Zaino Car Care Experiences

graphicguy · October 2003

sounds like new towels are in order.....

pjyoung · October 2003

It's been a while since I've posted here, but I'm still a big fan of Zaino. I was putting the "winter coat" on my car a couple of weeks ago, and decided to see what would happen if I put Z2 on the windshield. The results are quite good...it's just like Rain-x only it lasts longer. No smearing...the water "flies" off like it does on the hood, and when the wipers are used, it provides a clean clear view.

pblevine · October 2003

I've been using Z5 on my windshield for two years now. Part of this trick is to also use Z6 on your windshield wiper blades. That will help slow down the oxidation of the wiper rubber. And it helps the blades to glide more easily over the window. The Z5 or Z2 also helps to fill in some of those tiny little scratches caused by flying sand and/or small stones. 'Just a wee bit of a warning. You have to really clean the windlshield prior to applying the Z2. If you don't, anything left behind will sort of be sealed onto the window glass.

I use the Zaino Glass Polish to really get some of the tiny scratches and road oils off the glass. It is sometimes very hard to see these micro-scratches unless you are driving directly into Sunlight. Then I clean the glass using "Sprayway" which is much better than Windex.

Also, don't apply Z6 to the windshield before application of the Z2 or Z5. As an option, you can apply Z6 after you have finished putting 1 or 2 coats of Z2 on the glass. If you do use Z6 afterwards, it will add to the "RainX" effect for a single rainstorm. The rain will rinse out the Z6, and you will have to re-apply it again. It will, however, make it much easier to keep the window clean. A simple wipe using Windex or even water will be all that's necessary to remove most road junk (dirt, dust, bugs, salt, oils, & traffic tickets).

maxpower02 · October 2003

It's going to be in the 70's this weekend, here in the Northeast. I'm planning to put a couple of coats of Z2 on before it gets too cold. Last chance before winter.

automophile · October 2003

Too weird! It is 50's here in Los Angeles, freezing in Portland, and warm up there. Lucky for you!

I will also "touch up" the cars on Sunday, preparing for our "hard" winter. Don't laugh - it might even RAIN!

robr2 · November 2003

It hit 77 here NW of Boston. I managed to wash and get a coat on the Ody. It's been crazy - I have not washed in weeks and that is the first coat since June. But it was still beading.

I had only 1 oz left - just enough. Got some more on the way.

atoews · November 2003

You will most likely get the new versions of Z2/Z5. I still haven't had a chance to try the new Z2 yet, but the new Z5 is a big improvement.

robr2 · November 2003

I'll look forward to the new Z5. I've got my Dad's dark blue CRV for a couple of weeks and it's swirled. Not anything bad, but I hope to improve it while I have it.

lapvn · November 2003

I haven't checked-in in a while but a lot has changed. Right after complaining of the weather, we have had 3-4 gorgeous weekends. Three weeks ago I took advantage of the weather and did my winter deal of 2 Z5 and ended with Z2. I was one happy camper knowing I was set for the winter.

Little did I know that mother nature would throw in more picture perfect weekends. Now do you think I was just going to sit there and watch the car. Added additional layers for the winter during each weekend. Heck I think I am set until winter of 2005, but is this even enough.

Ah yes the ultimate question, how much is enough? On top of this, wife was happy. I would wake up 7AM to start the regimen and was done by the time she woke up.

Come on guys, what do you think, 4 more coats before the end of the year.

atoews · November 2003

Four of Z5 followed by four of Z2 is the right number for me. After that, it is dimishing returns.

automophile · November 2003

4 more coats - why not? Try to catch up with fastdriver.

I just ordered more Z2 and other products from the new Zainostore website. Very easy, and I could conveniently pay with PayPal! I'l let you now if I find any difference in the Z2.

I did both our cars Sunday morning - I coudn't believe how fast it went!

pblevine · November 2003

But I'm just getting over surgery. My last two coats of Z5 will have to last through the winter. That should be safe. Sorry I haven't been around for a bit. Anyway, I have no more gall(bladder).

atoews · November 2003

Well, I just finished coat 1 of 4 of the Z2 part of my winterizing.

