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Zaino Car Care Experiences
Welcome to the new topic devoted especially to all
the wonderful Zaino car car stories !!
FYI, here are some links to earlier discussions:
Waxes and Polishes
Waxes and Polishes, Part II
Waxes and Polishes, Part III
What's the best wax & polish?
What's the best wax & polish? - Part 2
Your host, Bruce
the wonderful Zaino car car stories !!
FYI, here are some links to earlier discussions:
Waxes and Polishes
Waxes and Polishes, Part II
Waxes and Polishes, Part III
What's the best wax & polish?
What's the best wax & polish? - Part 2
Your host, Bruce
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Comments
Thanks for all the past links for this topic. This is really PART VI of the wax/polish topic.
I'm sure there will be many more parts to come as long as Sal keeps providing us with these great products.
Can I ask- have you tried ZAINO? ;-))
fastdriver
As a matter of fact, there were several neighbors walking by on Sunday when I was outside that I haven't seen all winter! They did inquire about what I was using. They couldn't believe the shine. IF they think I'm a kook, they never said anything. Besides, I don't spend a lot of time keeping that shine. A quick wash and a quick coat of Z-2/Z-6 is all it takes.
fastdriver
Personally, over the course of years, I've used:
-Simonize
-Different renditions of Turtle Wax
-MOther's Gold
-Different Meguiars formulations (including Gold Class and their multistep Glaze and wax)
-Collonite
-Zymol (some real expensive versions and some less expensive...like the one Turtle Wax makes that you find at WalMart)
-Eagle One Wet
-Nu Finish
-Liquid Glass
-3M glaze and wax
-Klasse
-P21
I'm sure that I'm forgetting a few. I used to have a whole wall of my garage filled with partially used cans/bottles of the above. I pitched all of them after finding Zaino last year. The only thing on one shelf now is:
-Z1 polish Lock
-Z2 Polish (for clear coats)
-Z5 Polish for swirls
-Z6 Gloss Enhancer
-Z7 Car Wash
-Z9 Leather Cleaner
-Z10 Leather conditioner
-Meguiars endurance tire dressing (I'll switch to Zaino's tire dressing when the Meguiars runs out
-Clay Magic "clay bar" (again, I'll switch to Zaino's clay when the clay magic wears out).
-various cotton towels and applicators
The above are the best products I've ever used for shine and durability.
There is no limit of perfection, no matter how good your vehicle looks it always leaves you wishing for better.
Pblevine, I also noticed water spots. Looks like owner didn't use 100% Cotton Made in USA towel to dry the finish.
This Tuesday, my new car arrived and while it looked great, the paint wasn't exactly smooth and had some smudges, so Wednesday morning, taking a day off, I set out to give it the Zaino works.
The Dawn wash, the claying the Z-1, Z-2 and Z-6 and I was done in about 5-6 hours. The only problem I encountered was the Z-2 was a little difficult coming off. Reason...I probably put on a little too much and secondly, didn't wait long enough before removing it. Eventually I got it off and after applying the Z-6, it is absolutely AWESOME. You guys haven't exaggerated one bit and I couldn't be more happy with the Zaino Shine! Even the car was smiling!
Now for the rest of the story... All shined up and wanting to show it off, I headed for town to get my new license tag. I hadn't gone 3 miles when a @#$%*& dump truck with the rear gate loose and dropping all kinds of dirt and rocks flies past me going about 70 mph and Yep, you guessed it, WHAM.. a rock hits my windshield dead center and a foot long crack appears! ARRRGH! I am livid and then sick over it. Talk about bursting your bubble! I do feel a little better about it today than I did yesterday. Only 50 total miles on my car and now it is going in for repair, this is unbelievable Geez.. I thought Zaino would have protected me from this kinda stuff!
Ron
Talking about glass. I am going to use glass polish for the first time. Any tips? Do I need to wash glass after removing polish before applying RainX kind of product (I am going to try the STP version).
Have you seen the new Chrysler commercial? It start with several females holding up a sign saying "Car Wash: $5.00" who see a 300M coming and quickly cross out "$5.00" and write below it "free". This is followed by some shots of them splashing the 300M with water, scrubbing, et cetera, before they finally end the commercial with a whole parking lot full of Chryslers being washed. I think all the cars were the Champagne Pearl Coat in color.
It made me think of you!
--Mike
1. Clay, found it relatively easy to use, but my arm was a bit sore at the end. Did notice a bit of difference, but now blow me away difference. Likely due to the fact that I'm pretty good about maitaining my car (2 coats of Meguiars Gold Class since early Jan and the paint was quite smooth to begin with.)
