Doing my best impression of Dr. Bonz, I set out to Zaino-fy my Brickyard Z today. Much has already been said here about Zaino, so I will touch on things I don't recall seeing or that pertain specifically to my Z...

I used the following process...
[list=1][*]wash w/Dawn[*]rinse[*]wash w/Dawn 2nd time[*]rinse and dry[*]Z6 entire car (including windows, rims, door jams, around inside of hatch and hood[*]Z5 once[*]Z6 again[*]Z2 body and rims[*]Z6 a third time[*]Z2 just body a second time[/list=1]

The first thing the Zaino savvy will notice is that I did not clay bar. I chalk this up to my own inexperience with claying. I tried claying with the Z18 and diluted Z7 as lubricant, but wound up scuffing my finish a couple times. Elected not to continue with it, fearing I might do irrepairable damage to my paint.

Second, the Z5 was necessary. After washing I already notice a few minor scratch marks. Z5 took 'em right out, though.

Noted that Z5 smells good enough to eat... be sure to pack a lunch when you do this, it takes time.

My Z is Zaino sized!!!! Yep, what I found was that exactly one ounce of Z2 is enough to coat the entire car twice. Further, it took me exactly 30 minutes to cover the entire car... allowing me to immediately begin buffing the Z5/Z2 off when I finished a coat.

Each coat took approximately an hour to put on and off... hence, I spent about 6 1/2 hours cleaning and Zaino-ing my car today. Relatively easy process, though.

On the bad side, in going over my car 8 full times today, I noted that I already have a very small ding on the passenger door. No one else will notice, but I know its there (no chipped paint tho!)... and I do have some minor orange peel in isolated spots...

Well, the results speak for themself, so I'll post a few pics....

 

here we are post wash before first coat of Zaino...

 

hood after first coat of Z6...

 

door reflection after Z6, Z5, Z6.. hey! I can almost read the label!!!

 

rest of these are after the entire process was completed (6 coats)... much later in the day so not as much sunlight, but reflections are still sweet... first the hood shot...

 

shot off the roof looking at the trees behind my house... OOoooo ... look at the colorful leaves....

 

ah... I love this pic... it's an optical illusion caused by the body line of the car... looks like there's a long country road out of my neighborhood. Really, where the seem breaks the image, there is a line of houses going up the other side of the road... pretty neat, huh?

Okay... so I'm easily amused...

 

Finally, this is how you can expect to be greeted by a pet that has been ignored while you Zaino-ed for 6 hours.

And no, I did not Zaino my dog!

 

Andy,

Nice! Car looks great! I hope you enjoying yours as much as I am mine. My Z also has a little orange peel but no more than on other vehicles I have owned. (S2000, M3) I also had a small ding on my front fender above the Z emblem. I had my local paintless dent removal guy fix it. You can't even detect where it used to be. I am sure someone near you can probably take the ding out for you.

 

Andy, you have now entered the wonderful and addictive world of ZAINO!!!. Your life will now never be the same.


Just put on layer #15 the other day.

As Homer Simpson would say: "MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.......ZAAAAAAAAAAINO"

 

Dang, Bones! you must be reading my mind. Got up this morning and it was drizzling. So what do I do? Down to the garage to put another coat of Z6 on! That makes 7 coats of the big Z!

BTW, is there any harm in Z6ing, then not following with Z2?

 

Whoa now McDuck! You counting Z-6 as a "layer". No, no, no my feathered friend! Z-6 is simply the treatment BETWEEN layers. If I were to count those I'd have 31 layers now!

No, as a true ZAINO guru, you must only count Z-2 or Z-5 as LAYERS!

UUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMM, Learn, they will not, these young Zaino Students!

 

PLease use a good car wash soap on your car. Do not use dishwashing liquid. check here www.avalonracing.net

 

3fiddy, true Zaino freaks follow directions carefully. Zaino recommends using Dawn as an initial wash to remove any prior waxes, etc.
www.zainobros.com

After six hours in the garage yesterday on the Touring Silverstone I picked up on 11/6, I am well on my way to becoming young Zaino-Jedi apprentice.

On a side note: I have six coats on my 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee, Steel Blue metallic and it looks truly amazing!! I am a true believer....

 

(3) coats of Z2 and counting. Obviously, Z6 inbetween each layer. This stuff is amazing. -m

 

You washed the car with DAWN??? As in DISHWASHING LIQUID????

Or am I missing something.......

 

the rules as I know them are to use a dawn soap solution as lubrication for the clay bar. insuring a VERY clean car with zippo old wax. I put my second coat on today.

someone told me although it dries in X amount of time and can be removed, its not 100% dry for a few days. so multiple coats can sometimes be self defeating if not allowed proper time to set.

 

You use Dawn the first time to remove old wax. The Z-7 car wash makes a better lubricant for claying but Dawn will work too. You shouldn't do multiple layers of Zaino in a single day UNLESS you are using the ZFX accelerator additive. It gives quicker drying and ZERO curing time, allowing the back to back coats. But you should limit it to 3 per day with the ZFX, 1 per day without it. After the initial prep there is never any reason to use Dawn again when using Zaino.

 

Take it easy everyone. Kevin is EXACTLY correct. If you are a newby and unwise to the ways of Zainology, please read the several threads posted in eons past about ZAINO! In the ancient scrolls, it was written that one must use Dawn (yes the dishwashing liquid) to strip all the junk off of the car before applying Zaino. You may (if you have been trained in the true ways of the Zaino gurus of years past) do the "hand in the plastic sandwich bag test" but this is far too advanced for your level of training today.

Young Zaino student: "That car is SOOOOO shiney! I don't believe it!!!"

Dr Bonz: "UUUUUMMMMMMM, THAT is why you fail"!

 

Quack! I guess I'll have to get to work if I want to be in the DDZC, Doc... By your counting, I only have 3 coats of Zaino (1-Z5 and 2-Z2)

Well, at least I'm off for Veteran's Day and it is supposed to rain here... maybe another coat of Z5 and one of Z2 to keep me busy in the afternoon... that'll bring me up to five

Please forgive this young Padawan Zaino-apprentice's feableminded counting ways...