Re: Detailing help
Hey Ryan, how's it going?
anyway, if you decide to try out the whole zaino setup, the only real way to get the best results is to basically get almost everything they have. I know it may sound a little overwhelming, but the process is pretty simple once you get to understand it, and the cost is around 120 up front for everything, but it will easily last you a year, maybe more.
If you have real bad swirls, the zaino will hide them somewhat, but it wont solve your problem. My truck is almost 4 years old, outside 24/7 and a daily driver, and even though i always keep it washed and protected with wax or polish, i've attained some swirl marks throughout the years. The only real solution to this is get the truck professionally buffed and compounded. I dont know enough about using buffers and permant swirl removal because you can easily screw up your paint if you dont know what you are doing. This spring i am taking my truck to get professionally buffed to remove the swirls.
For the whole zaino thing, i'll briefly go through the products for ya and try to condense what each one is for so its a little easier to get the concept of em. the zaino website can be pretty wordy (as if my PM isn't already HUGE ;t )
Z7- the zaino car wash, suds up really well, best car wash i've ever used. it also helps prolong the zaino protection
Z6- quick detailer. i usually order 3-4 bottles of this at a time. i use it all the time. its the greatest. use it after washing to make the paint super slick, use it after the zaino polish to remove any spots i missed, use it after dusting the truck to keep it looking awsome between washes. it'll remove sap, bug guts, and keeps the zaino polish looking supreme.
Z5- the base polish. More coats of this look better on black. gives it a deep rich finish. I usually do 2 coats of Z5 and one coat of Z2 when i spend a day detailing.
Z2- top coat polish. gives the truck a higher gloss shine, it does make a diffference with the # of coats of Z5 and Z2, gives the truck different looks, i found that i like it best with 2 coats of Z5 and 1 coat of Z2. Zaino can be layered, so the more layers you do, the better it looks, the longer it lasts, and the better the protection. I try to do 10 coats over a season (spring, summer, fall) since its too cold here to mess with it in the winter. dont be confused though, putting it on thick doesnt do anything but waste it. if you put it on really thin, it'll last alot longer and you get awsome results. Even with just 3 coats, it'll last a good 6 months. I can't zaino from november til around february or march since its too damn cold here and i dont have a garage, and it still beads up like crazy, and after a wash and quick detail with Z6 it looks like it was just polished.
ZFX- this is a must have! dramatically cuts down drying time for Z2 and Z5. by the time i'm finished applying, it can be buffed off. with this you dont need to order Z1, it replaces that. This allows you to do 3 coats in a day. mind you it doesn't take all day to do the 3 coats, but any more than 3 coats in a 24 hour period, you are pretty much just wiping off what you just put on since the zaino needs to completely cure before you can layer more on.
Thats the basics....here's some other zaino products that kick azz and i highly recommend
Z16- its their tire shine. i've tried literally dozens of tire shines, and this is by far the best one out there. lasts about 2 weeks, even with washes as long as i dont scrub the tires. doesn't turn brown, doesn't attract dirt, doesn't feel oily. stuff is just plain out awsome. one coat for low gloss, 2 coats for high gloss. i usually do 1 coat for just everyday use, and 2 coats at shows. 1 bottle lasted me a year, so really 20 bucks for a bottle of tire shine isn't that bad since its a big bottle and it lasts a really long time. might want to pick up some eagle 1 tire swipes at pepboys as well....awsome for applying the tire shine
Z9- zaino's leather cleaner. no artificial smells, cleans up the seats nicely. i use it about every 4-6 months.
Z10- zaino's leather conditioner. i use it about every month, except during the winter ;c damn cold. lol. Smells like real leather, doesn't make the seats greasy, gives the leather a nice brand new look. after almost 4 years and 35K miles, my seats are still looking almost like new
Z12- the glass polish. works like an actual polish, apply it, let it haze, then buff off. can't use this on the tinted side of windows (can be used on all the stock windows since its privacy glass, not film tint). I mainly use it on the front windshield. you know that haze that forms on the front inside windshield? its like a film that forms from the dash heating up in the sun, then the chemicals in the plastic dash raise up and stick on the windshield. makes it a royal pain in the azz to clean streak free. this zaino Z12 makes it easy as pie to clean. just do the glass polish before you clean the rest of the interior because it leaves dust just like regular wax does. 1st time i used it i did the whole interior then the glass. my freshly cleaned dash was all dusty again. lol.
I think i covered it all. basically if you want to do the zaino right you need to get the 1st products i covered. the last few that i said were optional aren't necessary, but i highly recommend them. you use store bought stuff for that anyway, might as well order it all at once from zaino since they do a better job anyway and the stuff lasts a loooong time. i clean my truck all the time and i only have to reorder polish once a year. quickdetailer and wash about 2 times a year.
O yeah, i forgot one thing. claybar. i think its z18. same thing as you can get in a store, but its a pretty good price, 20 bucks for 2 claybars...about average prices. THe bars are pretty big, so break them in 1/2, and i use 1/2 a bar to clay my truck once then throw it out. its only twice a year, so figure thats 5 bucks for 1/2 a bar, worth the price for using a clean bar every time like that. plus if you drop it on the ground, which is very likely since it gets slippery, you have a spare to use cuz you DONT wanna use the one you just dropped, even if you think you got all the dirt off, there's probably some still there. and you Definately want to clay your truck before you do all this zaino work. the zaino site describes the claybar process better than i could. if you have any other quetsions though just hit me up.
You should also pick up some blue dawn dishwashing soap also. strips any wax or grease from your paint before you start polishing.
Goodluck! sorry for making this so long, but i hope it covers most of your initial questions.