Goodbye Zaino!
07-06-2003, 05:58 PM
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Goodbye Zaino!
Thought I'd post this since it may save someone in the same situation a few bucks and some valuable time.
Short story about me. I've been fanatic about my paint for all my past vehicles. I've taken such care of them that people always think my cars are brand new even after 3 to 5 years of daily use. I've used a three step process such as rubbing compound (when needed), polish and then wax. I'd also claybar whenever the paint felt like it needed it. I'll even wet sand scratches out on my own.
I purchased my 2002 black convertible Vette "used" this past spring with 9800 miles on it. It had a few minor surface scratches in it and the typical spider webs. I've long since read about the praises of Zaino on Stangnet since I'd been a long time member. I've even read the NSX and WaxTest reports where Zaino was rated number one a couple years back. As such I thought it was about time to give it a try.
I purchased the complete kit minus the claybar since I already had that. I first washed with Dawn, claybared and then applied the ZFX / Z5. I must say the entire process was SUPER easy, not sure why others complain about it. They must not wax too often or something. The shine was DEFINITELY there, for the amount of effort I gave I was very happy with the results with the tiny exception that many swirls and scratches were still showing but this was supposed to lesson after repeated applications of Z5.
After a few months of living with Zaino (and about another 5-7 applications of Z5 and two of Z-2) I started noticing that bird droppings really etched the finish of Zaino, I also noticed water spots were a real bitch (almost impossible) to remove. The swirl marks were getting less but nothing even close to my expectations. Another peculiar thing is zaino never really gives the paint a super slick feeling like a nice coat of wax would. The shine was still there as well for sure, looked really reflective but I now noticed it wasn't as deep as I've come to expect from regular wax. Too zaino's credit it does bead water amazingly but since I got water spots after rain or driving through a screwed up sprinkler it defeated the coolness of it. I made a decision to go back to wax. I did some research and purchased a Porter Cable orbital sander from Lowes, some lambs wool, yellow and white polishing pads from properautocare.com. I already had the 3M rubbing compound, Swirl Mark Remover, Polish and meguiers wax from my past car care routine. I also have 3M hand glaze which will go on at a later date.
I spent the better part of this morning removing the Zaino. After the multiple polishing steps my paint is now pretty much swirl free! I've also managed to eliminate my biggest scratches on the rear deck! The paint is as slick as wet glass and the reflection easy rivals that of Zaino but it's much, much deeper!! My car looks more dark/black now than it ever did when I was using Zaino!
I'm overly joyed with the results! I've come to think that although zaino sure is reflective and beads water like no tomorrow and from what I've read keeps it's shine a good deal longer than wax, I really question how good it is as an overall protectant. If bird droppings and water spots are major issues, how good can it really be at protecting the paint? I've never had either issue with wax. I'll live with the more often as well as more lengthy application process of polish and wax and never look back. Hope others may learn or get something out of this post as well. Good luck! Terry
[Modified by TerryR, 11:04 PM 7/6/2003]
Short story about me. I've been fanatic about my paint for all my past vehicles. I've taken such care of them that people always think my cars are brand new even after 3 to 5 years of daily use. I've used a three step process such as rubbing compound (when needed), polish and then wax. I'd also claybar whenever the paint felt like it needed it. I'll even wet sand scratches out on my own.
I purchased my 2002 black convertible Vette "used" this past spring with 9800 miles on it. It had a few minor surface scratches in it and the typical spider webs. I've long since read about the praises of Zaino on Stangnet since I'd been a long time member. I've even read the NSX and WaxTest reports where Zaino was rated number one a couple years back. As such I thought it was about time to give it a try.
I purchased the complete kit minus the claybar since I already had that. I first washed with Dawn, claybared and then applied the ZFX / Z5. I must say the entire process was SUPER easy, not sure why others complain about it. They must not wax too often or something. The shine was DEFINITELY there, for the amount of effort I gave I was very happy with the results with the tiny exception that many swirls and scratches were still showing but this was supposed to lesson after repeated applications of Z5.
