FL Leo

Greetings to all. Im glad I found this site. I have read a lot about zaino and it sounds like the best. I have a 2006 TL NPB/Ebony 5sp w/Navi I bought on June 24th i have washed it once and what ever the dealer did to it in the 2 hour prep time. There a a few very light spider web type scrathes but only in the sun.

1st: In central Fla this time of year the humidity is very high, If I use zaino how much longer will it take the z2 or z5 to dry? I have read the high heat makes it dry faster and not to add the zfx. To zfx or not to zfx?

2nd: Z2 all the way through or first coat with z5 then remaing coats z2?

3rd: My wife has her detail guy coming to do her SUV on Thursday. He said he would do my TL but he uses Liquid Glass. I am not sure if I want him using LG on my new car(it may be a month before I can do the first zaino application). Should I let a pro use LG or his he gonna make more work for me in the long run? Am I better off washing it every few days and hoping the stuff the dealer put on will last till I get to the zaino?

Thanks for all your help.
Bags

micvog

I stopped using Zaino about 2 years ago, but until someone else more qualified appears, my answers would be:

It's hard to say how long it will take Zaino to dry. I have found it is much more a function of how thinly you are able to apply it (you can't apply it too thinly). In southern California, my experience was that I needed to wait about 30 minutes after applying it to the whole car (so probably close to a 1-hour total drying time). To test if it was dry, I would just run my finger on the car where I first applied it, and if the wax was completely removed I would then do the rest of the whole car with a microfiber towel. It is that easy to remove when dry.

I know some have said you can skip the ZFX in extreme heat. But I never did, and would recommend against it especially if you have high humidity. If when removing the product, you see smearing and/or streaking, then it isn't fully dry. Give it more time to dry, and use and instant detailer to remove the streaking/smearing.

My normal routine was 1-coat of Z-5 and 2-coats of Z-2 but if I were to do it over again, and your car is in very good condition (sounds like it is), then I would skip the Z-5. However, I would recommend you clay your car first to remove surface contamination and the dealer prep, and I would skip the LG if you plan on using Zaino in a month.

Also, as I am sure you are aware, unless you plan on using Z-PC, Zaino will only hide the spider-webbing, it won't remove it.

FL Leo

I was leaning towards waiting. Thanks for your help.

Yakuza70

Congratulations on the new TL! I have the exact same color/combo.

The high humidity will make the curing time take longer. I would use ZFX for the first, initial layer and subsequent layers if you want to put more coats on in a 24 hour period. Otherwise, you can only put one coat per 24 hour period without ZFX .

I would just let the Pro put on the Liquid Glass as it sounds like you won't have your Zaino for a while, leaving your new paint unprotected. Do you know if the Pro is going to polish your swirls out?

I would HIGHLY recommend a clear bra for your car. I put one on and it has prevented many chips on the front of the car. I had an '02 Black Maxima for three years and the front was pitted from rocks.

FL Leo

thanks for the advice. I will do a search for the clear bra I don't know anything about them.

fuzzy02CLS

iTrader: (2)

South FL is more humid & this time of year it rains every day. But on days I'm able to do it, I give it 30 minutes & it's dry. If it gets into the 50-60's(not often where I am but central FL it does a lot) It's about 1 hour.

Hawhyen51

Check out Xpel or one of the official vendors, RockBlocker. They offer pre-cut kits made from 3M PPF. Do a site search for "clearbra" or google either "Paint Protection Film" or "clearbra". The initial investment may be about $600, but IMO, well worth it.

fuzzy02CLS

iTrader: (2)

I think it's only worth it if the car is brand new. A used car already has paint chips & wear.

LoveMyTL-S

Welcome to the forum! This place really rocks with information and expertise. Good to see another Floridian in here.

FL Leo

Thanks everyone.Its still new about 430 miles on it. I started looking at the clear bras last night. I have learned a lot from this site already.

FL Leo

Micvog...If you stopped using zaino what are you using now? And why did you stop?

micvog

Oops... I forgot to welcome you to the forum and congratulate you on the new ride. Welcome and congratulations!

Right now I am using Mothers Reflections Car Wax and Top Coat. Car Wax is a very light cleaner/polymer sealant blend, and Top Coat is a cleaner-free polymer sealant/carnauba blend (i.e. you can layer the latter without removing existing product). I also use a clay bar as needed (just finished using up the last of my Z-18), and Mothers California Gold Car Wash and Showtime Detailer weekly (I like to use products from the same manufacturer). When I run out of product I might be tempted to pick up some Four Star from ExcelDetail based on a number of other posts here. That being said, I have been extremely pleased with Reflections in both appearance and durability.

I have nothing bad to say about the Zaino product itself. However, I did have a customer service issue and my distributor and Sal pointed the finger at the other claiming the other party was at fault (the distributor claimed Zaino sent a defective batch of product since he had complaints from a number of long-time customers; Zaino claimed the distributor didn't store the product properly). They refused to handle it after two follow-up e-mails, and I am a stubborn SOB, so they lost a customer for life.

csmeance

congrats and welcome. I also live in fl, but wit a ssm tl. You can drop by if u need any help, just pm me. (live in daytona beach) I usually put the zaino on the car, then put it in the garage with the door closed and let it sit on there for about 1 hour. Then i just buff off.

FL Leo

Sorry to hear about your dissagreement. I am still doing some reading on what to use.
i havent comitted to zaino yet but I thought the humidity issue might be a problem. There are so many products out there and it seems that no two people agree on the same one. I just want my black car to look god without spider webs and light scratches. I am more interested in protecting the finish than it looking like a show car. Its an every day driver. I should probably start a new thread and ask what everyone else is using on the black cars or post my goals and see what comes out.

Hey I was born in Daytona, Shouldnt be hard to find. If I end up using zaino i may take you up on your offer. Do you do it all by hand or do you use a machine?

Thanks again to all who responded.












i

Hawhyen51

As you stated, there are a number of products one can choose from. Zaino is an excellent product and very popular with quite a few AZ members. There is also a good number of folks who like other products as well, for example Four Star UPP. Not saying Brand X is better than Brand Y. They all have one purpose - protect. Longevity, durability, cost, ease of use, upkeep and maintainability are some other factors to consider. I think the bottom line is - if you like the results of whatever you're using, that's all good.

fuzzy02CLS

iTrader: (2)

Order zaino from sal direct & you will never have a customer service problem.

csmeance

i do both, but i preferrer to use a buffer to do because it makes it muck quicker