imported_MCA
New member
Well...after a full year I finally got around to using my stashed Zaino for the first time. I have been eager to try them out but always got side-tracked. The products I tested:
Z-1
Z-2 Pro
Z-6
Z-7
Z-8 (purchased 2 weeks ago)
Z-PC (purchased 2 weeks ago, but still did not use – gotta love the Menzerna twins)
I will review the entire Zaino process but will provide individual product commentary as well. I also like to compare with non-Zaino products to provide a sense of measure.
Below are my detailing steps including prep (The final product is only as good as the initial prep):
1. Wash w/ Gold Class shampoo (2-bucket method)
2. Clay w/ Clay Magic blue bar – Meg’s LT as lube
3. Polish with IP and FPII (side note: IMO, the Menzerna twins are unbeatable)
4. Wash w/ Z-7 (2-bucket method)
• I found Z-7 to be extremely potent and concentrated (Instructions says to use 1 oz. per 2 gallons of water). The resulting wash was very slick and had a plentiful amount of lasting suds…My sheepskin glided effortlessly across the paint. I did further testing on my wife’s dirty car and found the cleaning power to be above average – This is a double-edged sword as it easily removed dirt but I have a feeling that it might have adverse effects on some waxes. With that said, Z-7 belongs in the upper echelon of car washes – I would rate it above Meg’s GC and just below Poorboy’s SS&S.
5. Apply Z-6 Detailing Spray w/ Pakshak Ultra-plush MF
• The first thing I will say about Z-6 is that it has an over-the-top cherry smell that I did not care for… Robittusin cough medicine came to mind. Other than the smell, I found Z-6 to be a nice QD spray – It was thicker than your average QD so a little will go a long way (about half a spritz per panel). It spreads easily and leaves a slick surface. I did not notice any visual changes to the paint – I will probably only use Z-6 with the Zaino system as it did not differentiate itself from the many outstanding QD’s available.
6. Apply Z-1 w/ MF applicator sponge (lightly spritzed w/ Z-6)
• Just like Z-6, the most noticeable thing about Z-1 was the horrid smell…definitely does not smell like roses. The liquid consistency allowed me to spread very thinly w/o any issues – although I did not see any dry product haze, I did see the initial swipe “hazeâ€� so I know I covered the entire car.
7. Apply Z-2 Pro w/ MF applicator sponge (lightly spritzed w/ Z-6)
• Z-2 had a slightly thicker consistency than Z-1. It did not spread as well but was nonetheless easy to apply thin. Reading other Autopians’ posts gave me an idea of what to expect. I initially put a thin 2â€� line on my applicator, but as I progressed I only needed a couple of Z-2 “dotsâ€� here and there. I was able to apply a thin layer over the entire car using less than ½ an ounce of product. I waited an hour before I began buffing…The Texas weather was really warm w/ low humidity so I could have started earlier, but decided to sneak in some lunch. I removed Z-2 with very little effort – not as foolproof as removing UPP, PSS, or WG but still very easy nonetheless. The initial look was extremely clear – I have not encountered any product that matches the clarity of Z-2 Pro…Without a doubt, I would say the claims of “99.9%â€� optical clarity are true. I also noticed a very slight brightening affect that accentuated the paint’s increased wetness and gloss. Overall, I really liked the look that Z-2 Pro provided – It’s very well balanced with a high-rate of slickness…I did not find a “plasticâ€� look with this product at all. If I was to compare the final looks to another product, I would say Detailer’s Pride PSS would be the one (slightly lower clarity however).
8. Apply Z-8 Grand Finale w/ Pakshak Ultra-plush MF
• After waiting about 6 hours, I applied Z-8 Grand Finale to the entire car. A little definitely goes a long way – half a spritz covered a whole panel or half my hood. I’ll be honest in that I did not notice any initial changes other than a slight increase in slickness, BUT the next day all I can say is WOW! The wetness, gloss, and slickness increased by at least 2 notches – I attribute most of this to the curing of the entire Zaino system but I’m positive that Z-8 contributed at least 1 of the notches…This product is a keeper. I only applied Z-8 to my car so I can’t really comment on its performance with non-Zaino products although I do plan on testing further.
