Waxes: Mothers or Zaino, and why...

Actually the Zaino will definitely be more durable. As far as shine - depends on what you are looking for. I prefer waxes for the shine [vs. synthetics]. In the past, I used Zaino on my Silver Corvette and while it looks great - but is not a rich, deep shine like wax. Just my opinion. I'm sure you get some that say Zaino is the end all.

 

A pure wax is best IMHO. I like www.swissol.com

 

Most posts on the detailing forums suggest that nothing lasts as well as Zaino. I just started using it, so I don't have personal info. A great wax (which one could be the subject of great debate) seems to have the edge in terms of depth of shine. Many suggest layering (Zaino as a base, with a coat of wax on the top)--I tried this, it looks great--but no significant durability thoughts yet.

 

I've used Zaino for about a year now on my 04 BMW 330Ci, and it seems to work pretty well. I haven't used any other product this extensively, so I can't accurately say it's better than another product, but I'm happy with it. The ultimate secret is to clay the car before applying this stuff. Once you're all done, the car will feel like glass. Zaino seems to last a good few months for me. I don't think you can go wrong either way. Enjoy!

 

Zaino will last much longer than wax; no question about that. Zaino and other synthetic polymers provide a "new paint" look, while waxes provide more of a "deep, waxed" look. I use Zaino perhaps twice a year on my Ferrari, and prefer it since I'm not into waxing every few weeks to maintain similar protection with a carnauba.

See the articles at www.fca-se.org/concours.htm

 

Great look, but then you're back to the issues with wax being much shorter lived and more work to apply; and then you also can't layer Zaino again on top of the wax -- you'd have to strip off any of the old wax residue. Zaino layered on Zaino just keeps adding to the visual depth and protection.

 

Mothers is wax, Zaino is polymer. I polished a friend's Ford with Zaino one morning - the stuff, if the directions are followed to a T, is simply amazing.

 

IMO, wax is a lot like shampoo. A hair stylist friend of mine told me (secretly) that there isn't a nickel's worth of difference in the stuff. But people give the big bucks for something that's packaged and marketed just right.

There can't be that much science to all of these waxes and polymers. They don't protect jack. Some of them advertise like they are an extra clear coat or something. Bull butter. By you a can of turtle wax at Pep Boys and you should be all set.

 

"By you a can of turtle wax at Pep Boys and you should be all set"

Probably a new low hear on FerrariChat, on several levels

 

Since none of the old-timers have piped in with comments about floor mats and license plate frames, let me be the first!

 

I agree here to an extent. Detailing is a process, and it is the proper procedure that produces quality results. The actual wax (or sealant) you use doesn't make that much of a difference. There are some people who might be able to tell (pro's), but the average user won't be able to tell. I once waxed 1/2 of my hood with one wax, and the other half with another, and showed it to several people who couldn't tell the difference between the two.

Time spent on properly preparing the paint (cleaning, claying, removing swirls, etc) will make the difference in how your wax works.

To put it another way, I could use the "best" (most expensive??) wax on 1/2 of my car, and on the other half, someone from this board like Sunny (JaguarXJ6), who is an amazing detailier, could do the other half with the cheapest turtle wax, and his side would look better than mine, because he is more experienced, a better detailer, etc.

So, in short, use whatever you like, use it often, and have fun.

Dom

 

OK OK..."by" should have been "buy". Now are you on my turtle wax-from Pep Boys wagon? Thanks for the vote of confidence, Norm.

 

Get Zaino.

Chris

 

Zaino all the way, just spend more time buffing out your swirl marks and let the zaino sit on the car for 6-8 hours, you'll be more than satisfied with the results.

 

Fellow F-chatters, as somone who details Ferraris for a living I will chime in on Zaino, Zymol etc....When detailing any car, paint problems are the toughest thing to deal with. The only thing wax sealants are supposed to do is protect your paint from the elements. As a detailer, I try EVERY product out there and I'm very open minded. About a year ago, I tried Zaino on a 575. I followed the directions to a "T". The results were so so. In addition, the cure times are un-godly even with the activator. 8 hours to cure? WTF? I even read about a guy who layered multiple coats on his black Trans-Am. Well, anyway, the guy lived real close so we got together. My everyday work truck is a black Tundra. He pulled up next to me and could not believe the difference in the paint of my truck compared to his Trans-Am. Now, I understand this is my business and he is a novice. He then proceeds to tell me that he will spend the whole weekend layering Zaino. Well, I tell him that I could improve the look of his paint, even without machine buffing. His car looked pretty good, all I did was clay then wax with Eagle One Nano Wax, removing the wax with a P&S microfiber towel. It probably took three minutes to do the hood. The look on his face said it all (I have been wasting TIME!!!!). I ended up buffing his car anyway. He and I tried to return our Zaino kits, but received major flack from Sal (owner?). Never did get my money back, he said humidity was the factor. I replied that I live in Northern California and it's winter!! For guys that are using Zymol Swissoil, the cost is bad enough, but try to remove those waxes without a quality microfiber towel and it's smear city. Bottom line.....to truly get any automotive paint close to perfect, it needs to be machine buffed by someone who knows how. For me to compound and then do the subsequent polishing steps on most cars that I do on a daily basis can take me 4 to 6 hours of buffing alone, then add in the wax time!

I have been toying with the idea of having an informal detailing tech session for Northern California F-chatters. If anyone is interested, just PM me and we'll talk.

Robert Willis
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Meguiars scratch remover as a compound. $5.00
And Zymol yellow carnuba.......$125.00
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michael the car looks great!!, however lets see that door panel with the sun shining directly on it. all cars look good under certain light conditions

 

That reflection is just *retarded*.... I have never seen a better shine in my life!!

 

I like Zaino for cars with really good paint and lighter colored cars. I prefer Meguiar's (sp?) NXT for cars with rough paint and scratches, and very dark colored cars.

 

I'd vote for Mothers. Simply because any company with the b@lls to name a product "Mothers" deserves your business.


Tom