Finally Tried Zaino

[jasonatv22]

Well, after several months of it sitting around and me coasting off the S100, I put just one coat of Zaino on my car before the sun went down today.



I got my Black Miata home the fun way (it was 75 degrees today) and then dawn washed it. Dawn smells pretty good compared to most of the car stuff I have.



So..Dawn Wash...Z6ed it...then Z2 with ZFX off the free applicator that came with the Zaino which I wetted with Z6. I did about 1/3 of the 2 oz container (0.7 oz) and even with that I ended up throwing away nearly half. A little really does go along way.



I expected the Zaino to buff off after the 30 minutes a little easier than it did. S100 has spoiled me. But I got what I wanted, a good hard shine. I`m very much a liker of the mirrorness.



I did take pictures, but you guys all know that Zaino is great. Just sharing the happy.



It seems to me that those who scoff Zaino haven`t tried it. And those who have stopped using it are searching for a different kind of shine. But for the type of shine it has Zaino really shines remarkably well.



Two incredibly slick Zainoed thumbs up. :up :up

[Nick T.]

CAUTION: Zaino is addictive!



Next time mix up just one ounce of Z-2 or Z-5 with ZFX - shake really well, let it sit for 5 minutes and shake again. Use thinner coats so that with this amount you can do the entire care twice and have enough left over to do a third coat on the front and hood. Make sure that it has dried before buffing. Do the “finger test� - a wipe with your finger should leave a shiny surface with no smearing or smudging. The thin coats will make the dried Zaino much easier to wipe off. After 3-4 layers there is no need to use the ZFX again for the next 5-6 layers if you don’t wait for a couple of months to do them.



Good luck and have fun!





<CENTER>Never drive with the top up! If it’s cold, wear more clothes! If it’s raining, drive faster! Always wave at other roadsters!</CENTER>



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[JimS]

I first used Zaino a couple of weeks ago and now have 5 coats applied. I`ve found it very easy to wipe off (not RUB) because you use so little. I used less than an ounce of it to do my full-sized extended cab Silverado with a tonneau cover and that included all the windows and the chrome wheels. I used about 4 match head sized drops for half the hood. I was warned that the usual first timer mistake was not applying it thin enough. Maybe that was what caused you to have a little problem wiping it off.



I cut a towel that I got from lazaino into pieces about 4" x 4" and made my own applicators. I misted the applicator with Z6 prior to using it and then remisted it about every other panel. That helped me to be able to stretch the product and use very very little.

[imported_NHBFAN]

Hey, Postwood:



So you think Zaino gave you a "considerably" better shine than S100?

[JimS]

I can`t respond to that. I`m new to detailing and haven`t used the other premium products. I started with Zaino. I like it and I`ve not yet experimented with the others even though I do have Upp and Klass aio and sg here to play with when I`m done layering Zaino. I suppose I`ll get the urge to try others once I find out just how good Zaino can be with multiple layers.

[autohubgroupph]

Originally posted by Postwood

It seems to me that those who scoff Zaino haven`t tried it. And those who have stopped using it are searching for a different kind of shine. But for the type of shine it has Zaino really shines remarkably well.





You nailed Zaino to a T. Great stuff.



You even did much better than average for a first time user. Couple more tips, tohugh. You still used more Zaino that you needed and the result was a little more difficult removal. However, even with the thinest of coats, S100 is easier to remove with a good MF towel.



This is the key to know how much Z2/Z5 is enough. If you can see white on the surface (or pink or whatever color the Z2/Z5 are), you used too much. You just want to leave a haze over the surface. It can get very difficult to determine where you have applied thin coats to dark cars. So, if there is a milky substance left on the surface when you are applying, you used too much. Keep wiping and spreading it to other surfaces until you just barely are covering. If while you are doing it, you keep questioning whether you missed a section, give yourself the benefit of the doubt because it is probably already there. Besides, you`ll probably get a few coats total on there so if you missed a little, you`ll get it next time.



Also, do not throw away that leftover mixure in the mixing bottle! After you remove the first coat, start on the next coat.



Happy Zainoing!

[LKimura]

APT?

You mention not to throw away the leftover mixture but to start the second coat right after removing a previouse coat. How important is it to QD/Z6 before a coat or Z2 or Z5? What do you miss out on if you do not Z6 between coats?

[imported_Luster]

I have found that very thin coats out-shine thicker coats, and thin layers are so much easier to apply and remove.



It only takes one ounce to do my entire car. That`s great value for the results.



I bought my Zaino products a year ago and I still have half the contents remaining.

[SK2003TypeS]

I did mine almost 2 weeks ago and had that "too thick" problem in several areas. I was able wipe it off with a very tiny amount of Z6 to aid in the process. Otherwise, I ended up doing a coat of Z5, Z2 and a last Z2 coat on the hood, roof and trunk. I had left over with both Z5 and Z2.

How do you avoid that initial "blop" when you first put the applicator with the Z on the surface ? I took Nick T`s advice and did the Zorro Z instead of the dime. I`m using the mixing bottles that Zaino sends you, but the squirt that comes out is too thick. Otherwise I Love Zaino so far. Can`t wait to wash and throw on another coat or so.

