My Zaino experience with pics - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

JJ#48Racing · 03-30-2009, 01:24 PM

After years of reading about how great Zaino is, I finally ponied up for the cash to try it. I've always been meticulous about keeping my SS clean and freshly shined. Because of that I don't think I'm as amazed as some others, but it's still the best product I've used and I will continue to use only Zaino from now on. For the SS anyway.

If you want nothing but the best for your car and don't mind paying the premium price for it and the extra steps it takes to do it right, then I recommend Zaino. For a daily driver that you don't care as much about, or if you are on a tight budget, you can probably get away with a good quality over the counter carnuba wax.

Zaino gave the car a noticably deeper, wetter look.

The only product that I wasn't impressed with was the ZCS clear seal. It left streaks in some areas. I admit I may have applied it too thick though. But the steaks came off easy with some Z6.

These are the steps I took:

(Back in the fall I buffed the car with an orbital buffer using a mild cutter, then a very mild cutter, then polish. I didn't feel the need to buff the car again.)
- First I washed the car with dawn
- Claybar'd with Z7 as a lubricant
- Washed with dawn again
- 3 coats of Z5 swirl remover with ZFX follwed by Z6 detail polish
- 4 coats of Z2 polish with ZFX followed by Z6
- ZCS clear seal
- Z8 final touch detail spray
- Z12 glass polish

Name: CIMG4835.jpg
Views: 4014
Size: 149.3 KB

Name: CIMG4835.jpg
Views: 4014
Size: 149.3 KB

Name: CIMG4836.jpg
Views: 3618
Size: 218.4 KB

Name: CIMG4839.jpg
Views: 3217
Size: 99.7 KB

Name: CIMG4840.jpg
Views: 3077
Size: 91.9 KB

Name: CIMG4841.jpg
Views: 3189
Size: 103.6 KB

Name: CIMG4843.jpg
Views: 3245
Size: 171.7 KB

NAHURRY · 03-30-2009, 04:18 PM

Very sharp looking car man! I'm about to take the Zaino plunge also.
How long did it take you?....by hand or buffer?

Nexus6 · 03-30-2009, 08:20 PM

This is a picture of my Daily driver .I haven't polished it since before winter.Yesterday i just washed it and sprayed it with some Z6.The tires and running boards have the Z-16 Perfect tire gloss on them

And remember, don't polish in a swirl motion

NAHURRY · 03-30-2009, 09:37 PM

that thing still looks like you just did a full detal on it.

polishing= side to side and up and down...Gotcha

JJ#48Racing · 03-30-2009, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by in a hurry

Very sharp looking car man! I'm about to take the Zaino plunge also.
How long did it take you?....by hand or buffer?

Took me about a week by hand, but I was taking my time. Only did a coat or two per day.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nexus6

This is a picture of my Daily driver .I haven't polished it since before winter.Yesterday i just washed it and sprayed it with some Z6.The tires and running boards have the Z-16 Perfect tire gloss on them

And remember, don't polish in a swirl motion

Looks really good. Maybe I should rethink not doing it to my daily driver. It's been hard to retrain myself to not polish in circular motions.

terndude · 03-30-2009, 09:58 PM

Nice, I think I'm sold on the stuff!! My black Colorado could use some surface-love after bashing around military training beaches for the last 4 years! I used some other clay-bar thing but this product looks far superior!!! Their site has some great pics as well.

NAHURRY · 03-31-2009, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by terndude

Nice, I think I'm sold on the stuff!! My black Colorado could use some surface-love after bashing around military training beaches for the last 4 years! I used some other clay-bar thing but this product looks far superior!!! Their site has some great pics as well.

The clay bar is a must before applying zaino or ANY polish or wax.

NVMY68SS · 03-31-2009, 08:15 PM

I'm looking forward to getting to try this process. I'm confused though. You mixed up the ZFX with the Z-5/Z-2, but you took a week to do it, right? Did you use up what you had mixed or did you have to throw some out? I'm hoping to have a nice weekend and get it done over a couple of days.

