I don't know where you get the idea that I am "anti-Zaino", did you not read my post? I believe Zaino is a VERY GOOD product, but, also think there are MANY other good products available. I am in favor of someone stating their opinion about a product freely without the fear of ridicule by someone with a different opinion...heck, I think Mobil 1 oil is better than dino oil, but am I gonna tell someone using Castrol GTX that it is inferior...NO...we live in the USA, and thats why I am in the military...to preserve freedom. Vern (CDR Lew)
I apologize if I might have misunderstood your post - but it is obvious that you have not tried the product under discussion or you would not be able to say that the differences are not great.
I have 40 years of being a car fanatic, and have tried almost everything to coax a little better shine and /or durability out of my car finishes. Carnuba waxes have been around longer than cars, and it's about time that modern chemistry gave us something better. I am only voicing MY opion.
However, I am as skeptical as they come, and I thoroughly investigated this product for a year before I tried it. dhanley is the ONLY detractor that has supposedly tried the product that I have ever seen. THAT is what makes me wonder what is wrong here.
...are welcome to share their opinions of the products they have actually used, positive and negative.
No good purpose is served when negative opinions of products that have NOT been tried by the poster are offered.
If someone says they have tried a particular product and found that it has no advantage over another particular product, that's fine. If another reads that post and has a different experience, posting that different experience is fine as well.
There is no need to get into arguments over differing experiences - obviously, our differences are what make us who we are and are just part of life.
All of you here know (or should know) that respectful discourse is required in Town Hall. If anyone needs a review of the Participant Agreement, just follow the link on the left side of this page.
We are getting a little too close for comfort to some previous difficulties we've had around these issues, so let's just take a deep breath and go back to sharing constructive posts on Paint and Body Care.
I posted the following in the "leather maintenance" topic and apologize for going off topic here, but I'm hoping that one way or ther other, someone will have a good idea -- email me the suggestion if you prefer it to posting!
"I just took delivery on a new Forester for my wife and the leather steering wheel cover has a slight (3" long or so, in a spiral around the wheel) mark. It looks like maybe the bozo who was taking off the "protective" covering on the wheel used a knife and accidentally 'sliced' the leather.
"It is strictly a surface mark but you can feel it on the wheel. The dealer says their prep room will "buff it out." But I'm wondering if maybe I can't do the repair myself -- after all, they're probably the same bozos who got the cut in there in the first place.
"Do any of you have any way of smoothing the damage so it's not so noticeable against your fingers. I'd also like to avoid making it any more visible.
Joe - I doubt it can be "buffed out" - this is not paint. The color and the finish of leather is on the surface. It would seem that buffing would take off the smooth surface. Maybe a leather treament like Lexol can soften the surface so that the mark cannot be felt? Otherwise - it seems that they will have to replace it to make it right.
However, let them try - perhaps they have some special stuff that can restore the feel after buffing. BUT remember - you will be touching this part of the car for a LONG time, so insist that it is perfect!
I am sorry if my posts upset you but I don't think I have make any more attempt to discredit this product than you have made to support it, maybe less, so please don't point fingers. There have, for sure, been dissatisfied posts in the 'z' forum. It has also turned out that there are people with vested interests in the product posting there, which is why i think it's good to have other viewpoints posted perodically. But i try not to be a pest, I don't think i've posted in 2-3 months on the subject, and only after many pro-posts. ANd I don't post in the Z forum. I didn't try to discredit you just posted my opinion, which is that zaino is not any better than much cheaper products. I think most of it's advantage is that sal gets people to dawn wash, clay, wash, use a 3 step system, etc. Most people don't do that otherwise. So it wasn't a wasted experience for me, but i'd never buy it again either.
I'd be completely open to repeating my test if there are people from the forum who can judge the 2 halves of the car in my area ( albuquerque ). I can video tape myself applying the different polishes, and then have people unaware of which 1/2 is which judge the 2 halves then and a few month later. Aside from that we can just agree to disagree which is fine with me.
Please advice me if I need to do a 75,000 miles maintenance on Lexus GS 300? What specifically does the maintenance needs to cover? The Auto Mechanic told me that he will do a complete check of all fluids, tuneups and overall health of the engine.