2. Z7 Wash: Washed vehicle. Man o man! The z-7 alone, with no wax on the car made the water bead and sheet off! It even made the car feel like it had a coat of wax! I was impressed.
3. I used the tip of dampening Zaino applicator with a bit a water and a spritz of Z6. Worked well increase the spreadability of the products.
4. Z1: Went on with a snap, although, even on my Winestone colour, it was hard to notice where I had done once it dried. Luckily, I followed a methodilogical pattern which allowed me to track my progress.
5. Z5: Also went on easily enough over top the Z1. I had a hard time getting rid of a smearing effect, even though the Z5 dried in my heated garage for 2 hours.
Results? It did not remove the very few light scratches and scuff marks on my paint. I do have very few and know where they are located, and don't see a noticeable improvement after the Z5.
Shine is quite noticeable as is the "wet appearance". Honestly though, I'm not sure I can say it is much better than when I apply a fresh coat of Meguiars Gold Class Its hard to say without a side by side comparison, and I have yet to apply a coat or two of Z2. So I'll hold further comments until this weekend when I plan to get Z2 on the vehicle.
Just more thing...I think the real test will be in durability. Although the Meguiars did an amazing job of giving the wet appearance and shine, it really did not last that long. After a couple of washes, it loses its deep shine.
LOL...... I know EXACTLY what commercial you're talking about! I just saw it last night! WHY did it remind you of me?? Because my car is always clean?? LOL....
I don't know about where you live, but in CT, the Chrysler ads on TV are beginning to outnumber the Toyota ads!! That's going some.
luck11-
It takes SEVERAL coats of Z-5, over time, to remove the scratches/swirls. I cannot understand WHY I do NOT have to wait hours for the Z stuff to dry on my car?? I just did Z-1/Z-5/Z-6 to my 300M last Sunday. It was 35 outside in the sun when I started and went up to around 40 when I finished. I did the Z-1 because I've only done it twice before in the 16 months since I started using ZAINO on my 21 month old car. I did wait a little longer this time for everything to dry, but that's because I was putting one coat on top of another. It was only a matter of maybe 10-15 minutes, not hours. I know you're not alone, but I have never encountered this.
Even on my Candy Apple Red, it's hard to see where you put the Z. You cannot be distracted while you're doing this or you lose your place! LOL....
I, too, was a regular user of Meguiars products previous to the ZAINO. The wet-look shine was not the same with the Meguiars. The difference will come in the durability and longevity of the shine. The initial process is time consuming, but now that you did that, the upkeep is NOTHING!!! Just wait until you have a few more coats of Z-5 and Z-2 on it. I think you'll be very pleased.
fastdriver
Anyway, I'll post my results after z2. By the way, can I wash my Zaino applicator in hot water and detergent as suggested for the towels?
Jeff
retiredjeff is right- you should have washed the towels first. I don't know if this would have helped the smearing either. Maybe you should have backed your car outside into the fresh air for a while to help the drying process. It could be that the heated garage had some moisture in it that caused the ZAINO to smear because it wasn't really dry. The other thought, I think you mentioned it, is that you used too much ZAINO when you applied it. It does NOT take much to get the job done. I know that when I used to use regular waxes/polishes I was used to applying it heavy. Not so with ZAINO.
As for the ZAINO applicator- DON'T put it in the washing machine! It is sewn with cotton threads and not nylon threads to prevent scratching. Thus, it is not as strong. Wash it in the sink with hot water and liquid dishwashing detergent. Just keep rinsing and squeezing it out. Let it air dry. You should do this right after you're done with the applicator so as to clean it BEFORE the ZAINO dries. It may be stained, but that does not hinder its use.
You'll get the hang of this as you go on. Like I said before, wait until you see how easy it is to keep that wet look shine.
fastdriver
I don't think I applied too much product, but I guess it is possible. I am used to, even with other products, putting very thing coats to facilitate removal. Also, the prep of the applicator (water and z6) made very little go a long way. In fact, I used very little z1 and z5, and sometimes, I thought I was spreading too thin.
Oh well, we'll see how the z2 goes today, with a second coat tomorrow.
Ron
Luck11: The best method I've found for keeping those applicators clean has been to quickly hand wash them in Tide liquid using warm (but not too hot) water.
tpmiller: I've never used Rainmagic but have heard that it has a good reputation. I've used Zaino Z6 on my windshield (after really cleaning it with Zaino Glass Polish and Windex) with similiar results. Z6 is magic!
