So I got my hands on a new 2K2 Black Hawk, and it's the first dark colored car I've had. So I've heard Zaino, ZAINO, Zaino is the only way to go. Is it a No-Braino, or should I use the old same-ol zymol, or Eagle-1?

 

Zaino is great, but there are lots of options out there. Especially for black cars. Pinnacle Souveran, Meguiars NXT, Blackfire, etc.

Check out www.autopia.org

 

I used Zaino, and while it's great stuff, I prefer 3m Products now. I like the fact I can drive down to the local autozone and buy the stuff. Having a black car, get your hands on some 3M swirl mark remover no matter what you decide to do. Best product I've ever used, hands down. I usually follow up with some 3M Hand Glaze, and then 3M Liquid Wax.

 

AGREE!....availablity is the key here!

 

I 2nd that. 3m works for me & the price is better. Also why we
are on the subject of cleaning. I tryed out some CD2 engine
cleaner that stuff sucks, after about 1 day my engine was
worst then before. It must just be for show.

 

I've user Meguiars for over 20 years. Switched to Zaino a few years ago...a good product, however, I switched back to Meguiars' commercial multi step using their Gold product for the finish coat. I like it much more.

http://community.webshots.com/user/rh2772

 

I like the Zaino, best stuff I've ever used. I used to use mequires gold but zaino seems soo much easier to me. Zaino is locally available for me there is a performance shop that carries it. I've never tried the 3m products, and would be interested but can't see something being easier to use than zaino.

 

Easier to use then Zaino? Not quite sure what you mean... First you have to put "this" on, then mix "this" with "that" to prevent having to wait 24 hrs between coats of "that", and a half an hour for the stuff to dry, etc. etc. Just doesn't seem "easy" to me. That's way cool that a shop local to you sells everything though. At least it's available to you. That was the final draw for me with Zaino, and switching to 3M.

The part that get's me about Zaino, is guys put on like 100 coats of the stuff, then post pics of how good their cars look. Duh it looks good, it damn well better after all that!

 

sippershack - go to www.autopia.org, you'll get a great breadth of topics there - but the brief answer is that combinations are limitless. On my black cars, and I've done ALOT of detailing and tried ALOT of products, I find the deepest, richest, wettest shine to be given from Pinnacle Souveran wax. Now granted - souveran is a show car wax. It doesn't have great durability so it isn't for all.

From what I've seen, and from the experiences of others on Autopia, you might want to give the new meguiars NXT tech wax a hard hard look. Everything I've seen on autopia and showcargarage.com says that this is to be one of, if not THE best synthetic protection around for dark cars.

Lest we forget, protection and last-step products (waxes, zaino/sealants/etc.) mean diddly without proper prep.

For prep, I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY reccomend you use a porter-cable dual-action polisher with Menzerna polishes. I've yet to find a better product to work with the porter cable - and the results are immaculate.

read up a bit here for some pretty nonbiased advice http://www.properautocare.com/usporcabpol.html

-Tom

 

"easy to use" I meant as in application and removal. I like the fact that you don't have to rub it in, just wipe on and wipe off. And I don't really go through to much "mix this with that before this and then that"... I simply use the mixing bottles supplied put five drops of the catalyst and 1.75oz of the wax (it's a 2 ounce bottle I just guess) and go to it. It's not that difficult but is different than every other product. Mequires I found after one car wash was pretty much gone, and this using the mequires car wash. The zaino on the other hand I think actually makes the car look better after the car wash and I only zaino the car maybe 2-3 times a year and then use the spray mist for touch ups. Basically I just follow the system and for me that's easy. I had better results and liked the durability of it better than mequires. It does have drawbacks, not locally available and the mixing is a slight pain but I think the results are worth it.

 

I'm a Zaino junky......

I swear by it...........

 

Zaino is great stuff! It is pricey so I only use it every now and then. My favorite product they make is the leather conditioner. It smells exactly like new leather and the smell stays on your seats for a long time. If I'm not using Zaino, I use Meguires.

