Spring and the new Zaino products

karen1122

New member
Finally it is warm in the northeast!! That means getting all the crud off my baby's paint.



I would appreciate your comments on my proposed process with the new Zaino products. Metalic black paint in relatively good shape (some minor swirling). Presently protected with Z5/Z2 Pro.



Dawn wash

Clay

Z-PC (PC with LC White Pad)

Z-AIO by hand (is the PC a good alternitive here?)

Z5 Pro / ZFX by hand times 2 with a Z6 wipe

Z2 Pro / ZFX by hand with a Z6 wipe

Z-CS by hand with a new applicator

12 hour wait

Z8 top





Option: I have not used Z-PC before but do have experience with PS21 PWC. In your opinion would I gain any depth by adding a step and following the Z-PC with PS21 PWC (PC with LC white pad)?
 
Thanks for the responses



Ok - let's just pretend that I never said the Dawn wash. That might be safer to my health and I am sorry for sturring up that old kettle.



wannafbody: 3 coats max per day with the ZFX enabled Z2/5 Pro is specifically identified by Zaino. Does this apply to Z-AIO and Z-CS as well??
 
ZAIO works wonderfully when applied by PC. Highly recommend.





3 layers / day?

This excludes ZAIO and CS. ZFX applies to Z2/3/5 with max application of 3 per 24 hrs. You may find that you will need only 1 coat of Z5PRO. From my experience ZAIO has some Z5-like effects. This stems from further surface refinement (cleansing and polishing) and the sealant deposition (protection).



Have fun with your first Spring spruce-up. I am sure the detailing of your black metallic will brighten that region of the country.
 
you can do ZAIO, Z5pro with ZFX and CS in one day-3 coats max. CS requires a few hours cure before the second layer. Any more than 3 layers and you risk polymers system overload.
 
@karen1122:



good process of Zaino steps. I just went thru similar steps (a little each day) for the last 2 weeks. The only comment is on the Z-AIO. I talked to Sal about this and he recommends Z-AIO by hand. You use way less product than if you used a PC, it was specifically developed to be applied by hand and from personal use, if you have prepped properly (I did IP, Z-PC, Z-AIO) ZAIO goes on and comes off very easily. I also added 1 drop of ZFX for faster drying and it worked very well for me.
 
jmsc said:
@karen1122:



I talked to Sal about this and he recommends Z-AIO by hand. You use way less product than if you used a PC, it was specifically developed to be applied by hand...



I have to respectfully disagree with this statement.

When ZAIO was going thru its beta testing it was tested for "both" application techniques with no preference to either. I will agree with you about ease of use by hand. ZAIO was developed to be extremely effective by hand but not en lieu of PC usage. A PC "maximizes" ZAIO's effectiveness when applied in this manner. PC usage also widens the range of paint defects in which ZAIO is able to remedy via pad selection (polish or finishing pad).



Usage amounts also is not increased by any significant amount in comparison to time saved, less fatigue and in most cases better results.

Remember a PC is not much more than a "mechanical hand".



With this stated, one can achieve equivalent results by hand with patience, stamina and proper technique. :xyxthumbs



I would "not" recommend using ZAIO with a rotary.
 
wannafbody said:
you can do ZAIO, Z5pro with ZFX and CS in one day-3 coats max. CS requires a few hours cure before the second layer. Any more than 3 layers and you risk polymers system overload.



Again respectfully, Not true.

The 3 layer rule only applies to Z2/3/5 when mixed with ZFX. ZAIO and CS are not included in this equation.

Personally I would wait a several hours before applying CS after ZAIO and Z /ZFX x 3 but I have the benefit of a garage and alternative transportation.



There is a small chance of "over-load" if each Z2/3/5?ZFX layer isn't allow to fully dry/cure prior to buffing off prior to the application of the next application or if Z8 is used between layers. Besides these 2 factors one can potentially apply 5 layers in one day.



Is five layers necessary with proper prep. No. This is where I agree with you. ZAIO/ZFX/CS will give near maximal results in appearance and durability.:heelclick
 
joshtpa said:
THis is what the owner of ZAINO HIMSELF SAYS TO DO.



But Sal also says to use only 100% made in the U.S.A. cotton towels, and I don't think most people follow that rule (at least not anymore).
 
I think MF works best for me for Zaino..



I don't know what Z-AIO relates, but IMO Z2p and Z-CS comes out similar as far as looks.



I was all crazy about putting layers of Zaino on my car like a month ago. I just got tired of doing it, and to tell you the truth I didn't really notice a differance. I'll just stick to one coat of Z2p or Z5p once a month and then add Z-CS just cuz....:drool: I can and it's a great stress reliever...
 
ZAIO goes on/off very easy by hand. If you have some minor marring or are using a "heavy" polish like EC/OP mix, then I like to use ZAIO via PC. White LC pad works great.
 
Personally (unless you just want to do a lot of steps), I'd polish your car with Z-PC using a polishing pad, ZAIO with a finishing pad, Z5 Pro (single layer) and top with Z8. If you want to layer without spending all day doing it in one shot, then simply add a layer of Z5 or Z2 with each wash for the next few weeks and maintain after that with Z8 every few washes.



I agree with Edwin, ZAIO via PC does an excellent job for your final polish and uses so little product you will be amazed.
 
Scottwax said:
Personally (unless you just want to do a lot of steps), I'd polish your car with Z-PC using a polishing pad, ZAIO with a finishing pad, Z5 Pro (single layer) and top with Z8.

I agree with Edwin, ZAIO via PC does an excellent job for your final polish and uses so little product you will be amazed.

Ditto.

I tried out ZAIO for the first time last weekend on Mrs. Tachyon's Cadillac SRX, which I had not worked on in 6 months and it had some standard-issue swirls. I did just once pass with ZAIO on a white pad with my random orbital and it did an amazing job of removing many of the swirls and cleaning up the paint. Very easy to work with. And it leaves a nice shine.

SRX.jpg


ps - yes, I did dress the tires after this pic.
 
Thank you all for your input. It is greatly appreciated.



Considering all of the opinions I have come up with what I believe will be the final plan and since this is my garage queen, I don't mind going overboard.



For the Paint:



NXTwash

Clay

Z-PC (PC with LC White Pad)

Z-AIO (PC with Black Pad)

Z5 Pro / ZFX by hand times 2 with a Z6 wipe

Z2 Pro / ZFX by hand

24 hour wait

Z6 wipe

Z-CS by hand with a new applicator

12 hour wait

Z8 top






For the Wheels



Wash

PS21 Gel

Z-AIO

Z-CS



Thanks all for the help!!!
 
For prepping the surface before polishing on a car that has some wax build up, I use a mixture of gold class and dawn to wash. Then I spray the entire car with a 50/50 isopropyl alcohol/water mix to remove the remaining wax left on. This isn't a 100% way of removing it all, but it gets most of it. I can't stand polishing a car that had a fresh LSP on it. No matter what the above guys say, a small bit of dawn won't hurt in the slightest. It makes most of them feel good to put down Zaino for some odd reason. Good luck! :)
 
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