Polished and sealed with 8 layers of Zaino Elise... - LotusTalk

iwantanelise · 12-27-2007, 09:33 AM

So, I just recently acquired Zaino z2 pro, z5, z6, z8, and the zfx accelerator. I was eager to try everything out and so the first car that I used the entire system on was a beautiful Krypton green Lotus Elise, which was in for winter prep. I offered to do a 6 layer package on top of a proper polishing to remove the fine scratches and swirls in the paint, simply because somewhere I read that the Zaino line starts to truly show it's unique properties in terms of overall appearance after the 5th coat. Unfortunately, my worklights went out after I started to take before/after pictures of my polishing process, and I have yet to see a sunny sky around here, so all I have is one set of before/after shots of polishing. Tomorrow calls for a mostly sunny day...let's hope I can get some sun shots of this beauty. So, here was my process:

Day 1:
-wash
-clay

Day 2:
-Paint was polished using an Ultimate Detailing Machine and a 3-inch, Sonus light-cut pad with Menzerna Super Intensive Polish
-70% isopropl alcohol wipedown to remove remaining surface oils to ensure maximum bonding between Zaino and surface, and to check my work to ensure no area was "covered-up."
-z6

Day 3:
-zfx'ed z5 twice, each layer removed with z6
-one layer of zfx'ed z2 pro, removed with z6
-each layer must be buffed-off after at least a half an hour...I let the layers sit for about an hour since the temperatures were about 45-50 degrees in the garage. So, I cleaned-up the interior

-Zaino recommends 3 layers of zfx'ed sealant per day, with a 24 hour cure time after that, so on Christmas day the car receieved only a layer of z8, which really ampted-up the gloss and slickness of the paint.

Day 3:
-zfx'ed z2 pro three times, each layer removed with z6
-a few hours after, one layer of z8
-Starshield edges cleaned using Meguire's Clear Plastic Cleaner
-Black trim surrounding windows recieved Natty's Paste Wax
-Gills and Starshield recieved Duragloss Aquawax

And the pictures after all was said and done:

Before polishing:

After polishing, before any sealant applied:

lotusforsale · 12-27-2007, 10:01 AM

There is not enough Zaino on the planet to get me to like that color.

mpsalm · 12-27-2007, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lotusforsale

There is not enough Zaino on the planet to get me to like that color.

Don't listen to him, lifestyle colours rock! Nice job!

RegGuy · 12-27-2007, 10:31 AM

It looks nice, but I don't get the appeal of a product that takes such effort. From what I've read Zaino is largely a good product that has a hyped value. I've yet to have someone convince me otherwise.

However, the car does look great, no taking away from that!

iwantanelise · 12-27-2007, 10:59 AM

lotusforsale...Have you ever seen this color in person? I think it looks alot better in person. People forget the fact that there are gold flake in the paint, which makes it very interesting in the right light. But, most of the time the color looks faded. But, to each his own. At least it's great for being seen in traffic. Thanks for looking

RegGuy...I've been asking myself whether or not all this time has been worth it...Well, time will tell. The main reason why I chose this process was durability, slickness, and simply because I wanted to see what the Zaino buzz was about. I've seen one coat of Z5 last for a year without any additional maintenance such as z6, z2, or z8, so I'm in the process of testing the whole line myself. I've got one coat of z2 pro on my daily driver, and I'm going to try to resist addiing anything else to it. I used z6 after a wash, but that's it and it seems to be doing fine still after a few weeks. I drove from VA to NY and my car was still pretty clean despite the long miles. I've also been looking around for a sealant that will produce the greatest slickness possible, simply because I like slick feeling paint. One coat of P21S/S100 is very slick in itself, but durability is low compared to other products on the market. I must say, z6 certainly increased the slickness of both z2 pro and z5, and then z8 made the finish even more slick! The surface is incredibly slick, and I will be interested to see if it remains this slick when I detail the car in mid-2008. I hope to have this protection last for a year...I'm almost certain it can after everything I did to it.

