Zaino Z5 Pro vs. Zaino Z2 Pro - thoughts & images

[fmodena]

I don't understand why so many people state that Zaino is difficult or the instructions are confusing.

The only "extra" step compared to any other Lsp is that you add a few drops of ZFX to either Z2P or Z5P in a bottle or syringe and shake for 90 seconds. That's it! Then you apply it very thinly to any and all surfaces. It doesn't stain any surface period!

You still have to do your PROPER PREP prior to an application of any lsp. Zaino is no different other than to make sure the surface is oil free. This would require a wipe down of either Z6 or 1:1 H20/IsoA solution...Okay so that takes another 3 minutes. That's it!

By the time you start to apply on one end of your vehicle and finish on the other end, the first half will be dry already dry enough for removal. That's it!

Z2P and Z5p=LSP
Z6=QD
Z8=Spray sealant for extra shine though not always needed but it so easy to use just like a "QD" after a wash or just use Z6

EASY!!!!!! Btw, I am a biased Zaino user going on 4 years....

[ronmart]

Okay, this has to be the worlds most complicated detailing systems so my aching brain is going to enumerate my game plan and solicit feedback from the experts here.

NOTE: I have a metallic midnight blue (almost black) Porsche 911 cabriolet (so no top to finish), so let me know if I need to use different products or combos.

1. I will wash my car with with Dawn and finish up with a coat of Griots Paint Prep which helps to remove sealants. I forgot there is one cheap Blue Coral sealant put on my car in April (long story and I'm still annoyed buy it). How much Dawn per gallon of water?

2. I'll clay as needed using Griots Clay as I like it more than Sonus & Zaino's.

3. I'll polish any defects out of the paint using Griots Machine Polish 3 (or 2 if there any bad spots).

4. I'll spray the car down with one coat of Z6 and wipe it off (in sections of course).

5. I'll mix one ounce of Z2 Pro with 4 drops of ZFX and apply a think layer to the whole car (as I would do with Klasse AIO & SG) using a Z6 moistend microfiber applicator (orange Sonus ones). (Do I need to mist Z6 on before I put the Z2 Pro on?)

6. I'll park the car out in the dry sun to help it bake on a bit as Sal did in Arizona. I'll be working on a limited timetable, so I simply can't wait more than an hour between coats. It should be in the 70's or maybe 80's when I'm doing this with 100% sunshine (no clouds).

7. I'll wipe down in the garage and then repeat steps 4 & 5 with whatever is left in the mixed bottle (this stuff is expensive, so I don't want to waste it). I'll repeat step 6 afterwards.

8. I'll mix one ounce of Z5 Pro with 4 drops of ZFX and apply a think layer to the whole car using a Z6 moistend microfiber applicator. I'll repeat steps 4 & 7.

9. I'll finish with 2 (or 3?) coats of Z8 when I do a full car wipe down using the orange Sonus plush MF buffing towels.

10. I'll faint from exhuastion and when I awake, I'll jump for joy and take 200 pictures of my work (to add to the 2000 I already have of my car ).

Please let me know what I'm missing or how I should change my plans for my car. I'm going to print our the final version and use it as my cookbook when I do my car next weekend.

Steps 1 - 3 will take ALL of next Saturday for me (just car washes take me 3 hours - I'm too anal about dirt).

I'll have roughly 6 hours to do the remaining steps on Sunday. I'm hoping I can get it all done that day.

If by some miracle I should finish early on Saturday, I might prep my windows and wheels and do those in advance of the Sunday marathon (OR should I apply a coat of Z2 Pro or Z5 Pro - which one - withOUT ZFX and let it sit overnight?)

[mbkintner]

Switch the order on your Z2Pro and Z5Pro. Z5Pro is used first and you apply Z2Pro last.

If you do get finished early on Sunday and decide you want to apply a coat of Z5Pro you have to use ZFX or Z1 if you have it. Your first coat always has to have one of the two (difference being dry time). Subsequent coats can be applied by themselves waiting 24 hours (between coats) or up to 3 coats in 24 hours when using ZFX.

Mike

[NickMach1]

I'm very eager to try both. As big of a Meguiars fan as I am, I think Zaino has the best LSP on the market if you had to combined every category. How much of an improvement is there over the old Z2 and Z5 Formula's?

[wannafbody]

Originally Posted by ronmart

Okay, this has to be the worlds most complicated detailing systems so my aching brain is going to enumerate my game plan and solicit feedback from the experts here.

NOTE: I have a metallic midnight blue (almost black) Porsche 911 cabriolet (so no top to finish), so let me know if I need to use different products or combos.

