Robert Collins - 96 993TT

I have been using Zaino Bros. for about six months now and have had some very, very satisfying results, which I have explained in detail below.

Having detailed cars for a living in college, and being armored in those days with everything from orbital and speed buffers to Meguiars, Zymol and Auto Magic products (what the "pros" supposedly used then), I still felt there was a better way to get a slick wet finish on your car that lasts. I finally have found something that is keeping me grinning from ear to ear.

All I do is apply Meguiars step #1 cleaner with an orbital buffer very lightly, only to get off the surface dirt and surface scratches. After removing the hazed cleaner by hand with a soft cloth, I then apply the Zaino Bros. polish #1 with a Zaino application pad. You leave this on for step 2. I apply step 1 in straight line motions (I learned this from Jon Paterek at Dixie Tech, and yes it really does get rid of those circular spider web-like marks). I used to wax with a circular motion, but no more. Circular to me is ok with an orbital to remove contaminants in the paint, but not to apply coats of polish or wax.

I then apply step two of Zaino Bros, again applying it in straight line motions. After it dries to a haze, I then remove the polish in straight line motions. The result of this is a wet mirror finish that has lasted me about six months on both the 993 and on my daily driver, the M5. <img src="graemlins/burnout.gif" border="0" alt="[burnout]" />

BTW, when I wash the car I only use a bucket of water and a soft rag. I do not use ANY kind of soap or detergent, because they only strip off wax. The result is my wax job still beads up wonderfully after six months, and still has a wet look to it.

I hope this info helps those of you trying to find a wax or polish application that you can be happy with. I have tried DOZENS of different things over the years and this is without a doubt the best combination of cleaning and polishing I have found yet, and the only products that the wet look lasts for more than a week. I do not consider myself an expert, but I have been trying new things off and on for about 16 years now.

Good luck, and I hope this helps. <img src="graemlins/drink.gif" border="0" alt="[cherrsagai]" /> <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

Chris C.

Robert:

Thanks for the info!

Have you ever used Zymol on a freshly clayed car, by comparison? Does Zaino give you a deep finish, as I have found with Zymol? The pics of Zaino I have seen it is a very "wet" finish, but not that deep shine that I like as the fruits of many hours detailing.

Thanks for any insights.

dwe8922

Do you not wipe off the z1 before applying the z2? It seems to me that you'd want to get the material taken off by the z1 polish I haven't tried the zaino yet, but I'm tempted to try. I'm using the 3m hand glaze followed by blitz wax, w/ pretty good results. I've started applying the 3m w/ an orbital buffer w/ surprisingly good results.
I always thought the purpose of the soap was to provide suds to lift debris off the surface of the paint? What color is your car?

Thanks!
David

993Widebody

[quote]Originally posted by David Edwards:
<strong>Do you not wipe off the z1 before applying the z2? It seems to me that you'd want to get the material taken off by the z1 </strong><hr></blockquote>
The directions specifically say not to take off the Z1 as it works with the Z2 to bind and seal the polish.

satchy

I'm finishing my first detailing with Zaino this weekend. I've put on 3 coats of the Z5 and the car looks great. I hadn't detailed this car yet and there were a lot of swirl marks. Since I hadn't used the Z5 before I didn't trust it to take care of the swirls, so I used 3M hand glaze first. Maybe unnecessary, but it does such a good job I didn't regret it. I figure two coats of Z2 tonight and I'll be done, although really the car looks great already.
Concerning the Z1, you are supposed to keep it on while you apply the Z2. My guess is it is needed to start the polymeric reaction. I wouldn't go that route though. They sell this ZFX accelerator which takes the place of the Z1. You're putting on 3+ coats of this stuff already, so this saves one step. Plus, I was able to apply 3 coats, with Z6 in between, in about 4 hours.
My initial impression is that it gives a great shine, equal to, but probably not better than some other popular waxes mentioned here before. However, this stuff is supposed to last longer. The other positive is that it is easier to apply and much easier to remove thatn traditional wax. On the other hand, because you're putting on (or should put on) multiple coats, it probably isn't a time saver.

