a spray bottle, then use the hose and get as much as possible off the car without touching it. (Which is fine with me because it's icky.)

jnj91

Ditto what joe and squidd said about doing the dawn thing.

Except rather than the Valdez, I like to think of it as the Titanic. LOL

Julie

fastdriver

LOL................WHERE do I start? DAWN the car. Better yet- ask the dealer WHAT that "protection package" consisted of so you will know IF the Dawn will take it off! I know that here in the US, the car manufacturers DON'T recommend additional undercoating because it can do more damage than good. It blocks drain holes and adds weight to the car! Maybe in the cold North, it's another story. I certainly hope that $450.00 was CN dollars also. Even if that equated to $100.00 or 200.00 US, it's STILL way too much! Most likely that "protection package" would require you to do something to the car's finish once or twice a year anyway. Like they say, live and learn!

Bird doo is BAD!! A week is a LONG time to leave it on, unless CN bird doo is less acidic than US bird doo!! I would guess that it already ate through the finish. NOTHING, except quick removal, will protect you from damage. With enough coats of Z2/Z6, that Zaino shine will make it "invisible". ;-))

If I had the Titanic to Z, I know it would NOT have 15 coats of Z on it from March! LOL...If I was 25 again, then maybe I could do it, but the bones are getting older and all that bending and stooping and reaching is taking it's toll! LOL.....

squidd99-

I DOUBT that the Lexus dealer has a minimum wage kid cleaning the cars. I'm SURE the Dodge dealer would! ;-))) It's funny that you say that you would drive home with the white plastic on. I ALMOST did that too. I live in CT, but bought the car in Rhode Island. I was going to drive home the 90 miles with the plastic on, but I was afraid that it might melt onto the car, so I removed it at the dealers before I left. It's only put on the car for protection from the factory, not to drive a long distance. I didn't want to chance it.

bigbadboss101-

"bootylicious"- ;-))) I like it!

fastdriver

hambone32

I used to apply paint "protection packages" at a dealer. It's just an application of some kind of liquid cleaner/wax, that's all. Kind of like a Nu Finish type stuff.

automophile

It is a good idea to find out EXACTLY what it is. It may be another type of Polymer, in which case Dawn will not remove it. For example, you have to wash the car with Alcohol to remove Zaino.

You don't put Zaino on over wax because it is like painting a house over old, peeling paint. When the old paint falls off, it will take the new paint with it because it is NOT sticking to the house. In addition, you don't put it on over some other finish because the other finish will not be as transparent as Zaino, it is like putting clean screens on over dirty windows.

For future reference to all - The dealer Protection Packages are NEVER worth the money if they are worth anything at all, and can do harm. As joe said, they bank on your NOT coming back under warranty. Live and Learn.

Happy Thanksgiving to ALL

bigbadboss101

Next time I will know. They did make the leather very shiny, and the sound deadener might help.

Hmm, I will go and dawn the car. They would mean whatever they put on was a waste. Blah, I was so close to not getting the package.

fastdriver

I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy, Healthy and Safe Thanksgiving and to take a moment to remember all of those affected by 9/11.

fastdriver

genie1

You had suggested I try vinegar, water and newsprint for the grime on the interior glass surfaces of my car.

Just wanted to update everyone that it works beautifully. I used a pad of 2-3 day old newsprint (b&w) with a 60/40 mix of H2O and Heinz white vinegar. Other than the strong odor, application was a cinch. I was careful to go over the interior and exterior surfaces a couple of times to get all the grime off.

My windows are now sparkling to match that Zaino gleam.

squidd99

Vinegar and newspaper just sounds too strange to me, and I don't want my car to smell like a salad.

I have tried the Zaino Glass Polish and it works great and does not smell bad. It also works very well to clean the screen on your TV and your PC Monitor. (Other uses under investigation and testing.) It is a mild abrasive, which is why it works well to get off grime and that strange car haze, and for that reason also it is not for everyday use. It also takes a while, as you have to let it dry, and then wipe off the haze that forms as it dries.

Works great and smells good; it just costs a little more than salad dressing and fishwrap.

bh0001

I broke my collar bone mountain biking and now I can't properly wash my car. I need one more good hand-wash before the snow flies in order to remove the spray from recent rains. I tried a touchless car wash but it didn't do the job very well. Any suggestions? Maybe there is a Zanite (Zainophile, Zainhead, etc.) in the Kitchener/Waterloo/Guelph area that I can hire to wash my car? I don't want a non-Zanite touching my car because they just won't understand :-)
Brad

fastdriver

bh0001-

Sorry to hear about your accident! Damn kids- have to watch you all the time! ;-)))

Wish I was closer. I would help you out.

