[zvezdah1]

I've joined my brethren vantag ground and jim in the lifestyle that is zaino car care products, interested to see how well it works.

Chris

 

[mikester]

Hi Chris -

If you can, could you post before and after piccies ?

Thanks, Mike

 

[CAErven]

PM me IMMEDIATELY if your Ardent turns CO!!!

 

[LarryB]

In the last few weeks gave the MR2 the full once over, 4 coats of zanio... welcome to our own little world.

 

[Vantage]

Now that you have entered the abyss, I must confess one depressing truth - detailing is a terrible hobby. With the proper technique and products, your car is going to look super good and you will want to keep it that way.

 

[zvezdah1]

Yep, never really enjoyed detailing, that's why I'm trying the zaino for longevity, I used to use the real Zymol but it just didn't last and I'd was it about every month. Much prefer driving to detailing!
Chris

 

[zvezdah1]

Zaino goodies are here tomorrow, guess I know what I'll be doing this weekend!
Damn you Vantage and the rest, this is all your fault,
Chris

 

[Highlander]

The first time application will be a tedious affair, but after that, it's easy. I can do 3 coats on my s2k in about an hour. If you have any questions, feel free to give me a shout! Assuming you got the ZFX kit, ONE half of one of the mixing bottles will be plenty of polish for 3 coats on the elise.

 

[zvezdah1]

HIghlander,
I did get the ZFX, they didn't mention mixing bottles, I assume it comes with them?

At Vantage's suggestion, going to wash then clay then zaino.

Chris

 

[Highlander]

HIghlander,
I did get the ZFX, they didn't mention mixing bottles, I assume it comes with them?

At Vantage's suggestion, going to wash then clay then zaino.

Chris

The ZFX kit comes with a tiny bottle of ZFX and 3 2-oz mixing bottles. Fill a bottle up 1/2 way with polish, then add a few drops of ZFX and shake.

Don't forget to wash after claying to remove any stray residue:

wash w/ dawn; clay; wash; dry; 3 coats of zaino! :up:

 

[zvezdah1]

Their goes my Saturday!!
Chris

 

[perryeyges]

Chris,
I feel so sorry for you HAVING to wax your Elise! Poor Guy!!!!:no: :bow: :no: :bow:

 

[NtflBlueLiz]

Chris,
Don't feel bad, I got Saturday put aside for Zaino as well!

 

[atyclb]

remember chris:

THIN COATS

you probably only need a HALF OUNCE to wax the whole car.

 

[Highlander]

remember chris:

THIN COATS

you probably only need a HALF OUNCE to wax the whole car.

My earlier post should read 1/4 of one of the mixing bottles. 1/2 ounce is plenty for 3 coats on the s2k. :up:

 

[ConeFusion]

Curious to hear how that goes, Chris. So far I've been the kind of person who thought some car wash soap and a bottle of wax from AutoZone were plenty. But considering that the Elise will be by far the most expensive car I ever bought, and I plan to keep it for a long time, I'm also starting to feel the peer pressure from the detailing freaks here.

 

[_JD_]

It's pretty fun to call the Zaino guys on the phone. IIRC they're in New Jersey and they're very anti-micro fiber. They'll insist on US cotton products and will give you product suggestions based on paint color and other factors- good guys and great products.

 

[babak]

It's pretty fun to call the Zaino guys on the phone. IIRC they're in New Jersey and they're very anti-micro fiber. They'll insist on US cotton products and will give you product suggestions based on paint color and other factors- good guys and great products.

For the record, I think you guys need help Furthermore, Lap Sponges work very very well for this, they are a little course out of the pack but after one/two washes they are very soft. If you guys are interested I'll see if I can get my hands on several packs and distribute them.

 

[Stan]

What does Zaino have against microfiber? I love the stuff for S100 use. Goes on fast with one hand and off with the other, no lag needed.

I know one thing about cotton - the edges and tags can be a problem as the threads may not be cotton hence not as soft.

 

[Vantage]

I can think of a few things that they might not like. Firstly, terry cotton towels tend to have a bit more bite when removing the dried polish from the surface. Personally, I find MF superior in getting the surface spot free, so I'm willing to sacrafice. MF comes in a variety of weaves and plushness which also varies how much bite you get.

Most importantly, there is a huge variation in quality of MF towels. People can pick a quality 100% cotton bath towel at a department store easily. How many people know how to pick a good MF towel? Then consider that most of the good ones you can purchase are through online sources where you can't touch or feel the towel.

I remember a while back Sal Zaino himself was doing a lot of testing with MF towels, but concluded that he could not endorse then due to the variation in quality.

Companies are starting to make natural microfiber towels (no polyester) for buffing. They do not really grab like hooks, as the typical MF towel may, but instead they have flat loops like a cotton terry towel.

One such example is the DF towel: http://www.dftowel.com/

I have a similar product made by a different company, but have yet to try them for buffing. They are however, incredible soft.