1. I will wash my car with with Dawn and finish up with a coat of Griots Paint Prep which helps to remove sealants. I forgot there is one cheap Blue Coral sealant put on my car in April (long story and I'm still annoyed buy it). How much Dawn per gallon of water?

2. I'll clay as needed using Griots Clay as I like it more than Sonus & Zaino's.

3. I'll polish any defects out of the paint using Griots Machine Polish 3 (or 2 if there any bad spots).

4. I'll spray the car down with one coat of Z6 and wipe it off (in sections of course).

5. I'll mix one ounce of Z2 Pro with 4 drops of ZFX and apply a think layer to the whole car (as I would do with Klasse AIO & SG) using a Z6 moistend microfiber applicator (orange Sonus ones). (Do I need to mist Z6 on before I put the Z2 Pro on?)

6. I'll park the car out in the dry sun to help it bake on a bit as Sal did in Arizona. I'll be working on a limited timetable, so I simply can't wait more than an hour between coats. It should be in the 70's or maybe 80's when I'm doing this with 100% sunshine (no clouds).

7. I'll wipe down in the garage and then repeat steps 4 & 5 with whatever is left in the mixed bottle (this stuff is expensive, so I don't want to waste it). I'll repeat step 6 afterwards.

8. I'll mix one ounce of Z5 Pro with 4 drops of ZFX and apply a think layer to the whole car using a Z6 moistend microfiber applicator. I'll repeat steps 4 & 7.

9. I'll finish with 2 (or 3?) coats of Z8 when I do a full car wipe down using the orange Sonus plush MF buffing towels.

10. I'll faint from exhuastion and when I awake, I'll jump for joy and take 200 pictures of my work (to add to the 2000 I already have of my car ).

Please let me know what I'm missing or how I should change my plans for my car. I'm going to print our the final version and use it as my cookbook when I do my car next weekend.

Steps 1 - 3 will take ALL of next Saturday for me (just car washes take me 3 hours - I'm too anal about dirt).

I'll have roughly 6 hours to do the remaining steps on Sunday. I'm hoping I can get it all done that day.

If by some miracle I should finish early on Saturday, I might prep my windows and wheels and do those in advance of the Sunday marathon (OR should I apply a coat of Z2 Pro or Z5 Pro - which one - withOUT ZFX and let it sit overnight?)

on a dark blue use Z5pro with ZFX (1-2 coats)-Top with Z2pro(no ZFX) and maintain with Z6 or Z8(reccomended not required)

[ronmart]

Thanks Mike & WannaFBody. Here's my new revised plan:

NOTE: I have a metallic midnight blue (almost black) Porsche 911 cabriolet (so no top to finish), so let me know if I need to use different products or combos.

1. I will wash my car with with Dawn and finish up with a coat of Griots Paint Prep which helps to remove sealants. I forgot there is one cheap Blue Coral sealant put on my car in April (long story and I'm still annoyed buy it). How much Dawn per gallon of water?

2. I'll clay as needed using Griots Clay as I like it more than Sonus & Zaino's.

3. I'll polish any defects out of the paint using Griots Machine Polish 3 (or 2 if there any bad spots).

4. I'll spray the car down with one coat of Z6 and wipe it off (in sections of course).

5. I'll mix one ounce of Z5 Pro with 4 drops of ZFX and apply a thin layer to the whole car (as I would do with Klasse AIO & SG) using a Z6 moistend microfiber applicator (orange Sonus ones). (Do I need to mist Z6 on before I put the Z2 Pro on?)

6. I'll park the car out in the dry sun to help it bake on a bit as Sal did in Arizona. I'll be working on a limited timetable, so I simply can't wait more than an hour between coats. It should be in the 70's or maybe 80's when I'm doing this with 100% sunshine (no clouds).

7. I'll wipe down in the garage and then repeat steps 5 (no Z6 needed) with whatever is left in the mixed bottle (this stuff is expensive, so I don't want to waste it). I'll repeat step 6 afterwards. My goal is 2 coats of Z5 Pro.

8. I'll use straight Z2 Pro WITHOUT ZFX and apply a THIN layer to the whole car using a Z6 moistend microfiber applicator for one final coat.

9. On Monday after the last coat of Z2 Pro has had 24 hours to set up, I'll finish with 2 (or 3?) coats of Z8 when I do a full car wipe down using the orange Sonus plush MF buffing towels.

Please let me know what I'm missing or how I should change my plans for my car. I'm going to print our the final version and use it as my cookbook when I do my car next weekend.

Steps 1 - 3 will take ALL of next Saturday for me (just car washes take me 3 hours - I'm too anal about dirt).

