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I called Sal Zaino for this trick. (at that time he actually used to answer his own phone. He might still answer his own phone!) Between every 5 coats of Z2 do a Z1 base/undercoat and it "sticks" better.
Before the new hardener mix, this used to be the way to go. I have read the new hardener mix (I haven't used this but still use the Z1) is supposed to be even more durable.
Frankly I have used Z1 twice? in that I have between 7/8?, Z5/Z2 coats on a 2001 Corvette Z06, bought new and now has 73,000 miles. So one Z1 coat was used NEW just after using Dawn and 1 coat of Z5 and 3 coats of Z2 were applied when new. Then I put on Z1 again and put 3/4 since then? I do not wash this car much and keep it clean between rides by using a CA duster.
On a different note, I also use Zaino on 4 other daily drivers and I never fail to have car folks comment on their appearance. This is especially cool on one 11 year old and one 13 year old car, both have been parked outside 24/7 for more than half their lives.
BTW, how do you post pictures? I'd love to show some pics
Lookin' good. :shades:
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
...here folks just discuss how nice their zainoed vehicles look and how to keep them that way.
Thanks!
Great stuff. My Abyss Blue TL is just mirror/glass like!
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
It's hard to imagine our cars could look any better!
I wouldn't use it after every wash, just for those special events like car shows, et. al.
Hope this helps,
--Robert
Wow. Beautiful...
Bill
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
I've been using Zaino now for five years (purchased it/used it for the first time Labor Day weekend of 2001). Have used it on my black '98 Aurora, my wife's former white '01 Grand Prix GTP, her current white '04 Envoy, and my summer-car, a 2004 Pontiac GTO (seen in all its glory in post #6102 of this discussion). I've seen a lot of car-care products, and used quite a few, but my loyalty to Zaino products has only grown stronger over the past five years. Just yesterday I used the Z-PC Fusion swirl mark reducer (in combination with a Porter Cable PC7424 orbital polisher, plus 3M rubbing compound and swirl mark remover), on the 9 year old black finish of the '98 Aurora. The results were unbelievable - the car's glass-like finish have it looking "better-than-new".
Not to sound like a Zaino commercial (I am in no way affiliated with the company, I've just talked to/emailed Sal a half dozen times). First thing, you don't have to buy just from their website. Zaino is sold through local resellers. My only complaint is that these resellers aren't listed - you need to call Zaino and find out if there is anyone in town. I buy my stuff from a business that sells mail-order Corvette accessories, and they're literally 10-15 minutes away from where I work.
As to what products you need, at a minimum I would suggest the following:
Z-7 car wash
Z-6 quick detailer spray
Z-2 Pro polish/sealant
ZFX flash cure accelerator
The ZFX is mixed with the Z-2 to be put on your paint.
Some other products you may consider right away:
Z-5 Pro (another polish, but this has some swirl mark reducing/hiding properties - buy this if you have any visible swirls in the paint)
Z-18 clay bar - if you've never clayed your paint before, strongly suggest this.
Z-9 leather cleaner
Z-10 leather conditioner
Z-16 tire gloss
As for application instructions, the guy who runs http://www.lazaino.com has rewritten them to be a lot more clear (IMHO). Read that site, review the information, and feel free to post back if you have any questions.
Hope this helps,
--Robert
If you have a magnifying glass or loupe, have a close look at the damage and see if you can tell if the clearcoat is affected. If you want to try and polish it out, get a tube of Meguiars ScratchX or Mothers Scratch Remover (available at Pep Boys and other parts stores) and work the damaged section. Hopefully it'll come out with a little elbow grease.
Right after my first experience using Zaino some years ago, a huge bird "christened" my new Zaino polish job. When I saw it, I touched it with a fingernail to see if it was hard, and the ENTIRE BLOB detached and slid off the car in one piece! Blew me away. Nothin' sticks to Zaino!
I washed the car with Z7 yesterday and touched up a few spots with Z6.
Now, today, I got the itch to do a Z5 and then maybe a Z2.
Should I:
* Wash the car again with Z7 and dry with 100% USA made cotton towels and then Z6 select area (ie: those with possible H2O spots) and THEN Z5/Z2?
*California duster the car to remove all dirt (don't want to scratch the paint) THEN Z5/Z2 (with ZFX) and then finish with Z6?
TIME IS A MAJOR CONCERN!!!
BTW .. it's an 06 IS 250 MT 6 speed/Sports pak
Matador Mica Red with Black interior
(so far have done, I think, 6 coats of Zaino .. Z5/Z2 always finishing with Z2 & Z6 as the final application)
have gotten MANY a compliment on the way the color "POPS" :shades:
Why just yeaterday stopped at the ACURA dealer and was accosted by at least 3 people asking about the 2nd gen IS (ACURA sales folks probably HATED me :P )
Thankx for the input
Benzoserviceguy
But, lo & behold, I got "honeydewed" into another project.
The Z6 to catch what the duster missed did not x my mind.
Thanx for the tip
I will use it in the future
Looking at Zaino. What products do I need for pearl white clear coat?
This is common (wool being the most aggressive), but, in general, it's a good idea to start with the least aggressive and go more as needed.
I'm using the foam Porter Cable pads from Tropi-Care, http://www.tropi-care.com (can't directly link to their Porter Cable accessories). It's worked great on just about everything I've tried it with...
--Robert
You need the "basic" Zaino set of:
ZFX activator
Z-2 Pro polish
Z-5 Pro polish and swirl mark reducer (use only if you have swirls in your paint, otherwise skip it and just use the Z-2)
Z-6 quick detailer
Z-7 wash
If you haven't clay-barred your car recently, the Z-18 clay kit (or equivalent) is highly recommended.
Other products you might consider would be the Z-9 leather cleaner and Z-10 leather conditioner, and the Z-16 tire gloss (which I also use on exterior and interior black plastic trim - works great/offers UV protection).
http://www.zainostore.com or call up Zaino and see if there is a local distributor in your area...
Hope this helps,
--Robert
I dunno..... I've got lots of hours with rotaries (I own three of them) and I wouldn't use a wool pad unless there were no other choices. With the massive number of quality foam pads on the market, wool is almost obsolete IMO. And modern clearcoats do not like the high surface temps generated by a wool pad. I hope you have an IR thermometer handy.