Hybrid

Zaino Comparison Test

This link is to a test of Zaino vs. another product (which I have no commerical interest in, and am not promoting). I've looked at great-looking photos of results with Zaino for a long time and decided to do a side-by-side comparison.

Basically, people on this forum said "if you don't believe Zaino is the best thing ever, compare it yourself." So I did.

The link is in an acura MDX forum, as this forum doesn't currently seem to support posting photos.

Briefly, I did ONLY one TL door with Zaino to compare it with the other door and surrounding parts that had 4 month old wax (not Zaino).

Hybrid

I've posted several more photos since the original, taken outdoors at a different location, from the opposite angle.

Skeedatl

Skeedatl

Skeedatl

Skeedatl

Actually the Zaino side looks worse to me. The rear door looks hazy.

Hybrid

In real life, I can't tell the difference. Angles matter a lot. Looking straight on gives a more hazy look, vs. looking at a sharp angle.

Thanks for copying and posting the photos here, skeedatl. The system isn't letting me post anything larger than 1 byte here. (What's that, about one pixel?)

For everyone's info, the last picture posted is one taken before the test started, showing the masked off door.

If it isn't clear from that photo, it's the back door that had Zaino. The rest of the car was waxed last in early November. The product I used was "Rejex" (http://www.corrosionx.com/rejex.html)
But I'm not saying that product is any more reflective, better, or whatever, than Zaino. My own conclusion is that there's no magic in Zaino. Your results may vary. I do realize that dark colors show reflections better.

Skeedatl

Actually you can post pictures here via IMG (vB Code)...they just have to be hosted somewhere else.

Hybrid

These photos also show how stock-size Michelin Pilot A/S tires look on the TL. Note that the wheels are just as vulnerable as with the EL42 tires.

mobilezen

hybrid, what kind of camera did you use?

Vffr1

What are you saying here? Vulneable to what? Vulneable cuffing the rims/wheels? Vulneable to Vibrations?

Mike Smeezy,

legendguy

Vffr1


Vulnerable to curb scrapes. There has been a lot of forum discussion here of late about the wheels of the TL being scraped by a curb or carwash rail because the profile of the tire not being prominent enough to protect it. Hybrid just assumed we would know what he/she was talking about. Hybrid was just saying that the Pilot tires that some replaced to rid the TL of 50-55 vibraton issue may be great for no vibration but apparently no better when it comes to preventing curb scrape. That is all, cool.

Vffr1

So, if he just would've added the word "scuffed" to his thread, then the guess work would of been eliminated?

Heres a good idea, how about folks give clear information right up front, removing the guess work, and answering obvious questions that are bound to come up in the first place. This is a forum to commuincate information, right? (key word "commuinicate")

Thanks Legendguy.

Hybrid

Camera is a Canon G-3. I've been very impressed with it.

Give me a break, guys! The fact that the rims are easy to scrape on curbs has been discussed over and over and over on this forum. People have posted photos of their scratched up rims, asked about where to get them repaired, talked about the advantage of wider tires protecting the rims better, etc. I'm surprised that anyone that's been around here a while would miss the meaning of "vulnerable" given that. It should be pretty obvious that I didn't mean "vulnerable to vibrations" as this would be impossible to determine from a photo, whouldn't it?

If I said "I replaced my struts" there would be a small segment of the population that wouldn't have a clue what I was talking about. But that doesn't mean that someone has to have a definitions section to each message. What's clear to one person isn't clear to others, and there's no amount of added information that going to be "correct". Sorry.

automophile

What exactly did you do? Did you prep the door first? How many coats of Zaino? What items did you use? etc?

Hybrid

All the info is on the link that's in the first post. That's all I originally intended to post here, as I posted the photos and details at the other site.

In brief, yes I prepped the door and I followed Zaino instructions to the letter. I washed the door with Dawn, applied Z-1 and Z-2, then another coat of Z-2, then Z-6.

Basically I'm skeptical about "miracle product" claims (optical brighteners, etc.) and like to test things out myself. At least on my car, Zaino didn't give a better look than 4 month old wax. Obviously, people get great results with Zaino, but what I wonder is if they wouldn't get the same results with any of a number of other products. If the Zaino system were repackaged and labeled under another name (such as a new Turtle Wax product), and were for sale in Wal Mart for $20 for the complete kit, would it develop the following it does today?

I would have loved it as much as anyone if my results had shown that the Zaino provided higher reflectivity. On one hand, I was hoping it would, and I was careful to follow instructions to give it every chance. But to be honest, neither Zaino nor competing products truly look any better than the door did after stripping the wax off. The waxes/polishes provide some amount of protection for the paint, and help clean the surface, but don't add much to the shine. (At least on a newer car with as-new paint).

caball88

gotta agree with you there. its hard to see a difference in shine when its brand new. from all the photos that i have seen none were shinier than cars i've seen without. i'll admit i'll probaby buy into either zaino or another competive product because i do want to clean the car and keep it shiny. but i can't imagine it being shinier than right from the factory.

automophile

SO - you expect us to believe that you spent some $70 or so just to do one door for an experiment?

AND - it looks the same as 4-month old wax?

I'm afraid that there are many thousands of wax converts that will dispute that.

Swat Dude

I just got done with 5th coat of Zaino and I must say the paint is glossing nicely and seems to be more level. Maybe the shine of the Zaino minus the gloss enhancer is about the same as some of the better polymers but dang this stuff beads water like a son of a Beee.

I just saw pics of the A-spec concept car at the Atlanta car show. Anyone know what Acura uses on their show cars????????