Zaino VS Meguiars Comparison - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

William420 · #16 07-18-2002, 06:44 PM

Hi Mike,

Thanks for all your information. I was really worried that you took my post the wrong way. I do use a lot of Meguiars products as well.

I know exactly what you meant by how Zaino users priase the durability yet apply additional coats oftenly. I think for a lot of people, the reason is addiction. I am also aware that Meguiars has #20 Poly Sealent which last just as long (if not longer).

Gold Class is indeed very reflective. Personally, I prefer the shine of GC over #26.

I'm really looking forward to the up coming Meguiars workshop and hope to learn many things from you. I do have some questions which I would rather ask face to face instead of typing them on forum (for example: one of my routing is #7 follow by #26 since #26 pure wax. I would like to change to #7 follow by Gold Class instead, but always wonder how much of #7 oils will be removed by Gold Class since it has light cleanser, another question is the difference of quick detailing spray between the consumer line and profesional line #34. I've heard different answers everywhere, and of course some other questions). Looking forward to speak with you! Thanks.

William

Mike Phillips · #17 07-18-2002, 06:49 PM

I guarantee it will be a lot of fun and quite enlightening.

I am looking forward to seeing you there.

Now... back to typing....

Mike Phillips
Corporate Writer
Meguiar's Inc

placo1 · #18 07-18-2002, 07:28 PM

Man I've missed this whole conversation.

William,

Mike did a great job of explaining the differences between the different detailing sprays they have and the final comment was for the best shine use the Quick Shine Enhancer. We tried some on my car yesterday and it did help a bit. I actually never used detailer in the past. I use a duster and then spray an area with a water mist and wipe it off. Works extremely well on properly maintained surfaces.

Keith,

I have a few suggestions to possibly help your car look better. Keep in mind this is my oppinnion based on my own experience. If your trying to get your car to look it's best in a single coat of wax then definitely give the Meguiars cleaner wax a try. The cleaners should help remove most surface contaminants and it will leave a nice shine. If your willing to put more effort into it use a buffer and Meguiars #9 to remove light swirls and surface contaminants. (If you don't have a buffer give the Scratch X a try)Then use the Gold Class as a final step by hand. Something important that I've learned with waxes is that you really do not want to apply very much to the surface of the paint. The thinnest coat possible will make it much easier to remove and still give excellent results.

Everyone,

Just a side note in regards to the Zaino on my wifes CRV. I only applied it once in 3.5 months and it sits outside under a tree every day. It gets washed maybe once a week usually with a drive through car wash or if I'm lucky at the dealership after an oil change. It's strictly a means of transportation and I would consider it an excellent means of determining wax durability. But as you and others say, I'm a bit obsessed with my MB and I'm looking for a product that brings out the paints unique colors and the GC did a better job of that.

#19 07-18-2002, 11:56 PM

www.thewaxtest.org

order the guru report on waxes and read the non bias results.

placo1 · #20 07-19-2002, 01:41 AM

Johnson Chan,

It's funny you mention that. When I was at Meguiars Mike pulled a copy of it out of his desk. He had highlighted all the main points of each wax and also noted how many mistakes were made when making reference to a wax type.

I don't know if I could believe a comparo like this unless it was done by true enthusiasts. To me a comparison made by Consumer reports and the like, who don't really know the ins and outs of detailing a car, isn't valid. They won't know proper surface prep or the proper order of application nor will they know how much time each product should be allowed to dry. Not to mention the variable in paint types. I guess in my oppinnion I would rather have a trial and error using highly recommended products. Eventually you'll find one your pleased with.

Just my two cents.

#21 07-19-2002, 04:15 AM

Hello Placo,

I noticed that too when reading it. I didnt really pay attention to the small small details, so let me know what he found wrong.

But i did notice one thing, Klasse and Zaino, they used z-1, z5, z2 for klasse they used red bottle (all in one), then silver bottle (high gloss)

count the number of coats, then for regular wax, they did one coat. of course 2 coats is better than 1.

I am a zaino user and zaino fan, i have been even before the waxtest.org report came out. zaino has some tricks to apply it that will make it better. for example, use swirl remover or griots garage #3 to remove all swirls then you can use 1 coat of z5 and go straight to the z2. using microfiber to remove the coats so you dont induce any new swirls when removing the polish. using an orbital buffer with foam pad (really speeds things up) and using ZFX to speed the curing time.

I used gold class when it first hit the market and wasnt impressed, i will have to try the new formula.

as far as durability, it is longer lasting than hi-tech wax or medallian. BTW, after i apply the coats, thats it, i dont touch it up every other week like some zaino users, so i think thats fair.

I been using meguiars to detail my parents cars since i was 10 yrs old or so, but figured to try other products. I figure its like a race, zaino might have been better than meguiars for a while, but when meguiars "reformulates" gold class, meguiars is better, zaino may "reformulate" its stuff and maybe be better in a few years, who knows??

suginami · #22 07-19-2002, 02:51 PM

Quote:

use swirl remover or griots garage #3 to remove all swirls then you can use 1 coat of z5 and go straight to the z2.