Lastly, thinking about it, well, I don't think the Zaino line is much more involved then any other sealing/waxing process. The alcohol wipedown is all that is really needed (a one-time only dawn wash is suggested if you are not polishing to remove previously applied sealants/waxes). Both z2 pro and z5 go on easily and come off even easier (on my list of easiest to apply sealants/waxes, I place Zaino #2 behind P21S/S100 and ahead of Klasse All In One), making it a time-saver in this respect. Additional layers are not necessary, but people do this with all sorts of sealants/waxes for a variety of reasons. Some sealants/waxes don't cure as fast as the Zaino line with zfx, which should also be taken into consideration. The process I applied to the vehicle should not be considered a "typical" job, so to compare it to other sealant/wax processes would be unfair. I feel that any sealant/wax job should be applied with similar Zaino philosophy (strip old protection on paint, polish first, then wax), but Zaino seems to be the only company that actually stresses this fact.

Whatever the case, I will emphasize here just like everywhere else...it's pre-sealant/wax prep, such as POLISHING that makes paint look it's best and not the kind of "SEALANT/WAX" used. A properly polished surface topped with $2 wax will look sooooo much better than an improperly prepped surface with a $10,000 wax. Thanks for looking and thanks for the comments friends of Elisetalk.

ace10 · 12-27-2007, 11:04 AM

three days to clean one tiny clown car?

obviously, i'm in the wrong racket

lotusforsale · 12-27-2007, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iwantanelise

lotusforsale...Have you ever seen this color in person? I think it looks alot better in person. People forget the fact that there are gold flake in the paint, which makes it very interesting in the right light. But, most of the time the color looks faded. But, to each his own. At least it's great for being seen in traffic. Thanks for looking

Yes, I've seen it many times in person, in both Exige and Elise variants.

Not at all a commentary on your work, I'm just not at all fond of that color. Would love to see what you'd do to a Starlight Black, Ardent Red, Burgundy, or just about any other color.

Rugbyduck · 12-27-2007, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lotusforsale

There is not enough Zaino on the planet to get me to like that color.

Good for you...

Even better for us!

RacyTracy · 12-27-2007, 12:49 PM

Tall ceiling.....time for a lift!!

iwantanelise · 12-27-2007, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lotusforsale

Yes, I've seen it many times in person, in both Exige and Elise variants.

Not at all a commentary on your work, I'm just not at all fond of that color. Would love to see what you'd do to a Starlight Black, Ardent Red, Burgundy, or just about any other color.

I never did think that you were commenting on my actual work, so, no worries there.

Yeah, you are completely correct...if I did this sort of detail job on any of those colors that you've mentioned, the results would probably be many times more stunning. That's the thing that I really don't like about this color...it does not reflect well. But, soon I'll have a supercharged Starlight Black Elise to play with! I can't wait to see how good that baby will look.

iwantanelise · 12-27-2007, 12:54 PM

RacyTracy...excellent idea! Find me more customers and I'll make it happen

exarkun1178 · 12-27-2007, 01:56 PM

now that must have taken some time to clean! that cars owner never cleans it, always looks like its being driven in Russia.

bryanf · 12-27-2007, 02:38 PM

What's with the Actual Size sticker on the back?

shay2nak · 12-27-2007, 03:52 PM

so fresh...so clean...

fitfan · 12-27-2007, 03:57 PM

i did the full zaino thing for the first time, on my yellow elise in the spring and i just have one thing to say about "zaino brothers"....

...heel yeah!!! awesome awesome awesome - cost about 2x more, the results are fantastic, and the stuff is very easy to use and the multiple "wax" coats - go very fast - i did my 3rd and 4th coats in less than an hour each. - still looks awesome. i am big fan of zaino now!

exarkun1178 · 12-27-2007, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bryanf

What's with the Actual Size sticker on the back?

much like his miniature "white pony" he feels the need to be honest about actual sizes of things....

MidasHands · 12-27-2007, 03:59 PM

hmmmm Exarkun - where have you been all day?

iwantanelise · 12-27-2007, 04:02 PM

now rob...play nice!