fastdriver

rayfer

i have a question for the experts. i have used zaino for a while and think it is great. i moved to los angeles 2 months ago and have had my car hand washed here several times. does this mean the zaino is washed off? and if i have them put wax on it by hand and it is not zaino, is this a problem? i just bought a business and am working 7 days a week and dont have time right now to zaino myself. there are hand car washes all over L.A. and it is just much simpler to go them once a week.i know you guys love zaino and i agree but for now can i put regular wax over the zaino i already have on?

mikeb31

Finally got a chance to Zaino my new truck. Truck is now 5 weeks old, 2002 Silverado Ex. cab with a Snugtop shell. Did the dawn wash, clay bar, Z7 wash, Z1 and Z2, then it got dark and I had to go to work. Large vehicle, but it wasn't that bad, even did all the chrome and the aluminum wheels.

My parents are over for the holidays and my dad helped me rinse and dry. I think he might be falling over the edge also and will probably Z his car tomorrow morning if it doesn't rain. Maybe I'll get a chance to put a second coat on in the morning. Truck looks great, pewter color.

Now I'll have to do the wifes dark green metallic Accord with lots of swirl marks, good thing I bought the Z5 also (she went outlet shopping so she wasn't home). Didn't Z5 the truck, no swirl marks as I'm the only one who has washed it with 100% cotton towels. I'll let you know how my dads and wifes cars turn out.

Mike

Bushwack

I take my car to hand car washes nearly once a week and I haven't seen the Zaino shine diminish one bit. Well..maybe after 4-6 months. In which case you should be applying an additional coat(s) of Z2/Z6. Anyway, I suggest that after you have the car HAND washed, apply Z6.

FWIW...Some of the better hand car washes in L.A. are all along Ventura Blvd from Studio City to Encino. Plus a couple others in West L.A. These places do NOT use the mechanical "toilet tissue rollers" to dry the car and they don't use a synthetic towel blend for hand drying.

One more thing. Don't pay for the wax option offered by the car wash. I don't think it will harm the Zaino, but it will unneccesarily harm your wallet. Its a worthless gimmick. Just get the standard hand wash - tire dressing is optional.

scottc8

I would definitely NOT let anyone put their wax over my Zaino. You'll just have to remove it when you get time to do the Z again. If you have a decent buildup of Z on your car, it will stand a lot of hand washings before it wears off. I let mine go for three months this summer without re-Z-ing, sun & tree sap every day, thorough washing twice a week, and it still beaded water like a new wax job. You may lose a little shine, but it will still look better than almost any wax job, and a quick Z6 will bring it back almost 100%.

fastdriver

rayfer-

I agree with all of the above! DON'T put regular wax on top of the Zaino! The hand washes should not harm the finish. Certainly you can find 20 minutes or so to apply the Z6 even if you are working 7 days a week. Have someone do it for you. There isn't much to screw up with Z6.

fastdriver

rayfer

Thanks for the replys. I thought the washes I was getting would take off the zaino and i would have no protection. It sounds like I should be okay for awhile and then apply Z2.....

dabronxr

Going to pick up a 2002 Maxima. I have read a few Zaino post, will try to read thru a lot more later in day. Can I use ZAINO on new car or do I have to prep it first? Are there any long term problems with Zaino on the finish? I know if I sort thru the thousands of Zaino posts I will find these answers but I am on slow modem and it is taking 4 ever arghhhhhhh!!! Thanx

mikeb31

and my dads. Worked a 10 hour shift, got home at 7 am Sat. morning. Dawn washed the green accord, clay bar and Z7 wash. By then my dad got up and we moved his car over and dawn washed and clay bar. While he was using the clay bar I Z1ed and Z5 the Accord. This stuff is great, the wife's car finish wasn't in great shape but the Z really made the dark metallic green look great. My dads Mercury Marquis, lite blue, had little bug or tree sap all over the top hood and trunk, wouldn't come out with dawn, but the clay bar took it off. Then I had to sleep for a few hours and my dad finished up his car with Z1 and Z5. He thinks its a great product also. Now he want to but his own. Told him to wait and buy the ZFX, he can use my stuff when he comes to visit until then.

scottc8

Lucky you, no kidding. Wish I had known about Zaino BEFORE my last new purchase.

First, if the car hasn't already been "prepped" by the dealer, tell them not to do ANYTHING to the paint. No wax, no ham-handed buffing by one of their professional low-wage "detailers", nothing. This will spare you having to remove the old wax, also the dealer-supplied swirl marks from inexpert buffing.

Second, the prep work isn't really that big a deal. A lot of new cars have dust and grit in the paint from the rail and truck transport, so claying is always a good idea. It took me less than 30 minutes to do my Lincoln LS, a somewhat larger car than your Maxima. So, wash, clay, wash again, Z1 (quick but absolutely necessary step), then Z2.