Thanks,
Jeff
the same problem I am currently wrestling with.
After spending time detailing your car, along comes a cat who jumps up on the hood or trunk and
decides to roost there. Their claws may be
retracted but the dirt on their paws can still
damage the finish. Short of shooting them (even
giving that serious consideration), what do y'all
do to keep them away. I bought an ultrasonic pest
repeller that seemed to work pretty good for about
a week but it appears that they get used to it. Is
there a repellant that works? What about something
like ammonia in a can or something? Anything? (I originally asked this question in the "other" body care forum but nobody came forth with a good answer. I'm hoping you Zainites are more in touch with this problem ...shucks, I'm turning into a Zainite myself!)
I've never had this problem, but hopefully, with enough Z-6 on your car, the cat will slide right off!
fastdriver
Ron
I have an official complaint about Zaino Wax! My lady says it is so slick and shiny that it is hard to grip the door handle!
Pollen
I had the same problem during the last Z session - I used a "car duster" to dust off the pollen while I was applying the Z - no problem!
"I can't see how it could possibly get any shinier or deeper with additional coats."
Just apply a few more coats of Z-2/Z-6 and you'll see for yourself.
fastdriver
Pressure washed it first and then washed it with Dawn to get old wax off. Wasn't much on it anyway. Then clayed it. It wasn't bad at all. the Ford Mexican Plant must be really clean as all the clay took off was a bit of tar. Then Zaino Washed her and took her for a ride to dry off and finished off with a chamis cloth. Z-1ed her and then Z-2ed her followed up by the Z-6 gloss enhancer. Didn't bother with the Z-5 as she is still fairly new and didn't have many swirl marks or scratches. Only time for one coat of Z-2 today.
Man, I can't wait to get the second coat on her, but it looks like it will be at least till next week cause weather doesn't look good for this week.
My ZX3 has got the nicest Ford "Malibu Blue Clear Coat Metallic" Finish in this part of the state for sure! Sal should provide a little sticker that says "Protected by Zaino". But I'm afraid it wouldn't stick. I don't know if my magnetic mount CB antenna is going to stay on its so slippery.
Pat
What really amazed me was wetting the car to prep for washing....I've never had a wax(Meguiars or Mothers) that could bead water like that!!!
Washed with Z7, then proceeded to apply the z6 in prep for the z2. Wow! The z6 made a heck of a difference in the feel of the surface and shine. I found it easy to apply and did approx 3sq ft at a time as directed. Used very little...seems to go a long way.
Applied the z2 and wow!!!!! The car looks and feels amazing. The shine is truly deep and wet as described by all of you. Unfortunately, I only managed to get one coat of z2, but will try to get another this weekend. I plan to do my alloy wheels as well, which are currently in storage for the winter. Application is extremely easy!! The z2 went on and came off with very little effort. Its true that once you go through the initial process, maintenance is a piece of cake.
Drying of Z was not a problem this go round. I did it in my garage again, but this time with the door open. It was a nice sunny day. I think the humidity in the closed garage was part of the problem and perhaps the new, unwashed towels also contributed to my smearing problem. I would not leave my car outside to dry. Dust from roads etc would certainly settle on the surface, at least where I live, acting like sand paper when I wipe the surface. I always wash my car outside, then move it into my garage for drying and wax.
Anyway, time will tell how long the Zaino shine lasts. So far, I am extremely happy. If it lasts as long as many of you claim, then I will be estatic!!
Thanks to all for the great tips and advice.
The entire process took about 4 hours total (but I was paranoid and washed with Dawn twice, dried with towels several times to make sure there were no water spots, etc.). Claying was the hardest part for me because I had never done it or seen it done and it initially left "eraser" scuff marks on the finish despite spritzing with Z7 and water.
While finishing up this a.m., I was thinking the car looked nice but wondering if it was really worth going through this entire procedure when my husband (who has been an interested observer of the internet research, decision to order, excited receipt of package, paranoid application, and miraculous willingness to get up an hour early to do the "wipe off" routine)came out to check my progress before he got ready for work. He pointed out that he could read the small writing on his T-shirt off the side of the car! Then I realized my entire car looked like a mirror. . .a very high quality mirror!
The second coat of Z2 goes on tomorrow if it is not raining.
I'll let you know how it goes!
P.S. Thanks to all of you for the good tips re: application, (i.e. using the Z6 on the applicator, super thin application, allowing Z1 & Z2 to dry overnight, etc.)