Yeah...I timed my application of Zaino, and it took about 15-20 minutes per layer, and then 15-20 minutes for removal. I could of gone much faster, but I wanted to take my time to ensure even coverage.

glb · 12-27-2007, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bryanf

What's with the Actual Size sticker on the back?

I think that sticker is v funny.

But, I use a 2 step process: 1. wash, 2. dry.

OK, I actually apply wax twice a year. If ambititious, I use 3M Imperial Hand Glaze and 1 Grand Blitz wax, with a Crafstman machine (not the belt sander). Yes, I know it says Imperial HAND glaze.

I love silver cars...

Wasabi · 12-27-2007, 05:12 PM

I don't know, I did 3 layers each of z2 and z5 with layers inbetween each application with their detailing spray... not only was it a total pain in the butt to go over the car with the detail spray after every layer of wax, the end result looked as good as when I just did a combo show car polish/wax job with meguir's, 4 layers polish 3 wax and no inbetween detail spray bs...

Both lasted 6 months before needing touch up, and both made it just as shiny for as long, but zaino cost way more and took way more effort... I was left very unimpressed - they have a couple new products now but how much they really add is beyond me... oh and yes I did clay bar before the zaino, and hadn't before I did my meguir's detail... guess my car wasn't very dirty since they both produced the same look in the end

If I was using someone else's credit card I'd pick zaino just to try their last couple additions to their detailing stuff, but really after seeing the difference for myself (at least on my car) I'd rather just drive down to autozone and spend a fraction on meguir's wax/polish

I do love their car wash product though!

12-27-2007, 09:33 AM	#1 (permalink)
iwantanelise Registered User Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 416	Polished and sealed with 8 layers of Zaino Elise... So, I just recently acquired Zaino z2 pro, z5, z6, z8, and the zfx accelerator. I was eager to try everything out and so the first car that I used the entire system on was a beautiful Krypton green Lotus Elise, which was in for winter prep. I offered to do a 6 layer package on top of a proper polishing to remove the fine scratches and swirls in the paint, simply because somewhere I read that the Zaino line starts to truly show it's unique properties in terms of overall appearance after the 5th coat. Unfortunately, my worklights went out after I started to take before/after pictures of my polishing process, and I have yet to see a sunny sky around here, so all I have is one set of before/after shots of polishing. Tomorrow calls for a mostly sunny day...let's hope I can get some sun shots of this beauty. So, here was my process: Day 1: -wash -clay Day 2: -Paint was polished using an Ultimate Detailing Machine and a 3-inch, Sonus light-cut pad with Menzerna Super Intensive Polish -70% isopropl alcohol wipedown to remove remaining surface oils to ensure maximum bonding between Zaino and surface, and to check my work to ensure no area was "covered-up." -z6 Day 3: -zfx'ed z5 twice, each layer removed with z6 -one layer of zfx'ed z2 pro, removed with z6 -each layer must be buffed-off after at least a half an hour...I let the layers sit for about an hour since the temperatures were about 45-50 degrees in the garage. So, I cleaned-up the interior -Zaino recommends 3 layers of zfx'ed sealant per day, with a 24 hour cure time after that, so on Christmas day the car receieved only a layer of z8, which really ampted-up the gloss and slickness of the paint. Day 3: -zfx'ed z2 pro three times, each layer removed with z6 -a few hours after, one layer of z8 -Starshield edges cleaned using Meguire's Clear Plastic Cleaner -Black trim surrounding windows recieved Natty's Paste Wax -Gills and Starshield recieved Duragloss Aquawax And the pictures after all was said and done: Before polishing: After polishing, before any sealant applied: __________________ CP Car Detailing...http://cpcardetailing.com/lotusdetailing Please feel free to CHECK OUT MY NEW WEBSITE and let me know what you think!! Please feel free to ask me questions on how to keep your Lotus looking gorgeous or for detailing rates! Last edited by iwantanelise : 12-27-2007 at 09:38 AM. Reason: pictures not uploading properly

