Zaino...WOW!!!

That's one reason Zaino is so great, dust doesn't want to stick to it like it does to carnuba.

 

Every time I shine my tires I want to eat the stuff!

 

Just to clarify for everyone, unlike a wax Zaino does not coat the paint. It is a polish and by definition it smooths out the surface thusly inhancing the shine. It also contains UV protectants that are applied to the paint while polishing.

So really 3-4 coats are 3-4 applications. All they really are doing is making your painted surfaces that much smoother thusly enhancing the optical presentation of the paint and lessening the imperfections.

 

Wax is crap IMHO. Especially if you live in Fresno like I do with the summer getting up to 116 F at times. Wax just vaporizes right off in a matter of days, leaving you right back where you started.

 

Yea, but its a dry heat!

I know I'm late to the party, but why is Zaino better than any other polymer sealant? Assuming you clay, polish, glaze, (in other words, properly prepare the surface )then do a sealant, won't all the reputable brands be just as good?

PS. I miss Fresno, born and raised there. Would like to go back someday, hey, its home.

 

just reapplied the zaino in anticipation of harsh road conditions on the way back up north- we used the dealership detail facility (on sunday, noone else was around) and let me tell you, our 9 month old prius looked nicer than any other car on the lot! B)

 

To begin I will quote the great Sal Zaino "Zaino contains no Wax, Harmful Silicones or Abrasives..... "

Basically the sealant depending on what is in it etc. could actually be harmful for your paint. Zaino instead cleans the paint to the best of its ability with the Clay Bar, then you polish first with a more general polish to remove fine scratches etc., that allows the painted surfaces to become uniform, then you polish with a gloss which really adds to depth and shine. However their key thing which is why I am sold for life is that they never once coat or seal my paint. This allows my paint to breathe if necessary and I don't have to worry about whatever is on it to vaporize when the metal heats up, or even over time with normal temperature. Plus for the UV consious the polishes also contain a UV Protectant that gets applied when you polish the car to protect the paint as well, so it does everything I could ask for.

Honestly once you are done with their process and have really taken your time polishing there is no way to describe how smooth your paint will be. All I can say is good luck affixing the HOV Stickers once the car has been Zaino'd

 

Has there been trouble reported w/HOV stickers and Zaino? Should I do stickers first?

 

That's a common misconception amongst uninformed newbies.

It's a polish because that's what Sal wanted to call it.

The function it performs, and the way it does it is the same as a sealant. Anyone else would call it a sealant. Seriously now, why do you think water beads on it?

 

I'm still a little confused on why people feel Zaino is better than other brands of polymer sealants (not waxes). I recently clayed my accord, used a polish with a porter cable dual action buffer, applied a glaze, then applied a sealant (Mezerna full molecular jacket). I was very impressed with how utterly smooth and slick the surface was. I wasn't terribly impressed with the "depth" or "shine" but don't really have anything to compare to, and it might have been the lighter shade of the paint limiting the result. Maybe it was just so much work, I expected too much.

I would like to know from people who have used other reputable sealants and Zaino to report their impressions.

 

From the tests I have performed with it, it is not a sealant. Water beads on any smooth surface, like my watch face. It has no Zaino on it. I have seen Zaino permanently repair painted surfaces, not just coat them.

 

Most of the people who post here praising Zaino have little to no experience with other premium car care products, so they have a very limited knowledge base to draw upon.

I'm using Zaino, Klasse, 4 Star, and Blackfire sealants right now, along with Pinnacle Souveran wax. Zaino lasts longer than the others, hands down. But Blackfire looks better than Zaino on red and black (and other dark color too, probably). After I use up the Klasse and 4 Star, I'll probably stick to Zaino for light colors and Blackfire for dark colors, until something better comes along.

I haven't tried Menzerna FMJ, although I use their polishes all the time - I think they're the best on the market. I can't get the instant detailer that goes with FMJ in California since it doesn't meet CA VOC standards, so that's one reason why I haven't tried it yet.

 

Zaino Z2 and Z5 have no abrasives. Z5 can fill extremely fine swirl marks, but it's temporary; it hasn't repaired anything. A polish, like Menzerna FPII will actually remove swirl marks.

It can be easily demonstrated that Zaino leaves a coating behind and is not a polish by the commonly accepted definition. Polishing a car will leave behind a squeaky clean surface - drag your fingertips across the surface it while applying some pressure and you should hear a squeak. Try this with a surface that has had Zaino Z2 or Z5 polish applied recently and you'll feel a mirror smooth, super slick surface - no squeaking, no grabbing. That's proof that a cured layer of sealant is left behind. This is also the test that is used to determine if a polish has any added fillers in it. Menzerna FPII passes this test - the surface is squeaky clean.

 

I hear that FMJ instant detailer will eventually be available in CA, just will be some time for the administrative red tape to clear. After using the Menzerna final polish II, did you wipe it down with alcohol and water, or just buff it clean with a microfiber cloth?

Also, if I just want to use a Zaino product for the final sealant layer (use my own polish and glaze) which one do you use? Are there different ones for different paint colors? I was very confused looking at their website. Lots of Z**choices.

 

FPII passes the "squeak test", so I don't see any need to wipe down the car before proceeding to the next step.

After polishing and glazing, the surface should be swirl free, so that rules out Z-5. And since you've got the glaze sitting between the Zaino and the paint, that should rule out th e need for Z-3, if your paint was single-stage in the first place. I've been told (not by Sal) that the only difference between the two is that Z-3 contains additives for single-stage paint to reduce oxidation. So I think you can just go with Z-2.

I'm sure that if you wrote Zaino, they'd tell you that you didn't need to use a glaze, or would recommend a few coats of Z-5 to fill the swirls instead of using a glaze. I don't use glazes, because my only experience with them was with Meguiar's #7, and it was a bad one, but I might try the Menzerna glaze one of these days.

 

A number of people have raved about Zaino's effect on black or red cars. What about silver? One of my disappointments with my silver Prius is that I don't think it has much of a glow or sparkle. Will all that work with Zaino improve it?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(PriusRos @ Jul 6 2006, 07:05 PM) [snapback]282255[/snapback]</div>

I feel exactly the same as you about my '06 Classic Silver Metallic, the color is nice but the finish is just dull, hardly any shine.

So about a month ago I applied Zaino, 3 coats of Z2 PRO with the Z6 gloss enhancer in between each coat.. I'm disappointed to report that it didn't do much to improve the shine, maybe a little. However, I am impressed with Zaino in nearly every other way. The paint finish is very smooth and resistant to dirt. When it rains, the water just beads up like I've never seen before. I think the Zaino will do a good job of protecting the paint finish and keeping the car looking new, even if it's not as shiny as I would like. I will continue to use it every 6 months.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ntender @ Jul 6 2006, 10:03 PM) [snapback]282341[/snapback]</div>

Thanks for the feedback. I guess I'll give it a try. Sounds like it'll take some energy! It's a bit disappointing that it didn't do too much to improve the shine. I really feel it's the color -- it's just too light. There's no depth to it. To me, it doesn't look silver, but more of a very light grey. I expect "silver" to be shiny. :huh:

 

My seaside is just like a mirror after only 1 application!
I would think that silver would have an even higher response....

look at my pics for more zaino.....

 

Hello, all.

Thank you for all of the useful information. Is it possible to damage the finish on the car using Zaino's clay product? Also, how often do you use it and polish?