[TortoiseAWD]

Originally posted by SK2003TypeS

How do you avoid that initial "blop" when you first put the applicator with the Z on the surface ? I took Nick T`s advice and did the Zorro Z instead of the dime. I`m using the mixing bottles that Zaino sends you, but the squirt that comes out is too thick. Otherwise I Love Zaino so far. Can`t wait to wash and throw on another coat or so. Here`s a thread I started a while back that shows how I avoid getting too much Z in one spot:



http://www.autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?threadid=4434&highlight=zaino



Another trick: Use a 35 mL oral syringe to mix and dispense your Z/ZFX. You can get tiny amounts on your applicator with great control, and keep an eye on your usage as you go. Best thing about using a syringe, though, is no waste . . . good to the last drop. You could do three or four panels of a car with what`s left behind clinging to the walls of the Z-provided mixing bottle, IMO.



Tort

[SK2003TypeS]

Thanks for the tip TortoiseAWD. Looking at the pic of your applicator confirms for me I layed it on a little thick in certain areas. Aiming for thinner coats on my next application.

[autohubgroupph]

Originally posted by LKimura

APT?

You mention not to throw away the leftover mixture but to start the second coat right after removing a previouse coat. How important is it to QD/Z6 before a coat or Z2 or Z5? What do you miss out on if you do not Z6 between coats?



I have always used Z6 right before applying a fresh coat of Zaino. It supposedly makes the final surface even slicker and more glossy. If applying between sucsessive coats, you also give yourself a chance to remove any spots you hmay have missed buffing off the prior coat. If applying a freah coat after a wash, you`ll know that you got rid of the water spots.



If you don`t use Z6 before, you may not get as good of a shine as you could. That is questionable as I have not seen any experiements to the nature of using Z6 prior and not using it. You are welcome to be the first!



Luster



An ounce per coat is quite a bit. 3-6 coats per ounce seem to be what many experienced people can get. Last summer I used up 3 coats of Z5 on my IS300, then had enough leftover to put 1 coat on my RX-7. Both are generally smaller than average in surface area. Or, I put 2 coats on an extended cab F-150 last summer, but ran out of time to use up the mixture bottle. I am still trying to use less and less. I have come a long way from my first bottle of Z2 that I got about 5 coats out of the whole bottle! Damp foam pads seem to work better for me than the Zaino cotton applicators.



And for the people new to Zaino, get more coats on. In my experience 3-5 coats are where Zaino looks its best. 1 looks as good as any other high quality product. 2 looks marginally better, but in the 3-5 range it starts to really stand out and show the true Zaino characteristic.



Have fun!

[blackntan]

Mark,



Awesome car!!!!



Have a look at mine:



http://miata.cardomain.com/id/jaredirl (black n tan)



It`s a 96, same options as yours, with a black crinkle Sola Luna knob, strut brace and a new cloth and tan top.



They`re great machines, aren`t they??



Your car looks fantastic! I looked at the cardomain page, but wasn`t sure if those were the Zaino pics. What`s on the paint in those?



Have a look at page 3 for the current state of my car... :( I get her back next week, and I have a full weekend of detailing set aside.. :D can`t wait!

[jasonatv22]

Originally posted by NHBFAN

Hey, Postwood:



So you think Zaino gave you a "considerably" better shine than S100?



If you said "more shine" I`d say yes, but you said better shine, and so I say "different strokes for different folks". Right now, with it getting warmer, I`m thinking summery thoughts and a man`s mind naturally turns to sharp hard-edged reflections this time of year.



The Zaino doesn`t darken the paint like the S100 does. There is more shine. Both products are great and they really don`t compare well. S100 durability is it`s only weak point in my book, since it is easier to remove than the Zaino (though it`s been suggested that I glopped, which if that was glopping, using 0.4 oz on a Miata, then I glopped.)




Originally posted by APT

You nailed Zaino to a T. Great stuff.



(snip)



Also, do not throw away that leftover mixure in the mixing bottle! After you remove the first coat, start on the next coat.



Happy Zainoing!



Thanks for the complement about my Zaino nailing ability.



The reason I dumped the remaining 0.4 oz is because the sun was down. I don`t do any detailing by artificial light except for "obsession light" spot treatments. I put two scratches (now removed) in my hood that way.




Originally posted by blackntan

It`s a 96, same options as yours, with a black crinkle Sola Luna knob, strut brace and a new cloth and tan top.



They`re great machines, aren`t they??



Your car looks fantastic! I looked at the cardomain page, but wasn`t sure if those were the Zaino pics. What`s on the paint in those?



Have a look at page 3 for the current state of my car... :( I get her back next week, and I have a full weekend of detailing set aside.. :D can`t wait!



Ah, if only you had a 94, then you`d have the perfect year. I have a polished Voodoo Magnum knob.



I`m very pleased with mine, but I wish Mazda had put a clearcoat on it. And as long as I`m dreaming, I wish it weighed 500 lbs less and had 240 hp with a completely flat torque curve.



The very low res pics that my lousy $18 digital camera took were with S100 on. The weather that day and the camera don`t do the S100 justice. You should really try it. It darkens the paint well and is very easy to put on and get off. Though it`s not long lived. But great to dress up the car for special occasions, like, uh...I think there`s a Friday this week.



Saw the wreck pics. Make sure you let the paint cure before messing with it. I can`t belive a Dodge didn`t just roll right over you.