Most Z experts recommend claying a new car, particularly a dark colored one. So, it's blue Dawn wash, clay, Z-7 wash, then I'd give it three coats or more of ZFX/Z-5 to remove the swirl marks. As to the plastic bumpers and other "slick" plastic parts, the Z will do just fine. Use it as you would on painted surfaces, but don't put it on any "rough" plastic parts (which your Benz probably doesn't have).
Once the swirls are gone, you can switch to Z-2. My 2000 E320 has seen nothing but Z since it was new -- and it still looks new!
gdouble - I also use the Zaino tire dressing product on my 17" Yokos. It's less shiny than Black Magic or other high gloss products, but the shine stays and stays and never slings off. And like all Z products, a little goes a long way. I usually take an old white cotton sock, cut off a 3" section and wet that with Z-16 to do the tires. Normally, I let it dry and apply a second coat. Last time I did mine was in mid-February, and the shine is still there!
I typically use Westley's Bleche White first on the tires to get the white lettering clean. Then, scrub brush with Z7 when when washing the car. Finally, Z16 on the tires. I've noticed the Z16 doesn't seem to last as long as it used to. Could it be the Westley's?
Also, taking the Yukon to Sanibel in early April. How will the love bug situation be at that time? Will taking along Z6 be enough to clean any up?
fastdriver: point taken. I don't know why I always seem to be looking for something better. Granted it's not a bad thing all the time, but sometimes, I should just leave well enough alone.
mbdriver: Mercy! Mid-February??? It's a lot harder to maintain up here in MN, however, as stated above, i'm gonna stick with the Zaino products. Also, I think I'm going to adopt your sock technique for application.
Swirls are one of my "pet peeves" (maybe I'm too "anal" about them). I've noticed a lot of recent posts with regards to spiderwebbing and swirls.
In general, if you've clayed (won't help swirls, but will help with getting "gunk" off your finish that's not swirl related), then about 3 coats of Z5 should do the trick if the swirls are minor. If you've tried a few coats of Z5 and still aren't satisfied, then I'd recommend 3M foam pad polish. It's more agreessive and works well. You don't want to make it a habit of using the 3M products because it is a bit abrasive.
Past that, if the 3M still doesn't get you to where you want to be with your finish, then you're looking at a professional buffing or paint job. I can't imagine anyone who has taken even a modicum of care to their finish having to resort to a professional "buff-out" however. I've seen plenty of alleged "professional" finish care folks out there with power buffers that have done more harm than good. I prefer to do it myself.
The 3M product is very good, but time consuming to do a good job. I would use it sparingly and only on a 1'x1' section at a time. Follow 3M's instructions. Then follow up with the the Z routine. Remember, that anything abrasive will remove some, if not all the Z you have on your finish. So start over with Z1 then Z2 after the 3M.
Have a day on your hands to do it right? Here's a 10-step process.
Here's what to do (regardless of what you previously put on your finish) to get your finish pristine:
1. Dawn Wash 2. Dry 3. Clay 4. Dawn wash 5. Dry 6. 3M Foam Polishing Pad Glaze (there are two different types...one for dark colors, #39009 and one for light colors #39109) 7. Z1 (don't remove) 8. Z2 (since you've already removed the swirls with 3M, no need to use Z5) 9. Let dry (or if you use ZFX, it should dry fairly immediately and you can skip the "Z1" step)then remove 10. Z6
All the regular rules apply about using 100% American cotton towels.
Without a new paint job, you won't get a better looking finish than by doing the above 10 steps.
With regards to plastic black/grey areas like bumpers, moldings and cladding, if the area is textured (not smooth or painted), don't wax it. Use Z16 (yes, the same stuff you use for tire gloss).
Wish photopoint hadn't gone out of business. I don't have any way to show the results of the "10-step" process.
I am getting a new paint job on my hood and front bumper, and I am looking to put xpel, a clear protective film on my car. I am curious if anyone else has had previous experience with it, or similar product, stoneguard..etc. How do you prepare the car before xpel installation? Do you Z1/Z2/Z6 the car before they put the film on? Keep in mind, it will be brand new paint by the dealer. Thanks for any suggestions
It seems to be a clear plastic film that is glued to the car itself. I have never seen this product, although I have seen something similar used on headlights, but from what I read about it, I would no more put this on my car than I would put clear plastic slipcovers on my furniture.