'96 993TT

Mike J

A couple of points:

1 - Zaino is not a wax. Can't remember what kind of chemical brew it is but it bonds into the pait unlike wax which is on the paint. I know my body guy hates the stuff...it makes the paint hard to work with and they have to use some strong strippers. Wax is easy to strip.

2 - I do not think mixing Zaino and waxes is, to quote Martha, 'a good thing'. Zaino will just sit ontop of the Wax coat and not combine with the other Zaino layers

3 - You can do just one coat and it will look great. Do multiple coats and it will look more deep and shiney. Same thing as waxes. I would argue its not any more work than waxes and in fact is easier to put on and take off.

I have been using Zaino for over a year now. Their clay bar is great...talk about picking up all kinds of gunk from what you think is a clean car! Not sure how that compares to other clay bars ; I have only used theirs. However after I bought my 96 Targa I clayed it...holy cow did I ever pick up a lot of stuff. The paint is really smooth after that and ready for the Zaino Lok.

I also like the ease of application. The coats are really thin and leave very little residue. It is important to use, to quote Zaino, very large white 100% USA Made cotton towels. Its not hard to put on a coat after a wash after drydown. I have several cotton application pads which I go through if they get dirty.

Basically its the best stuff I have used to date (not that I have used a lot of waxes) basically because of the ease of use. The shine is great. Also the directionality is important so all the micro scratches go the same way...even wash the car in straight lines front to back.

Their leather stuff is good...I am using it now. Does not leave a greasy finish and it smells like new leather. I tried their glass polish but do not have any real comments yet...apparently it helps from the windows getting dust. Since I have a Targa (must have about five acres of glass) its important.

I do use their wash as well..apparently it has supplements to the #2 and #5 coats. Not sure if I will continue with that...the product is pretty expensive.

So all in all I am a fan...I can get the car looking really good with little work, you gotta love that!

My current car if Polar Silver and my last car was Schwartz Metallic...both looked great.

Luis A.

I use Zaino on the daily driver (A6) because of how durable it is. It does not leave any tell-tale residue anywhere in the car as many waxes do. It will last months, especially if you use a mild car shampoo such as Zaino's Z7. The quick-detailer, Z6, works very well to renew the shine on a reasonable clean car.

Although Sal Zaino recommeds 100% cotton towels I've moved to micro fiber (MF) towels. They are less prone to entrap dirt and scratch your car. I was using the best US made towels I could find and I was still getting new micro scratches. I find the black paint on our cars to be quite soft and scratch easily. MF towels don't lint, and absorb incredible amounts of water or whatever you're buffing off. I recommned yosteve.com for quality and price.

For my black 993 I have tried Zaino and also Pinnacle Souveran wax and find the latter to give a deeper and wetter shine than Zaino. It also does not leave white residue.

Sorry for turning this into a detaling forum .

For everything you want to know about detailing (and more!) visit <a href="http://www.Autopia-carport.com." target="_blank">www.Autopia-carport.com.</a> It's really a great forum for the obsessive-compulsive.

Robert Collins - 96 993TT

David and others-
I am glad there are others on the board this is relevant to. I will try to comment on what I have seen so far..... David, my cars are Guards Red (993) and Jet Black (M5).

I have found that the guards red on the 993 is pretty decent about not showing swirl marks or other imperfections, but when I applied the Zaino the shine just amazed me. Having used other "wet" products I thought, "Well, this will last a week". Not true. Whatever the chemical bond is that the zaino steps have with the paint seems to work. Some people seem to think that a polish (with no wax) does not protect your car as well from the elements as a good carnauba wax, and being a wax guy myself historically, I agreed until now.

