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Keeping the Prius shiny...

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Jon S, Aug 17, 2009.

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  1. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    Unless you find allot of satisfaction from the Chore "like mowing the grass", I just think its better to find a solution thats not so crazy complicated and do it more often if desired rather than make the beating so bad you procrastinate doing it again.... waiting a long time between treatments is what builds road grime the easiest.

    When I first start, I like to have my cotton rubbing pad slightly moist, otherwise too much of the Zaino gets sucked up into the pad and doesn't release to the surface of the car as easy..... as much as this stuff cost.. no use in wasting it!
     
    #81 windstrings, Sep 17, 2009
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  2. Jon S

    Jon S Member

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    To all the Zaino users, you got to try the Zaino Clear Seal... It's great. Wipe on and let it dry... spray it on the applicator pad/cloth and wipe on. Don't wipe too long as you will end up removing it. It should leave a rainbow sheen on the car after application, if not, you wiped it off. The Clear Seal takes about 15-30 minutes to bond to the finish (the rainbow sheen will disappear once it bonds). so don't apply multiple coats until the previous coat bonds... $30 a bottle seems steep, but you only use 14 pumps to cover the entire car... I can easily get 40-50 coats per bottle...

    [​IMG]
     
    #82 Jon S, Sep 17, 2009
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  3. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    Not sure I want my car looking like a rainbow! I'm just not that kind a guy! :)
     
    #83 windstrings, Sep 17, 2009
  4. Jon S

    Jon S Member

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    the rainbow sheen disappears once the Z-CS is dry....
     
    #84 Jon S, Sep 17, 2009
  5. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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    Yes, once the Z-CS dries completely the effect goes away. If it is on heavy it can take several hours so use patience...
     
    #85 Paradox, Sep 17, 2009
  6. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    Seems I remember that effect when using the Grand Finally spray too.
     
    #86 windstrings, Sep 17, 2009
  7. Star gazer

    Star gazer Junior Member

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    Does the car have to be just washed to use this and do you put on Z6 or Grand Finale spray afterwards?
     
    #87 Star gazer, Sep 18, 2009
  8. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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    Oh yeah, the car must be clean. It is only a sealant too so the car should be properly prepped before applying. I'm not saying the whole Dawn process and claying it. If the car has had Zaino on previously and the paint is not in bad condition you can use this, but it does have to be at a minimum washed.

    Like any Zaino product, you can use a spray on it afterwards, once it is fully dry and cured.
     
    #88 Paradox, Sep 19, 2009
  9. Star gazer

    Star gazer Junior Member

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    Thanks!
     
    #89 Star gazer, Sep 19, 2009
  10. Jon S

    Jon S Member

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    My car is a classic silver Prius IV... My wife drives a Lexus ES350 in Winter Gray metallic... These are a couple of shots of the car, finished with Z-5 Pro and Clear Seal...
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
    #90 Jon S, Sep 20, 2009
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  11. pri-serious

    pri-serious New Member

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    I hope this is not a dumb question. Do you Zaino the windows too? or just the metal part? the entire body of the car?
     
    #91 pri-serious, Sep 29, 2009
  12. HI MPG

    HI MPG Active Member

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    Zaino the panels and maybe the black rear spoiler. For the windows, you might want to use a product like Stoner window cleaner (and repellent).
     
    #92 HI MPG, Sep 30, 2009
  13. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    Rather than do nothing to the windows.. I would Zaino them.. it works.. but the special Glass product they have is better, it has mild abrasives etc to clean as it bonds... the product for paint cleans without abrasives but designed to bond with the clear coat surface or paint "depending on which product".

    So in answer to your question.. it won't hurt and only help, but they have better.
     
    #93 windstrings, Sep 30, 2009
  14. pri-serious

    pri-serious New Member

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    I looked at the Zaino glass polish too, but since the iv and v comes with coated windows, would the polish hurt the coating?
     
    #94 pri-serious, Oct 1, 2009
  15. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    Good question about the coated windows.

    I would think the regular Zaino for the clearcoat or paint wouldn't, but not sure about the glass product that has mild abrasives.
     
    #95 windstrings, Oct 1, 2009
  16. Jon S

    Jon S Member

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    I would NOT use the Zaino glass polish on the glass unless you have waterspots that you want to remove....
     
    #96 Jon S, Oct 1, 2009
  17. Jon S

    Jon S Member

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    I decided to try a different approach with my silver Prius. I switched from Zaino and polished my car wsith Mother's Reflections Car Wax. Reflections gives a better shine than Zaino, but it's weakness is it's lack of durability, lasting a couple of weeks, max. I then decided to top the Mother's Reflections with S100 Carnauba Wax (relabeled P21S, a German wax) which is easily found at most Harley Davidson bike shops.

    S100 (or P21S) has the slickest feel of any wax I know. Reflectivity is very good (but not as good as Reflections) and durability is very good, lasting 4-6 weeks, depending on car color (car waxes do not last on dark cars due to the highertemperatures of the car from the sun).

    Results were very good. Carnauba waxes gives a deeper shine that Zaino. Sealants like Zaino gives the car a plasticky look, like it is covered in saran wrap. If you have a darker color, like the red, blue or the dark grey, the S100 finish will surprise you.
     
    #97 Jon S, Nov 20, 2009
  18. 32kcolors

    32kcolors Senior Member

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    Why not Z-CS over cured Mother's Reflections to give it added durability, bypassing the S100? Or does the Clear Seal still give it plasticky look even over carnauba wax?

    I'm not sure, but it seems like certain colors (such as silver) are more susceptible to getting the plasticky look after the Zaino treatment than other colors.
     
    #98 32kcolors, Nov 21, 2009
  19. Gman777

    Gman777 New Member

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    Hello,

    I am brand new here. I just purchased a 2010 Prius this week. It is Blizzard Pearl.

    I would like to use Zaino on it. Please can you recommend:
    Should I clay/Dawn the car first? What product should I use?
    Which Zaino should I use?

    Does anyone have a full step by step for me to follow?

    Any other ideas are much appreciated.

    Thanks much
     
    #99 Gman777, Nov 21, 2009
  20. PriusRos

    PriusRos A Fairly Senior Member - 2016 Prius Owner

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    There's a lot of information on the zainobros.com website. I started with the [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Zaino Total Protection Show Car Kit.[/FONT]

    Zaino Total Protection Show Car Kit: Zaino Store
     
    #100 PriusRos, Nov 21, 2009
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