The Zaino process:
1) Wash with Dawn dishwashing soap. Yes, this is safe for the paint (Dawn is milder than most other dishwashing liquids) and will remove all the old wax and polish.
2) Clay the truck with Clay Magic or Zaino clay bar. I used Clay Magic because when I started, Zaino didn't have a clay bar. I've heard that Clay Magic actually works better. Don't use the lubricating solution (yeah, we all have dirty minds here) that comes with Clay Magic. Instead, make your own using one capfull of Zaino Z7 carwash and 16 ounces of water in a spray bottle. Rinse the truck off and dry.
3) Use 3M Imperial Hand Glaze or Foam Pad Polish anywhere you have scratches or swirl marks. Zaino has a swirl mark remover (Z5), but the 3M products do a great job on the initial heavy stuff.
4) Wash with Dawn again to remove any residue and oils left over from the 3M stuff
5) Use a very thin coat of Z1 polish-lok on the truck. Let dry, but do not remove.
6) Put a coat of Z2 or Z5 (your choice-remember, Z5 helps take care of swirl marks, and I have found that alternating coats of Z5 and Z2 in the beginning really deepens the dark red color on my Explorer) directly over the dried Z1. Again, thin coats are best-if you put it on too thick, it'll take forever to dry. Let dry to a haze and remove.
7) Use the Zaino Plastic Polish on the headlights, turn signals, and taillights. After that initial application, hit them with Z2 when you are doing the rest of the truck. Use Z2 on all the chrome as well.
8) After removing the dried Zaino from the paint, use the Z6 Gloss Enhancer. Just mist on and buff off. This is a critical step in the process, and is necessary between every coat of polish. In addition, it acts as a dust and dirt repellant.
9) Use the Zaino rubber treatment on the tires. Try it on the rest of the black trim as well. I have found it to be a bit finicky on my black trim around the windows, the mirrors, and the D-pillars in terms of getting a nice, even, streak-free shine. I ended up using Z2 on those areas and using Black Again to keep them looking black. I think this summer I'm going to break down and paint them.
Some tips and tricks: when applying and removing Zaino, and when using Z6, use an up and down motion on the vertical panels, and a back and forth motion on the horizontal panels (hood and roof). This has to do with the optical properties of Zaino (see the website
www.zainobros.com for a better explanation).
Labor intensive? Sort of, although if you're like most of us who actually like spending an entire day working on our trucks, you'll love it. Worth it? Hell yes. The ability to stack multiple coats on top of one another is what makes this system great, as well as the amount of time that the polish will protect your car. I had over 20 coats on mine a couple of years ago before I got hit and they had to strip it all off to blend the new paint. Now I have 11 (didn't have much time this year), and it looks unbelievable. Hope this all helped!
peace
Mike
