I want to use Zaino, but don't know why you have to go through all these steps to use it. Can you do it a simpler way? Also, why do you have to dawn the car and claybar it before using another type of wax. Could I just put the Zaino over the wax I already use. I have already claybared it before and used a cleaner to get all the acid and oxidation out. Right now I use NXT and like it alot because of the easy process of everything, but would like to try Zaino to see what all the hype is about. I use to use Zymbol for my Civic and loved it, but tryed NXT and seems to do the same. Mine seems to last long. Meguiars tells you on the RX printout that if you live in a area with alot of rain and extreme heat then you will wax more often then a regular person would. They said at least two times a month. That's seems with most wax's and areas. Well hope some Zaino people can help me out, because right now I am lost on what to do. Thanks.

 

you don't have to do anything w/ zaino you shouldn't be doing w/ any other product.

What you want to do is start w/ a completely fresh surface. That is what the clay bar will do (and dawn if that's the route you want to go, but personally I like a nice polish to remove swirls and that does the job of the dawn <move forward not backwards>).

 

But will it hurt if I don't claybar and dawn or polish and use Zaino over top of the NXT? I just used a cleaner by Meguiars not to long ago.

 

it wouldn't "hurt" but personally I'd clay it again, it's not like it takes a long time, 20 minutes or so to do the whole car.

 

I agree, it won't hurt but you won't get the desired result this way. It's always best to start with a clean slate.

It has been said (by St Sal) that Zaino doesn't bond with anything but bare paint and to Zaino itself. Don't know about the validity of this but that is what he says and he INVENTED the stuff!

 

From what i've read, zaino does bond well on other surfaces as long as the surface is properly prepped. I'll find out this weekend for sure.


But still no matter what it's important to start w/ a proper surface

 

What if I use Meguiars Cleaner to get off old wax and then claybar? I don't want to use dawn because of the effects it did to other cars I had.

 

just do the steps if you want to Zaino...thats what makes it Zaino...its a cult thing....if I'm not mistaken you have a silverstone...so even if you do have swirls they won't show as much, so the Zaino I think its Z5(??) "polish" will mask your swirls...but to get the Zaino "effect" do the steps...or how would Yoda say it...the steps you shall do...the steps you shall do...

 

Try? Do or do not! There is no TRY!!!

 

The claybar should remove the old wax

 

Dawn is just one way to remove all wax and oils and grease from a paint surface, there are many, many other ways also like wiping the paint with denatured alcohol, using 3M Wax and grease remover, etc. etc.

All said and done, Zaino will not bond to ANYTHING other than completely bare paint, and if you have not clay barred in 6 months it would be best to clay it before your first coat of Z-2 or Z-5 mixed with ZFX.

 

not to argue, but there are plenty of people out there putting zaino on top of polishes/glazes, etc.

I haven't done it personally, but am going to give it a try this weekend. Zaino is just another polymer, there is no reason it shouldn't bond on top of another product that is properly prepped.

 

Polish and glazes aren't a "surface". Zaino may stick somewhat to a synthetic, but the Zaino will only last as long as what is under it.

If you want the BEST results, the only way you'll get it is to prep the surface properly, whether you use Zaino or some other product.

 

You guys are too much w/ this stuff. Claying the entire car is a process that should be done 1-2 times a year. After that, with regular proper washing and waxing you can use whatever products you want and get good results if you use them properly.

 

Bonz how many times in a month do you apply zaino? Could you apply it five times in a day without damaging the paint? 5 is a little excessive but you know what I mean.

 

Sal (Zaino) recommends putting no more than three coats of Zaino on in a 24 hour period. In any case, Zaino won't damage your paint no matter how many coats you tried to put on.

 

hehe i bought my car.....2 days i zaino'd without claying...car looks real hot

 

Correct. No one said to do it any more often. I've done it twice in two years.



It depends on the month. I just figured that since I got the car in Sept of 02 I have applied 75 layers. Now, the car is garaged over Dec, Jan, Feb, and March. So in 02 I drove it 3 months. In 03, 8 months, and in 04, 5 months. that's a total of 16 months of driving. 16 X 4 weeks per month is 64 weeks. So that is 1.17 layers of Zaino per week on average over the course of my driving my Z.

How's that for analysis!

 

People get too caught up in the "steps". There really are very few formal steps to the Zaino process other than wax-a on, wax-a off.

The whole thing about the Zaino "steps" is "but if you want it to be a little better, try this:". Over time, Zaino fanatics have formalized these little hints and tips into a protocol that can seem daunting to the beginner.

You can go to any car, wash it, then apply a coat or two of Z5 and it will look really good. You'll be quite pleased with the results. It lasts for six months or more, and putting on more coats before then will look better and better.

But, if you're going to start applying a polymer coating to the car, wouldn't it be best to get the old wax off first, to give the polymer a chance to bond to the paint and remove the wax that can discolor under it? Wash with Dawn.

And, wouldn't it be best to clean the paint, and to give it a nice smooth surface before you start layering on the polymer? Claybar.

And, if you had a way of making the polymer bond even better to the paint, dry faster, and maybe shine a little better, wouldn't that be worth it? ZFX.

And then, if you could get a bit more gleam out of it without more effort, wouldn't you do that? That's the linear instead of circular wipe-on patterns.

And if you found a way of making it go on even easier, would you do it? Z6 between coats.

So there is the evolution of the Zaino protocol, just people giving hints and tips to each other. The benefit is that we help each other get better shines. The downside is that we tend to overwhelm and intimidate neophytes. We're such a helpful bunch, though, that we would consider it remiss to say to a newbie "yeah, just slap on some Z5" without saying "but if you want to make it look better......".

Bottom line: Take a car with a coat or two of Z5 a month ago, pull in side-by-side with your average car that had a coat of wax a month ago. The Zaino car will look noticably better, shinier, and will bead water much better. The Zaino car's paint will be better protected. If you're happy with that, buy a bottle of Z5 and be content that you're protecting your car better than you did before.

But, if you pull in beside those two in a car that has had the full Zaino protocol and 10 or more coats, that car will stand head-and-shoulders above the rest to anyone really paying attention. True, some folks will never notice the difference, but most people will. The car just gleams!

One last point: in my experience, as a general rule people in traffic and in parking lots will give a wider berth to cars that are obviously well-cared-for. They give you more room, they take better care of your car because it's obvious that you care. It's not universal, there are a$$holes everywhere, but in general it's true.

 

Well said.....errrrr, typed.