Here's what I have picked out. I'm not totally sure of what I do/don't need but I think I have it down. Take a look.

Z-TRIP Zaino Triplets (Z-AIO, Z-CS, Z-8 & 314)
Z-7 Z-7 Show Car Wash
314 Zaino Custom Polish Applicator (3x)
Z-12 Z-12 Clear-View Glass Polish
Z-10 Z-10 Leather in a Bottle
Z-16 Z-16 Perfect Tire Gloss
Z-14 Z-14 Plastic Magic Cleaner & Polish

Is there a must have item I'm missing or something I don't need? I'm not going to clay the car.

Thanks.

 

Is this the first Zaino application for your car? IMO, I think you should clay to remove any surface contamination. AIO will not take the place of a claybar. I think you might need the leather cleaner also.

 

The catalyst (Zanio ZFX)

Zaino™ Application Tips:
1. Apply this product using water-dampened applicator, and then spray the applicator with Z6.
2. Apply Z-solution very thinly using absolute minimum pressure on the applicator.
3. Spray the vehicle surface very lightly with Z6 between each ‘layer’. I cannot emphasise ‘apply products very sparingly’ enough.
4. Use Z-5 + ZFX for dark colours Z-2 + ZFX for light colours.
5. Use Souverän Wax as a final product on red, black or Porsche Speed yellow it produces a deep wet shine or Pinnacle Signature Series Wax for metallic and for light coloured vehicle paint
6. The secret to the application of a polymer product is to apply it thin (super thin) fill a spray bottle and mist a foam pad for application.
7. Ease of product removal is inversely proportional (less product easier removal) to the amount used (0.5 – 1.0 oz should be sufficient for most vehicles)
8. Apply Z6 to the paint surface before you begin, it enables a thinner application of Z5 / Z2 (Z7 wash, polish prep, Z7 wash, Z6 wipe down, start Zaino process
9. If there are places were the wax is thick and you are having trouble buffing the residue, wash affected panel with a Z-7 wash solution
10. A single thin layer of Zaino Z-2 / Z5 does not require a catalyst (Zanio ZFX) use Zaino Z-6 after application. Only if you are going to apply more than one layer of Zaino within a 24-hour period is the ZFX catalyst required.
11. Z2 contains a re-wetting agent that aids its flow and spread ability (it sometimes appears to have separated, but just shake the container to re-mix) so this product should be well shaken (but not stirred) before use

[B]Zanio Steps:[/B]
The final result can only be as good as the surface it’s applied to. Zaino is almost optically perfect, which means any surface imperfections will be highlighted / magnified so surface preparation is of paramount importance.
I cannot emphasise enough. ‘Apply products very sparingly’

 

So what your saying, since this is the first time using Zaino products and because they're so superior, if I don't clay the car it will show all the crap left on the paint... I guess I'll get a couple of clay bars...

Isn't Z-10 Leather in a Bottle leather cleaner?

 

Basically you want a pristine surface meaning no surface defects or contamination. You want that paint surface as smooth as possible and free of any swirls, marring and light scratches. As TOGWT pointed out . . . .
Z-10 is a conditioner and Z-9 is the cleaner which you will eventually need. BTW, you don't have to use clay from Zaino. You can use a claybar from Megs, Mothers or Clay Magic and usually available at you local auto parts store.

 

Excellent advice guys. Thank you. I think I got it now.

Now I'm just worried about getting the applications correct.

 

One more question; what do you guys use to the interior (dash, console, etc..)?

 

I use 303 Areospace Protectant.
http://www.303products.com/tech/inde...TOKEN=48779819

 

A number of the Zainoists use Z-10. I also prefer Aerospace 303 and it's pretty much the forum favorite. There are a number of threads about this outstanding protectant, just use the search function.

 

I just started to using 303 and works great.

 

Hey, S14 - your PM box is full . . .

 

damn it. sorry! its cleared.

 

PM sent . . .

 

When you guys ordered you 303 Products, did they email you asking for the 3 digit code from the back of your credit card?

 

That info is usually given at the time the order is placed to ensure the credit card transaction. I've never had an email in that regard. That's my experience with online credit card purchases. Where did you order it from? Perhaps you can find it locally - check the 303 website under "Where To Buy". Or purchase from our authorized vendor, Exceldetail.

 

He may not necessarily need to claybar it. Or if you have to use it perhaps only onthe top surfaces - hood, roof, trunklid.. The AIO product has a mild cleaner in it AND Zaino protection and is considered a good base to start. I would personally, either clay and /or use AIO, then add the 3 coats allowed with ZFX and Z6 inbetween each coat, and then do a couple of C/S coats on top. I just did this to my '05 RL and even though it has probably 9-10 coats of Z2 and Z5 on it, it looks like another higher level of clear protection. One thing, if you do use the C/S as a final sealer, you need to let this cure between coats, and I believe its at least 24 hrs or so. The C/S is a super slippery product that has to be put on very sparingly and not rubbed much after applied. You need to really see what you are doing and just rub it on, walk away and let it dry. If you put too much in place, it will leave a mark, that can be washed off after its dried -- with Z6... It only gets better as it all dries and cures.. Good luck, you will love this stuff once you get the hang of it. DanF

 

I used the Zaino AIO on a 15 month ASM and wasn't pleased with the grit that remained on the paint. The gloss was decent, however. Had I known this I would have ordered a clay bar and clayed it first. The advertising on the Z-AIO led me to think the clay bar wasn't necessary.

 

Look at it this way, you won't hurt anything by claying the car. I know that everyone says how bad DAWN is for your car, but I used it to strip everything down first.