What color is your car?
Glad everything worked out for you. Like I said, the initial process is sort of time consuming, but once that's done, the rest is a piece of cake.
lanie1-
Get out those ray-bans! LOL......
koury-
You can alternate between the Z-5 and the Z-2. You don't have to keep using only the Z-5 until the swirls/scratches are gone.
fastdriver
Perhaps you will obtain same effect by applying a second coat of z5, although, the z2 is supposed to have better optical clarity. As mentioned by others in previous posts, the more you put on, the more the finish seems to shine and have that "wet" appearance. In my case, perhaps the improvement in shine/depth was more a result of multiple coats of Zaino in general rather than the use z2 vs z5.
I guess the only way to know is to try. Suggest you try another coat of z5, since you need to get the swirls out, and see what happens. If you get your swirls out, try z2 and let us know if you see a difference.
Good luck.
That's why I alternate between the two.
I've been using Z6 both before and after a Z2 or Z5 application. I'm thinking of moving to either Z6 before or after wax application. Not both. What has been anyone's experience with just doing Z6 once? Better before or after the wax application?
Z6 is an extremely helpful product. It really is a Gloss Enhancer and is also most helpful with windows. The only problem I've ever had with it is the spray adjustment. You really need a very fine spray and it takes a bit of effort to make the spray handle work that way. I've found that the best method is to keep the spray turned off, apply just a little bit of pressure, and VERY slowly turn the spray knob (in front at nossle) ever so slowly just to the point where a weak spray come out.
-Andy
I didn't use Z5 until this year either. The best results I've found, were to alternate between Z2 and Z5. I could be very happy just using one or the other, though, and not both.
No swirls to speak of on my finish. Just thought I'd give Z5 a try. I'm using Z6 at an alarming rate. I agree, that I can be sort of a Z6 fanatic. That's why I'm cutting down from Z6"ing" before and after waxing to one or the other. Guess it's time for a little experimentaion. What I like Z6 for mainly, is to use it after I wash the car and am in too much of a hurry to put another coat of wax on. I can Z6 my car in 15-20 minutes, about half of what it takes to Z5 or Z2.
By the way, what color is your Accord? Is it a darker metalflake? My Grand Prix is a metal flake Burgandy (Pontiac calls it "redfire metalic"). Z5 really adds a lot of depth and brings the metal flake out.
I don't know if the Z-2 "shines that much better" than the Z-5, but there is a difference as noted by others above. Each Z product has its own job. I believe the Z-2 gives it that optical clarity. I would put on the 2 and then apply the Z-5 the next time, ending each application with the Z-6. I never used Z-6 BEFORE applying Z-2 or Z-5.
fastdriver
You can order here- http://www.zainobros.com/
- but, DON'T order yet! I have to e-mail Sal on Wednesday to get the details on a group purchase.
In the meantime, you can look at these- http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Flats/7501/Feb.html or these- http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Flats/7501/feb_21/
Savor that wet-look shine because you'll have it too after you start using ZAINO! ;-))
fastdriver
purchase" I will be interested. I have never used the product but am interested in trying it on my new silver I30 and my wife's black 96 accord.
ps: GREAT photos Fastdriver!
Thanks. Since you mentioned BLACK, I thought you might like to see these too- http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Flats/7501/febbmw.html
They're ALMOST as nice as my pics! LOL......
fastdriver
I did the clay treatment, Z-1, and two coats of Z-2 with Z-6 between coats with the Mustang. I also just waxed the truck, so it's fund to compare shines.
While I love the Blitz Wax shine, I believe the "Z" is even shinier. I find myself taking a peek at the car before I go to bed, because it shines so well. As for ease of application, there is no comparison. The Z is much easier to put on and even easier to wipe off. The finish on the Mustang is also incredibly smooth, but I did not clay the truck.
As for the cost, they are probably similar, although I will most likely get many more applications out of the Blitz wax. When one is paying $30K for a vehicle, why be tight with keeping it looking nice? Wax is a very minor cost as a percentage of the vehicle expense.
Now the test will be how long each vehicle keeps it's shine and beads water. I will keep everyone posted. Both vehicles are driven very little and are always garaged, so it should be a fair comparison. I wished I had a digital camera, but I do have a scanner, so I may try to take some pics and post them for all to see. I'm a fanatic about keeping vehicles looking their best. The neighbors probably think I'm nuts, but they're used to it since my I'm anal with my lawn as well. Thanks to all and especially fastdriver for the many tips and testimonials!