Zaino and Pinnacle compared
09-20-2003, 09:34 PM
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Le Mans Master
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Zaino and Pinnacle compared
I have been using Zaino for 4ish years. On my 92 Dark green and now my 91 black C4. I have always been happy with Zaino but recently I noticed that my car was not as “dark” as I would have liked. The paint had a slight gray look to it. I also noticed that I also had multiple swirl marks which would require a 3M treatment. Since I was going to do a complete redo of the cars finish, I figured it would be a good time to try something different.
Due to some recent hype on the forum with Pinnacle I decided to give it a try. I purchased the Pinnacle Souvern kit from autogeek.com around the first of August. Here are my impressions and comparisons with Zaino.
The prep process included a complete wash with Dawn, clay, and wash again. I use my Zaino clay wet. I wash with suds, clay the area, and rewash. Then I rinse the area and move to the next spot. Once clean and clayed, I used 3M swirl remover. This stuff takes a while and can be messy. After a complete buff I washed again with Dawn and dried.
Initial impressions
I purchased the entire Pinnacle Souveran paste kit. This included the 8oz Souveran paste wax, 16oz Paintworks Cleansing Lotion, 16oz Bodywork Shampoo, 16oz Crystal Mist, two microfiber towels, a wax applicator and a cloth applicator. This kit sells for $99. A fair price for as much as you get. Autogeek also sent me a free 16oz bottle of Liquid Souveran (which I have not used yet) and a small sample bottle of the Bodywork Shampoo.
Individual Product Impressions
I used the Paintwork Cleansing Lotion first. This stuff has a typical polish smell to it, with a slightly chalky smell. It is a “prewax cleaner…to safely clean any painted surface prior to waxing.” You apply it in small back and forth motions , working until it dries, wipe off once it dries. After application I noticed that the paint looked darker and the gray I had seen before was gone. The paint was darker and had a slight wet look to it. The product applies OK and removes OK; of the Pinnacle products I tried, and Zaino’s Z, Z2 and Z5 polishes, the Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion applies/removes the hardest. It’s not hard to apply/remove, just more work then the other products. You have to be careful not to use too much, or try to cover too large an area as this stuff can be hard to remove completely. You will also get some greasy residue (which streaks) if you use too much which will require considerable buffing effort to remove. I have used this product two times on the car, both times with good results. Definitely a must use to get that dark look back.
Next up was the Pinnacle “Natural Brilliance” Souveran wax. This stuff is white and has a candle wax smell to it, slightly sweet. Using the foam applicator you apply this with small circular motions and buff it off while it is still wet. If it dries it will be quite a bit harder to get off. Again, you need to work in small areas. Wipe on, wipe off. The product applies very easy and comes off easy (as long as it is wet) This is another product where a little goes a long ways. You can probably get 20 uses out of a 8oz canister, as long a you keep it thin. There was little to no dust from this product, however – I noticed that old wax left in the applicator (on later applications) will create some wax dust. I have put 4-5 coats on in the last month and a half. The wax can be difficult to rinse out of the applicator completely.
A few days later it was time to wash the car (oh darn!). The Pinnacle product smells like something you might use while tanning on a sunny day, a sort of coconut butter smell. A small amount of the Bodywork Shampoo goes a long ways. You need 1-2 oz of product with 4-5 gallons of water. You need to create lots of bubbles while filling your wash bucket. The bubbles last quite a while and dirt and residue are safely removed. I have not noticed any increase in the amount of swirls in my finish so I would say that the wash does an excellent job of protecting the paint from scratches while washing. I am very **** and will notice any new scratches in my finish. So far the Pinnacle car wash has done excellent.
After washing I used the Crystal Mist quick shine spray. This stuff also smells like sun tanning lotion. It goes on with a creamy fell to it, very different from how Zaino’s quick shine product Z6 feels. Z6 has goes on like water, Crystal Mist feels like an oil. The Crystal Mist restores the just waxed look to about 90% of how it would look if it was really “just waxed”. It wipes on easy and does not dry as fast as Zaino’s quick shine. Wipe off and move to the next section. While this product was very good in its overall effectiveness, I found I had to use some Z6 to wipe out a patch of water spots. Pinnacle’s product removed some, Zaino’s Z6 removed almost all of them. The crystal Mist was also effective in protecting the finish while wiping a very lightly dusty surface down.
