sumir brahmbhatt

as the subject says, i am about to buy zaino but i don't know what to buy, i have a red s2k, i have been using 3m swirl remover and wax for the past 2 years now, any help?

stenoslave

Kevin Overall is your Tennessee distributor, koverall@cddn.com . He's one of the Zaino gurus.

I would suggest ZFX (hardener/accelerator), Z-2 (for clearcoated cars), Z-5 (hides minor swirls and fine scratches for 6 months), Z-6 (gloss enhancer, cuts down on dust accumulation) and Z-7 (concentrated car-wash soap which contains a small amount of Z-2).

JonasM

Don't forget the Dawn dishwashing liquid to get the old wax off!

The claybar would not be a bad idea, either. Surface preparation is everything (for any product, not just Zaino). After 2 years, there's undoubtedly crud on the finish that you'd want to remove first.

JonasM

sumir brahmbhatt

oh wow there is actually a TN distributor! thanks for the info. But about the Z-5, i use 3m swirl remover so would i still need to use z-5?

stenoslave

The 3M is abrasive. So if you use the swirl remover after you have Zaino on the car, the Zaino will be removed. The Z-5 will fill in -- not remove -- swirls and scratches, but sometimes takes 5, 6 coats to do it. Zaino is a polymer and will layer, giving you and even greater shine, a deep, wet look. You can switch between the two products, the Z-5 and the Z-2. I use the 3M to take care of the deeper swirls and scratches and bird etchings before I start using Zaino on a customer's car.

And Jonas is right on. Surface prep is everything. Dawn and clay, especially on a 3 yo car. You'll be surprised at the contaminants you'll pull off with the clay bar. And the finish will be so smooth that you won't be able to stop touching it

sumir brahmbhatt

hehe my question was poorly worded, i know that if i 3m after i z it will remove it, but i was talking about was 3m after dawn and claybar

rstark

Try the Z5 for a while before you go back to the 3m. 3m removes paint, and to keep using it on a regular basis will do more harm than good. Way back when, I had a friend who bought a new Toyota Corolla GTS the same time I bought my '88 Integra. We used to use a cleaner/wax every weekend together. He would rub so hard, his applicator turned red (his car was red, mine was black). I only applied it lightly and only rubbed with a little pressure where the car needed cleaning (water spots, bird crap marks, etc). He always asked if my rag turned black, and it never did. He eventually rubbed off so much paint, the primer started to show.

The point is, go easy on the stuff that's abrasive to the paint (3m swirl mark remover) since you are taking off paint. Try the Z5 for several coats, and if you have minor scratches you want to remove, go back to the 3m in those areas only.

jss2k

i thought there was a distributer that offered online orders instead of snailmail. anyone recall the site?

ITRbroham

I am about to order also! If I use the Dawn do I need the Z-1 to remove the old wax also?

stenoslave

Dawn removes old wax. The Z-1 bonds the Z-2 and Z-5 polish to the paint. Z-1 is used every six months or after 10 applications of the Z-2 or Z-5, whichever comes first.