need Zaino guys to reply

R

rsxgamer

New member
I have recently spent a ton of cash on various meguiar's pro line polishes/cleaners/waxes, clearkote RMG, Klasse SG, a pc, a rotary, a ton of mf towels, polishing/cutting/finishing pads, blue tape and on and on. I have been pleased with the dressings, pure polishes, degreasers, and waxes.



Today, I spent 6 hours on the hood of my buddy's black '02 vette. It was hot, so I was under the garage (which isn't very revealing for swirls) and made several pc and rotary passes with #83, #80, and #9. By the time I was ready to quit, I applied RMG, #21, and then #26 paste to beautify, seal, and shine the car. It came out pretty good, but after investing that much time, pretty good won't cut it for me. I won't spend that kind of time on one body part of a car and only get it to 85-90%...no way in hell. Now, I here vettes have hard paint or whatever, but that's subjective. Anyway...



Finally started doing research on Zaino and the "after" pics I've seen have been awesome. I don't have any questions on technique per say, but rather a comparison to most other products. For example:



--would adding 3-4 coats of Z-5 just fill in swirls, etc and then the "super polymer" binding just keeps it filled up? Do you have to bust out the rotary with some medium cut cleaner or compound prior to applying Z-5 to the car?



I don't know, if I'm reading correctly about the Zaino line, if I have a decent finish on my car that includes swirls, I apply Z-5 by hand until all the swirls go away (presumably bonding and filling), and then Z-2 it as much as possible depending on how anal you are. I know, I know about the spray in between, so no need to chime in on that part. Am I crazy or am I to understand that I can basically do away with the 2 machines I bought, all the pads, all the polishes and waxes? To think that I can remove 95% or more of the imperfections on my paint by HAND with ONE product is nuts. If it's true, maybe that's why most of you Zaino guys are so fanatical about it.



Please provide some feedback on the above questions. Also, if you went from having a ton of products, pads, and machines and then made the switch, were you blown away and pissed that you spent so much time and money because you thought Zaino **** on everything else?



I realize you can't get things 100% perfect, but the pics I've seen with Zaino sure look perfect to me. The guy that owns the Vette will buy me the starter kit and lunch if I test it out on his car. By the way, I have a black RSX Type-S, so I will potentially benefit from this as well.



Thanks guys! (and the few gals)
 
I understand your frustration (having spent hours with a Porter Cable and various products on the black C-5 Vette I used to have, and still not quite having "perfection"), but Z-5 by itself won't help too much with significant swirls. It has some "filling" capabilities, but surface prep with other products is usually needed. I've used 4 or 5 layers of Z-5 (followed by the same number of Z-2 layers), and in areas that started with swirls I end up with (somewhat lessened) swirls. I love Zaino and it's all I use on two trucks and my current fun-car (a red Viper GTS), but surface prep is needed if the paint has issues. Zaino PC is good for such prep work, although it's not all that aggresive and thus likely isn't the best choice for significant problems (although its compatibility with other Zaino products sure makes it convenient).
 
Axtellboy said:
I understand your frustration (having spent hours with a Porter Cable and various products on the black C-5 Vette I used to have, and still not quite having "perfection"), but Z-5 by itself won't help too much with significant swirls. It has some "filling" capabilities, but surface prep with other products is usually needed. I've used 4 or 5 layers of Z-5 (followed by the same number of Z-2 layers), and in areas that started with swirls I end up with (somewhat lessened) swirls. I love Zaino and it's all I use on two trucks and my current fun-car (a red Viper GTS), but surface prep is needed if the paint has issues. Zaino PC is good for such prep work, although it's not all that aggresive and thus likely isn't the best choice for significant problems (although its compatibility with other Zaino products sure makes it convenient).
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Ditto.....wit'a ata-boy.

RET
 
No matter what product line you use, proper prep work shouldn't be skipped. If the finish has anything more than minor swirling, you should be polishing.



Z5 Pro has minor filling abilities...might take your finish from 95% to 98% or so.
 
only 95 to 98%? The way it sounds on the internet, Z5 is a cure-all. What I'm afraid of is that if I prep my surfaces with #83 and then dawn later, it may wash away swirls that were filled instead of eliminated because it was filled with polish. I don't want to use #84 or #85 (even though they have no polish) because they'll be too abrasive. Would Optimum compound be too much? Maybe I should try a straight cleaner from Meg's like #3 or #4 or something. What do you Zaino cats use to prep before Z5?
 
rsxgamer said:
only 95 to 98%?
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I feel Z5 Pro adds a nice boost in appearance, but it's limited in filling ability due to it's lack of silicone oils, etc.





rsxgamer said:
What do you use to prep before Z5?
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I like to use Menzerna polishes to prep.
 