After a few months of living with Zaino (and about another 5-7 applications of Z5 and two of Z-2) I started noticing that bird droppings really etched the finish of Zaino, I also noticed water spots were a real bitch (almost impossible) to remove. The swirl marks were getting less but nothing even close to my expectations. Another peculiar thing is zaino never really gives the paint a super slick feeling like a nice coat of wax would. The shine was still there as well for sure, looked really reflective but I now noticed it wasn't as deep as I've come to expect from regular wax. Too zaino's credit it does bead water amazingly but since I got water spots after rain or driving through a screwed up sprinkler it defeated the coolness of it. I made a decision to go back to wax. I did some research and purchased a Porter Cable orbital sander from Lowes, some lambs wool, yellow and white polishing pads from properautocare.com. I already had the 3M rubbing compound, Swirl Mark Remover, Polish and meguiers wax from my past car care routine. I also have 3M hand glaze which will go on at a later date.
I spent the better part of this morning removing the Zaino. After the multiple polishing steps my paint is now pretty much swirl free! I've also managed to eliminate my biggest scratches on the rear deck! The paint is as slick as wet glass and the reflection easy rivals that of Zaino but it's much, much deeper!! My car looks more dark/black now than it ever did when I was using Zaino!
I'm overly joyed with the results! I've come to think that although zaino sure is reflective and beads water like no tomorrow and from what I've read keeps it's shine a good deal longer than wax, I really question how good it is as an overall protectant. If bird droppings and water spots are major issues, how good can it really be at protecting the paint? I've never had either issue with wax. I'll live with the more often as well as more lengthy application process of polish and wax and never look back. Hope others may learn or get something out of this post as well. Good luck! Terry
[Modified by TerryR, 11:04 PM 7/6/2003]
07-06-2003, 06:05 PM
#2
Race Director
Re: Goodbye Zaino! (TerryR)
I think the difference must be that Zaino is a polish, not a wax, therefore not as protective to the finish.
07-06-2003, 06:33 PM
#3
Re: Goodbye Zaino! (CorvetteSS)
I think the difference must be that Zaino is a polish, not a wax, therefore not as protective to the finish.
07-06-2003, 09:05 PM
#7
Team Owner
Re: Goodbye Zaino! (TerryR)
i agree..12 coats of Z doesn't get your paint as slick as 12 coats of wax....but that wax doesn't last as long as Z, and Z is more of a polish for show cars, or cars that don't see rain....i also agree, with some elbow grease, you can get a good shine just like Z, but how often do you have to maintain that shine? Z you can just spray some Z6 and it looks wet again. i'm partial to mothers wax and use it on all my daily drivers, but my vette gets the Z treatment.
07-06-2003, 09:13 PM
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Re: Goodbye Zaino! (Noggles)
Zaino is a synthetic wax, it offers far superior protection over carnauba waxes which melt between 136 - 156 degrees, most synthetic products can with stand heat to over 500 degrees. Acid etching will effect any polish/wax, we used only Meguiar's products at our shops for over 10 years, we had many customers with water spotting and acid etching problems, different areas have different water problems that can effect your cars finish.
07-06-2003, 09:20 PM
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Re: Goodbye Zaino! (TerryR)
"After a few months of living with Zaino (and about another 5-7 applications of Z5 and two of Z-2) I started noticing that bird droppings really etched the finish of Zaino, I also noticed water spots were a real bitch (almost impossible) to remove."
No Wax, polish. or other sealant will prevent bird droppings or acid water drops from etching the paint...especially the color black. They need to be removed as soon as possible.
Other people and myself have had mixed results as far as Z5's swirl hiding ability so I won't disagree with you there.
"Another peculiar thing is zaino never really gives the paint a super slick feeling like a nice coat of wax would."
I have found that a coat of Zaino polish seems slicker than after a coat of wax.
"The shine was still there as well for sure, looked really reflective but I now noticed it wasn't as deep as I've come to expect from regular wax."