Even more impressions
Pinnacle’s products do not mix with water very well. On C4 corvettes there are lots of areas that water will hide and wait for you. With Zaino you can mix with small amounts of water without problems. With Pinnacle, even a very small trace of water will result in smears and a redo of the area may be required.
I applied Zaino several times in full sun and on a warm surface without any problems. Pinnacle is not as forgiving in full sun, or on a warm surface. The problem is the Pinnacle products dry too fast and will be more difficult to buff off. If you are like me, this extra work may result in sweating and one drop of sweat will mix in and cause you to have to redo an area because of streaks. If you want the least amount of work, applying Pinnacle in the shade on a cool car is a must.
With Zaino there will be extended drying time (unless you use ZFX, which I never have), with Pinnacle you wipe on, and wipe off. You will also need a 24-48 hour cure time between Pinnacle applications. Both Zaino and Pinnacle apply easy, Pinnacle wax applies a little easier and is very easy to remove as long as it does not dry. A little will go a long ways and with both brands it is better to do multiple light coats than a few heavy coats.
When I first started using Zaino it made it easy to remove bugs from the front, Pinnacle improves on this by quite a bit. Any bug that throws itself on to you car at a high speed is gonna need extra work no matter what polish/wax you use. Overall I have noticed it does not take as much effort to clean up the front of the car with Pinnacle.
Pinnacle will bead water just as good as Zaino and leaves the surface very smooth. This makes for easy washing and dryng. Durability wise Pinnacle seems to do well, tho I have not gone more then two weeks between coats. I have not had any problems with Pinnacle melting off the car and I park in full sun almost all day long. It does not seem to attract any more dust then Zaino.
Conclusion
Looks are subjective. Both products show paint faults equally. Zaino is very clear and every nick, scratch, fading and orange peel area in 14 year old paint will show thru – Pinnacle is just as unforgiving. Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion made my car darker, which I like. It is not as shiny as Zaino, but Pinnacle Wax is still fairly shiny. It does create a more “wet” look. If you are not sure what “wet” means just imagine fresh “wet” looking paint, that is Pinnacle in the right light. Lighting conditions effect each product differently. There are times when (under the right light) either product will make you car look fantastic, and other times when it will look “ho-hum”. I did use some Zaino car wash and Zaino Z6 quick detail on the car (with Pinnacle on it) with interesting results. Basically I had the darker hue of black, mixed with a shiny wet look. More viewing will be required before I can make a firm statement on if the Zaino/Pinnacle combo is an improvement over just Pinnacle alone.
Overall I am very happy with the Pinnacle products. The shampoo is very good. The wax is excellent – it wipes on and off very easy. The Paintwork Cleansing Lotion is the most difficult to use – but gives excellent results by leaving the finish darker and slightly wetter looking. Crystal Mist is good, but not as good as Z6 in removing water spots. I am going to continue to use Pinnacle because while I do like the shiny look from Zaino, I like the darker and wet look from Pinnacle even more. Other then the problem of running into a few water drops, I do think the Pinnacle paste wax applies and removes easier than Zaino Z2 or Z5. The biggest thing is Pinnacle is not as forgiving as Zaino. You need a shaded area to get the best results and you need a 110% dry car. Zaino works on a hot or cool car with the same ease and great looks, and a few wet spots won’t mess it up.
Due to some recent hype on the forum with Pinnacle I decided to give it a try. I purchased the Pinnacle Souvern kit from autogeek.com around the first of August. Here are my impressions and comparisons with Zaino.
The prep process included a complete wash with Dawn, clay, and wash again. I use my Zaino clay wet. I wash with suds, clay the area, and rewash. Then I rinse the area and move to the next spot. Once clean and clayed, I used 3M swirl remover. This stuff takes a while and can be messy. After a complete buff I washed again with Dawn and dried.