>>>only 95 to 98%? The way it sounds on the internet, Z5 is a cure-all.



Menzerna Polishes = cure-all for most swirls



3+ coats of Z-5 = less noticable swirls for about 3 months or so.



RET
 
A "swirl remover" with no polishing properties isn't a swirl remover, but rather a swirl filler.



Both the Optimum and Menzerna products have abrasives, and so are true swirl removers. If you are using a PC, I would go with Optimum. Menzerna works better with a rotary.
 
for a vette a rotary followed by a PC is the best combo. Regardless on a daily driven car perfection can't be achieved nor will it last. Z5 has some filling ability but don't expect miracles.
 
rsxgamer said:
I want a cleaner/swirl remover with no polishing properties
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This statement makes no sense. When using "cleaners" or "swirl removers", you're polishing the clear coat. It's just a varying degree of abrasiveness. Therefore, they all have "polishing properties". For clarification, what's your definition of "polishing properties"? or better yet, what are you looking to do? Maybe then we can suggest something.



It seems that you're unclear on terminology too...doesn't help that this industry blurs many terms when naming products. Maybe you should check out the "Learn!" section (linked above) to clarify any misunderstanding.
 
how much does menzerna dust, if at all. i read that optimum's claim to fame is the absence of dusting. i hate dusting, so as of right now optimum has the lead unless menzerna is worth paying the same price for half the amount of product as optimum. let me know.
 
rsxgamer said:
how much does menzerna dust, if at all. i read that optimum's claim to fame is the absence of dusting. i hate dusting, so as of right now optimum has the lead unless menzerna is worth paying the same price for half the amount of product as optimum. let me know.
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Not as much as you would imagine. It gets bad if you hit something with the pad while buffing (a big no-no) and the polish will emit a show of dust! But overall, the finish Menz leaves is so awesome, that I have recently converted from Optimum. I use a rotary primarily, but even with a PC, a polish like FPII is amazing. I mainly switched b/c I felt as though Optimuj took FOREVER to break down and never really removed 100%. The time I used to spend doing a a panel with Optimum followed by a 50/50 ISO wiped down, is equal to the time I spend with a quicker pass using Menzerna and removing the dust. The difference for me is the finish.....Menzerna hands down!



You can also cut down Menzerna with something like CKRMG or even Optimum. But I like it straight up.



All that said, I still don't like PG and will go to OHC for my serious compounding b/c PG dusts A LOT for me. I just think I need more work with it, but for now, OHC for me.
 
Yeah I bought into the Z-5 swirl cure all too. Tried it on my new black Dakota quad cab that had minor swirls from dealership washes (why can't they wash a car right?). Didn't really get rid of the swirls, as so much as making them hard to see with 8 coats of Z-5 and Z-2, etc. Z-PC worked ok, but it is abrasive.



I love the products though. The tire gloss is great as is the wash. The polishes last a long time and the ZFX is a blessing so I can do it all in one day.



Gonna have to try the ZZ-5 Pro, but it's time to research other ways of getting swirls removed. Is a machine polisher the only way to get rid of them? Something a detailer could do? Wonder how much that would cost?
 
machine polishing would be what you need to most efficiently and effectively remove/reduce any defects in your paint's finish. i, unlike most, got a pc and a rotary at the same time. most say to master the pc and then get a rotary. i didn't want to get to a point where the pc wouldn't do the job and then wait and order a rotary. honestly from my experience so far, the best tool you can get (besides a good polish and a machine) are some halogen lights to see your progress so you don't have to be out in the sun. after testing things out on my car, I went through a 6 hour process thinking everything was gone (swirls) and when I pulled them out, they were still there. i think they can be had for 25 bucks a piece at pep boys.
 
rsxgamer said:
... honestly from my experience so far, the best tool you can get (besides a good polish and a machine) are some halogen lights to see your progress so you don't have to be out in the sun. after testing things out on my car, I went through a 6 hour process thinking everything was gone (swirls) and when I pulled them out, they were still there. i think they can be had for 25 bucks a piece at pep boys.
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Excellent points rsxgamer. :bow



Indoor (garage) detailing under "truth" lighting (I use a combo of lighting sources and types) will reveal a much better swirl elimination and fantastic natural lighting (outdoors) appearance after all the labor of polishing.



Besides, it is much more comfortable indoors, no weather interruptions and those sleep challenged nights can be usefully spend making one's vehicle look its best. :D
 
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