What`s BETTER than Zaino?

[killerzee]

I`ve been detailing personally for 20+ years now, and have used many of the "major" products out there. Meguiars overall is great. All their products are pretty darn good. For the past 5 years, I have been mostly using Zaino products for paint buffing, correction, polishing, and sealing. But even with layers of Zaino, Z2, Z5, Z6, Z8, and CLEAR SEAL.... My paint is getting contaminated. I don`t get it at all. My car IS GARAGE kept. I do use it on the weekends, and is parked outside, only for a few hours. The color is BLACK, though. Every few months or so, I notice dirt within the clearcoat, and I need to CLAY. WHY????? With ALL the layers of Zaino, why is my paint picking up dirt???????? This is really very frustrating.

Is Zaino a ```` product for protection? Should I be using another product for protection? Is Duragloss better?

[RaydiantDetail]

I feel like any car regardless of protection or what kind of protection you use is going to pick up dirt, dust, contaminants etc. You can not get away from it really. You could try a ceramic coating which may reduce contaminants from sticking but not 100%. Also, I have a black car and I have the same issue and my car is coated with Gyeon Mohs and topped every month with PA Cosmic Spritz and I still have the same problem with pollen and dust till I physically remove it.

Hope you figure it out and I am sure others here could provide more but really at the end of the day I just dont see how any protection regardless of brand solves that problem completely.

[Ronkh]

Just about anything.

[killerzee]

Just about anything.

Surprised to hear this. The ease of use, and shine from Zaino is definitely good.

[ShakingHorizons]

Just about anything.

First time I have ever disagreed with you Ron - I love Zaino products, just wish they offered longer durability.

[Stokdgs]

I`ve been detailing personally for 20+ years now, and have used many of the "major" products out there. Meguiars overall is great. All their products are pretty darn good. For the past 5 years, I have been mostly using Zaino products for paint buffing, correction, polishing, and sealing. But even with layers of Zaino, Z2, Z5, Z6, Z8, and CLEAR SEAL.... My paint is getting contaminated. I don`t get it at all. My car IS GARAGE kept. I do use it on the weekends, and is parked outside, only for a few hours. The color is BLACK, though. Every few months or so, I notice dirt within the clearcoat, and I need to CLAY. WHY????? With ALL the layers of Zaino, why is my paint picking up dirt???????? This is really very frustrating.

Is Zaino a ```` product for protection? Should I be using another product for protection? Is Duragloss better?

Killerzee --
Welcome back to the Forum !
I have also used Zaino products almost 20 years ago, and back then there was not a lot to choose from..
They certainly worked good for what they were and I am sure they still look great..

Tell us how you prep your Zaino Z2 and Z5 Layers - what do you do to get the paintwork ready and clean before you apply them??

Are you also using the ZFX catalyst with each layer ? If so, I remember you could only apply 3 layers per 24 hours, I believe, right ?

Once we know what you do for your Prep work , we can then be more accurate with our replies, ok ? Need to know the Details - are you using a machine ? Which one ? Foam pads ? Which pads, what size ? What product are you using to clean the paint ? Are you using a Claybar also, to clean the paint ? Which one ?
Are you working outside for the whole process ? Inside with lights ?
Are there a lot of trees around your property ? Do they dump stuff on the ground all year, etc.?
Thanks !
Dan F

[BadgerRivFan]

I used Zaino for many years... but I have to agree with Ron.

If you really want to know what’s better than Zaino, look at Polish Angel. You’ll probably freak out over the prices, but if you’re willing to pony up the cash Polish Angel is easier to use than Zaino and the results are infinitely better (imho, ymmv).

[killerzee]

Killerzee --
Welcome back to the Forum !
I have also used Zaino products almost 20 years ago, and back then there was not a lot to choose from..
They certainly worked good for what they were and I am sure they still look great..

Tell us how you prep your Zaino Z2 and Z5 Layers - what do you do to get the paintwork ready and clean before you apply them??

Are you also using the ZFX catalyst with each layer ? If so, I remember you could only apply 3 layers per 24 hours, I believe, right ?