I think you will get a better answer to your question if you post it in a topic where other GS 300 owners are hanging out. Here is a link to a popular topic in our Sedans conference:
i figure i should post this here rather than on the z board cause just like dhanley said.. people on there could have vested interested in z products.
but after reading so many pro-post on zaino's, i was going to order me a kit for both my truck and my new maxima. figured i should get some feedback from everyone on here first. is zaino worth the money? i've used finish2001 before and i absoluately loved the ease and shine that i get out of the product. but figure i would give zaino a try too... any thoughts?
If you are happy with what you are using, why switch? I use Zaino products now, but I don't think they are head and shoulders above everything else. I like them because they are easy to use, they complement each other and the shine is nice and fairly durable. If you want to try Zaino, send them a check for at least the z1, z2 or z3 depending on whether you have a clear coat, z6 and z7. It all works nicely together, and they send it out really fast even with a check so you can have it in a week. I think it is a good product, but I tried a comparison test and did not find it to be obviously superior to other products I had used, just more convenient in not having to find the wash, the gloss and the polymer that worked well together at the local pep boys. It's a good product, but I don't think it is going to change my life for the better or help me make more money at work.
I use the Zaino products. I have used others, but as joe166 said, it is very easy to use. As far as shine, I have a white car, so a dramatic "wet look" is hard to get. But, it DOES shine very nicely, and as odd as it sounds, it actually seems to stay cleaner on the top, hood and trunk. The sides are a different story, thoough!.
Several things impressed me about Zaino over the others. They are:
1. I put 1 coat on my mother-in-laws Taurus about 5 months ago. With the recent rains, the car was still beading water very nicely. Now, her car only gets driven about 12 miles a day when she goes to lunch, and remains garaged the rest of the time, but still, I found 5 months to be impressive.
2. I hit some road tar in my white car. I thought that I would have to go get all the bug/tar removers and work hard to remove it. A Z7 wash and a little rubbing pulled all the tar off.
3. I find that bugs are far easier to remove than they were with other waxes. My car is driven daily, garaged at night, and I apply Z2 about once every 3 months. It still beads, but I just feel better with a "fresh" coat on a regular basis.
4. The older I get, the harder it seems to get out there and wax the car. The Z products are easy enough to use that it is no longer a "chore" to have a nice looking car.
I bought Z1,Z2 and Z7 last December. I just now have to order more Z2. I did a 300M 5 times and a 98 Taurus once with that bottle. IMHO, at 8 bucks a bottle, it's a bargain. I still have enough Z7 for about 5 or 6 more washes. Again, in my opinion, that's lasted a pretty fair amount of time, and Z7 is another 8 bucks well spent.
Finally, most of the posters on the Z board have no financial stake in Zaino. Sal depends on word of mouth to advertise his product. When one finds a product that is easy to use, long lasting and produces an excellent shine, we just want to do our part to help keep Sal in business!
Sorry, it was z2, didn't have the bottle by me at work.
Kyleknicks, Ask yourself this: look at the zaino homepage. Why isn't the stuff sold in stores? Do we really believe that sal zaino has made dozens of "moleclar chemistry" discoveries? If it's as good as he claims, why doesn't he copyright the 30 or so molecular discoveries he has made, sell them to meguiars for a couple million, plus royalties, and retire happily?
I don't think the car z-7 wash is any different than the others on the market. As far as i can tell it's just like meguiar's wash, texture, look, cleaning power, foamibility, with a little perfume added.
Whatever you do, don't get the custom polish applicatior. It's a little terry cloth towel wrapped around a foam sponge. Period. A folded towel will work better.
Like I said I am willing to repeat the test if there are interested observers. I think video proof would be too long to post to a web page, though.
dhanley - Sal Zaino is satified with the existing sales via word of mouth without the headaches of mass distribution. Not everyone is out to rule the world, you know! If you really want to know - ask him. He personally responds to your email.
Also - I wonder why the only time we see you post is to put down Zaino products, not to offer other positive advice to others?
Kylenicks - There is only one person on the Zaino board that is also a distributor, and he offers a lot of good advice to new and old users alike. In fact he is so low key that no one knew until someone mentioned it. Also, each distributor has such a small territory that posting on this international forum is not likely to help business too much!