Maybe it will keep the dirt off, but it's gotta look like hell.
I'm sure you've got more coats on your "red rocket" than I do on mine. This weekend is looking like it will be perfect for a spring detailing, though...about 60 degrees and dry. I suppose that I should find a way to set up a web site like yours, but I need to get motivated to do so.
lex430...
xpel, as it's described on their WEB site, is similar to a clear plastic "bra" for the front of your car. I just gave the WEB site a very brief look. If xpel is put on like a regular car bra, then certainly Zaino before hand. If not, and it is applied like a coating of some sort, I wouldn't Zaino first. Reason being, I doubt the xpel "coating" would stick very well to a Zaino'd surface.
I just picked-up a new Jetta in the dark blue color and can't wait to get some Z on it. Do I have to wait for the paint to "cure" or can I get at it this weekend?
My Z'd '01 DXL still looks great even though it's been outside all winter. Washed it yesterday and it looks better than anything on the showroom floor!! Given the size of the DXL, I'm not sure the ZFX will help me as the Z is usually dry by the time I work my way around the truck. I can certainly see where it could help on a smaller car though.
I saw a few cars with xpel installed in person, (want to make sure what I'm putting on my car), it's barely noticeable, especially on dark colored cars. (it's only small area on the hood, plus the bumper, not like putting slip covers over your couch It's for protecting against rock chips, which I have tons on my bumper/hood that I can not do anything about other than a repaint every couple of years. If xpel stands up to the claim with product life of ~7 years, then I can at least save myself some time/$$$ in repainting my bumper and hood, and not have to look at the little tiny chips every time I Z my car!
my concern is that it's glued onto the paint surface, and knowing how slippery a Z'd surface is, I am wondering if that affects the durability of xpel. If it will peel off early..etc. However, main objective is to protect the paint finish, so I am still debating if I should Z the whole car first, before putting xpel on. Suggestions?
Even new cars come with some sort of wax on them...mostly not very good wax as the dealer only wants the car to look good the short time it's on the lot. In addition, there are all sort of chemical/rail dust contaminants that can stick to your finish while in transit from the factory. I've heard stories of varying degrees of paint contamination on new cars. Some have removed quite a bit of contamination...some haven't noticed any.
In short, it can't hurt to wash with Dawn and clay. That way you're assured of a very clean finish to begin you're Zaino routine. I've found that if you Dawn/Clay once and then put Zaino on, you're less likely to ever have to do it again since nothing seems to stick to Zaino.
Motivation? If I can make a webpage or upload my pics to ofoto etc., you certainly can! I did my 300M soap opera page in geocities with NO knowledge of HTML! I just followed directions. I still just do cut and paste to add things there! Come on! I'm waiting. I ONLY have 15 coats of Z2/Z5/Z6 on the CL. It will be one year old on 3/28. Besides, someone upstairs wants to see that his RED beauty has been well cared for! ;-))
Supposed to be in the 60's here the next 2 days. IF work doesn't have me drained by 3 PM, maybe I'll wash the car and put on some Z. Haven't done it since November!
lenscap-
SEE how nice people are here? We're not all nuts, just Zainoholics. We do attend our ZA(Zaino Anonymous) meetings on a regular basis to keep us grounded. ;-))
I brought my car into the dealer, and they washed and I believe waxed my car!! Should I dawn wash it to start with, then do the whole Z process from the beginning??
thanks for the answer, I had a feeling..., just wanted to confirm. Actually, I got my car back from dealer's bodyshop for a new paint job, and they 'prep' the car for me upon delivery. Some very fine, minor scratches, I hope few Z5 will take care of them. Well, looks like this weekend is booked.
when the sun hits my car (at angles) and you see all these light swirls/scratches(from prior waxes/buffs) on the paint job. Now, when there is no sun at all, you dont notice any of that. Any way, will this zaino product clear?? my car is black, and I cant afford to drive a 97 ls400 and have this horrible finish when drivin around town..any suggestions?? I am new to this product.
