It was just an outstanding winter day here on the east coast. Temperatures were in the mid to high 50’s perfect washing weather.

I had the pleasure of using some of my Zaino arsenal on my truck. Past two washes have been at the “touch-less” car wash. It does a nice job, but nothing like a good hand wash.

Pulled out the Z7 car wash and got me a big 5 gallon bucket of hot water to mix it in. Finished washing and after drying applied some Z6 Gloss Enhancer to get the show room glow.

It has 5 – 6 coats of Z2 on it now and boy it is still there in all its glory. The Z6 did just the thing for a bit of extra protection. Since nothing sticks to the Z6 it really helps for the “touch-less” car wash for the grime to just come right off. Even that green pre-wash stuff they use that bubbles like liquid lava can’t touch the Z. Sure it will strip ordinary WAX, but Zaino is synthetic like a plate of armor compared to some thin butter on bread…

Then I insured my plastic stayed show room new with the Z16 Tire Gloss but also used on plastic. The last time I was in at the dealer, approx a month ago, they asked if I had replaced all the plastic trim due to it looks new and the truck is a 01.

Hell no I said, that’s just Zaino doing its thing, feeding and protecting the plastic. They, the dealer still don’t have a clue what Zaino is, no wonder they think the truck is done by a team of professionals on a monthly basis…

Yes sir, just a damn nice Zaino kind of day…

 

Now you gotta wax mine.

 

Hey

Well I got the three coats of Z2 on my silver '03 yesterday and I have to say it does look good but I think I could get the same thing out of some plain ol wax. Im sure it wouldnt last nearly as long as the zaino will but I guess maybe I was just expecting a little too much from the zaino on such a light color. That or maybe it needs a couple more coats. It has never had zaino before and I put three coats on...so my question is, would 2 or 3 more coats wow me or will I just be making it last longer? Thanks for any feedback!!!

PS, the paint is soooo smooth....didnt know it could feel like that!

 

Everyone wastes a certain degree of their time and I suppose everyone has their own way of wasting it.

 

Florida-150:

I too have a silver truck. I use the Z2 and I can tell you after about 5 – 6 coats it is unbelievable. 2 – 3 coats in nice, but after about 5 it’s a different story. I use the Z2 with the ZFX and can do about 3 coats in a day. Also the Z6 Gloss Enhancer after waxing and after washing gives it that final POP…


RockPick:

That’s about enough out of the peanut gallery…

 

yeah but come on, be realistic! 5 coats?? who has time for that??? (other than you that is )

Edit: Yes, today was a very nice day.. I spent some time cleaning up the truck, cleaning under doors, around the edges of it etc... as well as cleaning up the shed

 

I'm just railroading your Z thread just like you always do to my M threads...

 

Me???? railroad your M threads? I am shocked you would say that...

 

No, really it is easy. I can put 3 coats on in about 2 - 2 1/2 hours, then another 3 coats the next weekend then done for 6 months...

 

Shocked... Schmocked... Pfft...Whatever...

 

Florida-150:

Didn’t think to ask in the prior post, but did you Dawn wash your truck before using Zaino? Before you first use Zaino you want to make sure you use Dawn dishwashing soap to remove any wax (from the dealer, car wash etc) and/or residue to insure the Zaino can bond to the paint itself.

You may have done that but figured I would ask…

 

01 XLT Sport

Thanks for asking. Yes I dawned it, then claybar, then zaino Z7 wash, then dryed it. I used the Z2 with the ZFX and put three coats on and it was the first time I have ever used zaino. The paint feels amazing and is super slick and almost feels soft if that makes since. Maybe I will throw another 2-3 coats on sometime this week or weekend to see if I can get that amazing look. I have read how you dont want to use a lot of zaino for each coat and ended up getting 3 coats out of one ounce of Z2. When I was finished I went over it with the Z6 detailer and it does look quite good. Like I said before just not quite up to what I was expecting.

Thanks!!!

 

Florida-150:

I understand what you’re saying. The first time I used it I put 3 coats on, and like you wasn’t very impressed at all. I used the ZFX from the first time, but my first time I made the mistake of putting it on too thick and it was a real pain in the butt to remove.

So for being a pain to remove and wasn’t all that impressed with the shine after a few coats I almost stopped using it (except I spent the money on it already). Came back here and talked with a few people and they all told me to get at least 5 – 6 coats on before I gave my final judgment to stop using it. Also told me about putting it on real thin and should get about 3 coats out of 1 to 1 ½ ounces.

Personally I didn’t see how it would work being so thin since I was use to regular wax and actually being able to see it on the truck after it was hazed. On silver it is hard to tell it is even on there, even after leaving it for an hour and it’s nice and dry.

Needless to say after another 2 or 3 coats and a day or two in the sun I was very impressed with the results. After that time people at my work noticed and started asking where I was having it detailed at. Told them I had a team of professional, LOL

As long as you’re using it with the ZFX you can put up to 3 coats on in a day (one right after the other). If your not using the ZFX then your suppose to wait something like 8 hours between coats to allow it to bond properly, which the ZFX accelerates.

Since I had put the 5 or 6 coats on I would put usually 1 coat on every month during summer (about 3 months long here) just to keep it up. Never really looked like it needed it but just did it nonetheless.

I also think that it being in the sun a few days after applying the coats helps to bring the shine out more and I think that is the same for most polishes and waxes. Perhaps some of the experts like RockPick, Boss and others could comment on that and why it is.

Anyway it can’t hurt to put another 2 or 3 coats on, give it a few days before you pass final judgment and see where you go from there.

You can also apply other waxes over the Zaino, like Meguiars and others. You just can’t apply Zaino over waxes.

 

One more thought, are you putting the Zaino on the side in an up and down motion? Straight up and down (top of truck to bottom of truck) and not circular motions? Same with the hood, straight up and down from the windshield to the front bumper, not circular.

That is what is recommended and the way I have always done it. Buffing it off don’t matter but applying it that way as to circular, from my understanding, will affect the way it reflects light and thus the kind of shine you achieve with the Zaino.

 

Very common misconception. In reality, the thinner that you apply a wax or polish, the easier it will be to remove. That's it. If it's applied in a 'thick' fashion, all you're doing is wasting your product. In short, apply any type of wax/polish in very thin layers.



I'm the farthest thing from an 'expert' but, I'll take a stab. My hunch is that the wax/polish has more time to 'cure'. Plus, gravity is playing a role in the application as well. It's becoming more 'even' as it lays on the car with the heat of the sun. Just a hunch but, I'm not sure.

I too, being a Meguiar's guru, have noticed that the vehicle tends to look better after a couple of days and just as good after the first wash.

Has anyone tried layering #26 or a similar high-grade carnauba wax over Zaino? The reason I ask is simple... I've always found that Zaino tends to leave more of a 'suran wrap' look. It certainly did on my dark colored truck. With my experiences with carnauba wax (which are generally minimal with the exception of #26), would that make it more deep and true rather than s-wrapped?

RP