Rx8Past

I'm curious, whats the difference between zaino and wax etc?? can you buy zaino in the stores? I've actually never heard of zaino before this forum.

Hercules

Zaino is a polymer that BONDS to your paint. Wax sits on top of your paint. Zaino lasts longer. It's easier to apply. And it's shinier

However, it does cost more and you can only buy it online (zainobros.com).

I recommend it to anybody with a new car.

6speed8

Actually, the initial cost of Zaino seems high, but (take Z2 for example) th ebottle will last for 2-3 years. At $12 dollars over 3 years is 4 dollars a year for superior protection and shine.

oosik

2-3 years.......huh.......my original bottle is almost half empty.....or half full depending on how you look at things and it's been a month.

JoeRX8ter

You're only supposed to take one swig per coat of Zaino. You should register with Zainoholics Anonymous.

6speed8

If it takes you more than 1/2 ounce to Zaino the RX-8, you're using WAY too much. I Zaino both my RX-8 and GF's Miata with less than one ounce. Both cars now have 10 coats of Zaino, and I have a 1/4 bottle of Z2 left (started with a new one). Before that I had purchased a bottle of Z2 in 1999 and it ran out right before I got the RX-8.

eskimo

my name is eskimo and I'm a Zainoholic.
:-)

had the car 3 1/2 months and I've put on 8 coats. I put 3 on my wife's car. I just got my 2nd bottle of Z5 (still have a few coats left in the old bottle, but can't stand the thought of running out). Everything (dirt, leaves, bird-do) just wipes off, but I still want to add another coat. 'course, maybe I just like running my hands over the car when I apply it. ;-)

Rx8Past

haha, thanks for the help and the insight. Appreciate it!

l_doggy

I thought I'd throw in my 2cents worth on Zaino. I'm a relative newb at waxing/polishing nice cars like an RX-8. I previously owned cheap cars and used cheap waxes and polishes like Meguiars Canuba wax and Nu-Finish.

I tested Zaino on my 7yr old truck and my 3 month old RX-8. I followed the instructions to the letter. I've read other posts on Zaino, and I think some of their problems stem from not following the directions (e.g. applied too much, did not clay bar).

Looks: I think Nu-Finish, carnuba wax and Zaino all offer similar looks right after polishing, even with multiple coats. It's quite possible that Zaino does look better but it's hard to tell after the first rain. My friend uses Klasse, and he thinks Zaino looks better but it's not apples to apples. To tell you the truth, my silver RX-8 doesn't look much different before and after Zaino'ing. On my older truck, it does look better.

Cost: I was shocked at how little Zaino you use. I actually mixed up 2 ounces for my very big truck, and I only used 1 ounce for 2 coats. I can't figure out how people use up half the bottle for a couple coats. I used little Z-6 too. To me, the cost is reasonable when compared to the price of others.

Longevity: Not sure yet, but I've had problems with buildup with wax and other polishes on my 14yr old car. Hopefully Zaino is better.

Touch/Smoothness: The Zaino kit includes instructions on washing with Dawn and clay barring with Z7. I didn't realize how much crud accumulated on my truck until I touched the paint before and after clay barring.

Ordering: To me, mail ordering from a website is easier and I prefer it. Heck we are communicating via a chat forum. All products can be mail ordered but the Zaino website has a ton of useful info. The convenient $85 kit also contained everything I needed except for towles and a spray bottle. I wish they had an option for that to save me more time.

Ease of use: To me Zaino is easier to use than anything i've used before. It takes little effort to apply and polish. Multiple coats take time, but multiple coats with wax takes longer. Here's the clincher for me. If you accidentally get Zaino on glass, plastic trim, etc., it doesn't hurt any so there's little clean up or annoying white stuff in cracks. Others have stated that Zaino is more difficult but I'm not sure why.

Strangely enough, I would recommend the Zaino Kit but not because Zaino looks better than other polishes and wax, but for the overall ease of use and completeness of the kit.

SmackTard

im new to the whole waxing deal myself and i have never heard of zaino till this forum, could someone explain to me what the diffrent forms of zaino are and what they suggest i use for my black rx-8

I am currently use some form of wax called sure black or something like that.

thanx Kyle

Genom

For the black your gonna want the full package they sell. it's got claybar, for that all important first time cleaning, Z7 carwash (for use after the initial Dawn wash, (zaino's website has full details on how to do it all), Z5 to make that black look like thik glass, then Z2 and Z6 to finish it and make it REALLY shine.

Zaino goes on in layers. The more layers you put on the better it looks. One layer will last about 4-6 months they claim. I saw 1 layer last me about 4 months on my fiance's car, so I believe it. However the layering is cumulative to a degree from what I understand so if you put on 3 layers in one day, it's gonna last about 8 months.

But again, zaino is about layering. On dark colors it is very noticeable pretty quick. other colors need a few layers for it to start to glow. My titanium gray took about 3 layers to start to look wet all the time. I've seen a sunlight silver with 8 layers and while it's much more subtle on light colors it really is apparent when the car is looked at under nice lights or sharp shadows.

I've gotten 9 layers on my car now and I just put a new one on every month, with regular washes once a week with Z7, and a Z6 squirt after every wash/Z2 layer.

once again, www.zainobros.com has all the step by step instructions and it has been covered extensively on this forum as well. A quick search will bring up a ton of threads that cover all possible methods and the end results.

MEGAREDS

I've also found that the old claybars are excellent for cleaning porcelan bathtubs and fridge doors. (Don't use an old claybar on your car!) I think when our house was constructed the tub was exposed to a lot of construction dust. The claybarred tub is way better than new.

I also Z2'd my plastic fridge door. It never looked this good -- and has no fingerprints, as it almost always did in the past.

Also, I've been drinking the Z5. I think it's improved my stamina and I have a lot of extra confidence, if you know what I mean.