The finish on my 993 still looks great, but what really amazed me was the finish on a jet black (non-metallic) M5. This paint is VERY, VERY sensitive. After six months I did have some surface scratches return, but the shine, wet-look and beading were all still there. I felt like I really needed to re-do the car only because of surface dirt, scratches etc... not because the product was gone. I have never been able to say that about a true wax.

Another thing about wax is build-up, which I do not believe you can do with this polish (I might be wrong). The Zaino instructions actually encourage you to apply multiple coats for a deeper finish, not to mention you can do it in shade, sunlight, etc.... I have had experience with multiple coats of true wax eventually start to cake up in places.

As far as the Zaino Car Wash soap, I used it once and I like it. But only if the car is REALLY dirty. Otherwise, I stick with water only. Your finish will last longer, period. My trick is to get a cootn towel that has a VERY high thread count, and fold it into a wash square. It retains alot of water and helps keep water between the towel and the paint.

Unfortunately, the only negative I have about Zaino is the leather products. To keep this post from getting any longer, I will just say I have learned from a leather expert in Nashville that leather only needs it's own natural oils and that trying to replace them with creams and conditioners only makes them dirty by clogging their pores just like human skin can clog. Therefore, forget the creams, etc... and just clean leather with a very, very mild detergent soap and water mixture and a rag or sponge. You might be surprised just how clean your leather comes out.

Hope this helps.......

randyvitaha

As an owner of a black, (yes, black),1996,993 targa, I finally have found a system that I have to recommend. It is called Image Plus. You start with a special step#1 wash, go to a step#2 cleaner, polish with a step#3 polish and finish with a step#4 enhancer. This is all done by hand. I have been fighting swirl marks and hazing for a long time on my black finish. I've use about every product on the market with varying results. This goes for all the 3-M products that promise to help with swirl marks. This system is by far the best I have found. I even like it better that Ziano on my car. I believe it can only be obtained through a rep.If you want to give it a try, I'll be happy to put you in contact with the salesman.

bet

To all you zaino users I have a couple of questions. One do our cars have a clear coat? Second do you want full 24 hrs in between coats? Any application tips?

vjd3

For a clear coat, it depends on the color. Metallic paints have clear coats, but I believe the solid colors (black, guards red, etc.) have no clear coat. If, when you wax your car, you get a little color on the towel, there's no clear coat. That's my understanding anyway, but i've been wrong before ;-)

Vic
95 C-4

Luis A.

My black 96 coupe definitely has a clear coat. The subject of whether black is clearcoated or not has come up before but it might have been in the old archives prior to the "big crash".

In order to determine if yours has a clear coat, rub some very fine sandpaper (1500 or 2000) in an inconspicous spot, wipe with your finger and observe the color of the resulting dust.

Shooter

Robert:
Thanks for the good info and topic. What is your experience and what strategy do you follow on your top and plastic back window?
Thanks

Robert Collins - 96 993TT

Shooter,
With this being my first cabriolet, I will not pretend to be an expert on the top or window. I will tell you that I did not have luck with the Meguiar's plastic cleaner and polish. Some scratches came out a little, but not enough to make me think the product was anything special (could be user error).I was told by Jon Paterek at Dixie Tech to use a mixture of Blue Magic and P21S which I still have not tried. Someone else has a post on this right now down the board a little.

I got lucky and bought a car with an immaculate top. I was told early on to never leave the top down, unless it is necessary, to preserve the canvas and keep it and the window from creasing. I also put a soft towel covering the window when I put the top down which helps avoid scratching it. I have done both of these and in two years my top looks as good as new.

All I do to wash it is use the pressure washer to spray it off from anout three feet away. Once it dries I take a dog/cat hair removal roller (not the velcro, but the sticky sheets you can peel back) and roll the top to remove any hair, lint, etc... but it picks up dirt really well too. <img src="graemlins/bigok.gif" border="0" alt="[thumbsup]" />

Those are some pretty useful things to help keep the top looking new. The window is still under research, so I am looking for ideas.

Cheers. <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />