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Comments
Collinite, a great wax, actually what I do use when I mix the Z and carnuba.
It is critical to wash with Dawn prior to applying Zaino. Regular Car Soap does not remove wax. Dawn does. It does not take off the clearcoat.
You have to apply any polymer polish to the paint (including a clearcoat, if it's there); unless Zaino (Z1 or ZFX) is applied directly to the paint, it will not bond to the paint, and if it does not bond to the paint, it will not stay on the car as long.
So if you do not remove the wax, then when you put Z on top of the wax, it does not bond to the wax, and it will come off the car with the wax. If Z bonds to the paint as God and Sal intended, it can stay put for 6 to 12 months, depending on exposure to the elements. Wax is good for maybe one or two months.
In addition, the wax will yellow with age, while the Z polymer will not. So even if it stays on the car for months, which would be unusual, you will have a yellowing film between the Z and the paint.
That is why you wash with Dawn before applying Z, and not just car soap. While you are at it, you might want to clay the car after the dawn wash and prior to applying the Z. See above posts for the advantages of the clay job.
Happy motoring.
It really is best to wash with a strong soap, and clay the car if you can, if you want the best shine possible. An alternate to clay would be something like Mequire's professional line New Car Glaze which is only very, very mildly abrasive. What you are doing is removing the crud that acumulated on the car from the factory, shipping, etc. and making the surfae as smooth as possible for the best reflectivity. Then follow the instructions for Z as close as you can. You need very little Z for any application. Multiple applications will really bring out the shine. And it will last a long, long time, especially if you use a bit of the shine enhancer after a wash every once in a while. Just like you might with other companies quick detailer products.
I came on board the Z bandwagon last year with my newer ES300 and my wife's old 84 SL. My wife's car needed a complete polishing to look right, but my newer ES only needed a wash and clay.
Actually its ZFX,Z2,Z5,Z6,Z7,Z12,Z16 and shipping.
Then there's %100 cotton towels, Clay magic and Dawn - already got those.
Just put my order in - reading the posts was helpful but what really turned the trick were the pictures at various sites (Fastdriver- you're collection is great!).
Thanks to all for taking the time to post snapshots.
Being an obsessive, I'm sure this will be a very enjoyable $100. Can't wait to make my Siennas shine!
Thanks
LOL... Thanks! What you see is what you get! Some people probably think I enhance those pics! First of all, I don't know how. Secondly, I don't have any fancy software to do it. Thirdly, there's NOTHING to enhance! HOW could I make the shine ANY better!
You'll love it! Ignore all those naysayers. Once you have on several coats and see that shine and how long it lasts, you'll see that it's the best thing since sliced bread! ;-))
fastdriver
ZFX is:
Easier to put on than Z1 +Z2
More uniform in distribution on paint
Better shine and depth with silver color
I am sold on ZFX!!! The only way to go!
Mine is a 2001 Denim Blue XLE - a great color and worthy of a great polish.
Got a Digital Camera on my shopping list so I hope to post myself.
>Got a Digital Camera on my shopping list so I hope to post myself.
___________________________________
Nah! Post your car. =;-)))
If it were me, assuming the water situation is temporary, I'd wait. Maybe put on a quick coat of something, anything, to protect it for now, but don't waste the time, money, & effort on the Z treatment if you can't get the vehicle spotlessly clean.
You mix a few drops of ZFX with the Z2 or Z5. Great results!
wolverine-
Can't wait to see the pics!
fastdriver
I don't know if this car has a clear coat or not - one person told me Toyota doesn't use a clear coat on their black cars, but I'm not sure about this.
Would it hurt to just use the Z2 or do I need to use Z3 if there is no clear coat?
Thanks!
Aloha
Not sure about the clearcoat on the black Camry, but if you call/e-mail Sal, he'll tell you what to do.
fastdriver
See- ask, and you shall receive! ;-))
fastdriver
Please correct me if I am wrong with the above,
Here are some links that might be helpful.
http://www.meguiars.com/product_showroom/showroom_template.cfm (look under professional products for: New Car Glaze, Show Car Glaze, Swirl Remover)
http://www.3m.com/market/automotive/
(3M(TM) Perfect-It(TM) Foam Polishing Pad Glaze Swirl Mark Remover)
First of all its an '02 Protege LX in sandalwood. I've owned it for all of a month now.