Do it right the first time and I promise you'll never regret it. Reading the instructions may make it seem like a lot of prep work, but it's a one-time investment of a couple hours max that will pay back dividends for as long as you own the car.

As for long term problems, I recently came across someone who had heard that polymers like Z caused problems by "over sealing" the paint. But I've never heard of anyone actually having the problems. I recently did some touch up work on my car and e-mailed Sal Zaino to ask how long I should wait before Z'ing the new paint. He told me that Zaino will let gases & solvents from curing paint pass through, so a long wait is unnecessary. Kind of blows the "over sealing" theory right out of the water.

Yer gonna love it.

Bushwack

To add to Scott's good advice, apply a thin layer of Z1 & Z2. Laying it on thick is unneccesary, wasteful and if you apply Z in cold weather, it will take quite a bit longer for the Z1/Z2 to dry. If you apply Z1/Z2 correctly, in 60 - 70 degree weather, it should take a realistic 2-3 hours to dry before you can wipe it away.

Personally, I prefer to allow Z to bond on my car overnight before wiping. Takes just 15 minutes to apply and another 15 to wipe away.
Enjoy that Maxima and watch out for the torque steer!

fastdriver

dabronxr-

Not sure where you live, but I have never had to wait 2-3 hours for the Z to dry and I've been using it since the summer of 1998.

Just do the finger test- rub the Z and see if it comes off without smearing. If it does, it's ready to wipe off.

fastdriver

knightjeep

I to am a zaino nut. My jeep and truck get a new coat about everyother week.......I CAN'T STOP!!! I took my jeep over to my brother in-laws house for Thanksgiving and he looked my jeep over and said "what do you wax this thing with" "WAX" I said, "never wax, only Zaino". He wants me to order him some. I started about a year ago, the whole works, new towels, full Zaino line and a constant need to Zaino anything that will shine. My wife thinks I'm crazy, but at least she knows where I'm at all of the time

There, I admit it, after reading this board for some time I had to "come out of the closet" I AM A ZAINO NUT!!!

Thank you for your support!

Knightjeep

pblevine

'Drove from NY to Potomac, MD in four hours Wed morning (to my sister-in-law's). I wasn't even pushing hard. Since it was sunny and in the 50's on Thurs morning, I washed and then applied another coat of Z2 (plus Z6 afterwards). Now that I'm back at work, I think that was my last chance at applying Z2/Z5 until after the winter. The car looks very, very good right now, and we'll see how long it lasts.

I know how some of you feel who had used wax before finding out about Zaino. And/or those of you who allowed your dealers to apply that damn hand glaze (mineral oil plus wax). I initially used good old Turtle Wax during the first six months I had this car. Using Dawn and then claying the car the first time WAS a pain, but it was worth it. Maybe we should hold another contest to see what uses we can come up with for all that surplus wax. My favorite is to use the leftover wax to coat air conditioner cases.

whitecaps

Is this okay to use on non clearcoat vehicles?

fastdriver

knightjeep-

LOL............I'm sure that there are MORE closet Zaino users out there who just lurk, but don't post! No one in THIS group will make fun of you. We all know what it's like to see the results of all that Dawning, claying, washing and Z'ing! We also love that shine and wet-look.

Glad you came out! It's more fun this way! Now we just need some pics! LOL..... That's ANOTHER addiction I have- taking pics of my shining car whenever I can! Just click on my name above and you'll see what I mean. I even took some on Thanksgiving that I have not posted yet.

fastdriver

scottc8

Yup, Z5 works on both clear coat and non-.

jnj91

Way to go!

I should have stayed in the closet longer...LOL

Hope everyone had a great holiday!

Julie

knightjeep

I found a group of people who don't think I'm crazy! I gave all my old wax (several different brands) to a friend of mine. Only Zaino left on the "wax shelf" ooops I mean "Zaino shelf" It's starting to get cold here in Missouri, I'll start going into Zaino withdrawal for a while. Maybe the washer and dryer could use a little shine

Knightjeep

pjyoung

www.thewaxtest.com is turning out to be a very informative and ... objective site. In all honesty I was a bit doubting of their tests and methodology. The site has since been "reworked" and offers an excellent place to see where your favorite wax or polymer places. They aren't trying to convince anyone that any one product is "better" than the others, but they offer some very good (though still subjective) data to compate. Kudos to these guys ...they're saving the rest of us a lot of work.

fastdriver

pjyoung -

One note here about that site. It was NOT a Zainoite who caused all that trouble at their site when they shut down for a few days. This was ERRONEOUSLY stated here by a NO ZAINO poster!