You are right the paint color will not look as deep because Zaino is nearly optically perfect giving a nearly perfect reflective finish. On the otherhand because wax has a slight tint to it, it cuts down on the reflectiion and makes the color come through more. Which a person likes better is a matter of taste. I happen to prefer the mirror-like shine you get with Zaino. Under lights at night nothing sparkles the way a Zaino finish does.
"I did some research and purchased a Porter Cable orbital sander from Lowes, some lambs wool, yellow and white polishing pads from properautocare.com."
Be careful using abrasive products often.
"I spent the better part of this morning removing the Zaino. After the multiple polishing steps my paint is now pretty much swirl free! I've also managed to eliminate my biggest scratches on the rear deck! The paint is as slick as wet glass and the reflection easy rivals that of Zaino but it's much, much deeper!! My car looks more dark/black now than it ever did when I was using Zaino!"
With all of that prep work what would you expect? It sounds like before you started using Zaino you did not do enough prep work if any at all.
I am not sure how many times a year you plan on using rubbing compound, and multiple polishing steps but they will remove water spots and bird etchings quite easily while removing a significant layer of paint. If you really think that wax will protect your car better than Zaino I think you are really fooling yourself.
"I really question how good it is as an overall protectant. If bird droppings and water spots are major issues, how good can it really be at protecting the paint?. I've never had either issue with wax."
I've experienced the problem with both wax and Zaino. At least with Zaino the sacrificial layer of protectant lasts a lot longer and is better at protecting the paint finish than does wax. Your paint is only so thick to use abrasive polishes often.
"I'll live with the more often as well as more lengthy application process of polish and wax and never look back. Hope others may learn or get something out of this post as well. Good luck! Terry"
To each his own.
No Wax, polish. or other sealant will prevent bird droppings or acid water drops from etching the paint...especially the color black. They need to be removed as soon as possible.
Other people and myself have had mixed results as far as Z5's swirl hiding ability so I won't disagree with you there.
"Another peculiar thing is zaino never really gives the paint a super slick feeling like a nice coat of wax would."
I have found that a coat of Zaino polish seems slicker than after a coat of wax.
"The shine was still there as well for sure, looked really reflective but I now noticed it wasn't as deep as I've come to expect from regular wax."
You are right the paint color will not look as deep because Zaino is nearly optically perfect giving a nearly perfect reflective finish. On the otherhand because wax has a slight tint to it, it cuts down on the reflectiion and makes the color come through more. Which a person likes better is a matter of taste. I happen to prefer the mirror-like shine you get with Zaino. Under lights at night nothing sparkles the way a Zaino finish does.
"I did some research and purchased a Porter Cable orbital sander from Lowes, some lambs wool, yellow and white polishing pads from properautocare.com."
Be careful using abrasive products often.
"I spent the better part of this morning removing the Zaino. After the multiple polishing steps my paint is now pretty much swirl free! I've also managed to eliminate my biggest scratches on the rear deck! The paint is as slick as wet glass and the reflection easy rivals that of Zaino but it's much, much deeper!! My car looks more dark/black now than it ever did when I was using Zaino!"
With all of that prep work what would you expect? It sounds like before you started using Zaino you did not do enough prep work if any at all.
I am not sure how many times a year you plan on using rubbing compound, and multiple polishing steps but they will remove water spots and bird etchings quite easily while removing a significant layer of paint. If you really think that wax will protect your car better than Zaino I think you are really fooling yourself.
"I really question how good it is as an overall protectant. If bird droppings and water spots are major issues, how good can it really be at protecting the paint?. I've never had either issue with wax."
I've experienced the problem with both wax and Zaino. At least with Zaino the sacrificial layer of protectant lasts a lot longer and is better at protecting the paint finish than does wax. Your paint is only so thick to use abrasive polishes often.
"I'll live with the more often as well as more lengthy application process of polish and wax and never look back. Hope others may learn or get something out of this post as well. Good luck! Terry"
To each his own.
