Zaino fell out of favor?

Y

Yaemish

New member
I haven't really checked this forum out for a few years. I found the product/process that I liked and I haven't had much desire to change. I thought I would hop on and see if any better products have hit the market and I see that Zaino Z2 Pro isn't mentioned like it used to be. I have a dark blue car with some metallic in it. I was thinking that the clarity after a polish and Z2 is great, but maybe I could use some depth.



So where did all the Zona Zealots go and what is the product that people are using instead of Z2?
 
Just recently Brad B., who's been doing this stuff long enough to know a thing or two ;) was posting about a new technique he's discovered for using his Z stuff. It's still popular and it's still just as good, or maybe even a bit better, than ever.



Those of us who don't use it have our reasons, but those who do use it feel likewise (still).



OK, just for the sake of discussion and so I don't sound all secret-squirrel about it....I don't use Z because I generally don't like its "signature look", though I generally *do* like it on white and I have a white car. Why don't I use it on that? Eh, I believe I get better protection (against etching/etc.) from products like KSG, FK1000P, and the Collinites and since I tend to neglect my vehicles between washes, letting them get filthy and stay that way for a while, I need all the protection I can get.



If somebody likes how Z looks, and if that person does *NOT* let birdbombs/etc. sit on the paint for ages, then sure, Zaino is still a perfectly viable option.
 
Can you point me in the direction of this new technique?



Like I said, I have been using Zaino for a number of years and I like that a few coats of Z2 in October will last through the winter. Last year I did get some bird etching on the car and despite the fact that I wiped it off within hours of finding it, the damage had been done. I may be a bit paranoid, but I don't think that the same level of "pop" is still there despite my flawless polish. Perhaps I have polished a bit too many times and have worn the thickness of the clear, resulting in less depth.



I too prefer the look of depth over clarity, and the Z2 used to provide a bit of both. Of the products that you listed, are they as durable (time wise)?
 
Yaemish said:
Can you point me in the direction of this new technique?
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Try this, see if my link works: http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-detailing/142900-great-tip-zaino-users-mixing-zaino-clear-seal-z6-z8.html



...Like I said, I have been using Zaino for a number of years and I like that a few coats of Z2 in October will last through the winter. Last year I did get some bird etching on the car and despite the fact that I wiped it off within hours of finding it, the damage had been done...
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Yeah, that risk of etching is enough for me to have never even *tried* Zaino, so I can't really comment on it. WIth FK1000P and the others I mentioned, I've gotten to where I don't even bother wiping off birdbombs/etc. No problems with etching even after they cook in the sun. But of course YMMV....







I may be a bit paranoid, but I don't think that the same level of "pop" is still there despite my flawless polish. Perhaps I have polished a bit too many times and have worn the thickness of the clear, resulting in less depth.
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That's possible...one more reason to not mar the finish so you don't have to polish.



I too prefer the look of depth over clarity, and the Z2 used to provide a bit of both. Of the products that you listed, are they as durable (time wise)?
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As I said, I can't really comment on Zaino other than to say that it's one of the very few LSPs I can often spot on a vehicle ("hey, nice car...is that Zaino on it? Yeah, thought so...").



I find layered KSG and FK1000P to be incredibly durable; I expect to get *much* longer than "all winter" out of them. And they protect against the etching and wash up very easily (just rinsing off FK1000P with deionized water is often enough for good, if not Autopian, results). The Collinite doesn't last that long, but will go all winter no problem. I'm using it on the old dark blue Audi, and it's a nice look besides being easy to live with.
 
Meguiars (on their forums) used to subtly hint that Zaino did nothing for protection, I think quite a few people have noticed an increased amount of bird bomb etching and water spot issues with Zaino. The looks are very had to beat though, especially on silver and white. Lots of newer products compete the looks department and seem to offer better protection.



I've ditched the system and gone back to it quite a few times, only to get the same results, great looks, tons of water beading and no protection.
 
I never had protection issues when I used zaino. I used it for 6 years and had it on out 99 BMW for 8 months. Never an issue.
 
Not sure about that "No protection comment. I get plenty of it on the cars I put it on. I still have it, use it on cars that request it. The wife has 2 coats of Z5 and 2 of the Z2 with the Z6 inbetween with the Z8 on at the end.
 
WaxManRonnie said:
Not sure about that "No protection comment. I get plenty of it on the cars I put it on. I still have it, use it on cars that request it. The wife has 2 coats of Z5 and 2 of the Z2 with the Z6 inbetween with the Z8 on at the end.
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Are you equating water beading with protection? Seems like a lot of people make that mistake. I'm referring to the fact that I get more paint etchings with Zaino than any other product. It was my goto for 6 years until I joined here in 2006. Then I went on an all carnauba kick for a while, then various sealants, no issues. Back to Zaino a few years ago, more etching.



