Zaino do's and don'ts
 

I just ordered a finish kit from Zaino and am gonna try it out this weekend. I have never used a clay bar or the Zaino polymer wax before. Does anyone have advice on do's and don'ts to get the best finish.

Here's a link to one of Dr. Bonz's lessons on how to apply Zaino, especially the initial treatment

https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....&threadid=6970

In addition to using Zaino, you really want to take care of the finish. You can find out a lot about detailing and car care from http://autopia.org

Here's my quick rundown of tips...

Use a lambs wool or cotton chenile mitt for washing the body.

Wash from the top down.

Use an auto shampoo, not household detergents. Always use a liquid soap, never powders.

Use the two bucket method. Get two five gallon paint buckets from Home Depot, etc. Fill one with soapy water, the other with clean water. Wet the mitt with the soapy water and wash a section of the car. Rinse it in the clear water before getting anoth dose of soapy water on the mitt.

Never wash in the bright sun, that dries the soapy water and will cause spots on your paint.

Use a small cotton towel to wash your wheels. Never use the same towel on your car. Brake dust will scratch your paint very easily.

Blow dry your car with a leaf blower. The only towels to use on the car should be waffle-weave microfiber drying towels. Don't rub them across the surface, lay them on the surface and let it absorb any droplets.

Always wash, dry, polish and buff in the same direction. For horizontal surfaces - front to back. For vertical surfaces - up and down. Never use circular motions - that's what swirls the paint.

Thanks for the link Dave.

Here is my Zaino protocol:

Bare minimum Zaino products:

Z-6 (two bottles)
Z-2 (one bottle)
Z-5 (one bottle)
ZFX (one bottle)

You can use any mild carwash but the Zaino Z-7 is best. It is pH balanced and cleans very nicely without removing any of your Zaino polish.

Also, nice to have (but not essential) are the Zaino Tire Dressing (Z-16) and the Claybar (Z-18). Zaino makes a nice leather seat product, a plastic cleaner, a window cleaner and several other non-essential products.

Here are the initial steps of the Zaino process (at least how I do them)

-Wash with Dawn dishwashing liquid. Use a non-scratching wash mit. I use a microfiber mit. Make sure it is completely free of dirt and debris. Make sure your bucket is completely clean too.

-Rinse

-Clay the car with a solution of Z-7 and water. A quart of water and a cap full of Z-7 should do it. I use a clean spray bottle to spray it on the car. Do small sections at a time. Make sure the clay glides over the paint easily and doesn't stick. If it does, spray on more lube solution! Continue to knead the clay to keep a clean fresh surface against the paint. DON'T drop the clay! If you do, toss that bar and get another one.

-Wash with Zaino Z-7 carwash. Do the tires/wheels first and then use a separate bucket of suds to do the rest of the car.

-Rinse. After you are done rinsing with your spray nozzle, remove the nozzle and rinse the car with the stream of water from the hose only (no nozzle, no thumb over the hose). Use the stream of water to "push" off the beads of water. This is a neat trick that will decrease your drying time significantly!

-Dry the car with a microfiber towel. I prefer the waffle weave microfiber towels. I like to use a shop vac to suck out drops of water in tight areas that you can't get with the towels. Make sure you don't touch the car with the vacuum hose.

-Do a Z-6 misting. It's just like using Windex on windows. Just spray on a light mist of Z-6 detailing spray and wipe it off (in). You don't let it dry, just take it right off. I use the Z-6 on all the glass as well. It cleans well and rain zips right off of it.

-Apply your first layer of Z-5 polish. You can add 2-4 drops of ZFX "flash cure" accelerator to ONE OUNCE of polish. If you do this your drying time with be decreased to one hour or less depending on the temperature and humidity. I use 2 if it is very hot and dry and 4 when it is colder and humid. I recommend applying Zaino polish in the shade but it will work fine in the sun as well. It will just dry a lot faster. Take note that the small mixing bottles you get from Zaino with your order are TWO OUNCE bottles so you only fill them half way up (one ounce). One ounce will do the entire car easily. In fact, if you apply the polish thin enough (and thin is the best way to apply it) you can get two layers on the car with one ounce. Zaino shouldn't look like wax on a car. In other words it shouldn't look hazy and white. It should look like the color of your car only a little blurry. If it looks the least bit white, you applied too much.