Initial impressions
I purchased the entire Pinnacle Souveran paste kit. This included the 8oz Souveran paste wax, 16oz Paintworks Cleansing Lotion, 16oz Bodywork Shampoo, 16oz Crystal Mist, two microfiber towels, a wax applicator and a cloth applicator. This kit sells for $99. A fair price for as much as you get. Autogeek also sent me a free 16oz bottle of Liquid Souveran (which I have not used yet) and a small sample bottle of the Bodywork Shampoo.
Individual Product Impressions
I used the Paintwork Cleansing Lotion first. This stuff has a typical polish smell to it, with a slightly chalky smell. It is a “prewax cleaner…to safely clean any painted surface prior to waxing.” You apply it in small back and forth motions , working until it dries, wipe off once it dries. After application I noticed that the paint looked darker and the gray I had seen before was gone. The paint was darker and had a slight wet look to it. The product applies OK and removes OK; of the Pinnacle products I tried, and Zaino’s Z, Z2 and Z5 polishes, the Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion applies/removes the hardest. It’s not hard to apply/remove, just more work then the other products. You have to be careful not to use too much, or try to cover too large an area as this stuff can be hard to remove completely. You will also get some greasy residue (which streaks) if you use too much which will require considerable buffing effort to remove. I have used this product two times on the car, both times with good results. Definitely a must use to get that dark look back.
Next up was the Pinnacle “Natural Brilliance” Souveran wax. This stuff is white and has a candle wax smell to it, slightly sweet. Using the foam applicator you apply this with small circular motions and buff it off while it is still wet. If it dries it will be quite a bit harder to get off. Again, you need to work in small areas. Wipe on, wipe off. The product applies very easy and comes off easy (as long as it is wet) This is another product where a little goes a long ways. You can probably get 20 uses out of a 8oz canister, as long a you keep it thin. There was little to no dust from this product, however – I noticed that old wax left in the applicator (on later applications) will create some wax dust. I have put 4-5 coats on in the last month and a half. The wax can be difficult to rinse out of the applicator completely.
A few days later it was time to wash the car (oh darn!). The Pinnacle product smells like something you might use while tanning on a sunny day, a sort of coconut butter smell. A small amount of the Bodywork Shampoo goes a long ways. You need 1-2 oz of product with 4-5 gallons of water. You need to create lots of bubbles while filling your wash bucket. The bubbles last quite a while and dirt and residue are safely removed. I have not noticed any increase in the amount of swirls in my finish so I would say that the wash does an excellent job of protecting the paint from scratches while washing. I am very **** and will notice any new scratches in my finish. So far the Pinnacle car wash has done excellent.
After washing I used the Crystal Mist quick shine spray. This stuff also smells like sun tanning lotion. It goes on with a creamy fell to it, very different from how Zaino’s quick shine product Z6 feels. Z6 has goes on like water, Crystal Mist feels like an oil. The Crystal Mist restores the just waxed look to about 90% of how it would look if it was really “just waxed”. It wipes on easy and does not dry as fast as Zaino’s quick shine. Wipe off and move to the next section. While this product was very good in its overall effectiveness, I found I had to use some Z6 to wipe out a patch of water spots. Pinnacle’s product removed some, Zaino’s Z6 removed almost all of them. The crystal Mist was also effective in protecting the finish while wiping a very lightly dusty surface down.
Even more impressions
Pinnacle’s products do not mix with water very well. On C4 corvettes there are lots of areas that water will hide and wait for you. With Zaino you can mix with small amounts of water without problems. With Pinnacle, even a very small trace of water will result in smears and a redo of the area may be required.
I applied Zaino several times in full sun and on a warm surface without any problems. Pinnacle is not as forgiving in full sun, or on a warm surface. The problem is the Pinnacle products dry too fast and will be more difficult to buff off. If you are like me, this extra work may result in sweating and one drop of sweat will mix in and cause you to have to redo an area because of streaks. If you want the least amount of work, applying Pinnacle in the shade on a cool car is a must.
With Zaino there will be extended drying time (unless you use ZFX, which I never have), with Pinnacle you wipe on, and wipe off. You will also need a 24-48 hour cure time between Pinnacle applications. Both Zaino and Pinnacle apply easy, Pinnacle wax applies a little easier and is very easy to remove as long as it does not dry. A little will go a long ways and with both brands it is better to do multiple light coats than a few heavy coats.