Washed with DAWN, clay bar, washed with Meguiar's Gold Wash, 3 coats of Zaino with Z6 in between coats. The car looks perfect, except for the goddamned rock chips, and water beads like a mofo now (WAYYYY Better than Meguiar's NXT Generation Wax).

I threw the towel on the hood when I was done and it wouldn't even stick... just kept sliding off the car! It's the little things in life that keep me happy.

 

Hey guys. I just spent a total of about 10 hours over the last 2 days detailing my practice vehicle, my 4Runner, with all the Zaino products. I gotta say, it made my 4 year old, chipped truck look practically new. My sister didn't recognize my silver truck coming down the street because the shine was so bright, it looked white in the sun. No lie, just amazing.

So thank you all for the great advice. Next weekend, the TL gets the treatment!

 

Good shit man! And good luck on your TL! Are you gonna do the clay bar?

 

Absolutely. I was dreading it. I thought it would take all day to do the 4Runner but it wasn't bad at all and completely worth it. That truck has never been so smooth.

 

Actually, it will. Claying can cause micro marring. Not that its bad enough to NOT clay. But if you do clay, you should follow up with a polish.

 

I ordered my Zaino kit this week - should be in any day now. I wasn't sure even after reading the many threads which products I needed so I ended up with some ultimate show car kit or something.

The clay bar process is new to me so I tried it out using a competitors clay bar (purchased locally). My mothers 1998 Ford Taurus has never been waxed in the 9 years she has owned it. So it was the perfect car to practice on.....lol

Once I clayed the car it looked brand spanking new!

Topped it off with some polish and I am her favorite son again.......

 

Read the first post of the thread man, it's all about polishing!

 

k, not following you at all. I was responding to someone who said claying does no damage.

 

Nice job, my 03 4Runner Sport will be my practice vehicle too

 

I have a brand new RL and wondering what Zaino to use. It is 1 month old. I have used Mother's Carnuba, which is like $18.00, but wondering if you all feel Zaino or something else is better. I like Mother's because it is clearish / yellowish color, so if you accidentally get it on any black rubber parts it doesn't stain. Any advice would be great. I wash once a week with Meguires car wash.

 

I just bought my Zaino kit - hoping to try it out this week and see how it goes.

 

It can be argued that a polish or compound will do the same thing as detailer's clay; problem is that they not necessarily remove surface contaminates but just ‘round-off’ the edges, whereas clay will remove the surface contaminants and a percentage of the applied wax /polymer.

Note: you may have to remove minor surface marring caused by the clay

 

Good luck. My poor rims are beat to shit but they still shine! I have a lot of chips in the front too but it still looks nice!

I did the TL this weekend. I'm so glad I'm done with the initial work. I'm not sure I did it right but I fist washed the car down very well with Z-7 car wash and gave it a quick dry.

I then clayed using some Z-7 and water mixture which went well now that I've practiced on the truck. One problem, sap. I'm not sure how to safely remove it. The truck had some too.

After the clay, I rewashed everything, top to bottom and throughly dried it. I did a lot of the interior as well including the leather.

The next day, I applied Z-AIO polish and wiped that down. I then applied Z-Clear Seal and let that dry for about 6 hours during the Ranger game (woot). I notice a lot of streaking and figured it was because I reused the same applicator from thr truck. They say you can as long as it's sealed in a zip lock.

So, to remove the streaks and seal things up, I applied Z-8 Grand Finale to the entire car and it looks amazing! I can actually see depth to the Anthracite color.

After that, I did all the detail work; tires, rims, covered all the seals and dash in 303 Protectant. The car is better than new, except for the damn sap. Any advice?

 

The polish did the trick!

 

Seems like you're in a quandary on what product to use. You can ask 10 different people and you will probably have 10 different answers. You mentioned you like Mothers, why not look into their entire product line and choose from there. Car care products are numerous and selecting a car care product really comes down to personal choice. Check out this thread to see what a few of the forum members regard as their product of choice. As far as staining is concerned, wipe off the product immediately.

 

The clay bar should take care of the wax, you may just have to use a little elbow grease. Otherwise, as a last resort, use DAWN dishsoap on the sap, but make sure that you re-wash with your regular car wash soap and then rewax the area afterwards.

I'm glad you got the results you did with Zaino. I really like it better than everything else I've tried!

 

I'm all set to Zaino this weekend.......!!!!!!!

Question for anyone who has used it - I've had my 06 for about 6 months - it's been waxed maybe twice - is the clay bar by itself good enough to strip the paint without using the Dawn?

Isn't the clay bar going to strip everything off anyway ?

 

where and how much did you paid for the kits

 

zainostore.com - I got the "Ultimate" package since it included just about every product that I wanted to try out. I think it was like $100 - but worth every penny from what I've researched and heard.

 

I think someone already asked this question on the first page of the thread. I personally would wash with DAWN, just to strip off any remnants of the old wax. I think the clay bar mostly picks up debris and buildup that is lying above the rest of the paint surface, but wax would be fairly evenly distributed.

That said, you probably won't hurt anything from skipping the DAWN if you have too, but you might as well do it 100% right.

 

Doing it "100% right" would be to skip the Dawn completely and save it for your dirty, greasy dishes.

Claying will work just fine by itself.

 

Claying requires little or no pressure. The key is lubrication. On initial use, the 1st or 2nd pass will have some resistance and on subsequent passes the clay should just glide over the surface. See my next response.
Clay has abrasives properties and its purpose is to remove bonded contaminants from the surface and in the process will remove previous layers of wax. Claying will also induce marring. Your best bet to ensure complete removal of wax is to use a polish or a pre wax cleaner after claying. A polish will also correct surface defects and imperfections.

 

I tend to agree there - the car itself is only 6 months old. Just for shits & giggles maybe I'll do the dawn anyway...........hey it's only once and I'll never Dawn it again