I've never had a bird bomb etching with my cars wearing carnauba. I've had at least a dozen with Zaino, specifically Z2. I really wish I could make it work for me, I love the looks.
 
Dan said:
Are you equating water beading with protection? Seems like a lot of people make that mistake. I'm referring to the fact that I get more paint etchings with Zaino than any other product. It was my goto for 6 years until I joined here in 2006. Then I went on an all carnauba kick for a while, then various sealants, no issues. Back to Zaino a few years ago, more etching.



I've never had a bird bomb etching with my cars wearing carnauba. I've had at least a dozen with Zaino, specifically Z2. I really wish I could make it work for me, I love the looks.
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I wasn't. I'm just basing it on my own experience using it. And I never had an etching problem either.
 
I still use Z-2 all the time when I want shiny.

It lasts a long time & makes great tiny beads.



Coatings have become in more favor recently.

It's rare I do a fine Carnauba in South Florida.



I price accordingly: BFWD, Z-2, CQuartz and CQuartz Finest
 
WaxManRonnie said:
I wasn't. I'm just basing it on my own experience using it. And I never had an etching problem either.
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Yeah, some people do just fine with it. I wish I could at least some how duplicate the issue. What was weird for me is I never had issues within the first few weeks of application or between washes if I topped with Z6 or Z8. But if I washed month old Z2 and didn't top with anything, next bird bomb was going to etch. Its funny with other products I almost never get etching, not at all with carnauba. With Zaino MOST times a bird crapped on my car, I'd get an etching, even if it was on there for a few hours. ZPC by hand would remove the etchings, but it was just a PITA. Hard water and sun was also a big problem.



RPPM said:
So would Duragloss have the same etching problems as Zaino?
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Good question, I never used DG stuff long enough to notice a pattern.
 
Dan said:
Are you equating water beading with protection? Seems like a lot of people make that mistake.
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Unfortunately it is sometimes correct. It is sometimes not. A lot depends on what is considered 'protection'. If a product repels water it will be a 'difficult to dirty' finish so in that regard, it provides protection. Of course it doesn't provide much in the way of abrasion resistance. Unfortunately it is more complex again because abrasion resistance is often unrelated to a product providing a hard protective layer - this is something that marketing people often mis-represent or fail to understand. Abrasion resistance is most typically a result of a reduction of surface friction.



Unfortunately there is also an increasing tendency for marketing people to claim that their hydrophobic product is still protecting when it is no longer repelling water. This is often just not true and is being used to try to make durability seem better - after all, if you cannot see any difference between the treated and untreated area, the user is often not going to know better.
 
I remember the glory days of people applying layer upon layer of Zaino to their cars!



And the arguments! Zaino people were traitors and non-Zaino users were non-believers! Then the non-believers used it and some of them actually liked it.





I only used it once on a black car and it was nice. My go-to wax is now FK1000P, which is pleasantly wonderful for a daily driven vehicle.









And now I'll get nostalgic...







When I first started posting on Autopia, Blackfire was all the rage, so I ordered some. The formula at the time (I'm not sure about the current formula) had about 3 weeks of durability.



For awhile Klasse SG was the hot sealant, but I always found it very finicky to use in high humidity (which is all summer long in the great lakes region). Then Jeff's Workstatt had some of the limelight. It was easier to use and they sent you a huge bottle that I probably still have some of. It seemed like everyone had a theory about what Jeff's Workstatt really was in comparison to Klasse.



And who can forget Meguiars NXT! I still fondly remember the picture of the war-torn silver Honda Civic carbon fiber hood that was fantastically fixed using just Meguiars NXT! Then everyone bought it and their mileage varied...



Remember Menzerna FMJ? I never used it, but results were mixed.



And Wolfgang! It was like a less oily Blackfire and wasn't that durable, but it looked awesome on many different shades of paint.



Poorboys EX-P? That product was pretty overrated in my opinion. Mediocre to use, very little durability, and didn't even look that great.



And Meguiars #16. That stuff was A+, but difficult to use. I recently came back home for a visit to find my last can of M16 trashed. Meguiars #26 also had a moment.... Collinite Insulator wax had a honeymoon too, and I hope people are still using it because it really was one of my favorites.



Oh, and that expensive Pinnacle. Souveran? I think I have a jar of it. Some were really loyal to this one, and it did have a very nice look. Then they came out with the Liquid version and practically gave it away during the 12 days of Christmas event. I actually liked the look of the liquid version.





haha I really do love this forum -- it's been fun trying out all these waxes and sealants over the years and reading people's thoughts. :D
 
I played around with Zaino a few times, along with Duragloss. Can't tell a difference between the two and the look is fine but doesn't blow my skirt up. There are so many products I like better I never stuck with either product line for very long. There hasn't been a new Zaino product in a long time and that has an effect on forum discussions too.
 
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