My review of the new Zaino

[imported_Aurora40]

Ha ha, just a tease for now... I haven't applied it yet. However, I wanted to write up the prep steps while I'm eating lunch in the middle of prepping.



I have sprayed the car down with 64:1 APC+ to loosen/remove the Souveran and Blackfire on the car, washed the car with #00, ran to the store (in a different car) to pick up some Clay Magic, and will clay with that, then polish with Swirl Free Polish by PC with a yellow Meg's pad. The car was still quite beady after the APC+, so I suspect the Blackfire is still hanging on. I'm sure SFP will make short work of it.



If you are a Zaino-maniac, please skip this paragraph. It is currently drizzling out, and also my driveway is in the sun from about 10:30 am to about 6:30 pm. So I may be able to wash it when I'm done polishing if it is still overcast but not actually raining. If it's still raining, I may have to wait until tomorrow morning to wash it and apply the Z5. My plan is to wash the car with Z7 after the polish session, and then possibly QD with Z6 if there appear to be any water spots. I do not plan on using Dawn in any capacity. I really can't see how any glaze would remain after washing the car with Z7. The Z7 says right on the bottle it can remove grease and tar, plus a light rain would probably be enough to remove most of an unprotected glaze. So I really don't see the point of the Dawn, and really don't view it as an appropriate car wash.



I will then dry the car, check for water spotting, Z6 the whole car if I notice spotting (because if there's some, there is probably other spotting I'll miss seeing). Then I will mix up about one ounce of Z5 with the appropriate ZFX and try to squeeze three coats out of it.



I have used the Zaino glass polish, Z12, on one car already, and will likely polish my glass while waiting to do the Z7 wash. I found it an enjoyable product that worked well on water spotting and left the glass looking very clean. I have thought about splitting my windshield after polishing with Z12 and putting Blackfire on one side and Zaino on the other just to see how the beading compares. I'm not sure if I'll be doing that or not.



I will report back with some application and initial impressions of Zaino, but it will likely be several weeks or more before I really feel I have a good "feel" of the product, the look, and how it behaves.



I should also add my feelings currently are that I am very interested in finally trying Zaino, but I am a bit skeptical it will look better than Blackfire on my metallic paint. It just had such a metallic pop. But it's possible I'll like the Zaino look better. I have a feeling they will have different looks on my car. I am also a tad skeptical of the product because of all the hype and the almost cult-like way some people talk about it. But I've heard plenty of good reviews as well, and I'm sure it will at the very least be another good product that just isn't my favorite.



P.S. BlkZ28, I was really thinking about trying either the BF polish, or some #7 after the SFP (I don't have GEPC), but a) I'm not a big glaze fan and b) I really don't want to use Dawn, and would feel a little less comfortable with just a Z7 wash after something like that. I'll have to try it out one of these days, though, maybe when I'm a bit more familiar with the Z.

 

[imported_Aurora40]

Hmm, it's not overly clear my exact steps, so here they are:

• Spray a rather clean (washed about 6 miles ago) car down with 64:1 APC+
  
• Wash with #00
  
• Clay with Clay Magic (I'm interested in trying this too!)
  
• Polish with #82 SFP, a PC, and a yellow (polishing) Meg's pad
  
• Probably polish glass with Z12 while waiting for good weather/light to wash
  
• Wash with Z7
  
• Z6 if needed for water spots
  
• ZFX and Z5 about three coats
  
• Stand back and admire

I will also eventually add some Z2 on top, but as I can only apply three coats in a day, I'll go with Z5 first. If it turns out one ounce of Z5 only gets me two coats, then I'll try to mix up half an ounce of Z2 with ZFX for the third coat.

 

[Dave N]

My truck is currently detailed with:



Clay

Meguiar's No.2 Fine Cut Cleaner (PC white pad)

Blackfire Polish (PC white pad)

Blackfire II Protectant (x2) (PC grey pad)

Platinum UPP (x3 or 4, can't exactly remember)



I bought some of the new Zaino (Z2 and Z5) a month or so ago, since everyone had raved about how good it was. To compare with the above products, I taped off half my hood and did the following:



Clay (actually I clayed the whole hood)

3M SMR for dark cars (PC grey pad to remove old sealant)

Dawn wash

Z1, Z5

Z5 (24 h later, Z6'd first)



I also put another coat of UPP on the other side of the hood.



Compared to the UPP side, the Zaino side is not as dark and deep. The difference is hard to see in direct overhead daylight, but in artificial light or looking at an angle when the sun in setting, the Z side is noticeably lighter and in my opinion doesn't look as good. To my eye, I can't really tell any difference in the reflectivity or shininess. Oddly enough, I also couldn't tell any difference whatsoever in water beading between the two sides.



I'm not crazy about the way my paint looks in the first place, and I want a sealant system to make it look as dark as possible. I'm really happy with the BF/UPP combo. I plan on trying an AIO/UPP test spot on the hood to see if it looks as dark.

 

[BradE]

The BlackFire/Platinum looks darker because the product contains oil, much like a wax. Zaino has no oil, thus not as dark. The oil is the same reason it also isn't as durable. It's also the reason the new BlackFire is a smeary mess.