The side-to-side won't be hard for me as I've been using Zymol on my 68 since I got it and it's almost second nature now. When I read circular motions on a product I have to think about it and force the motion. LOL

NVMY68SS · 03-31-2009, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JJ#48Racing

Attachment 19147
Attachment 19148
Attachment 19149
Attachment 19150
Attachment 19151
Attachment 19152

Is that a Callahan's Auto Parts shirt from Sandusky, OH?

JJ#48Racing · 04-02-2009, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NVMY68SS

I'm looking forward to getting to try this process. I'm confused though. You mixed up the ZFX with the Z-5/Z-2, but you took a week to do it, right? Did you use up what you had mixed or did you have to throw some out? I'm hoping to have a nice weekend and get it done over a couple of days.

The ZFX comes with a few 2oz empty bottles. I poured 1oz of Z-2 or Z-5 into a bottle, then 4-5 drops of ZFX. These were on the days I planned on more than one coat. You do have to throw away any polish you don't use, so don't mix up more than you intend to use.

I didn't use any ZFX when I was only doing one coat, and I let the polish dry overnight on those days. Sorry for the confusion.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NVMY68SS

Is that a Callahan's Auto Parts shirt from Sandusky, OH?

Yes it is! I was wondering if anyone would notice that. I wish I ran a car duster over that section before I took that pic. Those specs are polish dust from the Z-12 glass polish, not defects in the paint.

4thGenZ14X2 · 04-02-2009, 03:08 PM

Love the 02 LE!! It's definately a keeper.. I too am meticulous with my 2000.. Was my DD til 07, then i got bit!! Been modding ever since.. I too use the "Zaino" products, and don't mind spending the extra$$..

JJ#48Racing · 04-02-2009, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4thGenZ14X2

Love the 02 LE!! It's definately a keeper.. I too am meticulous with my 2000.. Was my DD til 07, then i got bit!! Been modding ever since.. I too use the "Zaino" products, and don't mind spending the extra$$..

Thanks, but it's not an '02 LE, it's just a '98 regular SS. You're not the first to mistake it for a 35th anniversary car though. Your car looks great too. I'm usually not a fan of pewter, but with the black wheels and stripe I like it. Love that hood too!

4thGenZ14X2 · 04-02-2009, 03:58 PM

Now that i look @ it closer, i see.. Even still, i nicely done 4th Gen..

Quote:

Originally Posted by JJ#48Racing

Thanks, but it's not an '02 LE, it's just a '98 regular SS. You're not the first to mistake it for a 35th anniversary car though. Your car looks great too. I'm usually not a fan of pewter, but with the black wheels and stripe I like it. Love that hood too!

SB007 · 04-02-2009, 07:21 PM

I wish I could see it in person. It looks really good but somehow makes the metal look like plastic pieces to me, more of a glossy look than reflective. Probably just the photos. Been using the Sonus stuff but may give this a try on my daily driver before using it on the new baby.

03-30-2009, 01:24 PM	#1
JJ#48Racing Drives: 1998 Camaro SS Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Lancaster, CA Posts: 1,115	My Zaino experience with pics After years of reading about how great Zaino is, I finally ponied up for the cash to try it. I've always been meticulous about keeping my SS clean and freshly shined. Because of that I don't think I'm as amazed as some others, but it's still the best product I've used and I will continue to use only Zaino from now on. For the SS anyway. If you want nothing but the best for your car and don't mind paying the premium price for it and the extra steps it takes to do it right, then I recommend Zaino. For a daily driver that you don't care as much about, or if you are on a tight budget, you can probably get away with a good quality over the counter carnuba wax. Zaino gave the car a noticably deeper, wetter look. The only product that I wasn't impressed with was the ZCS clear seal. It left streaks in some areas. I admit I may have applied it too thick though. But the steaks came off easy with some Z6. These are the steps I took: (Back in the fall I buffed the car with an orbital buffer using a mild cutter, then a very mild cutter, then polish. I didn't feel the need to buff the car again.) - First I washed the car with dawn - Claybar'd with Z7 as a lubricant - Washed with dawn again - 3 coats of Z5 swirl remover with ZFX follwed by Z6 detail polish - 4 coats of Z2 polish with ZFX followed by Z6 - ZCS clear seal - Z8 final touch detail spray - Z12 glass polish Last edited by JJ#48Racing; 03-31-2009 at 09:13 AM.

