what happened to zaino...

T

ttforcefed

New member
they had a cult following and now they seem to have fallen off the face of the earth

have modesta and kamikaze eaten their lunch?
 
Let's see, where do we start with that one...well, the "what's new" page on their website was last updated on Feb. 7, 2007. They don't have a coating, a rinseless wash, a waterless wash. They don't sell their product through stores like Autopia or Autogeek where they might get some forum exposure. Most of the products are pretty good though.

I guess another thing is the paradigm shift that occurred when more powerful polishers and SMAT polishes arrived...Zaino never really recommended polishing, and the polish (Z-PC) that they reluctantly came out with was really mild (although a very nice polish). I guess I'm trying to say they haven't really kept up with the times.
 
interesting - I guess im an old ghost when it comes to detailing. my preferred cocktail was a compound or zymol hd clense, then 3m imperial hand glaze, and then zymol.

I know people rave about the synthetic stuff, which I totally see the value add for a car that's daily driven and sees the elements on a daily basis. but for a garage queen does the synthetic stuff make sense? am I crazy?
 
Zaino like it or not, was the precursor to going further into better chemistry to come up with the Coatings we have today..

No one on the Planet had anything close to that look and even then it was referred to as too clinical candy coating looking and not really warm like a good dust-dirt-bad-juju-attracting wax has going for it, remember ??? :)

They did recommend correcting the paint prior to applying their product, and surely if one did, the results were always going to be better, right ?

Among the many things I learned from using it over 15 years ago, was how to mix the polish with the catalyst correctly in smaller plastic bottles, adjust the amount of catalyst for the weather and humidity conditions, and the really big one -- how to apply THIN LAYERS ! :)

Their red clay is still used by me occasionally and probably a lot of other people, and nothing cleans leather like their leather cleaner and steam through a white twice folded towel through a triangular brush..

Their Leather Conditioner still has a place in my Shop for people that love the feel and smell of it and it lingers nicely on some leather for a long time..

I think overall, Sal Zaino was way ahead of his time, and started something that has gone way further than he probably wanted to or needed to go with it..

All his other products are still very good and his QD is one of my favorites for a quick wipe down after a wash on some Client's cars that are just in for a killer good inside and outside wash..
Dan F
 
I think there's a decent size market for people like me who are basically maintenance/LSP types (I gave my white car a light polish just once when needed) who only take care of their own cars. They have everything someone like that needs. I also don't think their prices are that outrageous, reletively speaking.
BTW, if you're into AIOs, theirs is terrific.
 
I just used Z16 Tire Gloss the last time I washed my truck :)

I think the developments in the detailing industry are steps ahead of the Zaino products (ie. coatings, etc). However I still like and use their products on occasion. Z10 Leather Conditioner, QD, and ZAIO are some of my favorites. However, when I run out of my current stock of Zaino I doubt I will be reordering any. I can find similar products that for me provide the same result. Hello Duragloss :)
 
Stokdgs said:
Zaino like it or not, was the precursor to going further into better chemistry to come up with the Coatings we have today..

No one on the Planet had anything close to that look and even then it was referred to as too clinical candy coating looking and not really warm like a good dust-dirt-bad-juju-attracting wax has going for it, remember ??? :)

They did recommend correcting the paint prior to applying their product, and surely if one did, the results were always going to be better, right ?

Among the many things I learned from using it over 15 years ago, was how to mix the polish with the catalyst correctly in smaller plastic bottles, adjust the amount of catalyst for the weather and humidity conditions, and the really big one -- how to apply THIN LAYERS ! :)

Their red clay is still used by me occasionally and probably a lot of other people, and nothing cleans leather like their leather cleaner and steam through a white twice folded towel through a triangular brush..

Their Leather Conditioner still has a place in my Shop for people that love the feel and smell of it and it lingers nicely on some leather for a long time..

I think overall, Sal Zaino was way ahead of his time, and started something that has gone way further than he probably wanted to or needed to go with it..

All his other products are still very good and his QD is one of my favorites for a quick wipe down after a wash on some Client's cars that are just in for a killer good inside and outside wash..
Dan F
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Still use it. keep trying new but keep going back to it for ease of application, lasting quality and ease of removal.
 