I'd like to try this the next time I use Zaino. Do you wash with Dawn after using the swirl remover? The products like swirl remover not only remove minor swirl marks / scratches, but also fill-in these marks with polishing oils to hide them. If you wash with dawn, wouldn't it strip the oil / polish right off?

I've got 5 coats of Z5, and 2 coats of Z2 on my smoke silver 300E, and while it does have good gloss and leaves the paint surface unbelieveably slick, it did a very average job of hiding imperfections that Gold Class covered in one step with ease.

This doesn't mean that I've given up on Zaino, but just a bit disappointed.

I sure hope it lasts as long as reported.

William420 · #23 07-19-2002, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by suginami

I'd like to try this the next time I use Zaino. Do you wash with Dawn after using the swirl remover? The products like swirl remover not only remove minor swirl marks / scratches, but also fill-in these marks with polishing oils to hide them. If you wash with dawn, wouldn't it strip the oil / polish right off?

That's the idea. Oils inhibit crosslinking and true bonding in polymer products. To take full advantage of Zaino durability, DAWN should be used after SMR to remove all the oils & fillers so Zaino can bond to the bare paint. Unless you are using products like FI2 which claims no silicone oil & fillers.

Personally when I prep the paint with SMR, I do not use DAWN. I just give it a good wash with Z7 (if feel energetic, I wash 2 times). My theory is any remaining oils after the wash is insignificant to affect bonding of Zaino. I don't have any problem with this, but then I've never pushed & tested Zaino to the limit (longest I've gone without a coat is just 2 months).

#24 07-19-2002, 06:34 PM

Yes I do wash it after swirl remover. I wash with dawn or use plain water to give it a good rinse.

To be honest with you, i havnt used swirl remover in a while, i use Griots Garage #3. with griots its better for removing swirls and cleanup is easier. there is no greasy or oils to fill n e thing with #3.

i usually rinse with plain water or use dawn, really really lightly wash my car. the reason why i said lightly is because you dont have any wax, or protection, so if you scrub down real hard with a sheepskin mitt, you can put new swirls in.

Off topic, i parked my car and so did this lady right next to me. she gets out of her car and uses the hood of my car to check her hair. she said "your car is really shinny, i can use it for a mirror"

that was one of the best compliments i got

placo1 · #25 07-19-2002, 06:47 PM

LOL thats pretty funny.

My wife does the exact same thing every morning before she leaves for work. I always catch her looking at the side glasses or C Pillar to check here hair....pretty funny

400E · #26 07-19-2002, 08:06 PM

For those of us in snow country, or those of us who don't have the time or desire to wax our cars every month (or oftener!) the long durability of Zaino is a true plus. I last put a coat on in February and it still looks good and beads well. I keep meaning to put another coat on but it just looks so good after I wash it I don't get around to it.

I did put a coat of Gold Class on our new Explorer and it reminded me of what I don't like about that product -- seems to me that it leaves a lot of residue, both on rubber and plastic trim and even on flat surfaces of the paint, which are very hard to remove. I don't have that same problem with Zaino.

placo1 · #27 07-20-2002, 03:41 AM

Well I finally completed the coate of Meguiars Gold Class and here are my direct observations after doing the whole car. These observation show the advantages of Gold Class and Zaino.

Zaino Advantages:
1. Super Slick Non Stick Surface
2. Extremely Easy To Apply
3. Even Easier To Remove
4. Great Results with Minimal Effort
5. Lasts just a little bit longer than your average wax

Gold Class Advantages:
1. Brings out the colors in a metallic paint
2. Creates an extremely deep rich look
3. Reflects light better
4. Accentuates the body lines of the car
5. Compatible with many other scratch reducing products
6. Even my wife noticed the difference!

I'm really pleased with the results and I'm even happier knowing how easy it is to get access to this product.

suginami · #28 07-20-2002, 11:47 AM

If I remember correctly, your 500E was Zaino'd, wasn't it?

Did you wash the car with dawn before apply Gold Class, or did you just apply the GC right over the Zaino?

Otherwise, you'd be GCing your Zaino instead of GCing your paint, wouldn't you?

placo1 · #29 07-20-2002, 11:59 AM

Paul,

I guess you can say that I did GC my Zaino'd surface. But I would argue that it doesn't really matter what the surface has on it. If you remember on a few areas of the hood and trunk I had applied other Meguiars products as well. The GC created the same look on all the surfaces regardless of what was on there before.

I also used the Meguiars Quick Shine Enhancer which I have to say really brought out the reflective qualities of the GC and helped create a slicker surface.

I've decided to stop using Dawn unless it is absolutely necessary. I've heard it really strips the paint of many oils that even waxes have a difficult time replacing. I just don't want to take any chances so from now on I'll be using regular car wash shampoo.

suginami · #30 07-20-2002, 12:37 PM

Is the Meguiar's Quick Shine Enhancer the stuff in the red bottle? Did they tell you what's in the stuff that brings out more reflectiveness and the 'slick' feel to the paint? Is it simply diluted polishing oils? Well, maybe it isn't, because when I called their 800 number once, they told me that polishes obliterate wax. Just wondering...

Do you recall if there is a similar product in the Gold Class line?

I'm leaving in a few minutes for a business trip to Chicago, but I'm bringing the laptop so I can keep up with the Board. It's worse than a drug addiction. Just kidding. lol