03-30-2009, 08:20 PM	#3
Nexus6 More human than human Drives: 2010 IOM 2SS/RS Join Date: May 2008 Location: The mouth of hell Posts: 1,887 View My Garage	This is a picture of my Daily driver .I haven't polished it since before winter.Yesterday i just washed it and sprayed it with some Z6.The tires and running boards have the Z-16 Perfect tire gloss on them And remember, don't polish in a swirl motion __________________ 1100 - 10/22/2008 3000 - 05/27/2009 3300 - 06/06/2009 3800 - 06/29/2009 4B00 - 06/29/2009 Warehouse 13 survivor Blood stains,speed kills,fast cars,cheap thrills,rich women,fine wine,i lost my sense i lost control i lost my mind.

03-31-2009, 08:15 PM	#8
NVMY68SS Drives #296 Drives: 1968 Camaro SS - 350/5 Speed Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Smithfield, NC Posts: 953	I'm looking forward to getting to try this process. I'm confused though. You mixed up the ZFX with the Z-5/Z-2, but you took a week to do it, right? Did you use up what you had mixed or did you have to throw some out? I'm hoping to have a nice weekend and get it done over a couple of days. The side-to-side won't be hard for me as I've been using Zymol on my 68 since I got it and it's almost second nature now. When I read circular motions on a product I have to think about it and force the motion. LOL __________________ #296 Delivered 6-1-09 Dynoed 10-3-09 384.56HP 387.65TQ with the bolt-ons listed, no tune.....yet! Roto-Fab CAI (Install pics here), Doug Thorley Shorties, Flowmaster American Thunder 409S Cat Back Vid

04-02-2009, 03:08 PM	#11
4thGenZ14X2 Drives: 2000 LPM Z28 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 25 View My Garage	Love the 02 LE!! It's definately a keeper.. I too am meticulous with my 2000.. Was my DD til 07, then i got bit!! Been modding ever since.. I too use the "Zaino" products, and don't mind spending the extra$$.. __________________ Heads/Cam/Stall/Fully Bolted.

04-02-2009, 07:21 PM	#14
SB007 Superbike Racer Drives: 2010 2SS/RS CGM/BLK 6M Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: California Posts: 86	I wish I could see it in person. It looks really good but somehow makes the metal look like plastic pieces to me, more of a glossy look than reflective. Probably just the photos. Been using the Sonus stuff but may give this a try on my daily driver before using it on the new baby. __________________

03-30-2009, 04:18 PM	#2
NAHURRY Love's to Detail Drives: 2010 SS,97silverado/08crewcab Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Greenville SC. Posts: 1,421	Very sharp looking car man! I'm about to take the Zaino plunge also. How long did it take you?....by hand or buffer?

03-30-2009, 09:37 PM	#4
NAHURRY Love's to Detail Drives: 2010 SS,97silverado/08crewcab Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Greenville SC. Posts: 1,421	that thing still looks like you just did a full detal on it. polishing= side to side and up and down...Gotcha

03-30-2009, 09:58 PM	#6
terndude Drives: '88FieroGT'04ColoradoZ71'10CamaroLS Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Oregon Posts: 67 View My Garage	Nice, I think I'm sold on the stuff!! My black Colorado could use some surface-love after bashing around military training beaches for the last 4 years! I used some other clay-bar thing but this product looks far superior!!! Their site has some great pics as well.