12-27-2007, 10:59 AM	#5 (permalink)
iwantanelise Registered User Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 416	lotusforsale...Have you ever seen this color in person? I think it looks alot better in person. People forget the fact that there are gold flake in the paint, which makes it very interesting in the right light. But, most of the time the color looks faded. But, to each his own. At least it's great for being seen in traffic. Thanks for looking RegGuy...I've been asking myself whether or not all this time has been worth it...Well, time will tell. The main reason why I chose this process was durability, slickness, and simply because I wanted to see what the Zaino buzz was about. I've seen one coat of Z5 last for a year without any additional maintenance such as z6, z2, or z8, so I'm in the process of testing the whole line myself. I've got one coat of z2 pro on my daily driver, and I'm going to try to resist addiing anything else to it. I used z6 after a wash, but that's it and it seems to be doing fine still after a few weeks. I drove from VA to NY and my car was still pretty clean despite the long miles. I've also been looking around for a sealant that will produce the greatest slickness possible, simply because I like slick feeling paint. One coat of P21S/S100 is very slick in itself, but durability is low compared to other products on the market. I must say, z6 certainly increased the slickness of both z2 pro and z5, and then z8 made the finish even more slick! The surface is incredibly slick, and I will be interested to see if it remains this slick when I detail the car in mid-2008. I hope to have this protection last for a year...I'm almost certain it can after everything I did to it. Lastly, thinking about it, well, I don't think the Zaino line is much more involved then any other sealing/waxing process. The alcohol wipedown is all that is really needed (a one-time only dawn wash is suggested if you are not polishing to remove previously applied sealants/waxes). Both z2 pro and z5 go on easily and come off even easier (on my list of easiest to apply sealants/waxes, I place Zaino #2 behind P21S/S100 and ahead of Klasse All In One), making it a time-saver in this respect. Additional layers are not necessary, but people do this with all sorts of sealants/waxes for a variety of reasons. Some sealants/waxes don't cure as fast as the Zaino line with zfx, which should also be taken into consideration. The process I applied to the vehicle should not be considered a "typical" job, so to compare it to other sealant/wax processes would be unfair. I feel that any sealant/wax job should be applied with similar Zaino philosophy (strip old protection on paint, polish first, then wax), but Zaino seems to be the only company that actually stresses this fact. Whatever the case, I will emphasize here just like everywhere else...it's pre-sealant/wax prep, such as POLISHING that makes paint look it's best and not the kind of "SEALANT/WAX" used. A properly polished surface topped with $2 wax will look sooooo much better than an improperly prepped surface with a $10,000 wax. Thanks for looking and thanks for the comments friends of Elisetalk. __________________ CP Car Detailing...http://cpcardetailing.com/lotusdetailing Please feel free to CHECK OUT MY NEW WEBSITE and let me know what you think!! Please feel free to ask me questions on how to keep your Lotus looking gorgeous or for detailing rates!

12-27-2007, 11:04 AM	#6 (permalink)
ace10 -30- Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 4,449 Images: 35	three days to clean one tiny clown car? obviously, i'm in the wrong racket __________________ 2007 Exige S, Storm Ti. Sport, Track and TC.Plus: Multivex Mirrors, S111 Deltabrace, Sparco 6Pt harnesses (w/Ti Dave's Antisub belt mount), I/O Port video mount, Snorkel delete, Shims out, Rearview Mirror delete, 2Bular 7X18, Pagid RS42's, Saiku Michi catch can and, of course, blingy carpet buttons. 08 M-B ML320 cdi, 08 Toyota Tundra SR5 5.7, 06 M-B E320 cdi, 02 Lexus LX470, 97 Bobcat 751C The Red Pill Ignore Me *Be sure too save your IL before browsing away

12-27-2007, 12:54 PM	#11 (permalink)
iwantanelise Registered User Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 416	RacyTracy...excellent idea! Find me more customers and I'll make it happen __________________ CP Car Detailing...http://cpcardetailing.com/lotusdetailing Please feel free to CHECK OUT MY NEW WEBSITE and let me know what you think!! Please feel free to ask me questions on how to keep your Lotus looking gorgeous or for detailing rates!

