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A Zaino question.....

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Old 07-27-2005, 01:39 PM
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jimdavis
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Default A Zaino question.....

I have been reading in this forum about Zaino. It appears I am about the only Corvette owner in the world that isn't using the stuff. I was impressed with some of the comments about it and photos of cars that had the Zaino treatment. So I went to the Zaino website to learn more about it.

Whew....just wore me out reading about all the steps you have to go through to use this stuff. As much as I would like to have my Vette look like some of the photos I've seen, I just don't have the time to devote an 8 hour day to polishing my car.

OK...so my question is, do any of you Los Angeles area Vette owners know of any detail shops who specialize in Zaino or at least know how to do it? I don't mind paying somebody else to do it as long as they know what they are doing.

I also would like to have somebody do my '33 Ford 3-window coupe with the Zaino process as well.
Old 07-27-2005, 01:51 PM
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Boozman
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First off you don't need all the steps
1. Wash car in Dawn
2. Z2 Pro no hardner
3. Take off with Microfiber cloth and done I have 10 coats on mine now and love it.

As you see mine is Black
Old 07-27-2005, 02:07 PM
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jimdavis
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Originally Posted by Boozman
First off you don't need all the steps
1. Wash car in Dawn
2. Z2 Pro no hardner
3. Take off with Microfiber cloth and done I have 10 coats on mine now and love it.

As you see mine is Black
Hey if that works for you on black, mine should be duck soup since is it silver and a lot more forgiving than black. I will give it a try. Thanks for the tip.
Old 07-27-2005, 02:13 PM
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Akro
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I agree with Boozman. I just wash and apply Z-2 Pro without the ZFX. It is easy to use and looks great. It is also very durable. Mine still shines and beads water after three months.
Old 07-27-2005, 03:01 PM
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I agree with you both. Z-2 is one of the easiest polishes I have ever used. As long as it isn't humid. I then follow up with the Z-6 spray detailer. I've tried them all. This stuff is the best! I can do the the whole car in less than an hour, easily. I usually just use the spray detailer. That takes about 10 minutes and looks like you just waxed it.
Old 07-27-2005, 03:29 PM
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NXT all the way. Just as nice a shine and much less work.
Old 07-27-2005, 03:31 PM
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Adam Boca
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Check out the car care section. LOTS of info..

The NXT and Zaino debates are huge so get boots on!
Old 07-27-2005, 03:37 PM
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Originally Posted by Likesvettes
NXT all the way. Just as nice a shine and much less work.
not true at all JM...You do not have to do all the steps!

You do not have to use all the Zaino Products...Z2 will work just fine..

I am going to quote another post on a similar post by "crusher"..

The FACTS about all these Zaino steps that you all talk about. Compare apples to apples..

Zaino...mix ZFX with Z-2, apply, let dry, remove, YOUR DONE.

NXT....apply, let dry, remove


You don't need to mix ZFX again for six months. If a week later, a month later, a day later you want to put on another coat of Z-2, Z-5, or Z-2 PRO go ahead, you don't need to mix ZFX. You will have to mix ZFX to apply multiple coats in a one 24 hour period. ZFX gives the Z-2 instant cure time to allow you to do this. Another 30 seconds out of your life.

So the truth is that there is only ONE extra step every SIX MONTHS with Zaino and that step will tie you up for about 30 SECONDS of your life.

If you want to take the extra time and effort to enhance your paint even more then you can use the additional Zaino products. But Zaino is not unique in these products. Meguiars, mothers, etc., all have them.

Zaino..Z-5 Swirl Mark Filler
Meguiars..ScratchX

Zaino..Z-6 Gloss enhancer
Meguiars..Quik Detailer

Zaino....Z-18 Clay Bar
Meguiars...CLay Bar

The other statement I hear all the time...Zaino has so many products I don't know which to use. Has anyone ever counted the number of products Meguiars has. If not let me do you a favor and suggest you get a calculator to help you out when you decide to count them.

Bottom line is that the only extra step is mixing ZFX the first time and then every six months after that. And for that 30 seconds of you life you get a superior shine that outlasts anything on the market.
Old 07-27-2005, 07:19 PM
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Zaino rhymes with **** and is insane-o!