The other way to go at this point it to not use the ZFX flash cure and just apply the polish to the car. This is fine only it will take a good 6-8 hours to cure on the car and this will limit the number of layers you can get done in a day (or weekend). I often do two layers with the ZFX, and the third one without it. I apply the last one at night and let the car sit in the garage all night and remove it the next day. You can tell if it is ready to remove when you smudge it lightly with your finger and it ALL comes off and leaves a very shiney surface behind. If it is the least bit blurry it isn't ready yet.

The polish goes on with the applicator Zaino sends you. I like to slightly dampen it first with water. It helps to apply it a little smoother and evenly this way. I recommend side to side straight line applications on the horizontal surfaces of the car (hood, roof) and up and down straight lines on the vertical surfaces (doors, quarter panels). Do not use circular motion (swirls) to lessen the chance of scratches and swirl marks.

-Buff off the polish with a microfiber towel.

-Another Z-6 misting

-Repeat another layer of Z-5 (with or without ZFX)

-Buff off

-Z-6 misting

-Final layer using Z-2 this time (with or without ZFX)

-Buff off

-Final Z-6 misting.

This is my method. You don't HAVE to do all three layers nor do you HAVE to do all the prep work (the Dawn and the claybar) but you will get a MUCH better result if you do them. Many feel that the Zaino process is too complicated and involved and want to use "easier" products. It is important to realize that the prep process is NOT exclusive to Zaino. It should be done with ANY product for best results. Also, you don't need to do three layers or even two for that matter. If you want to do just one, go for it!

For maintenance all you need to do is wash with the Z-7 and do a quick Z-6 misting after you dry. This is enough to keep your ride looking great between your BIG detailing sessions.

Good Luck!

The Doc

Doc, we really need to find a permanent place to put your Zaino instructions. It's a pain having to go back-track through postings to find one where you posted it. Seems like every other Forum here has a sticky thread with useful information, why not this one?

I don't know. All I know is that is about the 12th time I have posted that. Maybe one of the mods can sticky it along with these links for my Zaino threads.
(350Z Zaino Thread)
https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....ght=bonz+zaino

(New Fomula Zaino Thread)
https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....ght=bonz+zaino

(My Stealth Zaino Thread)
https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....&threadid=1829

I like it when the doc post his steps!

I know you do MrZee. You a such a fan of THE STEPS! :D

I suspect a Zaino sticky conflicts with the CrystalGuard sect.

Yeah, I guess you're right. :)

I fear da doc and his mad Zaino skillZ

Thanks doc. I followed your instructions with the exception of applying 3 coats of Z5 instead of two. The results were absolutely unbelievable. The finish Zaino produces can not be compared to any other products I have ever used. It is in a league of it's own. I won't be using anything else from now on. Thanks again.

I finally got my car waxed with zanio.
Im happy with it as well. I used the Bonz method for the most part.
I washed with dawn, Then used clay bar, Then rewashed with z7.
I then added z6, then z5 and lastly z2.
I was worried about not using enough of the wax. Im still not sure i got it right.
You could hardly tell anything was done to the car.
As dr B said it just looked a little hazed.
Anyways if the sun will ever shine again Ill try my best to take some pics and find someone kind enough to host em for me.
I love zanio!

Zaino uses silicone as its ingredient so you only need a little of the product. The color of the product is based on the clay that is used in it. The clay is what you are wiping off and the silicone stays behind. Hence the great shine.

No, Zaino doesn't use silicone, it is not how Zaino gets its shine.

Master!
Master!

Where's the shine that I've been after.

Master!
Master!

The Doc he does not lie.

Faster!
Faster!

ZFX makes Z5 ready...

Faster!
Faster!

Quick misting then you drive.

http://my.name-services.com/65148/waterbeads.jpg

Is that really how the picture turned out. If so that is really cool.

I spoke to Sal Zaino personally today and based on our conversation and the instrumentation used I retract what I said. The items are not silicone.

I was never intending to bash his product since I am a user of it.


Hopefully through our conversation Sal can be a benefit us in fighting criminal matters, can be called when needed and that there are no hard feelings. Sal is a very nice gentleman, and if I know they had a phone number to call I would have done so. I learned a lot about his product today and thanks. After talking quite extensively with him let it be known that the product is quite sophisticated and state-of-the-art.

Thanks again Sal and Dave for giving me the chance to talk to him.

I also asked that this thread be stopped or deleted so that people don't read into this the wrong way.

Sal is definitely a class act and a great guy. :)

I agree.