When I first started using Zaino it made it easy to remove bugs from the front, Pinnacle improves on this by quite a bit. Any bug that throws itself on to you car at a high speed is gonna need extra work no matter what polish/wax you use. Overall I have noticed it does not take as much effort to clean up the front of the car with Pinnacle.
Pinnacle will bead water just as good as Zaino and leaves the surface very smooth. This makes for easy washing and dryng. Durability wise Pinnacle seems to do well, tho I have not gone more then two weeks between coats. I have not had any problems with Pinnacle melting off the car and I park in full sun almost all day long. It does not seem to attract any more dust then Zaino.
Conclusion
Looks are subjective. Both products show paint faults equally. Zaino is very clear and every nick, scratch, fading and orange peel area in 14 year old paint will show thru – Pinnacle is just as unforgiving. Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion made my car darker, which I like. It is not as shiny as Zaino, but Pinnacle Wax is still fairly shiny. It does create a more “wet” look. If you are not sure what “wet” means just imagine fresh “wet” looking paint, that is Pinnacle in the right light. Lighting conditions effect each product differently. There are times when (under the right light) either product will make you car look fantastic, and other times when it will look “ho-hum”. I did use some Zaino car wash and Zaino Z6 quick detail on the car (with Pinnacle on it) with interesting results. Basically I had the darker hue of black, mixed with a shiny wet look. More viewing will be required before I can make a firm statement on if the Zaino/Pinnacle combo is an improvement over just Pinnacle alone.
Overall I am very happy with the Pinnacle products. The shampoo is very good. The wax is excellent – it wipes on and off very easy. The Paintwork Cleansing Lotion is the most difficult to use – but gives excellent results by leaving the finish darker and slightly wetter looking. Crystal Mist is good, but not as good as Z6 in removing water spots. I am going to continue to use Pinnacle because while I do like the shiny look from Zaino, I like the darker and wet look from Pinnacle even more. Other then the problem of running into a few water drops, I do think the Pinnacle paste wax applies and removes easier than Zaino Z2 or Z5. The biggest thing is Pinnacle is not as forgiving as Zaino. You need a shaded area to get the best results and you need a 110% dry car. Zaino works on a hot or cool car with the same ease and great looks, and a few wet spots won’t mess it up.
09-20-2003, 10:42 PM
#2
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St. Jude '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11
Re: Zaino and Pinnacle compared (Aaron71771)
Thanks for taking the time to write that up. Glad you are happy with Pinnacle. I have switched from Mothers to Zaino to Meguiar's to Pinnacle. I have been using Pinnacle and will continue to do so :cheers:
09-21-2003, 04:14 AM
#3
Team Owner
Re: Zaino and Pinnacle compared (MilYellow02)
I switched from Zaino to PInnacle too.. although im starting to get tired of HAVING to wax weekly... with Zaino, I could let it go a couple months. I also seem to get waterspots easier with Pinnacle.. but i really like the way the paint looks more..
09-21-2003, 02:08 PM
#5
Le Mans Master
Re: Zaino and Pinnacle compared (WWK888)
You guys should consider trying Klasse All in One cleaner and Sealant Glaze first to prep the paint. It is also a synthetic like Zaino, but great results can be achieved when topped with a Carnauba like Pinnacle or P21s/S100. You can go a little longer between topcoats also. It gives a little more depth and makes the paint extremely slick, much more than Pinnacle alone.
I have also seen products from Clearcote really bring the dark back in dark colors. If you want to see what this can do....go to autopia.com and look in the Click and Brag section for post by a guy named ScottWax. His results are awesome.
I have also seen products from Clearcote really bring the dark back in dark colors. If you want to see what this can do....go to autopia.com and look in the Click and Brag section for post by a guy named ScottWax. His results are awesome.
09-21-2003, 06:15 PM
#7
Safety Car
Re: Zaino and Pinnacle compared (Redshark6974)
pretty fair assessment. Never had even the slightest work to remove Paintwork Cleaning Lotion or Soveran though....comes off like butter with a microfiber. Now if Zaino isnt fully cured....not thats hard to get off.
