Zaino question

I have seen in the past many corvette owners use Zaino and are very happy with the results. I decided to check out there website and they seem to push ZFX fast cure accelerator additive. My question is how important is it to add ZFX to Z-2 or Z-5? Does either waxes last longer because of it?

 

it does not last longer, or effect the overall longevity, what it does is it allows it to cure faster so you can layer the product. I use alot of Zaino products except that LOL


I used it, and IMO it was not worth it.....

Zaino is a great product, you can layer it endlessly and it only gets better, it is just not cost effective if you are using it as a product in a professional setting, but as a hobbiest, or for a few cars it is an outstanding line of products. I am a big fan of Z2..... I use it one wheels, carbon fiber polished plastics etc.

Z5 looks sick on black paint, I used it for 2 years on my Onyx Black IS350 and it looked fantastic, I would follow it up with Zaino Spray seal or the QD

 

I completely agree with Kilo. I love all the Zaino products and they were the ones who got me into detailing actually. As far as ZFX goes I found it probably cuts curing time by 50% But if your using the Zaino products you know it's a very long and tedious process so your probably not too worried about time in the first place. If you have the $ to spare its worth a try for sure. There are LOTS of other products out on the market that will give the same result with far less hassle but if you haven't used the z2/z5 combo yet definitely go for it! It has a huge fan base for a reason!

 

Have also used Zaino on and off for over 10 years.
If you ever decide to use it correctly, you will learn the meaning of THIN coats, and this will be a very good thing. I got to where I could apply 3 coats of Z2 or Z5 to a medium sized vehicle using around 1/4 oz of product.
I really liked the ZFX additive and actually played with it and made it work faster by adding more drops than called for, because I always wanted to get the 3 recommended coats on in one setting and be done with it.
If you decide to get some, save yourself a lot of product and get some really small 1/2 oz flip top plastic bottles and plan on throwing them away after use. Its just too tedious for me to try to clean out this little tiny bottle for next time.
Zaino actually had a lot of durability for my requirements and was probably the pioneer of acrylic polymer sealant technology..
Their 2 Leather products the cleaner and conditioner are in my shop and I use the cleaner all the time. It always gets more dirt out of leather than anything else I have, including steam.
Their car wash shampoo, quick detailer, clear seal, and especially their AIO, all really work great. I use the AIO product on all wood trim and it really cleans, clears up the finish, and protects the wood trim perfectly for me.

So for the casual user, the corvette users, and all the guys/gals that take care of their own vehicles, etc., its an answer to prayers ! For the Professional Shop, it hard to be cost-effective with it, and Sal Zaino absolutely refuses to sell any of it in bulk for bulk pricing. He has personally told me no many times in the past.

Guess he does so good with his 1 formula for marketing/sales, he doesn't ever need to change. How lucky is that ??

Dan F

 

yeah, Sal is a stickler... does not even run sales lol

yeah, thin.... means thin. I can do most a medium sized car with Z5 with half a cap or less.... makes you question if you are doing it right, but in the end it shows.


I agree with Dan about the leather cleaner and conditioner, it is top notch, as is the glass polish.

One product I want to try is the tire dressing which I have not had the opportunity to use.

The clay, ive been using it for years and it has never let me down..

 

I used the tire shine and it looks amazing. Kinda has a sweet spot for being right in between satin and gloss.

It would probably be best to apply it with a paint brush or something similar to the Swissvax Pneu brush because of its thin consistency.

Smells like bubble gum IIRC!

 

Zaino was the first product line I used when I started getting serious about detailing. Compared to what is available now, the line will completely wear you out. It's outdated, cumbersome to use and is mainly pushed by the Corvette crowd.

You can replace the entire line with Menzerna Power Lock and be completely happy.

 

Why is it hard to work with Zaino? Is it the fact of realizing how little you have to use? I had to learn that with 845 a few years back. Needless to say i never did that again and i use a very very small amount. I was just curious about Zaino because i keep seeing threads pop up and people have great results with it. I fell for the LSP craze and have more then i will probably ever use since i detail as a hobby, so i may try to sell off what i havent touched in the near future.

 

I think you nailed it when you said that it is all about putting it on thin.

The only thing that I don't like about z2 and z5 is that they are so incompatible with just about anything else.

I have too many products not to experiment.

If you are going to use Zaino, you pretty much have to commit to using their line, and their line only.

 

I agree with p1et, it is outdated....


MPL will do it all

BUT in its defense it works, and for many people it takes the guess work out of trying to find what works and what doesn't. (hence Sal not changing it in years, no need too)

We can all agree it is a top notch product and does what it claims, but as Rob says you are pretty much reserved to using that line when it comes to their LSPs.

if you are a weekend warrior doing your own cars etc, its a great solution, you can pick up the kit they sell and it has everything you need, plus it has that exclusivity factor that buying OTC products does not.