My observations on the "new", purchased in August 2003, versus my "old" Z purchased in April 2003.

The "old" Z2 and Z5 are both orangy/peachy in color.
The "new" Z2 is light pink and the new Z5 is very light yellow, almost white.

Both the New Z2 and Z5 are thinner in consistency than the old, are much easier to apply and remove, and have a much faster drying time. This explains why Sal has changed his drying recommendation from over an hour for the old formulas to 1/2 hour for the new stuff. The new stuff does not "glob" up the cap of the bottle, and it is easier to get a thin coat. I can also now clean out the ZFX bottle and the applicator, whereas with the old stuff I had to throw both away after one use.

The new Z5 covers swirls better and is shinier; a much improved formula, I'd say. The new Z2's shine is comparable to that of the old formula. The gap is definitely closing between the respective shines of Z2 versus Z5.

Could it be that Sal is positioning the product to eliminate either Z2 or Z5? I wouldn't be surprised if that were true.

There is only one potential drawback I see in the new versus old formulas: folks who liked the looks of the old Z5 better than those of Z2, are likely to be out of luck, because the new Z5 shine is more like that of Z2.

atoews · November 2003

You will need: Dawn, Z7 Car Wash, Z2 or Z5, ZFX, one Z applicator (which you get free with $25 purchase), and one large 100% Cotton Fieldcrest or Canon towel for Z removal.

First application:
1) Wash with Dawn, rinse car well, to get wax off.
2) Mix ZFX with Z2 (or Z5) per directions. As a beginner, I'd use 1.5 ounce of product for one application.
3) Apply the mixture per directions.
4) Wipe off after 1/2 hour with towel.

You are done for 4-6+ months.

For subsequent applications, follow the same steps but replace Dawn with Z7.

How to choose between Z5 or Z2?
Z2 is shinier but does not mask swirls or fine scratches. If your car is dark-colored, then it is up to you.

For a medium to light colored new car, swirls don't show, so choose Z2.

kheintz1 · November 2003

I would recommend buying at least five of the white Fieldcrest bath towels, and a similar number of their hand towels, along with a few of their washcloths. Use the bath and hand towels to polish, and turn the towels frequently to minimize build-up of the polish as the excess is being removed during the polishing step. In my opinion, there is no way a SINGLE bath towel is going to do a good job of polishing an entire vehicle (especially if you plan to apply several coats in a short period of time), and this is why you should plan on buying a number of these towels. Use the hand towels as well for polishing, since there are many parts of the vehicle where a smaller towel is more convenient and easier to work with than the bigger bath towels. The wash cloths are handy for washing the truck, and when clean, they also make good polish applicators. Another reason for buying multiple towels would be that the first few towels used during the first application of Zaino can be run through your washing machine and dryer (do not use fabric softener or dryer sheets!), while the remaining (clean) towels will allow you to get started on the next application of Zaino, without delay. Then, if you wish to apply a third coat, the first set of towels are now out of the dryer, ready for more work. The Zaino web site also recommends buying multiple towels, for the same reasons.

atoews · November 2003

because this site convinced him that the Z process was too elaborate for his needs. He will not likely put more than one coat of anything on his car at a time.

I agree that you need more for multiple coats and for Z6, but I did not recommend that sdradio use Z6 or do multiple coats.

That aside, he does need an extra towel (I like microfiber waffle weave) for drying.

However, I think one cotton towel is plenty for one coat of Zaino, with no Z6.

fickle · November 2003

Hi all,
I religiously wash (with Zaino) and z6 (gloss enhance) my car every Saturday morning. The z2/z5 is periodically. Anyway, my questions are:

Is it true that the z6 washes off in the first rain?

Do I really need to use the car wash? A friend of mine (a waxer, not a Zainoholic) doesn't use any soap, just water. I've tried the soap-less and it is easier because I just run the water and wash the car without soaping it first and then rinsing. Any thoughts?

linda

kheintz1 · November 2003

Atoews: We simply have a difference of opinions here. As you know, Zaino's web site has an area that discusses towels, which can be found athttp://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=TOWELS&- amp;Store_Code=Z The writer (Sal Zaino?) mentions that he buys about 3-4 of these towels per year. That said, for those who might be somehow intimidated regarding the minimal requirements involved with trying Zaino's products, I suppose that being told they need only one Fieldcrest towel might well provide the last bit of encouragement they need. On the other hand, for those newcomers who are more decidedly enthusiastic and motivated, and who genuinely want to do the job right the first time, I would (again) suggest that having many towels on hand is a wise idea, especially if the vehicle being considered is large rather than small. (For example, I drive a 2003 4Runner). Assumingly that the polish has been sparingly applied, then as the thoroughly dried (or flash-cured) polish is being removed, the towel must be "turned" frequently in order to avoid build-up or saturation of polish residue. But, if this occurs with a given towel that has become ladened with dried polish residue, attempting to continue using it to remove more polish will instead tend to result in the dried polish residue simply being smeared-around, rather than resulting in the dried polish residue being properly REMOVED in order for the full benefits of the process to be realized, things such as that deep Zaino shine, gloss, smoothness, protectiveness, etc. Furthermore, when attempting to remove a thoroughly *dried* (or flash-cured) Zaino polish from a vehicle, a common sign that your polishing towel might be "saturated" or over-ladened with polish residue, would be if it begins feeling like the polish is not yet dry, e.g., it begins feeling tacky, sticky, and requiring much more EFFORT to remove. (Even if you might somehow welcome the physical fitness benefits afforded by having to fight with a saturated towel, there's still the problem of the polish residue not being correctly and thoroughly removed, and this could lead to your really wasting your time, money, and opinions about your results with Zaino products!) So, when embarking on a Zaino project, you'll have already spent a certain amount of time, study, and money just to get ready. For most of you newcomers, it's my opinion that if you really want to do it right, buy some extra towels, switch-out those towels frequently, and then give your washer and dryer some extra work to do, rather than giving YOURSELF lots of extra work and grief. I doubt that buying a few more white Fieldcrest towels is going to be the prohibitive factor for most who would like to try Zaino's products. But if you insist on using a single towel for even a single application (not even counting washing and drying the vehicle beforehand), then plan to kill ~90-120 minutes at each step by laundering your single Fieldcrest towel. Of course, the easiest way to avoid this pitfall is, in my opinion, to simply have on hand enough clean white Fieldcrest towels to start with, especially if you're working on a larger vehicle.

automophile · November 2003

fickle - YES - you can wash your car only with a mitt and water. I had done this often in the past. The problem is that without the soap, it takes MORE hand pressure to remove surface dirt.

The purpose of the washing solution is to help release the micro-static charges and other factors that cause the material to adhere to the paint. Without it, you can only remove it by physically grabbing it and rubbing it off the paint. Rubbing highly abrasive dirt and street dust off your paint will surely cause micro-scratches, dulling your finish if not outright scratching the paint.

It is really worth it to use the car wash.

And YES - Z6 is water soluble so it washes off in the rain. However, it seems that Z6 also has a "leveling" action, further smoothing the polymer coating, so even if it gets washed off, it still has a function.

graphicguy · November 2003

Haven't stopped by here in a while. Glad to see some of the "old regulars" still here.

PB...glad to hear you are recovering well.

I put my last coat of Z2 on about a month ago in preparation for winter. Temps are warmer than usual in the OH valley, so I may get another on before any snow flies.

Thought I'd never say this, but I've become a microfiber convert. I used to use nothing but "the absorber" synthetic chamois. While the "big blue" microfiber towel doesn't absorb as well as the synthetic, it proves to be easier to keep clean and does hold more water. In turn, it's quicker to use. It's so soft, I don't worry at all about swirls.

I even use microfiber applicators for Zaino as they are softer, larger and much more durable than Sal's applicators.

intrepidspirit · November 2003

Why do you recommend no fabric softener when washing towels?