Here's the thing, It seems like I need to use more z5 than what I am hearing here. I mean after a while, It seems like I am just dragging around the applicator, and nothing is coming from the applicator.
The second thing is that after the first coat of z2, I am getting the dreaded OP on my finish.
I will say though, that once that first coat was done, (wash w/dawn, Clay, Wash, Z5, z2) the car looked gave off a golden color.
I put a small line on the applicator and put "streaks" of the polish on a few panels, and then rub them into the paint.
I use about the same amount of Z2 or Z5. Often times it may be difficult to see but there is likely polish still in the applicator that does come off.
As far as Orange Peel goes it was there after the car was painted and the day the car was delivered. No wax or polish creates orange peel effect. It is possible that Zaino's optical characteristics make it easy to see because unlike wax Zaino does not slightly mute the surface the way wax can.
Claying is pretty hard work especially if you are doing it on a full size van.
"If I had the new additive, I could have put on two coats of the z5 in the same amount of time, right?"
Not really...Z1 is really only a half step--it is removed after the Z5 is applied. Z5/ZFX would be one application/removal and a second application/removal.
I like ZFX...is it worth getting? Depends...it will help you if you are applying Zaino Polish in high humidity conditions and works great for multiple coats in one day. And it does eliminate the additional half step of Z1. Some people have reported higher durability and higher gloss.
Z# polish on the windows won't be a problem. Some people use it on all the windows including the windshield--some report of wiper chattering. I use Z6 on the exterior windows rather than the polishes.
The Z16 tire product is very good. It gives a low satin shine...not a high "ghetto" type shine. It is a water based protectant and pretty durable.
I don't have a simple answer for the alloy wheels. The answer depends on whether the wheels are clearcoated and whether they are smooth rather than a textured finish.
fidoprincess, I Z my wheels, aluminum with the factory plastic coating on them, but the first application seemed to make them a little bit sticky. They didn't feel sticky, but seemed to get dirty fast. A couple more coats on subsequent weekends and they became as slick as the rest of the car and practically repel brake dust.
In the Spring/Summer there is a problem with bird droppings. I know I will have to wash the car often but is there any coating or wax that can help protect my car. Thanks MOD7
Hope this helps.
As far as "noticeable" visual results you may or may not be able to really tell much of a difference. I do believe the surface seems to be slightly more durable but I can't honestly say I have seen an improvement in gloss (2 or 3 coats will shine better than 1--whether they are put down 3 in a day w/ZFX or with 24 hours between w/out ZFX I don't know that it would make a difference). The shine was already fantastic IMO. Just the fact that you can layer on 3 coats in a few hours was reason enough for me to get ZFX.
Now, I'm going to go against conventional wisdom and experience here. On a few occasions I have left bird poop on my car for two or even three days, with no permanent marks left on the paint. The car is very dark metallic green which I believe would show almost any blemish under close scrutiny. I put four coats of Z on the car at my initial application about a year ago, and have averaged a coat every 6 weeks or so since then. Nobody will claim Zaino is bird-proof, and I don't mean to recommend negligence in dealing with it. I still clean it off promptly whenever possible (after all, it looks like, well, you know), but I don't quite panic like I used to.
I also noticed some pitting and rust in the aluminum rims on my car. Any suggestions on what to use on these? The car is a 2001 Impala LS, Navy Blue.
Thanks!
Brad
I also Z my alloy wheels - 'specially the alloy wheel spare, tucked up under the body behind the back axle. Don't forget - do BOTH sides of those wheels. =;-))
After some touch up work w. Langka the day before;
My process went like this: Dawn Wash, Z7 Wash, Chamois dry, Clay Magic w/ lube, Chamois Dry, Z2 w/ ZFX then Z5 w/ ZFX. Note the Chamois was oil free without additives.
I also sampled the Zaino Quick detailer Z6, Tire Gloss Z-16 and Glass Polish Z-12.
First to answer some of the previous posts - I ended up using a little of 1 OZ each of Z2 and Z5 w/ 5 drops each of ZFX.
Polishing a mid-size Van, a Toyota Sienna, I still had a little of each left. That seemed to be the right amount for me judged by the fine results.
Sal's instructions said use a dime-sized spot of the applicator, instead I used the same amount but spread in a thin line across one end of the application to get as even an application as possible.
Some impressions:
Z7 Wash - definite degreasing power as the car really sqeeked to touch after - a worthwhile upgrade.
Clay Magic - not Zaino's product but from what I could see in other Internet Postings, what Sal used to recommend before Z18?