There is a problem with these "hybrid" sealants, the polymers they contain won't crosslink to the surface due to the oil content. Instead, they attempt to crosslink to the oil. Thus, the product will only last as long as the oil does.

 

[imported_memnuts]

Aurora 4.0. Try mixing only 1/2 oz of Z5 with 3 drops of ZFX. You will be :shocked how far Z5/Z2 will go when applied very thinly. If you require more to complete the 3 coats just mix what you need

( 1/4 oz and 2 drops of ZFX). This way you will not waste any product. An alternative would be to use these mixtures and do 2 Z5 and 1 coat of Z2( 1/4 oz mixture). Enjoy!!! :bounce



PS. It sounds like you like the glass polish. I am thinking about getting some with my next Z6 order. :xyxthumbs

 

[imported_Aurora40]

Ok, update. Man, I spent all day on the car. I did the APC+, the clay, and the SFP. I also did the glass with Z12. Tomorrow I will wash with Z7 and then apply the Z5 to the car. I actually think I might start doing this second wash anyway (i.e. not only with Zaino) as the car gets so covered with buffing dust from the PC.



The Z12 polishing of the glass went well. It is a nice product and is easy to use. It's pretty gentle and I have no qualms about using it as needed on glass. It does take a bit of elbow grease, especially to remove long-term water spots.



The first time I used it, I noticed I had to use a fair amount just because it dries up and gets hard to spread. So this time, I sprayed my foam hand app with distilled water first, then applied the Z12 (it also beaded up on all the glass at first, a testament to the BF's resisting the APC+). This really helped it spread. I noticed some of the spots weren't coming off, so I added a little more Z12 without any water and worked those spots until the polish started to disappear. I don't know if it was the extra polish or just having the first application sit on it or what, but this worked great on he water spots.



Hand application to the whole car is a bit tedious, as you really have to work it in a bit. I'll try it out with the PC one of these times, which will probably make it a total breeze (though likely use more product). I would give Z12 a big :bigups



BlkZ28Conv, I'll try the smaller mix. I figured one ounce would do it, plus it would be easier to judge half the bottle by eye than a fourth. That sounds like a good idea though, because then I am less likely to waste any.

 

[chris0626]

Aurora40, just one question. You mention you'll only use Z6 if you notice waterspotting or other problem. But the Zaino instructions say that when you get ready to use Z2 or Z5, first QD with Z6, then use Z2/Z5, and follow again with Z6. I think I've heard there's some chemical-reaction explanation for this. You might want to use the Z6 as instructed in this first go-found. Also, lots of us find the Z2 or Z5 spreads more easily if we spritz the applicator with Z6.



Please take all that just as a FWIW ... I'm sure you'll be much smarter and more methodical about all this than I was on my first Zaino try.

 

[imported_memnuts]

Very good pointers Lynn . :bow



Spritzing really aids in applying thin even coats and a Z6 ( spritzed on MF) prior to polish application is an excellent final inspection step and surface prepping step.



Aurora looks like you are being very meticulous about your prep. GREAT!! Only fair way to judge a product, especially Zaino. :bow

 

[Dave N]

The BlackFire/Platinum looks darker because the product contains oil, much like a wax.

Oil? What oil?

UPP

 

[imported_Aurora40]

Aurora40, just one question. You mention you'll only use Z6 if you notice waterspotting or other problem. But the Zaino instructions say that when you get ready to use Z2 or Z5, first QD with Z6, then use Z2/Z5, and follow again with Z6. I think I've heard there's some chemical-reaction explanation for this. You might want to use the Z6 as instructed in this first go-found. Also, lots of us find the Z2 or Z5 spreads more easily if we spritz the applicator with Z6.



Please take all that just as a FWIW ... I'm sure you'll be much smarter and more methodical about all this than I was on my first Zaino try.

Hey Lynn, thanks for the tips. Maybe I will QD the whole car anyway just to play it safe. My thinking was mainly that I want to avoid any MF linting if possible. I don't think the linting would interfere with the Zaino, but it builds up on the applicator and such and is generally annoying.



I did plan on spritzing the app with some Z6, and I should have mentioned that. I imagine it will help spread the Z as thin as possible.



Well, I'm off to Z7 the car now!

 

[imported_Aurora40]

Ok, so I washed the car and dried it off. I'm eating lunch, then I'll go Z6 it and start applying the Z5. My Pakshaks usually lint a bit when I QD with them, so I'm thinking maybe I'll try out my free Autofiber MF to see how it does. Or I could use the DF Towel, but sometimes with QD it can be difficult because it absorbs slowly. Though Z6 is apparently used quite sparingly, so maybe the DF's the way to go.



My initial impressions of Z7 are that it smells like blue sugar (pixie stix, sweet tarts, Hi-C, whatever) and is incredibly sudsy. I used 2 1/2 capfuls for about 1 1/2 gallons of wash water. I put in about 1/4-1/2 a gallon, add the soap, then blast it with the ultimate nozzle (this'll suds up even #00 pretty dang well). The suds were incredible and it almost seemed like it is too much soap for the amount of water.