I'll have roughly 6 hours to do steps 4 - 8 on Sunday. I'm hoping I can get it all done that day.

If by some miracle I should finish early on Saturday, I might prep my windows and wheels and do those in advance of the Sunday marathon (OR should I apply a coat of Z2 Pro or Z5 Pro - which one - withOUT ZFX and let it sit overnight?)

[wannafbody]

after your 3 initial coats of Z5P/Z2P you need to allow it to cure some before using the Z8-I'd wait a day or apply your Z8 after your first wash. Some people use Z6 between coats but it isn't really required. Z6 or ISO wipedown before your first Z5P layer is a good idea to ensure a good bond.

[ronmart]

Originally Posted by wannafbody

after your 3 initial coats of Z5P/Z2P you need to allow it to cure some before using the Z8-I'd wait a day or apply your Z8 after your first wash. Some people use Z6 between coats but it isn't really required. Z6 or ISO wipedown before your first Z5P layer is a good idea to ensure a good bond.

I just updated my last post to include your suggestion - how does that look?

What about some of the questions I have in there?

[blkZ28Conv]

There is probably no need to perform a Dawn wash if you plan on using the Groit paint prep. Just do a Z7 wash prior to the Groit step.


On a Porsche or any vehicle of this size, I would only mix-up 1/2 oz of Z5PRO and 2 drops of ZFX. This should be plenty for 2 very thin applications. Spritzing the applicator pad with Z6 during application really aids in applying very thin layers and efficient usage of sealant.

When applying the top coat of Z2PRO change your pad moistening solution to Z8 and apply again a very thin coat. Allow a little more drying time (~30-45 mins). I would not Z8 until at least 6 hours later especially sense the Z2PRO coats was not ZFX enabled. It is important to let the previously applied layers to evolve (cure and settle) before adding more to the system.

In reality your planned next re-application is not necessary or will augment any appreciable gains in protection or durability. A single application of Z8 on Sunday will boost the general appearance and add that finishing "POP" is all that will be needed because of the high quality of the finish on a Porsche from my experience.

Wash. I would clay as I washed vehicle using washing solution as lube
Polish - if needed but highly recommended to product maximum natural gloss and depth of finish.
Cleanse with Griot
Z6 wipedown (this step greatly helps in the application of sealant (next few steps))

Mixed 1/2 oz Z5PRO with 2 drops of ZFX
Apply with Z6 moistened applicator - THIN COATS
Allow to dry
Buff
Z6 wipedown - optional
Re-apply Z5PRO/ZFX with Z6 moistened applicator
Allow to dry
Buff
Z6 wipedown - optional but highly recommended at this point.

Apply Z2PRO with a Z8 moistened applicator
Allow to fully dry (may take longer because of ZFX not used)
Buff.

Stand back and admire your beautiful vehicle.

Z8 next day

Finish!!!!!

Hope this helps.

[ronmart]

Originally Posted by blkZ28Conv

There is probably no need to perform a Dawn wash if you plan on using the Groit paint prep. Just do a Z7 wash prior to the Groit step.


On a Porsche or any vehicle of this size, I would only mix-up 1/2 oz of Z5PRO and 2 drops of ZFX. This should be plenty for 2 very thin applications. Spritzing the applicator pad with Z6 during application really aids in applying very thin layers and efficient usage of sealant.

When applying the top coat of Z2PRO change your pad moistening solution to Z8 and apply again a very thin coat. Allow a little more drying time (~30-45 mins). I would not Z8 until at least 6 hours later especially sense the Z2PRO coats was not ZFX enabled. It is important to let the previously applied layers to evolve (cure and settle) before adding more to the system.

In reality your planned next re-application is not necessary or will augment any appreciable gains in protection or durability. A single application of Z8 on Sunday will boost the general appearance and add that finishing "POP" is all that will be needed because of the high quality of the finish on a Porsche from my experience.

Wash. I would clay as I washed vehicle using washing solution as lube
Polish - if needed but highly recommended to product maximum natural gloss and depth of finish.
Cleanse with Griot
Z6 wipedown (this step greatly helps in the application of sealant (next few steps))

Mixed 1/2 oz Z5PRO with 2 drops of ZFX
Apply with Z6 moistened applicator - THIN COATS
Allow to dry
Buff
Z6 wipedown - optional
Re-apply Z5PRO/ZFX with Z6 moistened applicator
Allow to dry
Buff
Z6 wipedown - optional but highly recommended at this point.

Apply Z2PRO with a Z8 moistened applicator
Allow to fully dry (may take longer because of ZFX not used)
Buff.

Stand back and admire your beautiful vehicle.