Here is a pic using a whole line of Zaino, wash, clay bar, polish, polish lok, and gloss enhancer. Look at that shine!

 

Zaino is durable- period! You can wash your car a million times, but it will never go away, unless you use something abrasive like Dawn. Every time I wash my car, it comes out looking like this- before I even wax it again. I will never try anything else, because nothing could be better. As good- maybe, but nothing better! I can't think of any reason to quit using it. If availability is really that much of a problem, order it before you run out. That's a no-brainer.

 

BTW, JonSS- it's not like you put 100 layers on at one time. I put on a couple layers maybe once every week at most. It's really not that difficult, and layers are not thick at all- that's the beauty of it.

 

SSG--Z28, your car, although very clean and very well done (nice job), exemplifies something I don't like about zaino, and that is a "sterile" shine. Granted, this is my own personal preference, and not an attack on your work or your car, I just think that a different set of products would produce a deeper, wetter shine, and that is what I prefer. On black, the "plasticy" look can get even worse (again, some LOVE the high mirror like shine, I find it lacking depth and emotion). To say "I will never try anything else, because nothing could be better. As good- maybe, but nothing better!" is just limiting yourself. There are TONS of "better" products out there. Klasse, Blackfire, Pinnacle, Menzerna FMJ just to name a few. Of course, this all depends on your criteria of what "better" is, but many products enjoy the durability of Zaino, and many produce a deeper, wetter shine ("better" in my eyes, but maybe not in others' eyes)

Also - dawn isn't abrasive - Dawn is a very strong soap and strips the car of oils, waxes, and polymers. It has nothing abrasive about it whatsoever.

In addition - layerability is a hot debate. To believe that one actually has "hundreds" of coats of Zaino is not realistic, the law of diminishing returns, as well as the application of the product, prevents the buildup of "hundreds" of layers. If they could really build up like that, people would be driving around with cars that looked like they were wrapped in saran wrap (every minor imperfection would multiply in intensity as you added layers). And if one has the time to keep adding layers, why not just use a better-looking, less durable product in the first place, using the time you would be adding layers just to reapply the product (high-end carnauba waxes come to mind here) If one can put on a layer of zaino a week, then one can EASILY put on a layer of wax a week (and wax, though less durable, certainly lasts more than a week)

Again, this isn't an affront to Zaino, a backing of any product, or a bash of anyone's work or preferences. I'm just merely stating that through experience (lots of it) that there isn't a "best" product.

Perfection is a process, not a product.


P.S. sorry the attachment is blurry I resized it crappily here on my work PC using paint - if I was at home using my Mac I could've preserved the smoothness of the image.

 

IMO Menzerna is a much better product than 3M swirl mark remover.

 

I've got a black car, Bought it used when it was about a year old.
The paint wasn't all that great because the previous owner must've simple just drove the car, but since the Zaino app's, we've won many trophies at car shows with it!

My opinon, Zaino is worth it. Order online & you'll have it sometimes the next day or two later. Only thing I don't like about it is the cost. But once you start adding it all up, if went to WallyWorld to buy similar products to do all the different things, you'd still be spending a lot of money.

 

After trying about everything for 30 years I use Zaino exclusively and have for over 5 years. If you want ease of application and removal, a great shine, the best in durability and protection, then Zaino is pretty much it. The only people I've ever heard of say Zaino was hard to use never used it before. Regular Zaino users know how easy it is to use and especially maintain.

 

 

Zaino on a black car? Ok I can do that too. If you're happy with what you use, then by all means- use it. If not, try something else. I am happy with what I use, and have tried at least 20 other products on the market, with lesser results, so I will continue to use Zaino. That is my point. I am not limiting myself to anything if I am happy with my own personal results. For those who haven't tried Zaino, I'm sure you will be pleasantly surprised with the results.