smspimp

Well, after years of waxing (Meguiar's primarily) I finally caved and ordered some Zaino based on the recommendations (and pictures of results) from many, many members here. So, placed my order and my shipment arrived very promptly especially considering you pay by personal check. So far so good. Finally got a spare Saturday to burn this weekend - here's how the application went down:

Prep 1> Wash with Dawn, dry with "the Absorber"
Prep 2> Claybar w/Meguiar's car wash+water for lube - while it did pull off some contamination, I was a bit dissappointed that I didn't get more dramatic results (especially considering the amount of labor involved). I can only assume this is because my car spends a lot of time in the garage (snows here in winter) and isn't exposed to paint contaminants as much??
Prep 3> Wash with Dawn again, dry again with Absorber

Step 1> Sprayed Z6 on pad for moisture and then applied coat of Z5+ZFX , let haze for 20 min, and removed with microfiber cloth. Tried to be conservative. Followed all of the good tips supplied on this forum and got a nice even coating with about 1/2 oz of Zaino (Hey, not bad for a first timer). Honestly, in terms of gloss, the paint looked as good after this step as it ever had with Meguiars! However, I was a bit dissappointed with the minimal impact on swirls and fine scratches the first coat made.
Step 2> Sectionally applied Z6 spray - wiped down with microfiber cloth. Sweet finish and can definitely notice the anti-static properties of the spray.
Step 3> Sprayed Z6 on pad for moisture and then applied coat of Z5+ZFX , let haze for 20 min, and removed with microfiber cloth. Went on and came off much easier than the first coat and I used even less in the application! I also started to notice swirls and fine scratching becoming less apparrant - yeah!
Step 4> Sectionally applied Z6 spray - wiped down with microfiber cloth.
Step 5> Sprayed Z6 on pad for moisture and then applied coat of Z3 (I own a 2000 model)+ZFX , let haze for 20 min, and removed with microfiber cloth. Nice finish! At this point, my hood is basically a mirror.
Step 6> Sectionally applied Z6 spray - wiped down with microfiber cloth. Once again - leaves a nice finish and you can definitely see an impact from the anti-static properties of the spray.

Overall impressions
Finish - Great stuff! Car looks fantastic, although I think I'll apply another coat or two of Z5 next weekend to fill in remaining swirls and fine scratching. Surface is definitely "slicker" and smoother compared to any wax I've used and it even seems to be "harder" (which is probably just in my head). Z6 is a must for black cars as the benefits of the anti-static properties are obvious (even 3 days later).

Work involved- I'll be frank, this was a fair amount of work. I spent a good 5-6 hours of my Saturday on the steps discribed above. The claybar especially was a bit of a b!tch considering my less than stellar results. Others probably have had better results. First coat of polish was comparable to your standard wax application/removal in terms of effort. Coats definitely got easier to apply as I added more polish and gained more experience. ZFX is a must - I don't know how you guys managed it back when only Z1 Polish Lok was available. Ultimately, based on my results, I believe that maintaining my car's finish, now that the ground work has been done, will be much easier.

This forum is great - I appreciate all of those who have posted tips and testimonials on this product line. Overall I have to say that I am very happy with my purchase!

mntony

I used a clay bar on my wife's van and it was very satisfying - much more so than when I did my nearly-new S2000. She had rail dust that had rusted, etc. Made a huge difference. I reclayed the top surfaces of my S to rid it of water spots recently and was happy with the results. But no doubt about it - it's very time consuming. I couldn't believe I did almost the whole van, but it was so amazing to see and feel the results.

You will really fall in love with Zaino the next time you wash the car. You won't believe it's so easy.

DJAdams

I Zainoed my car this weekend with a good detailing inside also. I found Zaino to be easy to apply and not to much of arm effort. I felt a significant difference after using the clay bar. The car was smooth as a babys bottom. I used the ZFX, as to eliminate the overnight process. I used Vinlyx on the interior and the top. It made the car shine, but not oily or slick. I used a Leather cleaner for the seats. The car looks bette than when I bought it. My husband was impressed with the work I did. The project took me about 6 hours, which I didn't feel was a long time. Hopefully I will be able to post some pictures soon. Jackie