helix139

Figured I'd share a couple of pics I took after I picked my car up from Glenn at The Elite Auto Detailing in Tampa yesterday. Glenn did my new car prep back in January with Zaino also and typically recommends having it applied every 6 months, but with the amount of driving I do and with love bugs down here just having finished and the rainy season about to start I figured it would be a better idea to take mine in a little early to make sure it stays protected. I will say that I'm thoroughly impressed that 5 months later the original application was still beading water off the car. For those who haven't tried Zaino, I'd highly recommend it. The protection is great and it really brings out the depth in your paint. For those in the central Florida area, I'd also highly recommend Glenn and The Elite Auto Detailing. He does a great job and is really reasonably priced.

I shot these yesterday with my Sony P&S and they really don't do it justice.

Chris

Very nice!

Every time I see those rims, I like them more and more. I actually still like my tri-spoke rims, but wonder how my brilliant red would look with those.

Hmm...

drrick89

Great color - esp. with the Ti package!

colnago

Car looks great, and Zaino is good stuff...but last I checked (early 2000s), its a multi-step, multi-day process. There were 6-8products which needed to go on (for the "full treatment"), one of which needed to set for 6-12 hours or so. Buddy of mine used it on his car for car shows, and he always complained about taking the whole weekend to "Zaino" the car.

medimike1

Beautifully rich blue, looks great with the Ti.

ratatattat

If I decide to order one I'm convinved to go for Sepang now. Love it! Does it work well with the black/silver nappa interior? I would think so but like to hear others opinions.

helix139

This is true if you don't use the ZFX Accelerator. Still, Glenn started washing mine at around 9:30am and didn't finish the final coat until around 4:30pm, so it does take several hours for multiple coats, and that's one reason I pay a pro to do it rather than do it myself as I just don't have the time.

colnago

I hear ya. My buddy did say that with the Zaino, the car was more resistant to holding dirt/dust however.

helix139

Yeah definitely. The surface of the paint is SLICK afterwards. Between that and the clearbra with plexus on it, bugs and stuff come right off when you wash it, and between washes you can just run a california duster over it or Z-6 and a towel to remove bird **** and bug spots.

I still try to wash mine once a week (or two weeks at most) though because I'm **** about keeping my car clean.

My routine:

1. Sonax the wheels
2. Iron-X on the sides around the fenders to remove brake dust particles on the paint/wax every other wash
3. hit any bird ****, bug splats, or water spots with Z-6 to emulsify and loosen. Use PF1 film cleaner on clear bra same as Z-6 on paint
4. Spray whole car down with Z-7 show car wash from my foam gun on setting A
5. Wash whole car with Z-7 with Uber lamb's wool mitt, flat surfaces not covered with clearbra first, then sides above the belt line, then areas covered by clear bra, then lower parts of the car and areas behind wheels. I use 1 bucket with a grit guard but rinse the mitt out with a high pressure hose nozzle anytime grime builds up
6. Rinse the whole car completely, then cover every flat surface with big uber MF drying towels (I have a ton of them), then blot dry the sides with uber superplush drying towels. I then wipe dry all the glass and plastic surfaces with an Uber waffle weave. Once the sides, front, back, and glass are dry, pat down the towels on the flat surfaces and remove.
7. Wipe dry the doorjambs and trunk
8. Hit the clearbra with Plexus and wipe in with Zaino borderfree towel
9. Go over the entire car with Z-6 and wipe in with a different Zaino borderfree to enhance the gloss, add an anti-static coating and replenish the UV protection in the wax. This also removes any waterspots as the water here is hard and evaporates quickly in the Florida heat.
10. Go over the entire car with Z-8 Grand Finale and a third Zaino borderfree to make the finish ultra-slick and give the finish more depth and a really wet shine. Doesn't take a lot of this and when you wipe it in you can feel the finish just go really slick beneath it. If it doesn't go slick it's time to turn the towel.
11. Hit the windows with Adam's glass cleaner and an Uber glass towel. If the windshield really has some caked on bugs, I'll hit it with Zaino glass polish first.
12. Brush the tires with Prima Nero and use a microfiber to wipe away any excess or waterspots on the wheels.

All in all that takes me about 3 hours every weekend, but I've had the car 5 months and driven over 8000 miles and have yet to get a swirl or any significant stains on my paint, which saves my detailer from having to do any significant correction which takes time and money. Plus, it makes my car look great and ensures the paint stays protected.

RedMagma2011S4

Hey, totally off topic - I noticed your handle - do you ride a Colnago? I built myself a steel frame Columbus SL Colnago Super many years ago. I still have it - full Campy. I am riding a Pinarello Paris right now, but I always loved the Colnagos.