I just have read about the last 80 posts. Never heard of Zaino till today and I love to wash/polish/wax my car. However, this stuff sounds like snake oil to me. I do not know anyone who uses it. How long has it been around? How many coats will it tolerate. I read someone has 60 coats on? That seems ridiculus. I wish I knew someone who uses it so I could decide for myself with my own two eyes. If it does everything it says, it must be good. However, I do not believe it yet. I guess I will wait until I find out more. Maybe I will buy some and try on my old car before I put on my new black SUV. I am also dissapointed because the dealer put swirl marks in it from their initial detail......
they should be made to take them out or pay for a shop to do it. Course you could do it yourself with Zaino depending on how much damage the dealer actually did to your finish. Black is the hardest to keep clean and without swirls. Course it doesn't matter much since your dealer already took care of installing the swirl part.
LOL.... That's EXACTLY how I felt when I first heard about Zaino too back in the summer of 1998 when I got my 99 Chrysler 300M.
I tried it and have NEVER been sorry. Click on my name above and take a look at my pics of the 300 and Acura. If those pics don't convince you, nothing will. The black will look AWESOME with Zaino. When I have a minute, I will post pics of my cousin's black BMW that I Z'd. I had them in photopoint.com, but they went belly up.
I'm a natural skeptic myself, and an old-school traditionalist (remember the old blue Simoniz paste?), but after a year of Zaino I won't use anything else. You could post your hometown; maybe someone close to you is a Zaniac & would show off their car for you.
It will "tolerate" just about as many coats as you care to apply. The reason you read about multiple coats here is that the shine just keeps getting better. In my case, five or six coats, applied over a few weeks, seemed to get the shine to it's limit. After that, another coat every couple months or so to maintain it.
You'll just have to try it. But give it a fair trial. Follow the directions religously. And be aware that Zaino will do nothing to clean or restore a worn paint job. It will put a beautiful and durable shine on whatever you have on the car. For better or for worse.
I had never heard about Zaino either until I was in the market for a new car - someone on the GM Triplet board mentioned Zaino, so I researched it, made up my mind, bought it, and applied it.
I have a black SUV (2002 TrailBlazer LTZ) and I can safetly say that the Zaino shine is incredible - and I only have two coats on (both put on last October). If you love to wash/wax/polish your car - you'll love this stuff. The more you put on, the better it looks!
I just received my order of ZFX yesterday. From what I gather, using the ZFX with either Z2 or Z5 dispenses with the need to use Z1. But considering I still have a nearly full bottle of Z1, can I still Z1 my car and then ZFX/Z2? Anyone try it yet? It's easy enough to put on the Z1 - but I won't bother if there's nothing to gain from it! Otherwise, I guess I could Z1, Z2 my car without the ZFX on those days when I have the time to kill waiting for the polish to dry (or those days where it's warm and dry enough that it dries in minutes!)
Using ZFX AND Z1 is redundant. The reason for using Z1 is to get either Z2/Z3/Z5 to bond to the paint. Exactly what ZFX does, only in one easy step. Plus, it allows Zaino to dry quicker. I totally understand wanting to use up your Z1, though. I'm in the same boat. I have nearly a full bottle.
The only thing I can say about those who call Zaino "snake oil" are understandably skeptical. As fastdriver (as well as many others who post here) says, most of us were skeptical at first, too. We gave it a shot and refuse to use anything else. Once you see the relults, you'll be "hooked" on getting many, many layers on. That said, one application of Zaino is still better than anything else I've ever used.
Thanks for the responses. I guess since we are all car fanatics, we are skeptic on new products we hear about until we can prove ourselves.
Does anyone have any links to other web sites that have done independent studies or comparisions? Has Consumer Reports tested it (although I am not neccesarily a huge fan of CR). What about like motor trend or car and driver. Any links would be a big help!!
You won't find any reports from the mainstream press about Zaino since they really don't do any marketing to speak of (all word of mouth advertising). You certainly won't see any thing about Zaino in Consumer Reports (which is a good thing)!
Thanks for the input - from what I read about ZFX on the Zaino web site, I knew it dispensed with having to use Z1. I'm just trying to figure out what to do with my bottle of Z1!
was conducted by some guys running a web page called "thewaxtest.org". Right now, it's being changed, but they tested waxes and polymers (like Zaino). They weren't scientific, just pretty subjective reviews, and they were skeptical of Zaino at first, but were very impressed with the durability. The one caveat, which has been posted by bretfraz, is that Zaino produces a very "hard" shine whereas some waxes produce little "softer" shine. I use it mostly because of the durability. I usually apply it once every 3 months. I have been using it about 2 and a half years and I am STILL on my first bottle of Z1 and only the second bottle of Z2. A little goes a very long way.
related to what pjyoung mentions about "hard" and "soft" shines: If your paint has the dreaded "orange peel" texture, Zaino will magnify it. My car has what I would call slightly worse than average orange peel on the upper parts of the doors & front fenders. In bright sunlight, up very close, it resembles an extremely shiny football. It doesn't bother me, but some people really hate the orange peel look, so be warned.
fastdriver: "Till death do us part" ? Now that's catchy. Why didn't I think of that? :)
I'm no expert, but if your car had something wrong with the paint that gave it an "orange peel" texture, you should deal with that after taking off the wax (Dawn wash) and before applying Zaino. Same thing we do with water spots and swirl marks. Imperfections in the paint are just sealed in under the Zaino polymer finish, and actually have nothing to do with whether Zaino has a "hard" or "soft" shine.
My guess is that a soft shine means it's not as glossy as something else. This sounds like the difference between a wax and a polymer finish. It's just that the optically clearer Zaino will not hide swirl marks or other imperfections in the paint, which it's best to put Zaino on the car when new and just keep at it.
If my paint looked like an orange peel, I'd be back at the dealer with an attitude. I don't think that should happen under any circumstances.
Yeah, I felt that way too. I was a confirmed wax addict. I felt that I knew how to get the best possible shine on a car by using waxes, and I had the power buffer, glazes, polishes, waxes and gloss enhancers to prove it, and spent a full day every 6 - 8 weeks to maintain it. SO - how could something that you wipe on and wipe off every 6 months be any good? I watched this forum for a full YEAR before I saw fastdriver's pics and was convinced to try it. I'll never go back.
Here's a picture of our Accord, 3 years old when it it was first Zaino'd. This picture tells it all. Look at the detail! By the way, the White car is my Solara, the GREEN car is the Accord. For you regulars that have seen this before, please bear with it.
Sorry, maybe I'm making it sound a lot worse than it is. I'm talking about a VERY slight texture that is only visible under close scrutiny. Many years ago my '73 Roadrunner needed a 1/4 panel repaired. The body man apologized for not quite matching the factory paint texture (his paint was like glass). He told me the slight orange peel finish was deliberate, so as not to show imperfections in the sheet metal so clearly. As a gullible 18 yr. old, I bought it. Still do, to an extent. A perfectly smooth paint job obviously looks the best, but the slightest blemish is glaring. Most cars are built by the tens of thousands, and live in the real world, not car shows. So a slight texture in my paint has never upset me. I had waxed my current car several times before switching to Zaino, and had barely noticed the texture. The extreme gloss of Zaino makes it a bit more visible.
There are people on this board who have forgotten more about paint finishes than I will ever know, so I sure don't mind being disagreed with.
is on almost all new cars. It is usually more evident on vertical surfaces as opposed to horizontal surfaces. If you can't live with it the only way to get rid of it is to wet sand it...something I wouldn't try.
Recently, at a self serve spray wash, a woman was drying a 2002 Millenium Yellow Vette. I looked at the car closely and scolded her after finding out she used the brush of death(although she claims she used it lightly and usually brings towels to wash it down). The car was full of orange peel and I pointed that out to her...I wonder if she told her husband. Don't get me wrong, the car looked fantastic anyway...orange peel and all. But you would think a $60K sports car would not have orange peel.
It is a quality that is unsupassed by any other vehicle make. They own the market when it comes to orange peel. Also the amount of paint used to paint their vehicles is minimum at best often times when looking closely you can acutally see the primer.
What I've done is have the vehicle painted under warranty by a local "reputable" auto body shop. When the vehicle is returned.....guess what? No orange peel. I guess it's not noticeable or an accepted standard cause GM has been getting away with it for years. This is one problem Zaino can't help you with. Zaino, will however, work great on that new paint job that you get.
I just tried Z for the first time..I used a Porter Cable polisher to apply 5 coats of Z5/ZFX in two days and only used 3/4 oz...I know Sal doesn't reccomend using a polisher but it made the job much easier...maybe if I was only doing a single coat I would do it by hand but I got such good results with the PC and the coats were very thin..I spritzed some Z6 on the pad every other panel...I measued and mixed the Z5/ZFX in a 60ml syringe..the syringe eliminated any waste..
Very nice. I like the last one best. Sometimes I think the Zaino shine is most dramatic in low light. When my car is in a closed garage, just a little light coming in from the one window, it's such a mass of reflections it's hard to tell what color it is.
I haven't found the need to polish Zaino. It only needs to be rubbed off. I have never found it to stick, bind, or in any way impede the soft towel I use to rub it off. Of course, there should be no harm in using a polisher, but you don't need to turn it on, just pass it over the dried zaino. Hey, whatever turns you on, but I sure wouldn't want anyone to think we are zealots or anything using polishers and syringes to complicate something that is just so darned simple.
I only used th PC to apply Z not remove it...I just buff it off with a MF towel and because the coats get so thin it only takes 1 or 2 passes to get the residue off..The hard plastic bottles that come with ZFX waste too much..at least for me..thats why I tried tied the syrine..I like to be different!!
you use the polisher to apply it. You know, you could apply it a LOT faster if you rented one of those industrial buffers for marble floors. They are about 20 inches across and I bet you could put the Zaino on the whole car in 12 to 15 seconds if you didn't care about keeping it off the windows and trim. Now THAT would be different! Again, whatever works for you is just fine, but I would hate to have any newcomers think that anything other than a small towel or applicator pad is needed.
"You know, you could apply it a LOT faster if you rented one of those industrial buffers for marble floors. They are about 20 inches across and I bet you could put the Zaino on the whole car in 12 to 15 seconds if you didn't care about keeping it off the windows and trim. Now THAT would be different!"
Im not saying you can't put it on by hand..If that works for YOU then fine..No need to get an attitude about something just becasue YOU dont agree with it...This is why Z users get a bad rap sometimes..People like you feel the need to flame anyone that does something different...
I've managed to spray Zaino onto the car with a standard paint gun, but the quick removal has been a problem. A 40,000 psi compressor built from a WW2 surplus airplane engine takes it off in a hurry, and I remembered to leave the garage door open while using it. But I forgot to warn the neighbor across the street, and he's pretty POed about his windows. :)
who do things that are different. I think your inventiveness is quite admirable. If you have trouble with slow drying, have you considered using a large blow torch? I bet it would really speed things up.
Comments
Once the swirls are gone, you can switch to Z-2. My 2000 E320 has seen nothing but Z since it was new -- and it still looks new!
gdouble - I also use the Zaino tire dressing product on my 17" Yokos. It's less shiny than Black Magic or other high gloss products, but the shine stays and stays and never slings off. And like all Z products, a little goes a long way. I usually take an old white cotton sock, cut off a 3" section and wet that with Z-16 to do the tires. Normally, I let it dry and apply a second coat. Last time I did mine was in mid-February, and the shine is still there!
Also, taking the Yukon to Sanibel in early April. How will the love bug situation be at that time? Will taking along Z6 be enough to clean any up?
and Z5/FX, Z5/FX and Z2/FX last Saturday.
See a some spider webbing[in sunlight] I didn't with carnuba. Also some very faint scratches.
How many Z5's to minimize spider webbing or
should I do a 3M SMR this spring and start over?
TY
RD
mbdriver: Mercy! Mid-February??? It's a lot harder to maintain up here in MN, however, as stated above, i'm gonna stick with the Zaino products. Also, I think I'm going to adopt your sock technique for application.
In general, if you've clayed (won't help swirls, but will help with getting "gunk" off your finish that's not swirl related), then about 3 coats of Z5 should do the trick if the swirls are minor. If you've tried a few coats of Z5 and still aren't satisfied, then I'd recommend 3M foam pad polish. It's more agreessive and works well. You don't want to make it a habit of using the 3M products because it is a bit abrasive.
Past that, if the 3M still doesn't get you to where you want to be with your finish, then you're looking at a professional buffing or paint job. I can't imagine anyone who has taken even a modicum of care to their finish having to resort to a professional "buff-out" however. I've seen plenty of alleged "professional" finish care folks out there with power buffers that have done more harm than good. I prefer to do it myself.
The 3M product is very good, but time consuming to do a good job. I would use it sparingly and only on a 1'x1' section at a time. Follow 3M's instructions. Then follow up with the the Z routine. Remember, that anything abrasive will remove some, if not all the Z you have on your finish. So start over with Z1 then Z2 after the 3M.
Have a day on your hands to do it right? Here's a 10-step process.
Here's what to do (regardless of what you previously put on your finish) to get your finish pristine:
1. Dawn Wash
2. Dry
3. Clay
4. Dawn wash
5. Dry
6. 3M Foam Polishing Pad Glaze (there are two different types...one for dark colors, #39009 and one for light colors #39109)
7. Z1 (don't remove)
8. Z2 (since you've already removed the swirls with 3M, no need to use Z5)
9. Let dry (or if you use ZFX, it should dry fairly immediately and you can skip the "Z1" step)then remove
10. Z6
All the regular rules apply about using 100% American cotton towels.
Without a new paint job, you won't get a better looking finish than by doing the above 10 steps.
With regards to plastic black/grey areas like bumpers, moldings and cladding, if the area is textured (not smooth or painted), don't wax it. Use Z16 (yes, the same stuff you use for tire gloss).
Wish photopoint hadn't gone out of business. I don't have any way to show the results of the "10-step" process.
Here he comes to SAVE the day! ;-))
Just got this link from the author. Better than nothing if you didn't save your pictures.
http://www.photopoint.com/statusupdate.html
fastdriver
PS I want to see some more pics of that red beauty!
here is some info on xpel.
http://www.xpel.com
Maybe it will keep the dirt off, but it's gotta look like hell.
I'm sure you've got more coats on your "red rocket" than I do on mine. This weekend is looking like it will be perfect for a spring detailing, though...about 60 degrees and dry. I suppose that I should find a way to set up a web site like yours, but I need to get motivated to do so.
lex430...
xpel, as it's described on their WEB site, is similar to a clear plastic "bra" for the front of your car. I just gave the WEB site a very brief look. If xpel is put on like a regular car bra, then certainly Zaino before hand. If not, and it is applied like a coating of some sort, I wouldn't Zaino first. Reason being, I doubt the xpel "coating" would stick very well to a Zaino'd surface.
My Z'd '01 DXL still looks great even though it's been outside all winter. Washed it yesterday and it looks better than anything on the showroom floor!! Given the size of the DXL, I'm not sure the ZFX will help me as the Z is usually dry by the time I work my way around the truck. I can certainly see where it could help on a smaller car though.
my concern is that it's glued onto the paint surface, and knowing how slippery a Z'd surface is, I am wondering if that affects the durability of xpel. If it will peel off early..etc. However, main objective is to protect the paint finish, so I am still debating if I should Z the whole car first, before putting xpel on. Suggestions?
If a car is brand new, do you have to wash with Dawn and use the claybar? Or can you just start with the base and then the wax itself?
In short, it can't hurt to wash with Dawn and clay. That way you're assured of a very clean finish to begin you're Zaino routine. I've found that if you Dawn/Clay once and then put Zaino on, you're less likely to ever have to do it again since nothing seems to stick to Zaino.
Motivation? If I can make a webpage or upload my pics to ofoto etc., you certainly can! I did my 300M soap opera page in geocities with NO knowledge of HTML! I just followed directions. I still just do cut and paste to add things there! Come on! I'm waiting. I ONLY have 15 coats of Z2/Z5/Z6 on the CL. It will be one year old on 3/28. Besides, someone upstairs wants to see that his RED beauty has been well cared for! ;-))
Supposed to be in the 60's here the next 2 days. IF work doesn't have me drained by 3 PM, maybe I'll wash the car and put on some Z. Haven't done it since November!
lenscap-
SEE how nice people are here? We're not all nuts, just Zainoholics. We do attend our ZA(Zaino Anonymous) meetings on a regular basis to keep us grounded. ;-))
fastdriver
YES!!!! When I bring the Acura in for an oil change, I have to make SURE I tell them NOT to wash it or check the air in the tires.
Dawn wash, clay if you want, Dawn wash again if clayed and then the Z.
fastdriver
LOL.... That's EXACTLY how I felt when I first heard about Zaino too back in the summer of 1998 when I got my 99 Chrysler 300M.
I tried it and have NEVER been sorry. Click on my name above and take a look at my pics of the 300 and Acura. If those pics don't convince you, nothing will. The black will look AWESOME with Zaino. When I have a minute, I will post pics of my cousin's black BMW that I Z'd. I had them in photopoint.com, but they went belly up.
fastdriver
It will "tolerate" just about as many coats as you care to apply. The reason you read about multiple coats here is that the shine just keeps getting better. In my case, five or six coats, applied over a few weeks, seemed to get the shine to it's limit. After that, another coat every couple months or so to maintain it.
You'll just have to try it. But give it a fair trial. Follow the directions religously. And be aware that Zaino will do nothing to clean or restore a worn paint job. It will put a beautiful and durable shine on whatever you have on the car. For better or for worse.
"It will put a beautiful and durable shine on whatever you have on the car. For better or for worse."
LOL.... Until death do us part! ;-))
fastdriver
I had never heard about Zaino either until I was in the market for a new car - someone on the GM Triplet board mentioned Zaino, so I researched it, made up my mind, bought it, and applied it.
I have a black SUV (2002 TrailBlazer LTZ) and I can safetly say that the Zaino shine is incredible - and I only have two coats on (both put on last October). If you love to wash/wax/polish your car - you'll love this stuff. The more you put on, the better it looks!
-Jason
But considering I still have a nearly full bottle of Z1, can I still Z1 my car and then ZFX/Z2? Anyone try it yet? It's easy enough to put on the Z1 - but I won't bother if there's nothing to gain from it!
Otherwise, I guess I could Z1, Z2 my car without the ZFX on those days when I have the time to kill waiting for the polish to dry (or those days where it's warm and dry enough that it dries in minutes!)
Thanks!
-Jason
The only thing I can say about those who call Zaino "snake oil" are understandably skeptical. As fastdriver (as well as many others who post here) says, most of us were skeptical at first, too. We gave it a shot and refuse to use anything else. Once you see the relults, you'll be "hooked" on getting many, many layers on. That said, one application of Zaino is still better than anything else I've ever used.
Does anyone have any links to other web sites that have done independent studies or comparisions? Has Consumer Reports tested it (although I am not neccesarily a huge fan of CR). What about like motor trend or car and driver. Any links would be a big help!!
Site dedicated to Corvettes, Z28s and TransAms
http://www.ls1.com/forums/
Look for the "Showcar and Detailing" thread.
or
http://www.nsxsc.com/nsexcitement/waxtest.html
Site dedicated to Acura NSX enthusiasts.
Thanks for the input - from what I read about ZFX on the Zaino web site, I knew it dispensed with having to use Z1. I'm just trying to figure out what to do with my bottle of Z1!
Any other uses for Z1? Window cleaner? Shampoo?
-Jason
fastdriver: "Till death do us part" ? Now that's catchy. Why didn't I think of that?
My guess is that a soft shine means it's not as glossy as something else. This sounds like the difference between a wax and a polymer finish. It's just that the optically clearer Zaino will not hide swirl marks or other imperfections in the paint, which it's best to put Zaino on the car when new and just keep at it.
If my paint looked like an orange peel, I'd be back at the dealer with an attitude. I don't think that should happen under any circumstances.
Here's a picture of our Accord, 3 years old when it it was first Zaino'd. This picture tells it all. Look at the detail! By the way, the White car is my Solara, the GREEN car is the Accord. For you regulars that have seen this before, please bear with it.
http://images.ofoto.com/photos202/2/29/1/25/46/0/46250129203_0_ALB.jpg
There are people on this board who have forgotten more about paint finishes than I will ever know, so I sure don't mind being disagreed with.
Recently, at a self serve spray wash, a woman was drying a 2002 Millenium Yellow Vette. I looked at the car closely and scolded her after finding out she used the brush of death(although she claims she used it lightly and usually brings towels to wash it down). The car was full of orange peel and I pointed that out to her...I wonder if she told her husband. Don't get me wrong, the car looked fantastic anyway...orange peel and all.
But you would think a $60K sports car would not have orange peel.
What I've done is have the vehicle painted under warranty by a local "reputable" auto body shop. When the vehicle is returned.....guess what? No orange peel. I guess it's not noticeable or an accepted standard cause GM has been getting away with it for years. This is one problem Zaino can't help you with. Zaino, will however, work great on that new paint job that you get.
Take a look. First few pics are before washing. The next few after washing and the last ones with one coat ZFX- NO Z6. Will label them better later.
http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?m=76629165303&n=383077978
fastdriver
HEY!! Where have you been? Haven't seen you post in ages.
I was thinking the same thing when I saw "polisher". My first thought was, how MUCH easier can it be to take off the Z. To each his own.
fastdriver
Im not saying you can't put it on by hand..If that works for YOU then fine..No need to get an
attitude about something just becasue YOU dont agree with it...This is why Z users get a bad rap sometimes..People like you feel the need to flame anyone that does something different...