I want to buy some Zaino but I don't know what I should buy and how I should apply it.

I have an orbital polisher as well as a dewalt polisher. I have some kind of 3m foam pads that use Velcro to attach for the dewalt.

My truck is 2.5 years old and I have waxed it once about a year ago (lazy). It is dark charcoal metallic.

My buddy is getting married at the end of Feb and he wants to use my truck for a wedding car.

What is zaino products (or others if you recommend them over zaino) do I need to buy and how should I apply them? I want it to look like a million bucks!

I love the Zaino on my truck. I bought the more complete of the 2 "kits" that they offer. It should be enough to to do at least 2 vehicles from scratch and then maintenance on them for a while.

Not sure your power polishers are going to do you much good. The Zaino "prescription" calls for starting off by doing the entire vehicle with a clay bar. Once that is done you build up the polish alternating from Z2 to Z5 and using a spray mist (Z6) in between coats. The polish goes on and buffs off incredibly easy (believe it or not, about 1 oz. covers my entire CC/SB...), so using clean cotton cloths is as fast and easy as a polisher would be.

It is a ton of work (I had about 10 hours into it), and my arms hurt for 2 weeks afterwards, but 9 months later the truck still looks incredible with only 1 reapplication of the Z5.

They have a kit for about $85 that has the clay bar, Z2, Z5, Z6, car wash, mixing bottles and applicators that would work well for you. ZKit-1 (http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=ZKIT-1&Category_Code=Zaino)

Good luck. Get a good night's sleep and eat a good breakfast before you start!

Unless you know how to use a high speed polisher do not use it. I think you can get the same results by doing it by hand and you won't damage the clear coat this way. There is a nice step by step on the site to give the best results.

There is nothing like the Zaino. I ordered a full kit of their products when I ordered my Mini Cooper S. And, it is not really that hard to put on or take off. My Cooper was the Chili Red and it really looked great when finished. Almost made the color change to a deeper, richer tone. It's not a lot of work, just a little time consuming. I also did the clay bar before the application and even thats not hard. If you've never used a clay bar before you will really be suprised when you try it. Makes all the difference in a polish/wax job. Keep in mind that the best application of the Zaino requires using the "activator" chemical in the polish. You mix it and wait a few minutes before applying the polish. Really strange how it works. That polish lasted longer than any other wax I have ever used.
The only thing I have against Zaino is that you can only order it over the internet(at least that was the way it was when I purchased it). There is no phone number or other way to get it. Therefore no customer service, etc.. Their web site is pretty good as far as descriptions, instructions and so forth. I plan on putting what I have left on my truck soon.
By the way, you can actually apply the polish using just your fingertips. I ended up doing this on part of mine. uses less product and allows more control of where it goes. Not necessary to rub it in at any time. And, a power polisher is never needed. You are just wiping it over the surface and after a little while wiping it off.

sounds like a lot of work. Not sure if i am up for 10 hours work. I don't have that kind of time, that's why it doesn't get waxed regularily.

I might give it a try anyway. I am interested to see how much of a difference it will make.

I too am a little less motivated when it comes to "aesthetic" maintenance. (Ask JK about how pleasant working in my Tahoe was last year...:o:)

That's one of the reasons I went with the Zaino. From what I had read in doing some research, I am now good for one or two applications of one or two coats a year.

The initial setup is a *****, but hopefully I now have a low-effort finish that will continue to look great for years. Plus, I did a wash/dry, clay bar, wash/dry and 3 coats each of Z2 and Z5 with Z6 between each one. That's a lot of times applying and buffing product on a very large vehicle. :eek:

You could probably get away with a few less applications and maybe forego the Z6 altogether and cut down the hours quite a bit....

I've been using Zaino since 2001.

You will need at LEAST:
Z1 (or ZFX, read more about this below), Z2, and Z6.

Optional:
Z18 Claybar (highly recommended), Z5, Z8. There are other good products such as their soap, tire gloss, etc.

Z1 vs. ZFX: You can use either one, but you must use one of them. The advantage of ZFX is that you can skip a step and it also accelerates the drying time of the polish. The disadvantages of ZFX are that it is rather expensive and it has a rather short shelf life. The liquid in the little bottle can dry out in a matter of a couple of months. I used to use ZFX, now I only use Z1.

Zaino is great! I have used it on my last three trucks and have had excellent results. The pictures are the reflection on the hood of my truck after applying Zaino. It's a little bit of work but it's worth the effort.:D

I love my Poorboys (http://www.poorboysworld.com/index.html) waxes they look just as good as Zaino and they are a good bit cheaper. IMO with a dark truck if it isn't a street queen and you weren't very careful when washing and drying it going to take more then 10 hrs.

I would do:
Good wash
Clay
Super swirl remover: 2 (SSR2) cutting or wool pad as many coats until all/most scratches/swirls are gone
Polish w/ Carnauba Blue: 1 coat with a finish pad and 1 coat by hand
EX Sealant: 1 thin coat finish pad for extra protection add a coat after 24 hrs.
Natty's paste wax (Blue): after 24 hrs. of cure time since the last coat of EX if you really want it to shine.


The pics in my garage are after just the EX and minus the SSR2.