why1504

Yesterday I met the local Adams Retailer/Detailer here in Alabama. He is a great guy. I am big on supporting local business people so I had a motivation to give his products a whirl. My Zanio products were getting low and an order was coming so I decided to try this.

I have a 2009 Z06. I machined polished the paint myself right after I purchased the car which had tons of swirl marks.

I have been a Zanio user for about 10 years. I really love their products. I have no issue with the finish they provide.

Adams products are more of an "standard" type of wax.


It is really hot here in Alabama so I got up and started at 6AM here was the plan for the day:

Wheels
Wash
Dry
Alcohol Wipe
Clay Bar
Wash
Dry
Wax
Rubber
Windows
Detail Wipe

My hope was to be complete by 10:00AM No luck, I stopped at 11:00 and resumed once the sun was down behind the trees (30 minutes ago). All that was left was the windows and detail wipe down.

I have clayed the car since I machine polished it but have never alcohol wiped the car to remove all the Zanio since then. I wondered if I would see a return of some of the swirls. Much to my pleasure after the alcohol wipe the finish was still defect free.

Results - In my opinion the look is at least equal to the Zanio, maybe a bit better (it seems to have more depth/pop) but the finish doesn't feel quite as slick. (I know that makes no sense) I was thrilled with the final look but I do have concern on how well the wax holds up due to the lack of slickness. One thing I really like about the Zanio is just how long it lasts and how well it protects.

Another Adams advantage is how quick the wax goes on. I have not laid paste wax down in 10 years but with paste wax as memory serves I would wax the car then buff the wax off after it dried. With the Adams I would lay the paste down and buff it off doing small areas at a time. I did 2 coats as I went. No streaks or smears and I could see the improvement with the second coat. Personally this was a big plus. It didn't take very long to get the wax on and off. After the waxing the car didn't look all that great but with the Zanio it doesn't look great until I hit it with the Gloss Enhancer.

I user the Adams window cleaner with their towels. It is expensive. but it did a great job on the glass. I really like their glass towels, far and away the best job with cleaning glass I have ever used.

I did not use the Adams Glaze, this might make a difference in the slickness factor.

In the end, These are two very different products but provide a very similar result. I do think the Adams products go down faster and easier. To replicate what took about 6 hours with the Adams would have taken longer with the Zanio. Time will tell how long the Adams products last.

CaptainChet

Thanks for the review!!!

I've never been a Zaino user but a traditional polish/wax guy for 30 years! The 3 Adams polishes are really something!! I've used everything from 3M Professional, Meguires Pro Line, and some others from smaller companies (like Adams) and by far, these are the best!! I commented when I received them, how heavy the bottles were! Must be some lead in there But they work as advertised when you get the hang of them. All products take some adjustment to use properly!

why1504

Chet,
Over the years that "getting used to" is true of everything. I have been detailing cars for 40 years and I was impressed with the Adams products.

dvilin

I have used Adams buttery wax and been very happy with the results. As for Zaino too much time, too many products, too much cost, and just makes a big deal out of what should be a simple process.

Matt@Adams

Great review! Well done.

why1504

Cost wise the products are comparable. The big difference is if you go Zanio, you stay Zanio. You don't mix zanio with other products. More times than not the result will be a cloudy paint finish.

With the Adams I believe you could intermix products without any negative effects on the finish.

Zanio is a total pain with the initial application. After that is rolls quick except for drying times and every coat makes the paint look better and better.

The Adams went on and buffed off faster. And I could see the depth improve with the second coat. Years ago with tradional waxes I rarely saw improvement as I added coats. I will pick up a bottle of the Adams glaze before the next rub down.

why1504

The consensus is that my black Z06 looks better than ever. Tuesday evening I went over to a friends house with a lift. He has 4 corvettes including one that just spent several months on display at the museum. His comment:

" I have never seen a black Corvette look that good"

He had a box of Adams products he had picked up at a recent event at the museum but had not used them yet. I promised to come out and walk him thru my processes.

Today the wife and I drove 350 miles in the car. (nothing like passing cars on the 2 lane with a 427) Tomorrow I will get up wash glaze and wax the car again. This will be the first application of the glaze. I will give a review of the glaze tomorrow and tell you how easy the bugs come off.

DaveVY

Great to see your review!

I have been using Adam's products for the past 1.5 years. Adam's has a few different choices when it comes to a "wax" product.
1) Buttery Wax (liquid wax in a bottle, easy on and off, even applies well in full sun)
2) Americana Wax (paste wax in a tub, easy on and off, premium grade carnauba that competes with waxes costing much more)
3) Machine Super Sealant (polymer sealant, should be applied with a machine, needs to be applied thinly and evenly, easy off unless it is too thick)
4) Quick Sealant (sealant, spray on and use applicator to quickly wipe, very easy, very quick)

When it comes to removing bugs I have two things work well:
1) Pre-spray the bugs with Adam's Waterless Wash. Not sure what is in the product that makes this work well, but a 5 minute soak of this makes the bug carcasses come off so much easier.
2) For the nose of the car and side view mirrors, I use Adams Quick Sealant. This product seems to provide the "slickest" finish and the bug carcasses just don't seem to want to stick to this finish. Before long drives in love bug season I will take a couple minutes and apply this to the front surfaces to ensure the bugs won't stick. Works great.

why1504

Most of the bugs on the nose of the car blasted off with just water. This was great news. I was very happy about this. A little soapy water took care of the rest.

The glaze which smells like coconuts did add a level of pop to the car.

Dave1

Your car will always look good with a glaze and wax every couple of weeks.......

That's a given......


Zaino's trump card for me has been durability. Prep the car, seal the car and then just drive it......

Black is a mother and I know you already know that, good luck.....


I like some Adams products also.......

why1504

All true. Next wash will tell me quite a bit. Car is as clean as it will get for the next 2-3 weeks.

One good thing about Zanio is how easy it is to hit it with 6 or 8 after a wash and dry.

trm 84

I think it smells more like piña colada.

why1504

You are right!!!!!