Also - there may be people on this and other forums with vested interests in other products - there is no way to know, is there?
Beware of dhanley's posts - he's very much anti-Zaino. pjyoung hit it on the head - it is very, very easy to apply. I am not a car fanatic but purchased a 2000 black Lincoln LS and wanted to really take care of the paint without making it a second job. My last coat of Z2 was back in June, and it still beads almost as well as when I first applied it. More important to me, there is no buffing like some other waxes - it goes on easy, comes off easy. What really sold me though was when I drove in the rain after applying Zaino for the first time. I went out to the garage after my car dried, and it was completely spot and dirt free. That's no lie. Is it the best product on the market? That's debatable, but I think if you give it a try, you'll be very pleased. And if you ever have questions about car car - not just Zaino - e-mail Sal. He offers very objective advice, and he responds very quickly. I asked him about repairing paint chips, and he gave me some great advice - none of which required Zaino products.
But i do post in other forums and have given advice here. I am not anti-zaino per se, but i feel like there is a but of shady stuff going on with the distribution, so i like to even things up. Seems like whenever i ask a serious question, no one responds. "Headaches of mass distribution" well, he has that now. How would selling the formula and going home be more work?
So, as long as Sal doesn't sell it to Pep Boys, there's something "shady" with the distribution? I haven't seen any infomercial with Sal and some British guy refinishing a junkyard Volvo to "showroom" condition, or squirting lighter fluid on the hood of a freshly waxed Corvette and lighting it to demonstrate the protection.
All I know is I sent a personal check with an order for Z1,Z2,Z7,Z9&Z10 -almost $70 worth of products, and I received my order in just over 1 week. Nothing shady so far. It works well and it's easy to apply, and the "manufacturer" will talk with you personally to discuss proper use or other car care issues.
I guess there is a small faction of people who would rather have control over their product rather than sell it to some conglomerate for them to change it to save a penny here or there. Kind of like Kentucky Fried Chicken - Colonel Sanders kept the recipie secret until he died. His heirs sold out to Pepsico, and the chicken's never been the same since.
Well, anyways your test worked differently than mine, you present yours and i'll present mine. I'll still repeat my test if need be. Though i remember when i did this test i asked in the Z conference if anyone had dome similar and you did not respond despite being a poster there.
Nice shiny car. But both my cars shine like that too when they're clean.
pjyoung: I'm just pointing out the "i sell personally to keep quality high and avoid headaches" is just B.S. I know he takes phone calls. I called him. Isn't that headache?
It's obvious you have no idea of what it takes to run a full retail operation, especially for an engineering type. In my section of the electronics industry, for example, there are a great number of folks that like to stay small and keep control of their business. And - guess what? Some of them actually LIKE talking to their customers!
PLEASE stick with the wax you like so much - someone has to buy it!
Meanwhile folks, you only have to look around at other car forums, not just paint and wax forums, but on the the AudiWorld, Mercedes, Corvette and dozens of others to see countless unsolicited happy Z users with photos to show they are not faking it. The only thing "shady" around here is dhanley's constant negativity towards a single product. Hmmmm.
The differences you each perceive might have to do with the climate where you live. Perhaps the characteristics of each are not as pronounced for dhanley in New Mexico as they are in the more varied climate of automophiles' Los Angeles, so dhanley choses what, to him, is the less expensive way to go.
It is kind of esoteric, but a "chose in action" is a legal term and I assume that choses is the plural, but I have NEVER heard it used in a sentence. On the other hand, the spellcheck seems to dislike a lot of words that I think are spelled correctly, so who knows? Strangely enough, including the word "spellcheck" as used in this post...go figure.
well, i might as well give zaino a try. I have a black 91 jimmy with clearcoat and a 00 white maxima which i dont believe have clearcoat. which of the z products do u think i should purchase? keep in mind, i want to try some of the products out first before buying everything (money is also an issue). maybe the scratch remover and polish is a good start?? thanks for your input
the zaino forum is chock full of instructions on the zaino process. I think I have it memorized and I have never used zaino...lol. Lets see off the top of my head...dawn, (clay optional), z7, z1, z2. This is the short version. There can be a z5 and z6 in there somewhere ;^). I'm thinking of giving it a try, but I have a lot of the other stuff to use up first. It works well enough not to toss it.
