1. Wash the car with dish water detergent. yes
2. Clay bar the car yes. you keep the car wet with car wash shampoo while you clay
3. Apply Z1Yep, dry the car and apply Z1 in circles
4. Follow immediately with Z2 on top.Yes, apply it right over top of Z1, and apply it in front to back straight lines on horizontal parts of the car, and up/down lines on the sides of the car

I am assuming this last step above means that you don't buff off Z1? (sorry for the stupid questions) As before, you leave Z1 on the paint and apply Z2 over it,then allow them both to air cure for a couple hours (Sal says 1/2 hour but humidity can affect this-allow a bit longer).

1. How long is Z2 left on before I buff it off? Assuming it needs to be buffed off. See above, buff off after a couple hours
2. Now that I have gone through this process, I want to apply Z1 and Z2 again in as many layers as possible, correct? How long in between each application of Z1 and Z2 should I wait? You must wait 24 hours before you can apply another layer, but the 2nd time you can skip the Z1. Just layer with the Z2 every 24 hours. Use the Z1 again after 8 to 10 layers to help keep it all bonded. Cheers Hameed

 

Thanks Dan!!!! You DA MAN!!!

 

Hey hameed- I know that the zfx is a little expensive but it will cut down on your wait time..I use the zfx and put on three layers per detail session..It does go a long way..You should consider it...

 

When I use Zaino, I wait long enough to then test it with the "finger" test. If you run a finger over the Z2 and the area from the finger is dry and shiny, it's time to take it off. If it's dull or wet, wait some more.

You are better off with ZFX. Not only does it cut down on dry time, but it seems to help bond better to a finish and cross-link faster. It also helps when applying more than one coat.

Hey, enjoy the Zaino! If you get streaks when removing, DO NOT use Z6 to try to remove them. Get your Z7 wash product and mix up 1/2 cap to 12 oz of distilled water and put it in a spray bottle. Use the mix of Z7/water to remove streaks. If you use Z6, it can just "move" the Z2 around and in some cases will end up not on the finish, but on your MF towel.

If you do not like the "plastic" look as some call it, wait at least 24 hours B4 you top it with a high quality pure carnuba. It deepens the look.

Regards,

Deanski

 

The "plastic" look? I thought the whole purpose of using Zaino was to give the car the shiny, deep look to the paint anyway? Are you saying Zaino does NOT do that? Now I have to wax it too??

I just spent all this money on Z1, Z2, Z6 and Z7 to find out that I could just stay with my McGuiars Gold Class wax routine to achieve the shiny, deep look that my paint seems to lack. Please tell me I did not waste my money on Zaino.

What is the "plastic" look you are referring to anyway?

 

When I finish detailing my car, it looks like glass..I have no idea where the term plastic look came from..Maybe he is referring to some different color cars???Zaino does have diffrent effects on different colors or at least it has been said...But no, you did not waste your money hameed..I'm sure once you apply Zaino on your car you will be pleased...No worries..

 

Thanks for the reassurance johnee! What color is your car? Mine is Alpine Silver and from all the reading I have done on this, all roads ended at Zaino for achieving the best shine and depth. My car does not look bad, but it lacks a depth to the shine and that bothers the hell out of me.

 

No problem hameed..My car is gold, so where in the same family as colors go...I had the same problem and the zaino really brought things out..Another thing that I should mention is that Zaino's shine last along time also.. As long as you maintain your car of course...

 

Your biggest problem with Zaino is PREP. If you do not do a full prep on your finish, Zaino does not look as good and also highlights defects!

Wash, clay, wash again, polish and get it w/o swirls and w/o fillers in the swirls, in other words, swirl free.

As for "plastic" look, Zaino is very optically pure. That's why prep is VERY IMPORTANT! It shines very well, but can sometimes show no depth.

Cure time is very important. This lets Zaino cross-link to the finish. You can do up to 3 coats in one day, but let it sset-up for 24 hours B4 adding anymore

You should search Autopia.org website on Zaino. Nicks Zaino tips are very well documented. Here is Part 1.
Nicks Zaino Tips

Also, mix the ZFX and Z2 if you have it, then let it site for 5 minutes for it to activate, then apply VERY THIN!

Test via "finger" test. If it's glossy after running finger over Zaino you can remove it. If not, wait longer.

Enjoy your Zaino!

Regards,

Deanski

 

how about a website of where you can get these products

 

Here you go - http://www.zainostore.com/

 

I see lots of people saying good things about Zaino. So I finally went to the website to check out the photos. They sure look sparklingly nice. However, my usual Zymol wax works just as well and only require one application to get the same deep mirror finish in those photos. Zaino requires 3-4 steps. So IMO Zaino is way over-hyped. Again just my opinion.

 

Let's start off and understand that Zymol is a wax. Being a wax, it has a short lived effect in protection. Waxes are known to look very deep/wet when applied. Problem is the live of the wax, you have to keep re-applying.

Zaino is a sealant. Being a sealant has advantages over waxes. The life span a sealant has over wax is one and sealants also take on a different look altogether.

Zaino IS very prep intensive, but one coat is fine for most finishes.

There are many sealants: Klasse, Poorboys EX, Wolfgang, Menzerna FMJ, Meguiars etc. It all boild down to how much time you have, what you are looking for in a finish and how long do you want it to last. Some of us just can't stop polishing/waxing/sealing/QD our cars where others want a long lasting protection with high gloss.

Zaino has released a newer version of Z2 called "Z2 PRO" and have also introduced a new detail spray Z8.

Some people hate the high shine and want it a bit more warmer. One coat of a good wax on top of Zaino will soften the effect and make it look very wet.

As for waxes, for dark finishes like black or red, Pinnacle Souveran is one darn fine wax for dark colors. You also have: P21S, Zymol, Meguairs NXT and 26, and Poorboys Nattys.

Poorboysworld makes some very fine polishes along with sealants and waxes that are really easy to use and you get great results. In fact, I still have EX with Nattys on my SC430 now and if you go to the website, you will see pictures of the SC430 there. They make a great QD spray called "Spray & Wipe" just for removing light dust/dirt without adding any gloss. Think of it as a waterless wash for light dust/dirt. I find that Nattys paste wax is more clear than Souveran and costs quite a bit less.

As for sealants, the new Menzerna FMJ has really good results and long life. Menzerna also came out with a QD spray just for it called "High Gloss Shield" .

All in all, it all depents on what you are looking for, how much time and what to expect.

Enjoy your "wax on and wax off"!

Regards,
Deanski

 

Are you saying that Zaino needs to be done once, and that's it?? Wow.

I wax about every 3 months with Zymol. And no, nobody enjoys "wax on & wax off." So if Zaino only needs to be applied once, it may be worth the labor and expense. Lemme know. Thanks.

 

He's saying that the prep work only needs to be done once. After that, you can use Z6 Quick Detailer between polishes and washes. After washing, you can apply just the Z2 polish. No need to Dawn, Z1/ZFX, claybar, etc.
And by the way, the Z2 polish takes me less than an hour from wash to polish.

Hope this helps