Zaino? Is it worth It?

[PublicEnemy]

Hey, Im thinking of buying the Zaino care kit. I just wanted to know if its worth the full $118.00. It looks like great stuff. What are your guys experiences? Thanks

[PublicEnemy]

come on....someone has to use this stuff

[Greg]

Zaino makes very good products. Every single product in that kit is a good quality product. Zaino does amplify paint imperfections so you will want to try to remove those to the best of your abilities. All in all though, I think you will be happy with it.

[neenja]

"Zaino does amplify paint imperfections..." - what?

I've been using Zaino products for close to 2 years, on many cars of different makes and models....i've never once had a complaint, i've never once had a problem and...i've never seen it bring out an imperfection in the paint.

Possibly b/c every instance in which i use zaino, i strip the paint clean of other residues and polish the surface (a step in prepping) and then proceed to work up to applying Zaino.

Zaino Z-2 (polish) is a polymer sealant....it works essentially like a standard carnuba wax...however it is much more resiliant to weather and its life is much longer, up to several months (4 or more) - Its easy to apply, easy to take off and with the right products easy to maintain.

I have not met anyone that wasn't more than 100% satisfied with Zaino...and would vouch for this product any day of the week. Its worth the money if you love your car.

[Greg]

Yes, Zaino does amplify paint imperfections. If you have a black car with swirls and you use Z2 on it, those swirls are going to stand out more than before. This is probably due to the optics of Zaino and the fact that it is so optically pure. Z5 might aid in that, but not to an extent where it would be acceptable in my mind. The Menzerna polishes are very compatible with Zaino because they are filler free. Happy Detailing.

[dr00t]

I would purchase car care products seperately. Why would you purchase a car care kit?

If you need specifics, tell me what products you need and I will send you a link to each and every one that is best for your car's age, color, and specific needs.

[Greg]

If you want Zaino, you need ZFX, Z2 or Z5, Z6, and Z7. The clay bar is a good clay bar, yes you can purchase clay locally, but if you are ordering from Zaino, the clay is included in the kit. Then Z9 and Z10 are great products. You will be hard pressed to find a better leather conditioner than Z10. Yes, some kits add stuff that isn't necessary, but in this case, I think its a good quality kit.

[CMT]

Originally posted by neenja
i've never seen it bring out an imperfection in the paint.

I have. Greg is right - without the right prep for the system, Zaino actually augments blemishes on the finish. I also hit my car with a cut cleaner before I touch the paint with Zaino, and as a result most scratches and gouges are gone before the polymer is laid down.

A friend decided against my advice to skip this critical step and just started with ZFX and Z5. No matter how many Z5 layers he applied, all it did was make certain scratches stand out more AND pronounce the considerable swirl marks to a ridiculous effect. In the 3+ years that I have been using Zaino, I had never seen anything like it.

Zaino is a great system. It can take a while before you are happy with the particular numbers of Z5/Z2, but the deeeeeep, mirror-like "hard shell" final finish is unlike anything that I have ever seen. It isn't really a "wet" looking shine, but there are some detailrs who advocate topping the final Z2 application with a carnauba wax like S100 if you want more of a wet look.

I actually have just switched from Zaino myself. I am trying a new combo this season and I am about halfway done with it and the car does not look the same as on the Z. It looks a thousand times more wet, and is insanely slick looking, but there just isn't that super-deep, mirrorlike reflectivity that I used to get with Zaino. I guess it's just the tradeoff.

[hnoppenberger]

it IS the best, i use it and love it. get the total kit...its worth it.

[OldSkoolBmw]

what are you using right now CMT.... I need more of a wet look and slick look...

[CMT]

Originally Posted by OldSkoolBmw

what are you using right now CMT.... I need more of a wet look and slick look...

This thread has everything you need to know, I am totally blown away by the new system and I will never go back:

This season I threw out the Zaino

[bmwm3n528]

Originally Posted by Greg

You will be hard pressed to find a better leather conditioner than Z10.quality kit.

I found one...

www.leatherique.com

[Greg]

Leatherique isn't a maintenance conditioner like Z10. Leatherique is something different altogether, it is more of a semi-annual process deep cleaning and conditioning. If you can swing it, both are good to have because neither one is a complete product.