You have to get the Z1 regardless of what other ones you use. I haven't used the Z5, so I don't know how well it will work. From what I have read, many people appear to be pleased with it. It depends on how badly swirled your Jimmy is. You can e-mail Sal Zaino and ask him...he's never made a claim that his products could "restore" anything to like new condition.
On your Maxima, according to Edmunds, Clearcoat was standard, so you'd need the Z2. I too have a white car, and I can only see swirl marks if I look at it juuuuust the right way, so I didn't opt for the Z5. I might order it in a future order, but unless you can really see swirl marks in the Max, I'd just opt for the Z2. I would really recommend the Z7 wash though. There's just something about it that I can't describe. And one capful to a bucket of water has proved to be sufficient.
Bottom Line, Z1,Z2,Z7 at a minimum, and maybe Z5 for the Jimmy.
Hi all. I just started using a wax on my '97 explorer this summer. I'm using mother's calif. gold. it seems to work pretty well for me, but I haven't tried any other kinds so I don't know how it compares. what do you guys think?
BTW, I have used GS27 and for anyone who's curious, I think it sucks. -eagle
Mother's Gold is a VERY good wax, as well as Mequiar's Classic Gold. For the best results with wax, I used a "glaze" first, a very fine polishing compound, like Eagle One "Wet Look", then the wax, and followed by 3M Gloss enhancer spray. Of course it is best to "Clay" the car first to remove all the pollutants, brake dust and other crud that gets on and into your paint. The car is SOOOO smooth after claying the polish and wax go much easier, even with an orbital waxer. Get the details at www.erazer.com. There are several good clays available, including Mother's, which I have used with good results.
If you want a finish that lasts much longer and seems to offer better protection than wax, you can try the polymer finish that is discussed a little above and at length on the Zaino forum here. Have Fun!
I have some places on my 89 Toyota Celica's hood where the paint has chipped. It shows black underneath (the car is dark blue) but there is no rust. I don't have any touchup paint for it and I wondered if I bought some (of the correct color) whether it would match exactly now that the car is over ten years old. The paint doesn't appear to be faded at all and I've kept the car waxed over the years. I may be selling the car in a few months so I don't want to "mess up" the touchup. I also want to thank everyone who posted about their (bad) experiences with GS27. I bought a tube a while ago but never got a chance to use it. Now at least I won't be messing up the hood with that. Any suggestions? I'm pretty much a cheapskate Toyota owner so I don't think I'll have it professionally done.
One problem is paint matching, Hopefully it will be close. When you buy the touch-up paint, also get a little bottle of "Paint Leveler". Clean the chip with some of the Leveler(probably some type of lacquer thinner) and a Q-tip. Then use a toothpick or very fine brush (NOT the one in the bottle) to touch up your chip. Build it up slowly in several layers. Then, put some leveler on a clean smooth cloth and wrap around a flat stick, and gently rub over the touch-up spot. It will take down the "bump" of touch-up paint until it is flush with the paint surface. The repair should then dissappear. If you screw up, remove it all with the Leveler and try again. re-wax after a couple of days. Good Luck!
Jon, who or where is the source for the "paint leveler"? Will the dealer carry it usually? I tried to find some at Wal-Mart the other day...but had no luck thanx, Vern
Most of the auto parts stores that carry those little bottles of touch up paint have some version of "paint leveller" in one of the racks. Just look for any of the bottles that are clear. One of them is likely to be that which has been misracked by the staff or the stooges that pick things up and never put them back where they found them. It is one of the "colors" in the catalog for dupli-color and the other brand which I don't remember the name of. You don't absolutely have to have it. The key is cleaning the surface carefully and you can do that with alcohol and then building the paint up carefully and sparingly, not using a brush, but some much sharper object like a pointy toothpick. If you do that, you can end up with the cavity filled with the touch up paint and then you can just use alcohol to take up the excess if you act quickly, but the leveller is better. I have done both and they turned out about the same, but the leveller WAS easier to use as you didn't have as narrow a window within which to use it. The alcohol will probably only work while the paint is still drying, the leveller works for a little while longer. Just be careful or you will be right back where you started, with an empty cavity. If you do, no problem, just let it dry and start over again. Consider it good practice.