09-22-2003, 10:47 AM
#8
Former Vendor
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Re: Zaino and Pinnacle compared (Aaron71771)
Just wanted to say thank you for taking the time and trying out our Pinnacle line. Glad you were happy with the results, your post was very informative, we should hire you to do our writing! www.autogeek.net
09-22-2003, 02:34 PM
#9
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Re: Zaino and Pinnacle compared (jason@autogeek)
I have not tried Zaino, but have used all of the above regarding the Pinnacle on my '82. It helped the shine on the silver and really made the claret deep. It even got rid of some old hard water spots in the claret. It smells like coconut oil. I've been waiting on some good and cooler weather so I can do the treatment on my new '04 spiral grey. It will probably get cleaned up this weekend and then i'll have some new pics.
[Modified by Rockin'M, 1:34 PM 9/22/2003]
[Modified by Rockin'M, 1:34 PM 9/22/2003]
09-23-2003, 04:10 AM
#10
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Re: Zaino and Pinnacle compared (Rockin'M)
I have using Pinnacle Souveran for years and I think its the best,
but I have a close friend that loves the Zaino products. It's great to have all these great products to pick from.
but I have a close friend that loves the Zaino products. It's great to have all these great products to pick from.
09-23-2003, 08:26 AM
#11
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Re: Zaino and Pinnacle compared (MM89)
I think I could have Z 6ed my car in the time it took to read that detailed, and helpful analysis.
Your car is shiney, that's for sure.
Your car is shiney, that's for sure.
09-23-2003, 10:24 PM
#12
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Re: Zaino and Pinnacle compared (Aaron71771)
Thanks for the informative analysis. I am a big believer in Pinnacle products. Have a friend that is the same about Zaino. Both our cars always look great. Mine is just easier to wax.
09-23-2003, 11:31 PM
#13
Safety Car
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St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Re: Zaino and Pinnacle compared (adios-1)
Thanks for your in depth comparison. :thumbs:
Here's my review....Pinnacle=easy on, easy off with deep color and shine. :chevy
Here's my review....Pinnacle=easy on, easy off with deep color and shine. :chevy
09-24-2003, 01:39 AM
#14
Le Mans Master
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St. Jude Donor '03
Re: Zaino and Pinnacle compared (Aaron71771)
Way too clinical. All I know is Zaino gives me this kind of shine!
That was taken off the hood of my vert. Got to love results like that :hurray: :hurray:
[Modified by eddie44, 11:40 PM 9/23/2003]
That was taken off the hood of my vert. Got to love results like that :hurray: :hurray:
[Modified by eddie44, 11:40 PM 9/23/2003]
09-25-2003, 07:35 AM
#15
Burning Brakes
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Re: Zaino and Pinnacle compared (eddie44)
That was taken off the hood of my vert.
[Modified by eddie44, 11:40 PM 9/23/2003]
Is.
Awesome.
[Modified by TheDarkKnight, 5:36 AM 9/25/2003]
09-25-2003, 08:25 AM
#16
Burning Brakes
Re: Zaino and Pinnacle compared (Aaron71771)
Thanks for sharing your experience.
No product bashing, just a comprehensive
documentation of your experience and
conclusions.
This is what makes the Forum so helpful!
No product bashing, just a comprehensive
documentation of your experience and
conclusions.
This is what makes the Forum so helpful!
09-25-2003, 11:46 PM
#18
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St. Jude Donor '04 & '05
Re: Zaino and Pinnacle compared (Aaron71771)
With all that writing, I still think that Zanio is best for our vette's.
Sorry,
tony
:flag
Sorry,
tony
:flag
09-26-2003, 09:42 PM
#19
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Re: Zaino and Pinnacle compared (Aaron71771)
Great write up Aaron :thumbs:
I'm a Zaino user but bought the Pinnicle kit from autogeek a while ago. Saw Iceberg's car at Carlisle and was pretty impressed. Just don't have the guts to make the switch. Somehow I still think that it will be more difficult than Zaino. :confused:
I'm a Zaino user but bought the Pinnicle kit from autogeek a while ago. Saw Iceberg's car at Carlisle and was pretty impressed. Just don't have the guts to make the switch. Somehow I still think that it will be more difficult than Zaino. :confused:
