Tell me about "prepping"

[Curlydave]

I`ve been looking into Zaino products, but as I understand they require some "prep-work". What is this prep work? I`ve also heard that you should do it when using other products, including the Klasse "all-in-one". Shortly after I bought the car, I used the Mother`s clay bar on it: clay, polish and carnauba wax. What additional prep work is required for Zaino? Also, there are about a million + 1 Zaino products: which do I need? I notice that it says you MUST use ZFX or Z1 the first time. Why? I do not want to spend an excessive amount of money.



I`m not a professional/hobbiest detailer, and I don`t want to touch it more than every few months. (except for getting the bird **** off when nececary.) I have a nice-looking car and want to take care of it. Is messing with Zaino and prep-work even worth it?

[ararock1]

Prep work, in the case of applying Zaino, means two things.



First, you need to remove the wax, because Zaino bonds to the paint. If you put it on top of wax, it will come right off with the wax rather quickly.



Secondly, since Zaino is not abraisve and has no fillers, you should remove any surface imperfections such as swirl marks prior to the first layer of Zaino.



The answer to your last question is "yes."



To find out details about applying Zaino and how to prepare the surface, you can search here or go to the Zaino web pages at www.zainostore.com and read the detailed information posted there regarding application and preparation.

[Setec Astronomy]

I have to disagree with squidd...unless you are going to "catch the bug", I think you should stick with your Mother`s regimen, or even just use clay and cleaner wax (just be careful about getting the cleaner wax on textured plastic/rubber trim, and use less than you think you need to). For a casual user, that approach will give you the best bang for the buck and appearance for the time spent.

[bjackson8]

I have to disagree with squidd...unless you are going to "catch the bug", I think you should stick with your Mother`s regimen, or even just use clay and cleaner wax (just be careful about getting the cleaner wax on textured plastic/rubber trim, and use less than you think you need to). For a casual user, that approach will give you the best bang for the buck and appearance for the time spent.





I have to agree with Setec If you just want to spend a minimal amount of time (and $$$) detailing, I would probably go another route. I`m not knocking the Zaino or Klasse systems, because they are great, but IMO there are less time consuming (and cheaper) ways to get good durable results.



In addition to the clay bar, I would choose something like Megs ColorX as a dedicated cleaner. Its cheap, available OTC, and very effective. It`s a great base for a good wax, plus it is extremely user friendly. Cost is about $7/bottle.



For the wax, one of the Collinites would be perfect. #845 is very easy to use, and gives at least 3 months of durability. #476S is not as user friendly but has better durability. Each product is about $15.



Anyway, this would be my opion of a good start to detailing.

[ararock1]

I agree that it takes a lot more time (and perhaps more money) to get wax off and Zaino on.



But after the first time consuming process, I find that Zaino takes less time year to year because it does not need to be re-applied every month or so, but only every six months or so. (And it is very easy to apply.)



However, having used it on 3 cars now, I will say that to do the initial application correctly does take a fair amount of time, and also some research to understand what is involved. As for the end result, I doubt that many people can tell the difference between the finishes.



I keep one car parked outside and one parked in a garage, and the one parked outside all the time only needs re-applications every 4 to 6 months, which is fine with me. (The beading patterns after a rain are a good indicator of this.) The indoor car needs even less attention, but I add a few coats anyway every spring and fall when the weather is moderate, just to have something to do.



I don`t think Zaino is for everyone, and I don`t recommend it to any of my friends who do not want to spend the time and energy to do it right in the first place, but the original question here indicated an interest in learing about Zaino and how to apply it. The answer to that inquiry remains that he should read all the application tips on the Zaino page before getting involved, because if it is not done right at the time of the initial application, he will not have any of the advantages of the system at all.

[Curlydave]

Thanks for the recommendations. I am interested in Zaino, and I think I`ve decided to order some. After reading the application instructions on their website, I`m looking at getting ZFX, Z2-pro, Z5 and Z7. I`ll post results here after I do it.

[ararock1]

I would suggest you also order a bottle of the Z6. Use this as a QD between washes, and use it between coats of Z2 or Z5. It enhances the shine and smells good, too.