When I purchased my black 2001 BMW X5 3.0i and silver BMW 535i, it became evident that I needed to take great care of it. So, I tested virtually all of the car wash products available, and the best results are:
Step 1) Interior: The interior of my cars were always pretty clean. The only products I tested were for the leather.
Nominees: Meguiar's Gold Glass Leather Cleaner/ Conditioner, Mothers leather cleaner and conditioner, Conolly leather "Hide" and cleaner.
TOP PERFORMER: Conolly Products
Step 2) Wheels: The wheels of my BMWs were always coated with excessive brake dust. I used many kinds of wheel cleaners, and the nominees are:
Eagle One Wheel Cleaner, Castrol Wheel Cleaner, Meguiars Gold Class Wheel Cleaner, Meguiars Hi-Tech wheel cleaner.
TOP PERFORMER: Meguiars Hi-Tech wheel cleaner
Step 3) Washing: This step removes fresh dirt and light contaminants.
Nominees: Meguiars Gold Class Car Wash, Zaino Bros Car Wash, Meguiars Hi-Tech Car Wash, Blue Coral Self Wash, Mothers Gold Wash, Zymols Car Wash
TOP PERFORMER: Meguiars Hi-Tech Wash and Blue Coral Self Wash
Step 4) Surface Prep: This is important because you do not want to wax over contaminants. Surface Prep cleans the paint leaving it smooth.
Nominees: Meguiar's, Zaino Bros', Mothers Claybars, Meguiars Gold Class and Zaino Bros' Surface Prep.
TOP PERFORMER: Mothers Clay and Zaino Bros. Clay
Step 5) Polishing: This step is usually optional.
Nominees: Meguiar's Step 2 Polish, Zaino Bros Surface Prep/Polish, Meguiars Swirl Remover, Polish, Fine Cut and Medium Cut cleaner.
BEST RESULTS: Zaino Bros' Surface Prep/Polish
Step 6) Wax/Protecting: This step protects the paint from harmful UV rays, etc.
I vaguely remember your challenge in the Zaino forum a while ago. I believe several posted their results. There was nothing new that I could add, therefore I didn't post.
If someone comes in here looking for advice, I'll post my results and the products I use to get those results. If someone doesn't want to use Zaino (for whatever reason, be it the way they distribute, or some other shortcoming that they perceive with Zaino) then far be it from me to try to change their mind. It's no sweat off my back if someone doesn't like Zaino products. I am proud to post my experiences and my results because I've never found any product that works as well.
Great Job! I could hardly add to the list of nominees except to add Lexol for leather treatment. How long did all the testing take?
Since you obviously care - Please try Lemon Pledge for the interior - Wood, Vinyl, chrome, plastic and even the leather between conditioning treatments. You may be surprised at how well it works! Spray on a soft cloth, wipe and buff.
Also - Don't forget to Scotchguard your carpets while you can still get it!
Also - one key to getting it right with the leveler is to wrap one layer of the cloth tightly around a flat stick or pice of cardboard. This keeps the leveler from going into the chip, making a depression, which WILL happen if you use your finger on the cloth.
Here is what I'm planning to test tomorrow, as soon as I find out where to get Scotchguard.
1.) Lexol Leather Cleaner and Conditioner
2.) Lemon Pledge (on the leather)
3.) Scotchguard (if I can find it)
4.) Blech-Wite (I've heard it's strong, but I dont want to get my Bimmers wheels discolored, etc. So I made this cover for the wheels, and hopefully this will prevent it from damaging the excellent BBS on the '89.
5.)Turbo Wax (this is SUPPOSED to be like Blue Coral's Self Spray-On wash, but better)
Scotchguard was an upholstery protector made by 3M. It sprayed on and provided a barrier that would make spills bead up on contact with the upholstery. It worked fairly well and was reasonably priced.
3M recently stopped making it - here is the link to their press release:
We got a sample of Swifter in the mail recently and I scoffed it to clean the interior of my Accord. It's is one of those floor/furniture dusting sheets that works through static electricity.