I have used fabric softener and have had no noticeable negative results. Actually, I used the fabric softener because I believed it would mean less abrasion when drying or polishing my cars...

tmart · November 2003

Although softeners make the towels feel soft, it reduces the absorbency of the towels. I don't see how it would hurt with the Z removal though.

bretfraz · November 2003

They put a coating on the towel's fibers which reduces their absorbency. They can also cause streaking and/or smearing when they get wet.

Softeners are especially bad for microfiber as the weave of these towels are the key to their performance. Any coating or damage to the weave and you've basically killed the towel.

There is no benefit to using fabric softeners or dryer sheets on towels used for car care. Your car's paint doesn't care about that Downey bounce or the Garden Fresh scent. Don't waste your money, save the softeners for other things around the house.

atoews · November 2003

To remove two coats of Zaino.

I use 3/4 ounce per coat and don't notice that much residue.

I really don't see why a person needs 5 towels for one application of Zaino.

atoews · November 2003

I don't believe Z6 is intended to be long-lived. I believe most of the Z6 comes off in the application process, because you wipe it off immediately, before it dries.

Awhile back, mbdriver reported that he did a project for his chemistry class that involved analyzing Z7 and Z6.

It turned out that Z7 has some polish, which tends to preserve your polish job. Z6 is built to remove the residual soap that Z7 leaves on the vehicle. Mbdriver reported that Z6 definitely removed residual soap/detergent from Z7.

kheintz1 · November 2003

In addition to the good reasons already presented by others here for avoiding fabric softeners and dryer sheets, it should also be mentioned that these products contain cationic (positively charged) LIPIDS (as well as a variety of perfumes!), and dryer sheets also generate a good deal of lint and tiny paper fibers. The lipids or fatty molecules (in particular) could conceivably adulterate or interfere with (e.g., degrade or contaminate) the Zaino system's ability to optimally bond chemically with the vehicle's clearcoat, as well as to quite possibly interfere with the required cross-bonding between products within the Zaino system, such as those between Z-1, and Z-2 or Z-5. In turn, this could very well degrade the system's optical transparency and DURABILITY. When you consider the fact that Zaino's polish system works best when applied SPARINGLY rather than heavily, you can begin to appreciate how certain chemical contaminants could have deleterious effects, even in small quantities. For example, the introduction (or lacing) of even small amounts of unwanted lipids into the Zaino polishes being applied to a vehicle's clearcoat, could result in a final coating that is electrochemically "porous" and vulnerable to the powerful emulsifying and solvent actions of SOAPS in particular, not to mention attacks from such things as acid rain, road salt, ultraviolet light, solar heating, etc. And by the same "Chemistry 101" reasoning and logic, unwanted lipid contaminants may degrade the physicochemical "hardness" or micro-mechanical protectiveness of the final finish to protect the underlying clearcoat against surface scratches, wind-borne debris impinging on the vehicle, etc. Also, while the perfumes in fabric softeners and/or dryer sheets may make our clothes, bed sheets, and body towels smell good, they might also prove to be chemically undesireable, caustic, and chemically REACTIVE when incorporated into a vehicle's clearcoat by way of your newly applied (yet contaminated?) Zaino polish system...

As for the potential of these lipids to degrade the optical properties of the Zaino polish system, I would invite you to attempt to clean either your eyeglasses, or a fine photographic lens, or a fine photographic lens filter, with only a fresh dryer sheet, or perhaps a watery solution of your favorite fabric softener. That said, I'm certainly not advocating that one should buy a washer and dryer dedicated to our automotive detailing towels, lest we incurr any contamination whatsoever! Far from it! Rather, I'm merely suggesting that if you want to do it right, then it's probably a good idea to exercise some good old "Chemistry 101" common sense by avoiding fabric softeners and/or dryer sheets when laundering our car/truck towels. (For those who are not this fastidious, forget about it.)

lexusrock · November 2003

I tried to use one of these MeGuire leather cleaning sheets to clean up a black dot on leather cushy part above glove box and after the rub the area around the dot forms a 'black eye/rash'. I can't seem to get rid of the dark area now. The leather is beige color. Any suggestions?

kheintz1 · November 2003

My advice: Leave it alone, and don't mess with it any further until you get some Zaino leather spray cleaner, as well as their Leather In A Bottle. The Zaino leather spray cleaner is quite remarkable. If this doesn't work, call Sal Zaino for further advice.

bretfraz · November 2003

Is it ink? Grease? Mascara? What?