12-27-2007, 01:56 PM	#12 (permalink)
exarkun1178 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Point Pleasant Beach, NJ Posts: 4,286	now that must have taken some time to clean! that cars owner never cleans it, always looks like its being driven in Russia. __________________ [Ovarian Odorist] 11:12 pm: why did you ever get into your business rob...you have such great potential in the adult porn industry..

12-27-2007, 10:01 AM	#2 (permalink)
lotusforsale Registered User Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Maryland Posts: 2,224 Images: 8	There is not enough Zaino on the planet to get me to like that color.

12-27-2007, 10:31 AM	#4 (permalink)
RegGuy Registered User Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 2,959	It looks nice, but I don't get the appeal of a product that takes such effort. From what I've read Zaino is largely a good product that has a hyped value. I've yet to have someone convince me otherwise. However, the car does look great, no taking away from that!

12-27-2007, 12:49 PM	#9 (permalink)
RacyTracy V Not my picture V Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Palatine, IL Posts: 9,203 Images: 1	Tall ceiling.....time for a lift!!

12-27-2007, 02:38 PM	#13 (permalink)
bryanf Registered User Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Atlanta Posts: 42	What's with the Actual Size sticker on the back? __________________ Bryan – www.bryanf.com \| www.greatwallforum.com Speed-Wiz Automotive analysis, design, and simulation software

12-27-2007, 03:52 PM	#14 (permalink)
shay2nak I <3 chicken, I <3 liver Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Land of da 1000 Oaks, CA Posts: 15,059	so fresh...so clean... __________________ save ~10 lbs gain 1 hp EQ: Y=(190X) / (1984-X) where Y is (HP) and X is (lbs) '07 EXIGE S * MY CAR ** VIDEOS! '08 ACURA TSX 6-speed http://www.makeNYNYagain.com

12-27-2007, 03:57 PM	#15 (permalink)
fitfan Regurgitated User Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: San Diego! Posts: 4,101	i did the full zaino thing for the first time, on my yellow elise in the spring and i just have one thing to say about "zaino brothers".... ...heel yeah!!! awesome awesome awesome - cost about 2x more, the results are fantastic, and the stuff is very easy to use and the multiple "wax" coats - go very fast - i did my 3rd and 4th coats in less than an hour each. - still looks awesome. i am big fan of zaino now! __________________ Driving it around!

12-27-2007, 03:59 PM	#17 (permalink)
MidasHands Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Glen Ridge, NJ Posts: 971	hmmmm Exarkun - where have you been all day? __________________ - Mike 2006 KG Elise, Magnolia Interior

12-27-2007, 04:02 PM	#18 (permalink)
iwantanelise Registered User Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 416	now rob...play nice! Yeah...I timed my application of Zaino, and it took about 15-20 minutes per layer, and then 15-20 minutes for removal. I could of gone much faster, but I wanted to take my time to ensure even coverage. __________________ CP Car Detailing...http://cpcardetailing.com/lotusdetailing Please feel free to CHECK OUT MY NEW WEBSITE and let me know what you think!! Please feel free to ask me questions on how to keep your Lotus looking gorgeous or for detailing rates!

12-27-2007, 05:12 PM	#20 (permalink)
Wasabi Registered User Join Date: May 2006 Location: San Ramon, CA Posts: 448	I don't know, I did 3 layers each of z2 and z5 with layers inbetween each application with their detailing spray... not only was it a total pain in the butt to go over the car with the detail spray after every layer of wax, the end result looked as good as when I just did a combo show car polish/wax job with meguir's, 4 layers polish 3 wax and no inbetween detail spray bs... Both lasted 6 months before needing touch up, and both made it just as shiny for as long, but zaino cost way more and took way more effort... I was left very unimpressed - they have a couple new products now but how much they really add is beyond me... oh and yes I did clay bar before the zaino, and hadn't before I did my meguir's detail... guess my car wasn't very dirty since they both produced the same look in the end If I was using someone else's credit card I'd pick zaino just to try their last couple additions to their detailing stuff, but really after seeing the difference for myself (at least on my car) I'd rather just drive down to autozone and spend a fraction on meguir's wax/polish I do love their car wash product though!

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