Defacto Zano prep, advise from Sal

waxman.



Dawn will hardly make a dent into a fresh layer of wax. It's hardly do anything into a fresh Zaino layer that has cured properly.



If you were able to break the Zaino cross-linking that easily, than it would hardly be better than most waxes!
 
paco said:
waxman.



Dawn will hardly make a dent into a fresh layer of wax. It's hardly do anything into a fresh Zaino layer that has cured properly.



If you were able to break the Zaino cross-linking that easily, than it would hardly be better than most waxes!
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Correction:



Dawn WILL strip wax off a finish. However, it will not effect Zaino if it was bonded properly.



Dawn is just used ONLY to remove wax or oils after polishing or if there was a coat of wax on the car. Wax is mostly oils anyway, that's what gives it the shine and gloss.



Once done polishing, just Dawn wash. After Zaino application, use the Zaino Z7 detergent as it has optical brightners in it.



When in doubt, contact Sal Zaino! He's always willing to help and to tell you the facts, unbiased. He's been doing this a very long time, so the information he has is quite accurate.



Then it's up to you on how you want to maintain Zaino. My advise, just stick with the Z6 between washings and coatings of Zaino as that too has optical brightners and enhances the shine of Zaino.



The new Zaino is very good, and has improved well over time. Sal keeps testing it and has high level of quality control. The new Z5 comes in a white bottle and is now banana in color. The new Z2 for clearcoat paint is more pink in color. As always, use ZFX or Z1 Polish Loc when using Zaino or you will not get it to bond correctly and it will streak. Let it dry, and try a "finger test" if you wipe your finger over the Zaino area and it shows gloss, it's ready to be removed. Otherwise too early and all you do is move it around.



SOme of us like Zaino and some like carnuba, it's all subjective anyway, so what looks great for you may not look as great for someone else. Don't take offence....



Regards,

Deanski
 
Thanks Waxman!



I'm gonna do this, except I have some AIO that I want to use on the car. Do I use the AIO before #9 or after?



waxman said:
Here is what I would do WRXemALL.

1. Wash car with Ultra Dawn Blue or Orange. Orange is the one with antibacterial agents added and seems to work just as well, in case you can't find the blue. This will help remove most paint contaminants, oils, waxes and sealants.

2. Clay vehicle if needed with a good lubricant to remove all embedded particles, like road tar, road paint, small rocks, glass, etc.

3. Polish with a good swirl removing polish(Meguiars #9). This helps round out the swirls and make them less noticeable in direct sunlight.

4. Wash with Dawn a second time. This will remove all oils and fillers from the polish and create a good bonding finish for Zaino.

5. Apply Zaino as directed.

6. Use Z-6 to remove any left over Zaino that you may have missed or had a hard time buffing out alone. This will add a little extra sealant and give you an awesome shine.

7. When a wash is needed after applying Zaino, use Z-7, do not use Dawn!!!! Dawn will remove most if not all of the Zaino you have applied to your vehicle. Only use Dawn in the preparatory phase before Zaino.
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It absolutely amazes me how many times people bash the big manufacturers for marketing schemes. They get criticized for doing things to make money. For example, Meg's changing #9 to #9 V2.0. It's a business. Sal is no different. Whether it is one man or a giant corporation, the objective is pretty much the same. Obviously the new zaino is actually improved because many here have tried it and verified it, but why is i that we assume Sal is incapable of clever marketing tricks.



I apologize for taking the thread slightly OT.
 
WRXemALL said:
So I think I misworded my earlier question.



I meant to ask that after I use #9 and AIO to clean and deswirl my paint, I should then wash my car to prep it for zaino, right? At that point do I use Dawn again or will any car wash do? Will the dawn remove the fillers in #9 (if there are any, I forget?)



I understand about using Zaino's car wash after Zaino is on the car, but what about the intial stages?
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I would not use AIO if you are planning on using Zaino. AIO is more than a cleaner. It also lays down an acrylic sealant which won't be easily/completely removed by a Dawn wash so the Zaino probably won't bond properly. Wash after the #9 then go for the Zaino.
 
Iceman, why do you say Zaino probably won't bond properly to AIO? I've recently seen a couple of references to using Zaino over an AIO base, but I have not heard anything about how it worked out.



To me--if it worked--it would be a dream combo, the Zaino look and durability without the hassle. No more Dawn wash, no more SG, no more Z1, no more little bitty bottles...
 
for the Z6 try cloth diapers, if you can find some that are 100% cotton and pass the burn test they beat out a cotton terry towel or MF hands-down for QDing... for product removal I find the terrys to work best. I like MFs, don't get me wrong, but I generally only use them for dry-dust removal and de-streaking windows.
 
If the fillers in Meg#9 are oil-based ( suspended) they should be removed by a Dawn wash prior to Zaino application with one is following Sal's instructions for maximum bonding of his polishes.

With that said, there are many variations, opinions and experiences by some on this board that have had great results with an isopropyl wipe down rather than a Dawn wash after polishing. Check out NickT's thread from earlier this year about his paint cleansing technique and paint prepping ( swirl hiding) technique prior to Zaino application.

Hope this helps :wavey
 
One BIG problem with Alcohol is it really can dry the finish too much, although it does not leave a possible film left behind as Dawn may if used too much as well. As long as the finish is "just polished" I don't see it really hurting as most Alcohol has water in it anyway. Bottom line is really removing oils/silicon from the finish B4 any sealants. Dawn was just easy. Z7 will also strip some wax, but it doen't get in the nook and crannies as Dawn would. Remember, Dawn was designed for grease removal.