Once we know what you do for your Prep work , we can then be more accurate with our replies, ok ? Need to know the Details - are you using a machine ? Which one ? Foam pads ? Which pads, what size ? What product are you using to clean the paint ? Are you using a Claybar also, to clean the paint ? Which one ?
Are you working outside for the whole process ? Inside with lights ?
Are there a lot of trees around your property ? Do they dump stuff on the ground all year, etc.?
Thanks !
Dan F


I`m a fanatic about swirls and scratches, so I keep my Corvette clean with either ZPC, or Menzerna as needed. Or if I just need a CLAY, i`ll use the Zaino clay bar. I wash it with the Duragloss or Zaino soap. Use my Porter Cable 7424 to apply ZAIO with a 6.5 inch Lake Country Green Pad with ZFX of 4 or 5 drops. Z6 wipedown, then I continue with a coat of Z5 with a 6.5 inch Lake Country Gold Pad. Then another Z6 wipedown. Then at least 1 to 2 layers of Z2, with Z6 wipedowns in between. I then top it with Clear Seal. Let the car sit for 3 days, and do a FINAL wipedown with Z8.

I`m sure you can see my frustration now to have to CLAY my car after just a few months.... For regular washes, I wash with Zaino or Duragloss soap, and then apply CLEAR SEAL, followed by Z8 wipedown. The car always has loads of Zaino on it.

I do all the work inside a garage, usually closed. The wash is outside, but only 1 tree, which isn`t LARGE.

[Setec Astronomy]

I do all the work inside a garage, usually closed. The wash is outside, but only 1 tree, which isn`t LARGE.

But you must drive the car? If you have to clay a lot, you may be picking up some brake dust from your own car or other cars, or perhaps some other kind of fallout from where you go. I mean, you don`t just back the car out of the garage and wash it, then pull it back in and polish it...and then let it sit there until the next time you do the same thing again. Surely you drive it somewhere at some point and that must be when you are getting the contamination...or perhaps you have spiders in your garage, or a water heater, etc. etc.

[Stokdgs]

I`m a fanatic about swirls and scratches, so I keep my Corvette clean with either ZPC, or Menzerna as needed. Or if I just need a CLAY, i`ll use the Zaino clay bar. I wash it with the Duragloss or Zaino soap. Use my Porter Cable 7424 to apply ZAIO with a 6.5 inch Lake Country Green Pad with ZFX of 4 or 5 drops. Z6 wipedown, then I continue with a coat of Z5 with a 6.5 inch Lake Country Gold Pad. Then another Z6 wipedown. Then at least 1 to 2 layers of Z2, with Z6 wipedowns in between. I then top it with Clear Seal. Let the car sit for 3 days, and do a FINAL wipedown with Z8.

I`m sure you can see my frustration now to have to CLAY my car after just a few months.... For regular washes, I wash with Zaino or Duragloss soap, and then apply CLEAR SEAL, followed by Z8 wipedown. The car always has loads of Zaino on it.

I do all the work inside a garage, usually closed. The wash is outside, but only 1 tree, which isn`t LARGE.

Killerzee --
Thanks for the reply info !
Im familiar with all the products you use in your process...
Which Menzerna product are you using ?
Menzerna may have oils in it that could interfere with your Zaino adhering to your paintwork..
Anytime I use Menzerna (and I have used a lot of it on a zillion German Cars), l I always wipe it down with something like Car Pro Eraser, or the old Menzerna Top Inspection, before applying anything to finish off the paintwork..

What speed are you running your Porter Cable when you are correcting the paintwork ??
It is harder for that random orbital sander to rotate that big pad than it would a smaller, say 5.5" pad...
I never use those 6"+ pads unless Im correcting a big, flat, van, etc., or an Airplane, and I only use Rotary Power...

In all the years I used Zaino products I never once used a machine to apply the Z2-Z5 layers... I always did it by hand so I could see the material line by line, flashing as I put on the infamous "Thin, Even, Coats".. :)

I also never added ZFX to ZAIO either... Only mixed Z2 and Z5, separately, in these handy little 1/2 oz clear plastic bottles, with ZFX..
As I recall, the ZAIO could be the "Base" for the Z2 and Z5 +ZFX applications...

I love Zaino Car Wash Soap and still have some bottles of it.. Works great !
Looks like you have a great place to work and no worries about a lot of airborne stuff hitting you as you back out of your garage..

Thinking back and lets face it, it was waaaay back, when I last used Zaino products on paint, in the Pacific Northwest even, the only thing I had to deal with was the durability of the product.. It just didnt last very long in all that constant rain, etc., either... I would go months in between just taking care of Clients before I ever got back to my personal vehicles, and they all hung in there pretty good..

The claybar - well, we all know that if the paint is rough feeling after a good wash, then it has embedded stuff in it that should come off before putting something new on it, but it is really up to the individual what you want to do then...

Im thinking if you really want to get out of some of this work for longer, then perhaps sometime, we can all talk about Coatings, which in my professional and personal experiences, stay on the paintwork a lot longer.. Yes, they do get stuff stuck to them also, but not as much as without the coating, and using a good soap for Coatings, like CarPro Reset, the Coating seems to respond very favorably to this soap and goes a long long time before it needs something..

One other thing, if you are wanting to always have the slickest, softest, paintwork in the world, then the only way to really accomplish that is to keep the car in the garage and never take it out... :)

Dan F

[BudgetPlan1]

Just about anything.This. For the first 12 years of its life our black Corvette was ensconced in at least 3 or 4 layers of of Z2 and Z5 with ZFX, topped with Z6, Z8 or Clear Seal.

A summer only, mostly fair weather driver, it would occasionally get caught in rain and left to dry in sun. Eventually, the water spots at some point etched the clear coat. Permanently.

Additionally, a bird bomb would need to be removed in a very timely manner or they would leave a mark.

While i did like the shine and gloss, was nice and got many compliments, IMO opinion Zaino offers little (if any) protection.

Only nice thing about Zaino was that every Spring, I`d buy the showcar kit for $130 or so and that was the total car care expenditure for the season. I miss that part of the z stuff but that`s about it.

Also, self cleaning characteristics were next to non-existent.

Life is much better now, maintenance wise, just a wee bit more costly.

[Mike lambert]

As Ron said, pick one.

[Ronkh]

No Zaino, never had it on this........... THis hadn`t been touched in at least 45 days ex risneless wash.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b395/ronkh/high%20gloss%20dennys/20161104_191645_zpslcjcx5ug.jpg




No Zaino, never had it......


http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b395/ronkh/high%20gloss%20dennys/20161104_174547_zps6578jhha.jpg





No Zaino, never had it..................


http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b395/ronkh/20151213_102605_zpsyhf7njwd.jpg


http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b395/ronkh/20151213_101709_zpslozms7gs.jpg


http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b395/ronkh/20150902_114037_zps2iihvky6.jpg

[Ronkh]

If you want Z, save a few $$$ and get duragloss here.

[Oneheadlite]

I`m a fanatic about swirls and scratches, so I keep my Corvette clean with either ZPC, or Menzerna as needed. Or if I just need a CLAY, i`ll use the Zaino clay bar. I wash it with the Duragloss or Zaino soap. Use my Porter Cable 7424 to apply ZAIO with a 6.5 inch Lake Country Green Pad with ZFX of 4 or 5 drops. Z6 wipedown, then I continue with a coat of Z5 with a 6.5 inch Lake Country Gold Pad. Then another Z6 wipedown. Then at least 1 to 2 layers of Z2, with Z6 wipedowns in between. I then top it with Clear Seal. Let the car sit for 3 days, and do a FINAL wipedown with Z8.

I`m sure you can see my frustration now to have to CLAY my car after just a few months.... For regular washes, I wash with Zaino or Duragloss soap, and then apply CLEAR SEAL, followed by Z8 wipedown. The car always has loads of Zaino on it.

Holy cow. I`m sure your final product looked great, but there`s no way I would work with a system that required touching the car that many times - even if the ease of use was high.

From enthusiasts and pros on here, I see far too many stunning results (that last!) with much less effort required.