Z8 next day

Finish!!!!!

Hope this helps.

Yeah, this is exactly the kind of assistance I was looking for! I'll do another edit here in a minute with the latest revisions.

One questions - why shouldn't I use ZFX with the Z2 Pro coat? What's the added benefit of letting it cure longer without ZFX?

And you think that 2 Z5 and 1 Z2 is plenty of coats? (I'm all for doing less if I can still get the best results)

How about Z8, just one "coat"?

[blkZ28Conv]

Hi Ron,
I always use ZFX, even for a single layer. The reason I stated the ZFX-less final coat for the day was to reflect your plan which was okay to go with a single top coat of ZFX-less Z2PRO. If you have access to syringes mix up 2-3cc (~1/8 oz) of Z2PRO with 1 drop of ZFX. This will be plenty for one coat.

The new PRO series of Z2 and Z5 are really quite potent and maximal gains are reached quite easily with 3 coats. It is necessary sometimes to apply as many as 6 coats of Z5PRO to completely fill/ visually hide very minor blemishes. A pre-test I use to predetermine how effective Z5PRO with be against a blemish is to do a oil-based glaze spot test. I apply a little glaze (i.e Imperial Hand Glaze or what glaze you have on hand) to a spot and see if the glaze will fill/visually hide the blemish. this test will give me an endpoint of blemish hiding and let's me decide if I can live with it. Also if this test fails to completely hide to my satisfaction the blemish, I know the blemish is too deep for several applications of Z5PRO and further polishing is required. This test should be performed outdoors under natural lighting because both glazes and Z5PRO function via filling and optically changing the way light interacts with the blemish. After using Z5PRO on a familiar vehicle (personal) this test becomes unnecessary because you will develope an eye for the limits of Z5PRO.

If the finish passes the glaze test. Re-clean the spot with IPA and start the fun and easy part of detailing - applying the LSP.

Z8 can be used as often as you please but each session should only consist of one application/day. It is perfectly okay to apply a coat of Z8 in the AM prior to driving and applying another coat that evening after using vehicle that day (make sure surface is clean and clear of dust -Cali duster). I prefer an evening quick Z8 session over an AM session. This gives me a chance to evaluation if any foreign matter (bird crap, water shots, etc) has attached or assaulted my finish. I sleep much better knowing nothing is eating away at my protection and eventually the finish.

[ronmart]

Here we go again, here's my new revised plan:

NOTE: I have a metallic midnight blue (almost black) Porsche 911 cabriolet (so no top to finish), so let me know if I need to use different products or combos.

1. I will wash my car as usual with with Griots Car Wash

2. I'll clay as needed using Griots Clay as I like it more than Sonus & Zaino's. (I don't clay while washing because I have to wash in the sun and that will result in water spots)

3. I'll polish any defects out of the paint using Griots Machine Polish 3 (or 2 if there any bad spots).

4. I prepare the paint with a coat of Griots Paint Prep which helps to remove wax & sealants.

5. I'll spray the car down with one coat of Z6 and wipe it off (in sections of course) using a blue Sonus MF towel.

6. I'll mix a HALF ounce of Z5 Pro with 2 drops of ZFX and apply a THIN layer to the whole car (as I would do with Klasse AIO & SG) using a Z6 moistend microfiber applicator (orange Sonus ones).

7. I'll park the car out in the dry sun to help it bake on a bit as Sal did in Arizona. I'll be working on a limited timetable, so I simply can't wait more than an hour between coats. It should be in the 70's or maybe 80's when I'm doing this with 100% sunshine (no clouds).

8. I'll buff off the first coat in the garage and then repeat steps 5 & 6. I'll repeat step 7 afterwards. My goal is 2 coats of Z5 Pro.

9. I'll REPEAT step 5 (Z6), then I'll use straight Z2 Pro WITHOUT ZFX and apply a THIN layer to the whole car using a Z8 moistend microfiber applicator for one final coat.

10. On Monday after the last coat of Z2 Pro has had 24 hours to set up, I'll finish with a SINGLE coat of Z8 (???) when I do a full car wipe down using a Sonus Blue MF towel.

Please let me know what I'm missing or how I should change my plans for my car. I'm going to print our the final version and use it as my cookbook when I do my car next weekend.

Steps 1 - 4 will take ALL of next Saturday for me (just car washes take me 3 hours - I'm too anal about dirt).

I'll have roughly 6 hours to do steps 5 - 9 on Sunday. I'm hoping I can get it all done that day, and just have #10 to do on Monday.

If by some miracle I should finish early on Saturday, I might prep my windows and wheels and do those in advance of the Sunday marathon.