Just went to use Zaino Z16 on my tires today. Dropped the bottle. It cracked and spilled all over driveway. Grrrrr
 
RaskyR1 said:
I don't know about those 2 coatings but Opti-Coat definitely had a play in it, IMO anyway.
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Do you really think that? I think it's more that they haven't been engaged and they haven't had a high enough internet profile.

Zaino never really had any "corporate" forum participation (except briefly on that forum that was started by exiles from here), but they certainly had their surrogates on this forum back in the old days. As I mentioned earlier, the newest "what's new" on their website is from 2007, the last post on their FB page is from December 2012, they haven't kept up with many of the product trends of the last half-decade.

Part of this may be that they are hamstrung with old marketing arrangements that hamper internet distribution--I mean those of us in NJ still can't order from the Zaino website. Or it just may be that Sal's semi-retired and taking it easy. Whatever the reason, I think no one is beating the Zaino drum the way the beta-testers used to do on this site in the old days, if there's no buzz...there's no buzz.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
Do you really think that? I think it's more that they haven't been engaged and they haven't had a high enough internet profile.

Zaino never really had any "corporate" forum participation (except briefly on that forum that was started by exiles from here), but they certainly had their surrogates on this forum back in the old days. As I mentioned earlier, the newest "what's new" on their website is from 2007, the last post on their FB page is from December 2012, they haven't kept up with many of the product trends of the last half-decade.

Part of this may be that they are hamstrung with old marketing arrangements that hamper internet distribution--I mean those of us in NJ still can't order from the Zaino website. Or it just may be that Sal's semi-retired and taking it easy. Whatever the reason, I think no one is beating the Zaino drum the way the beta-testers used to do on this site in the old days, if there's no buzz...there's no buzz.
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I think it was definitely a factor. When it came to the most durably LSP questions on the forums (aka Corvette) once OCP started taking the limelight I think it had at least some effect.
 
From what I've read here over the years, Duragloss became a prominent competitor. Lot of people thought DG was very similar and defected. If memory serves, Big Al 53 and Tiger Mike led the charge to DG (if I'm wrong here, apologies up front). Some of those spirited discussions are what turned me on to DG many moons ago. Zaino still has it's die-hards, though, and more power to them.
 
Zaino seems dead.

While many have left over bottles of stuff from them they still may use, their lack of mainstream distribution means I don't believe many will replenish their stock once gone.

I don't believe it has anything to do with "old technology"...The stuff probably would have sold well if it got into PBMG or somewhere similar, as Duragloss continues to sell well.

You still see Zaino for sale on some European detailing sites.
 
I assume Sal is retiring and Sal or someone else just milking it for as long as they can.

In any case, there are a lot more better products on the market with better marketing. The territorial marketing does not work in the internet age.
 
Swanicyouth said:
Zaino seems dead.

While many have left over bottles of stuff from them they still may use, their lack of mainstream distribution means I don't believe many will replenish their stock once gone.

I don't believe it has anything to do with "old technology"...The stuff probably would have sold well if it got into PBMG or somewhere similar, as Duragloss continues to sell well.

You still see Zaino for sale on some European detailing sites.
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I have no doubt that back in the day that PBMG would have been all over selling Zaino. However I think Sal just didn't want it. Now that the detailing market has done a 180 with coating I don't think they are shedding any tears lol.
 
Pats300zx said:
I have no doubt that back in the day that PBMG would have been all over selling Zaino. However I think Sal just didn't want it. Now that the detailing market has done a 180 with coating I don't think they are shedding any tears lol.
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Really? I think coatings are a very small % of the market. What about all the other stuff? Leather cleaners, soaps, tire dressing, APCs, etc...

Doesn't help Zaino just ignored waterless and rinseless wash.

They also ignored the polisher revolution. I remember when I first started it was said DAs couldn't remove defects - just "improve" them. Once the polishes improved, it made it a lot easier for the average dude.

Most motivated companies have compounds and polishes (real defect removing polishes). I think Zaino may have made 1 mild polish or something once upon a time.
 
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