Zaino Detailing Spray vs Mequiar's Detailing Spray

B

BookemDano

New member
This isn't exactly a review...



Tonight, I got my order of Zaino products (ZFX, Z5, Z6, etc). Out of curiosity, I grabbed the Z6 Detailing Spray and sprayed it on my wife's car's hood (bright red '05 Subaru Forester). After wiping and buffing with a clean MF, the surface was nice and slick. And, the shine was very nice.



Here's the odd part - the protectant on her car is Menzerna FMJ!



FMJ is an excellent product, looks great on a bright red car, and is nice and slick. But it has two drawbacks. First, it doesn't look quite as good on my Dolphin Gray Audi. (I'm not sure why.) Second, Menzerna doesn't offer a detailing spray.



So to address the Audi issue, I purchased the Zaino stuff. To have a detail spray, I stopped by a local parts supply house and bought a large bottle of Meguiers detail spray.



Anyway, back to my story...



So I stood there rubbing the Z6 detailed area. Then I thought, "Hmm... I wonder how this compares to the Mequiers stuff?" So I sprayed and buffed an area next to the Zaino Z6 area. Both looked nice. Both looked shiny. But the Zaino was smoother and slicker! It had less drag.



So I repeated the test on another hood section. Same result. Then I went back to the first section and repeated the test on top of the original sprayed areas. Oddly, the Zaino area seemed to get a bit slicker, while the Mequiers didn't change much.



Obviously, this isn't a raving endorsement for Zaino. I still need to go through the whole Zaino prep and protect process, and I'm a complete newbie with Zaino products. Nevertheless, I'm off to a (modestly) good start with Zaino. I'm pleased so far.



Has anyone else compared Zaino Z6 to another detailing spray?



Regards,



Dan.
 
Zaino Z6 is a very nice product. Meguiar's Wipe & Shine is somewhat different as far as purpose goes...it's not so much of a gloss enhancing QD.



Some QD's comparable to Z6 is Wolfgang and QuikShine.
 
I think Meguiars best quick detailing spray is the Last Touch Spray Detailer. It produces even more gloss than the consumer Quik Detailer. One thing to also keep in mind is that Z6 is not just a quick detailer, it is also a booster. It does a bit more than just a straight quick detailer. Unfortunately it is also quite a bit more expensive.
 
BookemDano .. one thing you might like to try is diluting the Z6 with distilled water. This will make the bottle go further and IMHO make it a little easier to work with (I'm in the South, everything dries quickly here).



Some Zaino guys here at Autopia dilute Z6 1:1 with distilled water, I'm happier just diluting the Z6 at a ratio of 2:1 with distilled water.



You might want to try this at some time, see if you like it :)
 
RedondoV6 said:
BookemDano .. one thing you might like to try is diluting the Z6 with distilled water. This will make the bottle go further and IMHO make it a little easier to work with (I'm in the South, everything dries quickly here).



Some Zaino guys here at Autopia dilute Z6 1:1 with distilled water, I'm happier just diluting the Z6 at a ratio of 2:1 with distilled water.



You might want to try this at some time, see if you like it :)
Click to expand...



I'll give it a try. One thing though, here in the damp Seattle area, we don't worry about things drying out too fast. :D



Tonight, I checked my wife's Subie again. The portion of the hood that had not been Z6'd was a bit dusty. The Z6 portionwas pretty much dust free. I'm trying to maintain my perspective about Zaino products, but it's getting tougher. If the protectants (Z2 and Z5) are anywhere near as good as Z6, I'll turn into a Zaino fan-boy. :scared



Regards,



Dan.



p.s., one thing I do NOT like about Z6 is the spray bottle. The sprayer is not that great. I purchased a nice little spray bottle from a local "Storables" store and transferred the Z6 to that. Now, I can spray a very fine mist on a panel.
 
I use Z6 when doing Z2 orZ5. But after regular washing, I use Meg's FI or Mothers Showtime. I picked up a 20oz of Showtime not too long ago for $5. I'm really impressed for such a cheap QD. It also seems easier to use than FI for some reason.
 
BookemDano said:
..... p.s., one thing I do NOT like about Z6 is the spray bottle. The sprayer is not that great. I purchased a nice little spray bottle from a local "Storables" store and transferred the Z6 to that. Now, I can spray a very fine mist on a panel.
Click to expand...



Yep! I found the same thing. It really irritates me when the container a product comes in does not get the job done and the Z6 spray bottle is marginal IMHO. I have real difficulty in getting a good spray pattern from the Z6 bottle however I adjust the spray nozzle.



One work around, which has now become my preferred way of applying QD's is to spray the Z6 on the MF, not the paint. I've even sprayed Z6 on a MF bonnet on my PC and finished the application of Z2 with a Z6 "polishing". Seems to work well for me.



Good luck! Let us know how you get on. :)
 
Bookemdano, be sure to post pics of your Zaino'd or FMJ'd Dolphin Gray. I've Klassed mine, but I'm not satisfied 'cause there's no depth. I have some P21s coming so perhaps it won't be a problem for much longer.
 