What ever floats your boat!
Old 07-27-2005, 08:01 PM
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When i wax with NXT I have a great shine....2 days later in this 100 degree weather and a little rain. I have no wax on the car. I could care less about a shinier wax. I just want something to last atleast a week. I heard great things about zaino so i just spent about $100 for the zaino ultimate kit which should be here by tomorrow. I'll probably apply it over the weekend to my C6 and my brothers H2, THEN i'll see how long zaino lasts and make my pick.
Old 07-27-2005, 08:11 PM
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Originally Posted by VIPERxGTx2000
When i wax with NXT I have a great shine....2 days later in this 100 degree weather and a little rain. I have no wax on the car. I could care less about a shinier wax. I just want something to last atleast a week. I heard great things about zaino so i just spent about $100 for the zaino ultimate kit which should be here by tomorrow. I'll probably apply it over the weekend to my C6 and my brothers H2, THEN i'll see how long zaino lasts and make my pick.
that is easier. zaino lasts longer. I live in Texas so I have dealt with the heat.
Old 07-27-2005, 11:33 PM
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Not true that Zaino is more difficult than NXT.
I'm a die-hard Meguiar's fan for 15 years, just tried Zaino Z5 for the first time. See my thread HERE

All I did was:
  • wash with dawn
  • clay the surface
  • wash again
  • apply one coat of Zaino Z5 -- just wipe on with terry applicator pad, dry for 15 minutes, wipe off with microfiber towel.

THAT'S IT !
Two total myths that are propogated on this forum (mostly by Zaino users, interestingly enough):
  • 1. You need to buy 36 Zaino products - you don't - all you need really is Z5 OR Z2 -- pick one, and just use it as you would NXT, as a sealant.
  • 2. Zaino takes hours and hours to apply -not true - wipe it on, in summer takes 15 minutes to dry, wipe off - in my experence, quicker drying than NXT

So for about $17 buy the Z5 and give it a try -- you'll be impressed as I was. After 15 years of Meguiars, I'm pretty much won over by the Zaino Z5 -- this might be a better choice for those of use who have minor scratches or swirls - it's supposed to cover these, but Z2 does not.

Too many Zaino guys like to throw around these Z-numbers , talk about spending ALL WEEKEND on their cars, and make it sound MUCH more difficult than it really is. That prevents many of us normal guys from ever trying it. But we should dispel the myths I've noted above. You can put Zaino on the car and buff off in a total of about 1/2 hour (after washing and claying), for minimal cost.

I also believe the Zaino website fails to tell you this bottom line - presenting you with an endless array of products, and misleading people to think that the process is anything more complicated than what I've shown above.
Old 07-28-2005, 11:58 AM
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Well stated
Old 07-28-2005, 02:27 PM
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Originally Posted by bugman
I also believe the Zaino website fails to tell you this bottom line - presenting you with an endless array of products, and misleading people to think that the process is anything more complicated than what I've shown above.
I just visited two other car care product sites. These two sites have many more "ENDLESS ARRAY" of products then does Zaino. On niether site did I see a "Bottom Line" of products to buy. As with Zaino, I'm sure they expect you to read about their products and determine yourself which products are best for you to achieve the results your looking to get for your particlular vehicle use.

When I buy a new Vette I'm shown all the options available. I certainly don't buy every option offered but I'm sure some do. I order what works best for me. Not totally the same as Car Care Products but I'm sure you see my point.

Hope this helps....

Last edited by Crusher; 07-28-2005 at 03:22 PM.
Old 07-28-2005, 03:14 PM
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Originally Posted by bugman
Two total myths that are propogated on this forum (mostly by Zaino users, interestingly enough):

1. You need to buy 36 Zaino products
2. Zaino takes hours and hours to apply -not true - wipe it on, in summer takes 15 minutes to dry, wipe off - in my experence, quicker drying than NXT


Although I might add, despite the fact that you do not need every product you may still want most of them, I have not found a bad one yet, they are ALL excellent and I think the only ones I have not tried are the Z3 (all my cars are clearcoated), and the Plastic and Glass polish.
Old 07-28-2005, 03:19 PM
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Originally Posted by VIPERxGTx2000
When i wax with NXT I have a great shine....2 days later in this 100 degree weather and a little rain. I have no wax on the car. I could care less about a shinier wax. I just want something to last atleast a week. I heard great things about zaino so i just spent about $100 for the zaino ultimate kit which should be here by tomorrow. I'll probably apply it over the weekend to my C6 and my brothers H2, THEN i'll see how long zaino lasts and make my pick.
You made the right decision. Zaino is a thousand times more durable than NXT and it won't stain you trim like NXT either. Let us know how you like it.
Old 07-28-2005, 08:19 PM
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Originally Posted by agentf1
You made the right decision. Zaino is a thousand times more durable than NXT and it won't stain you trim like NXT either. Let us know how you like it.
FULLY agree.
Old 07-28-2005, 09:49 PM
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May be my imagination - have only had my Zaino Z5 on the car for 1 week, but I'm thinking that it's attracting less dust than I had with NXT. I haven't had to dust it off at all. I'll keep an eye on it and see if this holds to be true.

wish my z6 and other stuff would get here -- I'm pretty psyched to give them all a try eventually.

But I don't want to badmouth any other products -- it's not that there's anything wrong with NXT, or Wolfgang -- I really love both of those, they are excellent. I just think Zaino is excellent also, and has some slight advantages overall. It's nice to know 3 or even 4 lines of really excellent stuff to use, and that's the situation we all have right now -- not like 30 years ago when it was just Meguiars.

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