Subjectively, the water feels less lubricating than it does when I use #00 (about 2 capfuls, but I shake it first so when I pour the capful they are sort of sudsy, so it's more like 1 1/2 capfuls). If I stick my hand in the water and rub my fingers around, #00 feels pretty slick (sort of like how coolant feels in your fingers) and the Z7 doesn't feel much slicker than regular water.



It washes up very nicely, though. Of course my car was basically clean already. It leaves a ton of suds on the car and it is very easy to tell where you've washed already. It even turned my rinse bucket into a suds bucket. A few times I almost started washing again after only rinsing the mitt as it came out so sudsy. It also rainbows quiet a lot, something I've never noticed with #00. This is not a bad thing, and is probably due to the fact that Z7 tries to brighten/refresh the finish while #00 just cleans it. It rinsed off easily and didn't leave any rainbowing behind after the rinse.



I still have most of a bucket left, and the very sudsy rinse bucket, and the Z7 ain't cheap, so I'm gonna try to wash the wife's car with it later. If my car had been even remotely dirty I'd be hesitant, but I bet more dust settled in the bucket out of the air then got transferred there from the car. Plus, this will give me a better idea how it does on a non-clean car, and I'd be curious if it brightens up the SG a bit.



All in all Z7 seems nice, but it hasn't made me want to stop using #00. I will probably just use the Z7 when I am going to add more layers of Zaino.



Here's my car awaiting the Z7:

 

[imported_Aurora40]

And here's my car all sad because nobody is protecting it...

 

[imported_memnuts]

Looks like a beautiful carvas to paint with Zaino .

The DF towel works great with Z6 and or Autofiber towel. No lint from either if previously washed.

 

[imported_Aurora40]

Ok, I applied the first coat and am waiting to buff it. Here's how much Z5 I mixed up. I should have let it settle out first before snapping the pict I guess. It was more noticeable when I was looking at it, but the flash made it hard to tell where the line is, so I penned it in red. That's how full the bottle was when I started. I used 2 drops of ZFX in it.

 

[imported_Aurora40]

And here's how much is left after one coat. It went on pretty easily, though the Z6 helps. It spreads a lot easier than SG, but not quite as easy as Blackfire. Blackfire doesn't need any QD to help spread it because it is so slick (and "smeary") already. All and all pretty easy. I'll be using a different applicator for each coat.

 

[imported_Aurora40]

Can you see the haze? This is with the unbuffed coat still on the car. Looks pretty good already, ehh? And it's not even buffed yet (though it looked pretty good when it was just plain paint).

 

[imported_Aurora40]

Here you can barely see the haze. At this point I had Z'd the C-pillar, but not the side of the car. You can barely see the product on the C-pillar and down on the side just a bit. I circled it because it's not easy to see. It was a little easier to see in person, but not much.



I used the Autofiber MF, and it was quite nice. No linting and very soft. I had washed it when I first got it. I only used one side, so I'll use the other side for the next Z6 wipedown.



Applying three coats with the Z6 in between is a bit of a pain, but ok for a one-time thing. In the future, I'd probably just do one coat at a time.



The Z6 is nice, and a little goes a long way, but if the car were actually being QD'd vs. being washed I'd want to use a bit more of it. On a just-washed car, it is similar to Final Detail in the amount used and how it spreads. It also seems to improve the gloss of the paint, though it isn't nearly as slick as FD. It's nice stuff, but again, I'll stick with Final Detail when I'm not applying Z.



Edit: With Z now on the car, the Z6 goes on even better, and I really hardly had to use any of it. It's a very nice QD, and I don't think you'd be missing out if you only ever used it.

 

[imported_Aurora40]

Ok, maybe your getting sick of reading about my Zaino application... I'll try to keep it short. But I did notice some differences between the first and second application.



The second coat is much easier. The product spreads more easily, and also, the new product beads up on the first coat (Blackfire does this too). It's just pretty cool. It also takes less product for the second coat (if you can imagine that's possible).



For comparison, I use about the same amount of Blackfire when applying it. So while I guessed it took me about 1/4 of an ounce for my car, that's way overestimating. The Z bottle only had 1/2 an ounce, and look how little it actually takes!



Since the first pict of the bottle when it was full sucked, here's what it looks like after the 2nd coat. Compare to the 1st coat picture to get an idea of how little it takes. That's a 2 oz. bottle:



I guess I'll do the windows and maybe the wheels (they have SG on them) after the 3rd coat. Hey, I have until about 2 am to use it up, so stop by for a free Z5 coat! I can probably squeeze in about 5 more cars out of it!

 

[imported_Aurora40]

Here's a tease at what the car looks like. Keep in mind this is with the second coat still setting. It is applied in these pictures but not buffed off yet:

 

[imported_Aurora40]

As an aside (while I wait for 60 seconds to pass so I can post again) I might try distilled water with Z instead of Z6 one of these times. When doing the very bottom of the side panels and rear (only after doing the whole rest of the car first), some water got in the pad and it still spread well. It hazes very noticeably after water is in it. Plus, the distilled water helps with any light water spotting from the wash (new spots, not real old stuff) in case any was missed.