Ya gotta use the right product for the job. But whatever you use, please don't continue mushing it around in a circle. Clean the spot inward towards the center of the spot. Blot, blot, blot, blot. Take your time.

lexusrock · November 2003

not leather. The black dot is like a little tiny mole on the surface. But now I am more concerned if I used that MeGuire leather cleaning sheet too hard and 'scared' the surface or perhaps that oil/moisture in the sheet (for leather) caused any harm to vinyl. The queation now is how to restore the vinyl surface to it's own original color or how to unscar it. Any idea? Does Zaino clean/restore vinyl as well (Zaino for vinyl I guess)?

bretfraz · November 2003

Vinyl is tought stuff and can really take a beating. I can't imagine how a wipe caused permanent damage but I suppose anything is possible.

If I were looking at this spot I'd want to see it up close using a magnifying glass.

If the vinyl is permanently discolored there is no way to fix it with a cleaner. It'll need to be touched up with a dye/paint or replaced. If the texture is physically scarred the only recourse I know of is a replacement of the piece.

You say its like a mole? You mean like a defect in the vinyl itself instead of a stain?

lexusrock · November 2003

or a stain that just becomes part of vinyl. The vinyl texture looks the same but the rubbed area becomes more shiny (like waxed or polished up) than the rest. The real problem now is that the area is like a 'bruise'. I can understand if the 'scar' is the shiny part but I don't get why it becomes dirtier/darker due to the rub. I too think that vinyl should be tough even cosmetically. If dye/paint can be helpful is it something body shop does or there's some auto interior detail expert out there?

pblevine · November 2003

Graphicguy: Thanks.
Kleintz1: Great analysis. Chem 101 and I'm still learning.

My wife once put a fabric softener sheet in the dryer with my car towels, and it truly had a negative effect. Normally, I use a single bath towel to remove the Z2 residue on my car without any problems. After the fabric softener treatment, I had to use two towels and the effect was not as good. It didn't result in smears, but I also had to use more hand pressure and that resulted in some swirl marks. Z6 helped but did not cure the problem. Folks, if a fabric softener has been used on your towels, re-wash with liquid Tide and dry again (without any softeners).

Normally washed towels work just fine. A single "face" towels is all I need to give the car a full Z6 treatment, a single "bath" is all that is required to dry my car, and again, a single bath towel will easily handle Z2 or Z5 residue removal.

As previously noted, a good rain will remove a coating of Z6. Its designed as a gloss "enhancer", not a polish or long term polymer coating such as Z2. But that's OK. Its intended as a touch up tool. I always use Z6 after Z2 removal to pick up any remaining residue and to add a little "slick" appearance. And it also has some additional UV and anti-static properties. I've applied Z2 to my windshield and therefore use Z6 on the windshield after I clean it with "Sprayway" (much better than Windex). I also clean my windshield wiper blades with Z6. True, the effect only lasts through a single rain storm, but during that storm, I have much better visibility.

lexusrock · November 2003

my rubbing that took some dye off the vinyl as it turns out. The vinyl may be tough but not the paint/dye. I am wondering if some spray or dye job is in order? Any suggestions?

kheintz1 · November 2003

Zaino's spray leather cleaner ain't just for leather, it also works well on other interior surfaces. Get some of this stuff, and GENTLY try it before you panic further. Best wishes. Heintz.

tmart · November 2003

One of my sons live in Dallas and bought a new 02 Mustang coupe (Laser Red)last February. I was interested in Zing it due to the darker color versus my gold C70 and gold ES300. As luck would have it, before I could Z it, Dallas had a hell of a hail storm in March and his front left fender was keyed. In hind site it was good no Z had been applied. I understand Zaino needs to be removed before bodywork and repainting. He was home last weekend and the car really looked good. The folks who repaired the hail damage and repainted the fender did a fantastic job.
As we all know, our families thinks we are somewhat strange with our Zaino addiction, BUT after two coats of ZFX/Z2/Z6, my wife and son acknowledged the Stang looked better than when he got it from the dealer. Vindication at last!! I've got to admit I was really impressed how the Z looked on a darker color.

xellil · November 2003

I haven't heard that Zaino needs to be removed before bodywork and repaint - last year I had my front bumper, hood, and fenders repainted after a run-in with a gravel mower, and the body shop people had never head of Zaino.

My car had about 10 coats of Zaino on it, but it didn't seem to cause any problems; I have a beautiful paint job. I think they either remove the current paint or sand it down or scuff it up or some such before they repaint, so they are not painting over Zaino or wax.

And the nice thing is you can apply Z within a few days of painting, rather than wait a month or two for regular wax. I put Zaino on my new paint job within 48 hours. It's been 16 months and it still looks great. In fact, my car finish looks like it just came from the showroom floor (the car is 20 months old) so I am certainly a Zaino fan.

automophile · November 2003

I have had minor paint repairs done a couple of times, and simply advised the paint shop of the polymer, and told them them that they should wash the car with alcohol before painting. No problems at all.

atoews · November 2003

I presume you have a Lexus. If so, you may ask your dealer if they can fix the stain.

I accidentally marked the area near my ignition with a black felt pen. I rubbed it so hard, the leather/vinyl wore down, leaving a mark on the dash.

I don't know what my dealer did, but when i took my vehicle in for service, I reported the problem to the service manager. When i got the car back, the dash was fixed; problem gone. It is as though they repaired it with new vinyl/leather. (I can't tell which it is.)

lexusrock · November 2003

Was the 'worn down' area on the hard ring around the key hole or the cushy vinyl part outside of the hard ring? The hard ring may be replaceable but I doubt the part is typically in stock. What is your int. color and was the worn down on color (like some dye/paint was rubbed off) or on the material (torn cloth/vinyl)? That'd be a good reference to my dealer, which I was going to visit next week for this. Mine is ivory and the rubbed area becomes darker and more shinny perhaps due to the dye runbbed off (this color thing is fragile). If your dealer actually redyed the area of yours to restore the color/surface I think my dealer should be able to do that too. Or you think they really replaced the part? Thanks.

atoews · November 2003

Checked around my glove box, and I can say that the area I rubbed off near the ignition is the same as that around the glove box. It appeared to me as though I actually rubbed off some of the dash covering; the textured material - the cushy light charcoal part that is on the dash. It appeared as though metal from the dash was showing through the worn area.

My interior color is charcoal, but very much lighter than the grey metal that shows through when you rub the dash vinyl too hard.

I doubt the dealer replaced the whole part. It appeared as though they were able to cover the hole somehow. I figured they have some spray replacement vinyl stuff that they use to make similar repairs.

There is absolutely no evidence that the worn part was ever there.

It sounds to me as though you are doing the same thing I did, only you have not rubbed as much as I had. You only have a discoloration at this point, but I suspect if you rubbed more, you would also rub a hole down to the metal. The fact that you have a dark area indicates that you may have rubbed down to the underlying metal.

If you have trouble conveying the issue to your dealer, let me know and I will contact mine for more details on what they did to fix the problem. I was relieved, let me tell you. I was upset at the thought that I might have to look at that rub mark for the next 10 years.

lexusrock · November 2003

Are you talking about the cushy part between the glove box and wood bar? That's exactly where my rubbing was - very visible, and I am conerned about the same as you were. The dark area of mine still has cushion inside so I think the rubbing was not that deep to the metal or whatever behind the cushion yet. I think the dark area may be reflective of the color of the vinyl that comes b4 the int. color is dyed on it. The vinyl does not come in charcoal or ivory to begin with I think.

So you actually rubbed it so hard that even the cushion was about all gone? Wow what did you rub with? I was using soft cloth and I doubt if that can penetrate the vinyl via rubbing. But I guess we'd be extra careful if that can happen. Or maybe your rubbed area was more like the harder part left to glove box (around the bag hook).