The final result was definitely worth the effort in applying the Zaino system – The products are tuned to complement each other and it shows. IMO, this created a near flawless system (although subjective problems do exist). If you use the products as directed, it should be quite easy to duplicate my results. This leads me to a few closing comments. Several people complain of the labor and time-intensive application of the Zaino system. While I do agree with some of the arguments (don’t we all wish that Z-1/ZFX, Z-2 Pro, and Z-8 were one product…), further application is very simple once you get past the initial prep steps. In fact, I washed my car the next day with a foam gun loaded w/ Z-7 and promptly threw down another layer of Z-2 Pro (effortlessly I might add) – This is no different than if I were using a non-Zaino LSP. Another contentious point is the price of the whole Zaino system. I will agree that the initial out-of-pocket expense is pretty large, BUT I would still rate the overall value of the system as excellent. Product use per vehicle is extremely low (less than ½ an ounce per vehicle when applied properly) and the durability claims are extremely high (I have not personally substantiated these but do not doubt them since they have been verified by several respected members). Due to these qualities alone, my Zaino stash will last a good long time.
I apologize for the long post as this is my first formal review. I will post pictures later this weekend – unfortunately, we had some short-lived but severe thunderstorms in the Dallas area that really messed things up. Let me know what you guys think.
(Updated 04/08/06) As promised, below are my pictures car utilizing the Zaino system. I angled my passenger side to face the sun to get full-light shots. I'm not an experienced photographer so please bear with me.
As if my post is not long enough already, here are a few updated notes. I can't emphasize more the optical clarity system - It may not bring out the "black" like Souveran, but I can see a mile away when I look into my paint. Also, I have never seen an LSP that literally hates/repels water - The soaker method removes almost 90% of the water to aid drying...with Zaino, I'm close to 99%. Previously, #16 and SG were the ideal examples. I suspect that this quality aids in the rinsing of car wash soap
MCA
Z-1
Z-2 Pro
Z-6
Z-7
Z-8 (purchased 2 weeks ago)
Z-PC (purchased 2 weeks ago, but still did not use – gotta love the Menzerna twins)
I will review the entire Zaino process but will provide individual product commentary as well. I also like to compare with non-Zaino products to provide a sense of measure.
Below are my detailing steps including prep (The final product is only as good as the initial prep):
1. Wash w/ Gold Class shampoo (2-bucket method)
2. Clay w/ Clay Magic blue bar – Meg’s LT as lube
3. Polish with IP and FPII (side note: IMO, the Menzerna twins are unbeatable)
4. Wash w/ Z-7 (2-bucket method)
• I found Z-7 to be extremely potent and concentrated (Instructions says to use 1 oz. per 2 gallons of water). The resulting wash was very slick and had a plentiful amount of lasting suds…My sheepskin glided effortlessly across the paint. I did further testing on my wife’s dirty car and found the cleaning power to be above average – This is a double-edged sword as it easily removed dirt but I have a feeling that it might have adverse effects on some waxes. With that said, Z-7 belongs in the upper echelon of car washes – I would rate it above Meg’s GC and just below Poorboy’s SS&S.
5. Apply Z-6 Detailing Spray w/ Pakshak Ultra-plush MF
• The first thing I will say about Z-6 is that it has an over-the-top cherry smell that I did not care for… Robittusin cough medicine came to mind. Other than the smell, I found Z-6 to be a nice QD spray – It was thicker than your average QD so a little will go a long way (about half a spritz per panel). It spreads easily and leaves a slick surface. I did not notice any visual changes to the paint – I will probably only use Z-6 with the Zaino system as it did not differentiate itself from the many outstanding QD’s available.
6. Apply Z-1 w/ MF applicator sponge (lightly spritzed w/ Z-6)
• Just like Z-6, the most noticeable thing about Z-1 was the horrid smell…definitely does not smell like roses. The liquid consistency allowed me to spread very thinly w/o any issues – although I did not see any dry product haze, I did see the initial swipe “hazeâ€� so I know I covered the entire car.
