Experiences of a First Time Zaino User
While I don't have any direct experience with Zymol, I have used most of the waxes and polishes being sold "over-the-counter" at you local auto parts store. Like you, I own a black Pilot and was worried about keeping it looking great.
About three weeks ago, I knew absolutely nothing about Zaino. In fact I never heard of it. But after doing some online research on this forum and others (most notably the Edmunds site), I decided to take the plunge. Over the past week and a half I have applied Zaino products to my 2000 Silver Celica and my 2003 black Pilot with great results.
IMHO the application of Zaino can be as easy or as complicated as you want to make it. There are alot of Zaino fanatics out there who know all the tricks to make Zaino give their vehicles the "wet look". But you don't have to go that far. Here's a simplified way of using Zaino that should give excellent results.
1.) Wash the car. You are going to have to do that in any case. Zaino recommends using Dawn to strip off the old wax, grease, etc. I clayed both vehicles but it wasn't really necessary for the Pilot since it was only a week old. The smoother the surface the better the polish/wax job regardless of what product you use.
2.) Apply the polish. Apply Z1 and Z2, let it dry and wipe it off. This should be as easy if not easier than Zymol or any other wax product since Zaino requires no buffing.
3.) Ongoing maintenance. Wash the car periodically with Z7 and apply additional coats of Z2 whenever you wish. You will have to wash and wax periodically with Zymol too. Since Zaino is supposed to outlast wax, you may find that you can actually spend less time on maintenance.
So if you want to go with a bare minimum Zaino package all you really need is Z1, Z2 and Z7. I have Z6 and am planning to buy some Z5 for my Celica but that's just me. They are not really necessary unless you want to aim for the wet look or have particular problems that you want to address. While Zaino seems expensive since it is supposed to last so long and you use so little, it is actually cheaper than most high quality store bought wax. It took me less than 1/4 of a bottle for both vehicles (two coats of Z2)
But you do have to plan ahead because it is generally only available through mail order.
This is just my experience with Zaino...your mileage may vary.
. Appreciate your feedback and thoughts - my Zaino is on order :4:!