Using a pump cooking oil type spray bottle from Wal Mart is a favorite technique of mine for QD and tire dressing :up
 
My favorite qd is pinnacle crystal mist. It doesn't spread as easy as the other qd's i've tried but it produces the best result on my black car. I also like meguiars FD but it attracts more dust than crystal mist.
 
Z6 is an excellent product. Currently I have been hooked on using 1Z's Lackfinish. Also an excellent product. I wish there was a good comparison (side to side) of the 1Z and zaino products because they are so similar (unfortunately I don't have any Z6 left or I would do one). Anyone done one or know of a such a write up?
 
Z6 and 1Z Lackfinish (diluted) are both excellent Qd's. LF undiluted is more of a quick sealant than a QD IMHO.

Z6 has a brighter appearance than LF and both really augments a depth (created by a good Prep) and wetness of the sealant used.

FD is really great for that carnuaba apperance when used with a sealant. Let's not forget Sonus Spritz. Works great with Klasse. :xyxthumbs



Crystal Mist is more of a spray wax than a QD but is also a nice brilliant producing product. Smell great also.
 
blkZ28Conv said:
Z6 and 1Z Lackfinish (diluted) are both excellent Qd's. LF undiluted is more of a quick sealant than a QD IMHO.
Click to expand...



How far do you dilute Lackfinish when using as a QD? Can you estimate how much more of a booster/protective layer Lackfinish lays down compared to Z6?



You can see where I am going with this (reaching for credit card) :lol
 
RedondoV6 said:
How far do you dilute Lackfinish when using as a QD? Can you estimate how much more of a booster/protective layer Lackfinish lays down compared to Z6?



You can see where I am going with this (reaching for credit card) :lol
Click to expand...



I have diluted LF 80:20 with Meg's FI from a suggestion from jgv who was nice enough to ship me a bottle before the US release. David B did a post about LF introduction to the Autopian Store a few months back (~April - May 04). Do a search and also look at his dilution suggestions. :xyxthumbs



LF is quite concentrated and it feels upon application almost like a diluted SG but buffs quite easily. Quite impressive. If used along with 1Z Perl on a well protected (waxed/sealed) vehicle one can easily just use this regimen for the winter re-enforcement of protection every month or 2. IMHO

LF can also be used full-strength in the same manner WAUD. The only drawback is that it will stain a dark colored vehicle if not wiped-off evenly and protection on paint is on its last leg.



I love Z6 (my favorite QD) but I do not think it really adds a measureable amount of protection to a Zaino'd surface. Z6 does enhance the look and probably help re-establish some cross-linking. This filling of "holes" is how I see Z6's adding protection more so than adding a layer.:cool:
 
Rob Tomlin said:
Z6 is not only my favorite QD, it is probably my single favorite detailing product in existence!



:xyxthumbs
Click to expand...



Rob, I have to agree with you there.



At the risk of becoming a Zaino-head, I have to say that my brief experience with Zaino products has been nothing but positive. :xyxthumbs



I got my first Zaino delivery about two weeks ago - ZFX, Z5, Z6, Z7. The first thing I did was run down stairs and try the Z6 on my wife's red '05 Subaru Forester. Given that the LSP is Menzerna FMJ, I was a bit apprehensive...



So I sprayed on a bit, wiped and then buffed. Result? NICE!!!



It improved the FMJ shine and slickness. Even though FMJ is extremely slick when first applied, it looses this slickness within a few days. Z6 brought much of it back.



Since then I've applied Z5+ZFX to my wife's old, 1997 Rav4 to prep it for sale. I polished with Menzerna IP + LC Orange Pad. Then I applied the Z5 mix with an LC red pad. The result was very nice too. Surface is very smooth and slick. I was very impressed.



Then yesterday, I did the same to my '02 Gray Audi A4. I polished using Menzerna FPII + LC white pad, and then applied the Z5 with an LC gray pad. Again the result was very nice.



Tonight, I rinsed the Audi to get the dust off and then blew dry with a Toro blower. Water ran off the Z5 like gerbils on a hot rock. Then, I detailed a bit with a little Z6. Like before, the gloss improved. :p



Frankly, I'm a cynic by nature. I believe that most products are based on hype and mendacity. With the Zaino products, I'm getting close to full fan-boy status. (At my age, that's absurd!) :D



Regards,



Dan.
 
Good to hear you are happy with the Zaino stuff Dan!



When the times right you might like to try some of the other Zaino products, the tire gel is VERY good and the glass polish works pretty well too. The leather conditioner is VERY good, the only Zaino product I have been disappointed in and would not recommend is the clay bar. The bar I received was hard as a rock (keep in mind I am in warm and sunny SC), so hard infact that I had to microwave it to soften it enough to use.
 
Cool Dan.



I am quite cynical as well. I didn't buy into all the Zaino hype when I first heard of it. Franly, I purchased the products with the full expectation of reporting back on one of the message boards (about 7 years ago) that Zaino wasn't "all that" and I would still be looking for a product that could do it all. The Z2 especially in combo with Z6 surpassed all my expectations by quite a bit.



I have been detailing my cars since I was 17 (I'm 39 now). I've tried numerous products over the years, but still none better than the Zaino system.



Although some other cool products have also come down the pike, the Z6 Gloss Enhancer remains my favorite.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top