All it takes is careful planning and prep, and you'll end up with a winner of a finish! It can be wax or sealant, getting the finish as smooth as possible, removing impurities and such just will add to the effect of whatever you choose.



On another note. As for wax penetrating Zaino, I stand corrected...It doesn't happen like right away or overnight or one coat. It may take several coats of wax to start to deteriorate the Zaino. It all depends on what type of oils/silicons are in the wax to penetrate it, then again it may not, but if you spent all this time to put a sealant on, why would you want oils on top?

It's like Brilcream in hair, to some it looks good, but you just added oils to your hair.



If anyone has painted or worked on painting a car fully and remeber what it looked like as it left the cure oven. Kind of liquid or flowing suspended paint and looked wet? Well, that's what Zaino does, it mimics the same effect of a wet looking freshly painted, out-of-the-oven look.



Anyway, have fun and remember to wash B4 Zaino application.



Regards,

Deanski
 
Bruce said:
Iceman, why do you say Zaino probably won't bond properly to AIO? I've recently seen a couple of references to using Zaino over an AIO base, but I have not heard anything about how it worked out.



To me--if it worked--it would be a dream combo, the Zaino look and durability without the hassle. No more Dawn wash, no more SG, no more Z1, no more little bitty bottles...
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You can probably do it but I am not sure what the durability issue would be since the Z2/Z5 is best on the clearcoat. I would not think that it would bond as well if used as a topper to another type of sealant. After all, there are different polymers involved that may or may not be compatible in forming chemical crosslinking. It's not like topping a carnauba like P21S/S100 on AIO as the wax just sits on top and doesn't rely on a chemical bond, really.
 
"When in doubt, contact Sal Zaino! He's always willing to help and to tell you the facts, unbiased. He's been doing this a very long time, so the information he has is quite accurate."



Why in the world would you think that of all people Sal is unbiased?



I would hope is rather biased? isnt anyone in biz biased towards their products?

Just an observation, dont take it the wrong way, I just hate to see people saying anyone is without bias
 
No, Sal is NOT biased, but yes he would like you to use the product, but if you have a one-track mind, there is no sense in trying to make someone understand products, weather it's Zaino or XYZ.



Sal is just informative, has the expertise and if you've been in the business this long, you hear all sorts of claims.



If anyone can verify a claim, he can and unbiased.



Maybe you have an opinion on other Mfg's, but please understand, Sal would loose customer business if he was just pounding the wonders of Zaino. He will tell you what it can and cannot do, what works what doesn't, etc.



I've been in detailing from long ago (OK I'm an ol fart-so what!) and can tell you first hand who is full of BS and one-sided towards a product they Mfg or sell.



So B4 you pass judgement, seek an open mind first, and listen.



Not taking it the wrong way, but passing quick judgement is unwarranted.



Enough on Sal....



Those of you using Zaino, have you ALL switched to the newer version yet? I'm finding it quite nice and does a really great job! I'm going though more Z6 than you can shake a stick at! It just keeps getting better and better. The new Z5 is an improvement. It does take several coats, but results are very nice. Does a bit better masking some very light swirls or marks and has a better shine than previous.



Your thoughts on the new vs old.



Regards,

Deanski
 
Deanski,



My first impression of the new Z5 was good but not great. I wanted it to be a better swirl filler. But having put 3 more coats of it on my car over the weekend I must say its doing a better job of filling light swirlies than the old Z5. That along with its better reflectivity and its gloss durability has me sold. The new Z5 seems to have the shine of the old Z2 but with better filling ability - exactly the product I wanted from Sal. Plus its new consistency mixes with ZFX better and leaves less waste. The new Z5 is a significant improvement. Heck, I'm not sure what to do with the new Z2 I have (don't worry, I'll find a use for it...)
 
I'm going to use the Z5/Z2 on my wood trim in the Lexus! It's coated anyway, so what the hell.



You never know with Sal, always improving the product and mostly from this forum! He listens and reacts, so you never know what's up or next.



You're right on Z5. Nice and thin, easy on the bottles, Better swirl cover, but more needed for many swirls, but small stuff it does well. The refectivity has improved, more wet looking. Again, I just Z6'd the Lexus this PM as last night I washed with Z7, but ran out of time for Z6. As always, nice and glossy.



I'm trying the new DFTOWEL. It's a "natural" MF, more like Autopia's CBT. I'll let you know how this turns out.



Last night, I rubbed too hard with a MF on my Armorglove and got sratched.. Damit! Plastix doesn't do squat, so looks as I have to get more Novus! Figures, I'm out of Novus stuff as I did not use it that often.



May have to get case lots of Z6 the way I go through it!



Regards,

Deanski
 
Sal must be a very good salesman, I cant count how many times I have read here about someone saying Zaino didnt do much for their car until they put 5-8 coats of z5 on. Ask yourself if Mothers, Meguairs or anyone told you to polish your car 5 times or more to get the product to work would you do it? I have a lot of friends who swear by the stuff, im not trying to put anyone down but this has always kind of been facinating psycholgy to me



I have always thought to myself do they realize they just polished their car 5 times of course it looks great, I dont know maybe im crazy.
 
Update on Z3:



No it's not reformulated yet as it's a different product for a different finish. Nothing wrong with it at all! They may in the future update it, but not right now.



Deanski
 
Deanski,

I have read in this forum many times, that Dawn will affect the clear coat on your vehicle if you wash with it a few times a year. So I assumed if it was strong enough to affect the clearcoat, it would be strong enough to affect the Zaino, even if only a little. Maybe the opinion of Dawn affecting the clearcoat has changed recently since I have not really been on this forum the past year. Thanks for the info.
 
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