07-06-2003, 09:20 PM
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Re: Goodbye Zaino! (hcvone)
sounds like someone needs to try Pinnacle Soveran, and might like it in liquid form for super wet finish that synthetics just cannot match. Try it .... just look up at http://www.autogeek.net and use coupon code corvetteforum for additional discount. :cool: :cool: :cool:
07-06-2003, 09:25 PM
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Re: Goodbye Zaino! (TerryR)
Black is definitely the most difficult color to maintain. One of the things I think would have improved your results is doing the swirl removal before layering Zaino. Once the surface is free of imperfections, that's when Zaino really shines. No pun intended. The new Z5 does a noticeably better job of filling minor scratches, but only those very superficial ones which are inevitable from washing and drying, not those which come from improper methods or materials. (Not saying you are guilty of either :) ).
Carnauba waxes do a nice job of hiding imperfections as well, but in the summer you can practically see the wax melting off your black car.
I neither drive the car in the rain, nor does it ever get wet except for washing, so I can't comment on water spotting, etc.
In the end, it comes down to using what you think makes YOUR car look best. Many like Zaino, many like carnauba. Personally, I like both. And after a few years of testing virtually every product sold, I have settled on a combination. I use Pinnacle Souveran on the hood and rear decklid, and Zaino Z5 on the rest of the car. My results are spectacular. :cool:
Carnauba waxes do a nice job of hiding imperfections as well, but in the summer you can practically see the wax melting off your black car.
I neither drive the car in the rain, nor does it ever get wet except for washing, so I can't comment on water spotting, etc.
In the end, it comes down to using what you think makes YOUR car look best. Many like Zaino, many like carnauba. Personally, I like both. And after a few years of testing virtually every product sold, I have settled on a combination. I use Pinnacle Souveran on the hood and rear decklid, and Zaino Z5 on the rest of the car. My results are spectacular. :cool:
07-06-2003, 09:33 PM
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Re: Goodbye Zaino! (hcvone)
Zaino is a synthetic wax, it offers far superior protection over carnauba waxes which melt between 136 - 156 degrees, most synthetic products can with stand heat to over 500 degrees.
Just having fun, not trying to bash the product. :cheers:
07-06-2003, 10:14 PM
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Re: Goodbye Zaino! (TerryR)
In the five years of using Zaino I've yet to have a single bird etching, bug guts etching or a single problem with water spots, wonder what happened on your car????
07-06-2003, 10:21 PM
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Re: Goodbye Zaino! (Calabra)
"With all of that prep work what would you expect? It sounds like before you started using Zaino you did not do enough prep work if any at all. "
You're to funny. It doesn't take rocket science to apply Zaino properly. For your reference I washed the car twice with dawn, then totally dried it off. Then clay bar'ed it, wahsed it again. Then went over it with Z5. Then after every wash it was Z6'd. Then multiple treatments of Z5 then Z2 with Z6 in between. Like I've already said, the Zaino looks great. Just not deep enough and the protection isn't on par with wax when in comes to bird droppings or water spots. Terry
You're to funny. It doesn't take rocket science to apply Zaino properly. For your reference I washed the car twice with dawn, then totally dried it off. Then clay bar'ed it, wahsed it again. Then went over it with Z5. Then after every wash it was Z6'd. Then multiple treatments of Z5 then Z2 with Z6 in between. Like I've already said, the Zaino looks great. Just not deep enough and the protection isn't on par with wax when in comes to bird droppings or water spots. Terry
07-06-2003, 10:30 PM
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Re: Goodbye Zaino! (Kevin V)
"In the five years of using Zaino I've yet to have a single bird etching, bug guts etching or a single problem with water spots, wonder what happened on your car????"
This will be my last post on the subject as I know I'm already being overrun by the zaino club. The bird droppings were just normal run of the mill sparow size, tried to clean them off within hours with Z6 and it was already etched. Here in SoCal we have recycled water for the public sprinkler systems. Sometime the cars get the front end sprayed when they go off and you're parked near them. The water is the worst, very hard. This has happened on a few occasions when I used wax and a simple wash removed them, not so with the Zaino and this was with a fresh coat of z2 about 2 weeks old and a couple touch ups of Z6 in between.