If it's not too much trouble for you can you find out what magic your dealer did to fix yours on Mon. and post it there. I am going to meet my dealer on Tue (11/25). I think it'd just take some blended redye to fix mine and hope they can do it free. Thanks.

atoews · November 2003

But as I recall, the worn area was smoother. The texture was gone.

It must not have been a big deal because they fixed it during a regular maintenance, and did not even list it on the invoice.

Of course, without it being listed, it may be harder to get them to recall what they did.

I definitely would not mess with it any more if I were you.

My guess is that this type thing happens to vehicles in the dealership and it is not uncommon to have to fix prior to sale.

lexusrock · November 2003

from the worn one? I am wodnering if the texture is from the dye rather than from the vinyl itself. If the texture is not from dye I wonder how can they restore the texture w/o replacing the vinyl. Did you recall not only it's flatter/smoother after the rub but also more shiny on the surface?

atoews · November 2003

And I don't remember all details. Meanwhile, it will be moot in a couple of days, anyway. It seemed to me that I wore through one type of surface to another, but who knows?

automophile · November 2003

to properly Z my new Acura TL. I thought the paint looked pretty good before, but after the Z, it seemed to be a different color - richer and deeper. I was truly amazed.

I was also amazed at the short time it took to apply 3 coats of Z2/ZFX, a final Z6, and also clean/Pledge the interior, Sprayaway the windows, Scotchguard the carpets and Z the tires 3 times. Total elapsed time after washing and drying - Only 2 Hours! Gee - I should do this every weekend! (Yeah, right) I can't wait to show the car to my car salesman - he was curious about Zaino when I bought it.

graphicguy · November 2003

With the weather being so nice this weekend in the OH valley, I decided to do one last Z2 before the winter weather really hit.

Washed, dried, vacuumed, Z2'd, dressed the tires, spraywayed the windows yesterday on my RX8. Took 90 minutes total.

I went to the grocery store after finishing. As I'm coming out of the grocery, I saw a young girl and her boyfriend looking at my car. I guess I should take it as a complement, but the girl was on my hood posing for what I assume is a picture being taken by her boyfriend. I was within 20 yards when I hit the remote unlock. Well, she slid her butt off the hood (on an already very slick, Zaino'd hood) and they both took off running.

She must have been wearing jeans with "rivets" because now I have a 3" scratch on my hood. I was so PO'd.

Scratch can't be felt on the finish so it isn't deep. I think most scratch removers would be too aggressive on it. But I don't think Z5 will do the trick on it either.

Any advice on what to use to remove?

automophile · November 2003

Oh Man! I am so sorry! I don't know how you restrained yourself from throttling them both! I guess that I will need to put a guard dog on my new car for a while!

From your description, it seems that the scratch is not through the paint into the primer. I would suggest starting with the mildest first - such as 3M Perfect-It swirl mark remover, then progressing to stronger stuff as needed. OR take it to a professional detail shop and see what they suggest. Be happy that you had the hard Zaino coat on first, or it could have been worse.

bretfraz surely has some good advice on this also.

pblevine · November 2003

Great picture! And its a fine car too. How do you like it? Its hard to get a white finish to look good, but Zaino seems to do the trick.

graphicguy: Ouch! That hurts. Does the scratch go below the clear coat? And how wide is it? As automophile says, bret probably has some good advice. I've also heard that 3M Perfect-It could be of help. If the scratch does not go into the clear coat, Z5 might help. I've used touch up paint on my front bumper scratches with mixed results.

bretfraz · November 2003

Hmmm... if you can't feel the scratch with your fingernail, it should be easy to fix by hand.

I don't know what other products you have on hand but something like a swirl mark remover or a product like Meguiar's Scratch X should do the trick.

Even a cleaner wax you know has light abrasives in it might work. Wash off the wax and recoat with Z when ready. It might take a couple of applications but for a small scratch, just minimizing the noticeability will make a big diff.

Good luck.

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