I think this realy helped - wonder what it would have looked like if I'd done this before using Meguire #26.
Z2 and Z5 - great products so far, especially with ZFX to speed things up. To me the shine is slightly better than Meguire #26 Great wet look that's better than Meguire's #26. Z5 did a good job masking the swirls but from certain angles and light they still visable. Still I'm very satisfied with Z5 as it picked up the shine of Z2 (which itself was quite good).
Showed the Van to my Brother-in-laws brothers, all car freaks and they thought the shine was fantastic - I'd agree. Had it next to one of the kid's Mustang polished with Meguires and my shine was better! But how much is due to clay bar and how much to Zaino is hard to tell.
The key test for me will be durability.
Z6 Enhancer - It didn't seem to do much - then again I tried it late in the day as the temp. dropped and just after the Z5 application. Just used a little on one part as an experiment but so far I'm not too impressed. Perhaps it was too cold.
Z12 Glass Polish - With a little elbow grease this removed the acid rain spots on my wife's car that none others could. Also seemed to work well on my headlights - a winner.
Z16 Tire Gloss - Suspiciously similiar to Amor All in appearance - Didn't see to make much difference in effect either but in fairness to Zaino I used in a limited test AND Zaino's claim includes durability. Again I probably need to test some more.
As I only had time to do one application of Z2 and Z5 I'd like to add another in a few weeks.
Figure I'll just wash with Z7, Chamois, Clay bar, Chamois and go - does that sound right for upkeep on the polish?
I assume the Z7 will not pull off the first Z2/Z5 application.
Stop worrying about the clay; from what I read, most clay bars are pretty much the same, and from my experience with 3 cars, clay does not cause much of a visual difference. As far as I can tell, the big difference is the smooth as glass feel. All those little bumps are gone. They are often steel, and will eventually cause problems, so it's good to get rid of them, but mostly you can't see the difference, except in theory.
I agree with the above post that putting stuff on tires is a waste of time, unless you are showing the car. To me it's like polishing the bottoms of your shoes. Also, my tires are very low profile tires, so I don't have much of a sidewall for anyone to see anyway, and maybe that's a bigger deal on a van, but still, it's just a black tire rolling on the ground. That having been said, people say Sal's stuff is about the best.
I have found the glass polish to be the best. It's a mild abrasive, so don't use it all the time, but when you need it, it's great. Works on other glass surfaces that need it, like TV screens.
You say you did not see too much of a diff after the Z6, but I think that's just because you just applied Z2. Wait for a month, wash the car, then use Z6 and you will see a diff.
And no, the Z7 will not take off the Z2 or Z5 -- what kind of a bad deal would that be? Actually, the Z7 wash is the best wash you can use on Z2 or Z5. (Actually, it's pretty hard to take off the Z2 on purpose; check above if you need to know how, but it's rare that you would want to or need to.)
Happy motoring.
Any usage instructions on getting a good chip filled?
First, remember that it is a solvent for the touch up paint and will not effect the original paint.
Use a toothpick to drop a small amount of paint onto the chiped spot. If you can do this without putting the touch up paint on the original paint, that is good, but not required. Use lots of bright light, and put on your reading glasses. (I use a razor knife to sharpen the point of the toothpick; this is like surgery.)
LET IT DRY. If you are taking it all off with the L stuff, then you probably have not let the touch up paint dry. The bigger the glob of paint, the longer it has to dry. I have come back two days later and had good results, while a very thin spot will dry in an hour or so.
If the touch up paint is not dry, it will all come off quickly with the L.
Use the plastic card and a soft cotton rag; tear a piece out of an old t-shirt, but a good one that's all cotton, not some poly and painted thing that says "Born to be Bad." I spread the L on a corner of the rag stretched over the card in a thin coat, and then rub it across the paint chip lightly at first, keeping the card in the same plane as the surface of the car. Slowly increase pressure and you will start to see the glob of touch up paint start to wear down, as if you were sanding it. (You are not - this stuff is a solvent, not an abrasive.)
If you take too much off, just try again. At first, it took me several trys at least to get the hang of it, but now I can get a very good result in one or two tries. I did a small ding on the front of my car over the weekend, and got it right on the second try. It's practically invisible. Not counting the time I left while the paint glob dried, the job took about 10-15 minutes at most for both trys.
It gives a good result quicker and easier than anything else I have tried.
Good luck.