I think at some point you either move on, or you keep using it....

 

I think we all have a lot of respect for what Zaino is durability and looks wise. They have great sealants, dressing etc., but to really round the line out I think they need a set of good compounds and polishes.

Talk about an exclusive line-up if they could get a line of compounds and polishes out.

 

I have to say that their leathe car products are very good, as is their tire dressing. It's definitely one of my favorites. Just don't want to buy anymore of it because the shipping always kills it if you only want one item.

 

I think that their entire line was created to help everyone take the guesswork out of what to use for all of their car needs.

They do have a compound, its called Z-PC Fusion Dual Action Paint Cleaner Swirl Remover, and it works pretty darn good.

I think their idea was that if you tried and really liked their products, there would really be no need to use something else.

But in our quest for the "Ultimate" product, we will always be looking for that next, great, gotta' have ______________ (you fill in the blank)

They also have Local Reps out there, that buy the product and resell it to you locally. I had one for years up here and he finally got out of the business..

Dan F

 

I have tried Zpc, and IMO, it doesn't finish very well.

That is a good point though, they do have a compound that I forgot about (probably because I didn't particulary like it).

 

No doubt Zaino was the first company with an ultra durable sealant that was differentiated from the rest of the detailing LSP products. I do believe that ship has sailed and the industry has eclipsed them. I used the Zaino System after speaking with Sal Zaino on the phone many moons ago. He has a passion and knows his products and how to sell them. I was afraid to use anything else for years for fear of contamnating the system. Today, between, BFDW, Power Lock, Ultima PGP, IW845, and P21S 100% the only thing I am really looking forward to trying is the nano products like Wolf, A Quarts and Opti Coat. I am just not that proficient at polishing to perfection yet and it is not uncommon for me to re polish a pannel becasue I see something I missed. I think it really comes down to the fact that I do not allocate enough time to polishing when I polish and end of being rushed.

 

The ZPC Fusion product is pad dependent and needs pressure to correct badly scratched finishes. I had great success using Lake Country Yellow Pads to correct and White pads to finish and the end result was about as good as anything in that line. No, it could never finish down as perfectly as say Menzerna PO85RD or 106FA, but then they cannot correct as well as it does either. So, again, you have trade-offs, and that is always a factor in Detailing..

Once I figured out how to apply really thin coats and accurately measure out the product and the ZFX combination, it was never hard or time consuming, etc. Instead it was pretty fast to lay down 3 quick coats, using the ZFX additive, and be done with it. Certainly no waiting 12-24 hours for each layer to dry, etc.. You had to work fast, or the ZFX would start hardening your product in the bottle.

I have seen a few cars that have huge amounts of coats on them and it really makes a difference. Its almost like another layer of clearcoat - wonder where I have heard that recently??

Dan F

 

Thanks everyone for the insight. I dont have much experience with sealants since most of them need 12hours to cure and i cant predict Pittsburgh weather. A friend of mine used Wolfgang DPG back in august(it spends its entire life outside) and his TC was still beading water very well last night during are heavy rain. I was very impressed because he neglects his TC and spends all his detailing time with his Turbo S2000. I have a bottle of it as well as CG Jet seal. I usually use 845 but top it with a nuba on my Impala and i find the hood,roof,trunk area stop beading after 3 months and i think it has to do with the amount of sun exposure. I am not sure if topping 845 is the problem, but anways i am looking for a product that will last a long time 5+months and have a good finish.(I usually do atleasts a 1step polish prep on both my vehicles once a year)prior too

 

If you are looking for outright longevity, look at the host of nano coatings that are availible..


I sold my STI in November, I put Cquartz on it before a car show in July and when I washed it the other day it is still going strong....

 

I ended up leaving the line. I kept the leather cleaner and conditioner.

One thing that always bothered me, is they refer to all their sealants as a polish. Then again, any company that does this will drive me up a wall. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the term "polish" should be reserved ONLY for products with correcting properties and NO ending protection. Not even for an AIO products like Blacklight.

Basically,

Polish: correcting property, no protection
Wax/sealant: no correcting, protection only
AIO: has correcting, has filling, has protection
Cleaner wax: I don't know what that means LOL

I think it's become one of my biggest peeves lately

 

The word "polish" has evolved into something different than what it used to be way back when Zaino was invented, I'm thinking, and the word "sealant" was not really a buzz word until the last what 5-6 years??

That might be the reason why Zaino called their Z1-Z2-Z5 products a Polish.. It was not a Wax, and that was probably the only other word used way back then, so they maybe went with what sounded closest to their product description.

And knowing Sal, the little that I know him, the man is not ever going to change the way he thinks about his business plan.

Its the kind of niche product that one really buys into all the way, or dabbles a bit, and leaves the table for the journey to continue finding the best of the best.. The people that keep inventing new stuff are counting on that..

Dan F