I must say that it do a good job of cleaning off the dust and pollen and leaving the dash without any residue or shine. Best part, it was free (well the first time).
They still had some Scotchguard fabric protector left in the Wal-Mart auto section AND Scotchguard "leather" protector (?) in the home cleaner section, near the Goo Gone (citrus gunk remover) Thanx-Jon (automophile) Vern
Comments
Vern
(CDR Lew)
I have 40 years of being a car fanatic, and have tried almost everything to coax a little better shine and /or durability out of my car finishes. Carnuba waxes have been around longer than cars, and it's about time that modern chemistry gave us something better. I am only voicing MY opion.
However, I am as skeptical as they come, and I thoroughly investigated this product for a year before I tried it. dhanley is the ONLY detractor that has supposedly tried the product that I have ever seen. THAT is what makes me wonder what is wrong here.
ps - Thank for being there.
No good purpose is served when negative opinions of products that have NOT been tried by the poster are offered.
If someone says they have tried a particular product and found that it has no advantage over another particular product, that's fine. If another reads that post and has a different experience, posting that different experience is fine as well.
There is no need to get into arguments over differing experiences - obviously, our differences are what make us who we are and are just part of life.
All of you here know (or should know) that respectful discourse is required in Town Hall. If anyone needs a review of the Participant Agreement, just follow the link on the left side of this page.
We are getting a little too close for comfort to some previous difficulties we've had around these issues, so let's just take a deep breath and go back to sharing constructive posts on Paint and Body Care.
Thanks.
Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Service
Vern
"I just took delivery on a new Forester for my wife and the leather steering wheel cover has a slight (3" long or so, in a spiral around the wheel) mark. It looks like maybe the bozo who was taking off the "protective" covering on the wheel used a knife and accidentally 'sliced' the leather.
"It is strictly a surface mark but you can feel it
on the wheel. The dealer says their prep room will
"buff it out." But I'm wondering if maybe I can't
do the repair myself -- after all, they're probably the same bozos who got the cut in there in the first place.
"Do any of you have any way of smoothing the damage so it's not so noticeable against your fingers. I'd also like to avoid making it any more visible.
"Thanks for any suggestions.
"Take care.
"Joe W>"
However, let them try - perhaps they have some special stuff that can restore the feel after buffing. BUT remember - you will be touching this part of the car for a LONG time, so insist that it is perfect!
Good Luck.
I'd be completely open to repeating my test if there are people from the forum who can judge the 2 halves of the car in my area ( albuquerque ). I can video tape myself applying the different polishes, and then have people unaware of which 1/2 is which judge the 2 halves then and a few month later. Aside from that we can just agree to disagree which is fine with me.
dave
Thank you in advance for all your help.
I think you will get a better answer to your question if you post it in a topic where other GS 300 owners are hanging out. Here is a link to a popular topic in our Sedans conference:
The Lexus GS - Part Three
Good luck and again, welcome.
Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference
but after reading so many pro-post on zaino's, i was going to order me a kit for both my truck and my new maxima. figured i should get some feedback from everyone on here first. is zaino worth the money? i've used finish2001 before and i absoluately loved the ease and shine that i get out of the product. but figure i would give zaino a try too... any thoughts?
Several things impressed me about Zaino over the others. They are:
1. I put 1 coat on my mother-in-laws Taurus about 5 months ago. With the recent rains, the car was still beading water very nicely. Now, her car only gets driven about 12 miles a day when she goes to lunch, and remains garaged the rest of the time, but still, I found 5 months to be impressive.
2. I hit some road tar in my white car. I thought that I would have to go get all the bug/tar removers and work hard to remove it. A Z7 wash and a little rubbing pulled all the tar off.
3. I find that bugs are far easier to remove than they were with other waxes. My car is driven daily, garaged at night, and I apply Z2 about once every 3 months. It still beads, but I just feel better with a "fresh" coat on a regular basis.
4. The older I get, the harder it seems to get out there and wax the car. The Z products are easy enough to use that it is no longer a "chore" to have a nice looking car.
I bought Z1,Z2 and Z7 last December. I just now have to order more Z2. I did a 300M 5 times and a 98 Taurus once with that bottle. IMHO, at 8 bucks a bottle, it's a bargain. I still have enough Z7 for about 5 or 6 more washes. Again, in my opinion, that's lasted a pretty fair amount of time, and Z7 is another 8 bucks well spent.
Finally, most of the posters on the Z board have no financial stake in Zaino. Sal depends on word of mouth to advertise his product. When one finds a product that is easy to use, long lasting and produces an excellent shine, we just want to do our part to help keep Sal in business!
Kyleknicks, Ask yourself this: look at the zaino homepage. Why isn't the stuff sold in stores? Do we really believe that sal zaino has made dozens of "moleclar chemistry" discoveries? If it's as good as he claims, why doesn't he copyright the 30 or so molecular discoveries he has made, sell them to meguiars for a couple million, plus royalties, and retire happily?
I don't think the car z-7 wash is any different than the others on the market. As far as i can tell it's just like meguiar's wash, texture, look, cleaning power, foamibility, with a little perfume added.
Whatever you do, don't get the custom polish applicatior. It's a little terry cloth towel wrapped around a foam sponge. Period. A folded towel will work better.
Like I said I am willing to repeat the test if there are interested observers. I think video proof would be too long to post to a web page, though.
dave
Also - I wonder why the only time we see you post is to put down Zaino products, not to offer other positive advice to others?
Kylenicks - There is only one person on the Zaino board that is also a distributor, and he offers a lot of good advice to new and old users alike. In fact he is so low key that no one knew until someone mentioned it. Also, each distributor has such a small territory that posting on this international forum is not likely to help business too much!
Also - there may be people on this and other forums with vested interests in other products - there is no way to know, is there?
dave
All I know is I sent a personal check with an order for Z1,Z2,Z7,Z9&Z10 -almost $70 worth of products, and I received my order in just over 1 week. Nothing shady so far. It works well and it's easy to apply, and the "manufacturer" will talk with you personally to discuss proper use or other car care issues.
I guess there is a small faction of people who would rather have control over their product rather than sell it to some conglomerate for them to change it to save a penny here or there. Kind of like Kentucky Fried Chicken - Colonel Sanders kept the recipie secret until he died. His heirs sold out to Pepsico, and the chicken's never been the same since.
Nice shiny car. But both my cars shine like that
too when they're clean.
pjyoung: I'm just pointing out the "i sell personally to keep quality high and avoid headaches" is just B.S. I know he takes phone calls. I called him. Isn't that headache?
dave
PLEASE stick with the wax you like so much - someone has to buy it!
Meanwhile folks, you only have to look around at other car forums, not just paint and wax forums, but on the the AudiWorld, Mercedes, Corvette and dozens of others to see countless unsolicited happy Z users with photos to show they are not faking it. The only thing "shady" around here is dhanley's constant negativity towards a single product. Hmmmm.
Back to Paint Care!
dave
How did "choses" get past the Spellcheck, anyway? While "chose" is a word, I'm not aware that "choses" is/
On your Maxima, according to Edmunds, Clearcoat was standard, so you'd need the Z2. I too have a white car, and I can only see swirl marks if I look at it juuuuust the right way, so I didn't opt for the Z5. I might order it in a future order, but unless you can really see swirl marks in the Max, I'd just opt for the Z2. I would really recommend the Z7 wash though. There's just something about it that I can't describe. And one capful to a bucket of water has proved to be sufficient.
Bottom Line, Z1,Z2,Z7 at a minimum, and maybe Z5 for the Jimmy.
BTW, I have used GS27 and for anyone who's curious, I think it sucks. -eagle
If you want a finish that lasts much longer and seems to offer better protection than wax, you can try the polymer finish that is discussed a little above and at length on the Zaino forum here. Have Fun!
where the paint has chipped. It shows black underneath (the car is dark blue) but there is no rust. I don't have any touchup paint for it and I wondered if I bought some (of the correct color) whether it would match exactly now that the car is over ten years old. The paint doesn't appear to be faded at all and I've kept the car waxed over the years. I may be selling the car in a few months so I don't want to "mess up" the touchup.
I also want to thank everyone who posted about their (bad) experiences with GS27. I bought a tube a while ago but never got a chance to use it. Now at least I won't be messing up the hood with that. Any suggestions? I'm pretty much a cheapskate Toyota owner so I don't think I'll have it professionally done.
who or where is the source for the "paint leveler"? Will the dealer carry it usually?