Haven't had time to check it out lately. Personally I'm VERY satisfied with what I use. As far as I'm concerned, the only thing that would make my car look better is polyurethane and even then, I'm not positive.

fastdriver

joebob6

The tests are not objective. There is no single or double blind judging of application or results. They may be trying to be "objective" but what you are getting is the subjective opinions of three guys who come with their own biases and experiences of how they "perceive" a wax/polish should look or feel and last. The only results that come close to being objective are those of the water beading tests.
They do provide a lot of information. I have read some of their opinions about the products tested that I agree with and just as many that I disagree with.

If you want to say that in your opinion their test results are "fair" or that they provide alot of information that someone might find useful I can live with that.

pjyoung

reread...I believe I said that they offer some very good(though still subjective) data. It's a good starting point for someone who wants to get a fairly unbiased view of various products.

protegextwo

"One note here about that site. It was NOT a Zainoite who caused all that trouble at their site when they shut down for a few days. This was ERRONEOUSLY stated here by a NO ZAINO poster!"

-Fastdriver


Wow, this is so cool, how did you find out?

"The tests are not objective..."

-JoeBob

Hogwash, IMHO JoeBob, you can't see the forest from the trees.

-Larry

bidandsell

"for the trees."

Bid

pjyoung

I only posted about the wax test because I was impressed with the job they are doing. I figured it was a resource someone could go to and see how Zaino fared in the "real world". I'm a Zaino nut, but I have to admit that we aren't very "objective" in this thread...Z is great and we know it. But if someone wanted to see how it compared to other polymers, or other waxes, they could check it out. These guys appear to be updating weekly, so newbies to car care can see how they rate shine and durability compared to others.

I look at this and the SBW topics as if I were someone who wanted a nice looking car, but didn't intend on entering it in the Concours d'Elegance every week...nice shine, low effort. The wax test guys appear to be giving that kind of information.

pblevine

Amazing! All one of us has to do is just mention Zaino vs anything or anytest and the hornet nest goes berserk.

And now for my 2 cents. That site is producing some good tests, but I do agree with Joebob. Most objective engineers and scientifically trained people insist on double blind tests especially when personal bias can get in the way of objects judgments. That site IS attempting to do a good job, and their efforts are producing valuable information. That's good, and I welcome their efforts. But their results and judgments are NOT the last word on any subject simply because they are not following objective procedures. Hey, they like Zaino and I won't reject some of their findings, but I will take them with a grain of salt. I'll also state that it is VERY HARD to construct scientifically correct (ie: double blind) tests dealing with subjective subjects.

cdnpinhead

car wax (or whatever) deserves a double-blind test to determine which is "best" probably either: 1) has way too much time or their hands, or 2) is a charter member of the "form over substance" approach to life.

. . .not that these are bad things.

pjyoung

But my whole intention was that while double blind tests are hard to find, it's an excellent site for people to review what someone has done using very similar conditions to compare. They don't claim to be objective - they say so on their web page: "This test is purely subjective and was conducted without any professional measuring equipment". But it's a place where someone who has read our opinons of Zaino and other's opinions of Meguire's and other polymers/waxes can go to see what a non-interested third party has observed.

For me, the tests are only confirming what I know about Zaino - the durability. For the Zaino nuts like us, we may not really want a double blind test... Suppose they apply it too thick and have problems with smearing, resulting in an "unsatisfactory" rating for ease of application.

All in all, I like the fact that they are doing a long term test. Yes, it's subjective, but most things are.

joebob6

They re-tested Zaino because many people emailed them and told them that they did not like their initial results.
How do you know they applied any of the other tested products correctly? Maybe less than good results of other products had more to do with incorrect application.
To be fair they should have re-tested every product. That at least would show them attemping to be truly "objective".

So that is one of the reasons I take their results with a grain of salt and will not jump on the bandwagon and recommend their site just because they now give Zaino good results.

I used to use Liquid Glass and had great results. Unfortunately it is not a product that can benefit from layering coats. In my opinion its initial gloss, clarity, shine and reflectiveness are nearly as good as Zaino. It contains abrasives and chemical cleaning action so I do not use it anymore.

pjyoung

Layering coats does appear to work for someone driving a dark car. Mines white and it doesn't give the same effect. But for the average Joe (no pun intended) who just wants something that he can put one coat on a car and have it shine and last, this site is a big help.

I find it admirable that they were willing to retest Zaino. I've waxed cars for going on 30 years and I've always done it the same way, with good results. Zaino was the first stuff I used where I had to alter my application method. That's why I said that a double blind test might not be what us Z-lots want... if they did that, they would apply every wax/polymer the same way, and most of us being former wax users, that would be the wrong way to apply Z and as a result, when the test results were announced, Z would not rate very well. JMHO.