7. Apply Z-2 Pro w/ MF applicator sponge (lightly spritzed w/ Z-6)
• Z-2 had a slightly thicker consistency than Z-1. It did not spread as well but was nonetheless easy to apply thin. Reading other Autopians’ posts gave me an idea of what to expect. I initially put a thin 2â€� line on my applicator, but as I progressed I only needed a couple of Z-2 “dotsâ€� here and there. I was able to apply a thin layer over the entire car using less than ½ an ounce of product. I waited an hour before I began buffing…The Texas weather was really warm w/ low humidity so I could have started earlier, but decided to sneak in some lunch. I removed Z-2 with very little effort – not as foolproof as removing UPP, PSS, or WG but still very easy nonetheless. The initial look was extremely clear – I have not encountered any product that matches the clarity of Z-2 Pro…Without a doubt, I would say the claims of “99.9%â€� optical clarity are true. I also noticed a very slight brightening affect that accentuated the paint’s increased wetness and gloss. Overall, I really liked the look that Z-2 Pro provided – It’s very well balanced with a high-rate of slickness…I did not find a “plasticâ€� look with this product at all. If I was to compare the final looks to another product, I would say Detailer’s Pride PSS would be the one (slightly lower clarity however).
8. Apply Z-8 Grand Finale w/ Pakshak Ultra-plush MF
• After waiting about 6 hours, I applied Z-8 Grand Finale to the entire car. A little definitely goes a long way – half a spritz covered a whole panel or half my hood. I’ll be honest in that I did not notice any initial changes other than a slight increase in slickness, BUT the next day all I can say is WOW! The wetness, gloss, and slickness increased by at least 2 notches – I attribute most of this to the curing of the entire Zaino system but I’m positive that Z-8 contributed at least 1 of the notches…This product is a keeper. I only applied Z-8 to my car so I can’t really comment on its performance with non-Zaino products although I do plan on testing further.
The final result was definitely worth the effort in applying the Zaino system – The products are tuned to complement each other and it shows. IMO, this created a near flawless system (although subjective problems do exist). If you use the products as directed, it should be quite easy to duplicate my results. This leads me to a few closing comments. Several people complain of the labor and time-intensive application of the Zaino system. While I do agree with some of the arguments (don’t we all wish that Z-1/ZFX, Z-2 Pro, and Z-8 were one product…), further application is very simple once you get past the initial prep steps. In fact, I washed my car the next day with a foam gun loaded w/ Z-7 and promptly threw down another layer of Z-2 Pro (effortlessly I might add) – This is no different than if I were using a non-Zaino LSP. Another contentious point is the price of the whole Zaino system. I will agree that the initial out-of-pocket expense is pretty large, BUT I would still rate the overall value of the system as excellent. Product use per vehicle is extremely low (less than ½ an ounce per vehicle when applied properly) and the durability claims are extremely high (I have not personally substantiated these but do not doubt them since they have been verified by several respected members). Due to these qualities alone, my Zaino stash will last a good long time.
I apologize for the long post as this is my first formal review. I will post pictures later this weekend – unfortunately, we had some short-lived but severe thunderstorms in the Dallas area that really messed things up. Let me know what you guys think.
(Updated 04/08/06) As promised, below are my pictures car utilizing the Zaino system. I angled my passenger side to face the sun to get full-light shots. I'm not an experienced photographer so please bear with me.
As if my post is not long enough already, here are a few updated notes. I can't emphasize more the optical clarity system - It may not bring out the "black" like Souveran, but I can see a mile away when I look into my paint. Also, I have never seen an LSP that literally hates/repels water - The soaker method removes almost 90% of the water to aid drying...with Zaino, I'm close to 99%. Previously, #16 and SG were the ideal examples. I suspect that this quality aids in the rinsing of car wash soap
MCA
I'll have to give it a shot, thanks.