I tried to find some at Wal-Mart the other day...but had no luck
thanx,
Vern
Vern
Step 1) Interior: The interior of my cars were always pretty clean. The only products I tested were for the leather.
Nominees: Meguiar's Gold Glass Leather Cleaner/ Conditioner, Mothers leather cleaner and conditioner, Conolly leather "Hide" and cleaner.
TOP PERFORMER: Conolly Products
Step 2) Wheels: The wheels of my BMWs were always coated with excessive brake dust. I used many kinds of wheel cleaners, and the nominees are:
Eagle One Wheel Cleaner, Castrol Wheel Cleaner, Meguiars Gold Class Wheel Cleaner, Meguiars Hi-Tech wheel cleaner.
TOP PERFORMER: Meguiars Hi-Tech wheel cleaner
Step 3) Washing: This step removes fresh dirt and light contaminants.
Nominees: Meguiars Gold Class Car Wash, Zaino Bros Car Wash, Meguiars Hi-Tech Car Wash, Blue Coral Self Wash, Mothers Gold Wash, Zymols Car Wash
TOP PERFORMER: Meguiars Hi-Tech Wash and Blue Coral Self Wash
Step 4) Surface Prep: This is important because you do not want to wax over contaminants. Surface Prep cleans the paint leaving it smooth.
Nominees: Meguiar's, Zaino Bros', Mothers Claybars, Meguiars Gold Class and Zaino Bros' Surface Prep.
TOP PERFORMER: Mothers Clay and Zaino Bros. Clay
Step 5) Polishing: This step is usually optional.
Nominees: Meguiar's Step 2 Polish, Zaino Bros Surface Prep/Polish, Meguiars Swirl Remover, Polish, Fine Cut and Medium Cut cleaner.
BEST RESULTS: Zaino Bros' Surface Prep/Polish
Step 6) Wax/Protecting: This step protects the paint from harmful UV rays, etc.
Nominees: Zymol, Mothers, Meguiars Wax, Zaino Bros' Polish (protects)
BEST RESULTS: Zaino Bros' and Zymol
Other "best results:" Meguiars Gold Class Endurance Tire Gel, Eagle One TIRE cleaner, Rain X WIndow Cleaner, Rain X Window Polish
If someone comes in here looking for advice, I'll post my results and the products I use to get those results. If someone doesn't want to use Zaino (for whatever reason, be it the way they distribute, or some other shortcoming that they perceive with Zaino) then far be it from me to try to change their mind. It's no sweat off my back if someone doesn't like Zaino products. I am proud to post my experiences and my results because I've never found any product that works as well.
Since you obviously care - Please try Lemon Pledge for the interior - Wood, Vinyl, chrome, plastic and even the leather between conditioning treatments. You may be surprised at how well it works! Spray on a soft cloth, wipe and buff.
Also - Don't forget to Scotchguard your carpets while you can still get it!
Also - one key to getting it right with the leveler is to wrap one layer of the cloth tightly around a flat stick or pice of cardboard. This keeps the leveler from going into the chip, making a depression, which WILL happen if you use your finger on the cloth.
Good Luck!
Vern
Vern
1.) Lexol Leather Cleaner and Conditioner
2.) Lemon Pledge (on the leather)
3.) Scotchguard (if I can find it)
4.) Blech-Wite (I've heard it's strong, but I dont want to get my Bimmers wheels discolored, etc. So I made this cover for the wheels, and hopefully this will prevent it from damaging the excellent BBS on the '89.
5.)Turbo Wax (this is SUPPOSED to be like Blue Coral's Self Spray-On wash, but better)
3M recently stopped making it - here is the link to their press release:
http://www.3m.com/profile/pressbox/fluorochem.html
Also - I have been using the Pledge on auto interiors for 20+ years with never a problem.
Vern - Good Luck!
I must say that it do a good job of cleaning off the dust and pollen and leaving the dash without any residue or shine. Best part, it was free (well the first time).
Scotchguard "leather" protector (?) in the home cleaner section, near the Goo Gone (citrus gunk remover)
Thanx-Jon (automophile)
Vern