I think Zaino is great for poeple that don't care for spending multiple hours detailing their car. It gives great results in a limited time. For those that want to go over and above and get even better results at the expense of of taking more time such as at least one a month wax application and touch up's in between there is nothing better IMHO than wax. My own experience with both have lead me to come to this conclusion. Like I said I'm a fanatic about paint care and the added time isn't an issue for me, in fact I enjoy it. Terry
This will be my last post on the subject as I know I'm already being overrun by the zaino club. The bird droppings were just normal run of the mill sparow size, tried to clean them off within hours with Z6 and it was already etched. Here in SoCal we have recycled water for the public sprinkler systems. Sometime the cars get the front end sprayed when they go off and you're parked near them. The water is the worst, very hard. This has happened on a few occasions when I used wax and a simple wash removed them, not so with the Zaino and this was with a fresh coat of z2 about 2 weeks old and a couple touch ups of Z6 in between.
I think Zaino is great for poeple that don't care for spending multiple hours detailing their car. It gives great results in a limited time. For those that want to go over and above and get even better results at the expense of of taking more time such as at least one a month wax application and touch up's in between there is nothing better IMHO than wax. My own experience with both have lead me to come to this conclusion. Like I said I'm a fanatic about paint care and the added time isn't an issue for me, in fact I enjoy it. Terry
07-06-2003, 11:46 PM
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Re: Goodbye Zaino! (TerryR)
I have had no problem with Zaino at all and think that anything that you put on your car you could say is not the best but I have 40 coats of Zaino and love and have the best look of all the cars. Some have better results than others.
07-07-2003, 07:27 AM
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Re: Goodbye Zaino! (MarkFLC5)
Zaino is a synthetic wax, it offers far superior protection over carnauba waxes which melt between 136 - 156 degrees, most synthetic products can with stand heat to over 500 degrees.
This will be great for when I go on those long trips to Planet Mercury :D
Just having fun, not trying to bash the product. :cheers:
This will be great for when I go on those long trips to Planet Mercury :D
Just having fun, not trying to bash the product. :cheers:
A dark color car (black, dark green or dark blue) can reach temps over 225 degrees, this temp will melt all carnauba wax protection off your car.
07-07-2003, 09:32 AM
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Re: Goodbye Zaino! (TerryR)
This seems to be a common problem I've been seeing alot of posts on this very subject. I've xperienced very good protection with 3m. I've yet to have it melt off my car though.
Quote: "A dark color car (black, dark green or dark blue) can reach temps over 225 degrees, this temp will melt all carnauba wax protection off your car."
:lolg: :lolg:
Quote: "A dark color car (black, dark green or dark blue) can reach temps over 225 degrees, this temp will melt all carnauba wax protection off your car."
:lolg: :lolg:
07-07-2003, 09:34 AM
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St. Jude '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11
Re: Goodbye Zaino! (hcvone)
Zaino did not work for me. I have used it on black, torch red and millenium yellow and it did not have the depth that Meguiar's had. It was also prone to the hard water spots that North Texas throws at you.
Now that I have a white car, I have gone back to Pinnacle Paste Glaz which is absolutely amazing. As stated earlier, nothing is going to last as long as Zaino but for most of us **** freaks, we wax/polish etc. our babies frequently enough that durability in not an issue IMO.
As I have stated in other various posts, when I have been to certain functions and using Meguiar's #7 then Gold Class wax, none of the Zainoettes liked parking next to my car because my shine, depth and slick paint was an embarassment to them. Just my $.02 :D :smash:
Now that I have a white car, I have gone back to Pinnacle Paste Glaz which is absolutely amazing. As stated earlier, nothing is going to last as long as Zaino but for most of us **** freaks, we wax/polish etc. our babies frequently enough that durability in not an issue IMO.
As I have stated in other various posts, when I have been to certain functions and using Meguiar's #7 then Gold Class wax, none of the Zainoettes liked parking next to my car because my shine, depth and slick paint was an embarassment to them. Just my $.02 :D :smash:
