OK, my MINI is really close to finally being in my grubby little hands (crossing my fingers for next week!!), so I've been looking around this section a little more. I'm intrigued by Zaino and the "inZaino" shine it gives a car (Zaino, feel free to use that slogan ), but my question is this - do I have to use a power polisher, or PC or whatever the heck it is, if I don't want to be polishing for hours on end? I like the sound of the wash-Z5-Z2-Z2 sequence, but how long will that take if you do it by hand?

 

I don't use a power polisher. It comes off pretty easy with a cotton towel.

 

Have always applied Zaino by hand. With a nice microfiber towel, the Zaino removal should be quite easy. Be sure to let it "cure" before removing. I think I can apply a layer on the MINI in about two beers, er, ah, I mean one hour.

 

I've always applied zaino by hand but I prefer to foam type applicator vs the cotton one that comes in the kit. Remove with 100% cotton towel. Clay bar, 1 coat z-5 and one - two coats of Z-2 in one afternoon. Usually apply 1 -2 more coats 0f Z-2 next day. Thats it for at least one year. Will from time to time do a quick application of Z-6 but that takes just a couple of min.

 

All by hand for me. I used the provided cotton applicator pads but next time I'm going to switch to a foam applicator. I like what I've read about more control over thin coats and you waste less product (the pad soaks up quite a bit).

Large, high-quality, cotton bath towels took off the haze with hardly any effort at all.

 

Random orbitals and rotary polishers are better suited for polishes, glazes and compounds that contain abrasives. Theses chemicals require the heat and friction generated by power polishers for the abrasives to break down properly. Zaino's entire line with the exception of the new dual action Polish are all non abrasive. I don't think you will see any added benefit from a polisher.

Brett @ OCD

 

A PC will be most useful for repairing problems like swirls since it takes a lot more effort to do it by hand.

I've applied zaino by hand and by machine (PC + Meguiars W9006 pad for application and microfiber bonnet for removal) and I would say the effort and results turn out to be about equal.

Although using a PC to apply and remove it may seem faster it took about the same time for me and since you are lifting a ~20 lbs polisher the whole time your arms end up just as tired at the end.

So once your car is washed a Z5-Z2-Z2 application will take about 2 hours depending on drying time between applications. One application takes about 10 minutes to apply and about that long to remove. drying time takes 10-60 minutes depending on the temperature.

As you become more OCD though and you add engine detailing, tire detailing, interior detailing, glass polishing, trim detailing along with your zaino application you end up with a 6 hour "quick" detail. Then you have to take vacation time for your full detail

 

Uh oh... I did just that just before the Dragon! I was stressed out from work, so I took a day and spent 9am to 6pm w/ clay, buffer and Zaino in hand!

 

It's funny, before I knew about NAM someone linked me to your detailing sticky long before my Mini arrived and I said to myself "holy cow, what a bunch of nutballs, who the hell would want to spend all that time on a car?"

Now here I am 6 months later with probably $600 of detailing supplies (probably $100 of it just microfiber towels) spending 3-8 hours every weekend with quick detailing throughout the week. I even clean parts of the car that no one will even see!

Now I drive around and say "look at those nutballs with dirty cars covered in swirls, how could they possibly drive around with such a trashed finish"

I'm not too sure how that happened....

 

I'm not sure, but the pleasent smell of the Zaino may have a Pavlovian effect: good smell = clean car.
Or maybe it's just the me time with a beer.

 

That may be it.... I have the urge to spray Z6 around the house like an air freshener

 

I do Zaino work by hand. Foam applicator pad and MF buffing towel to toake it off.

Be sure you put on a very very light coat. It should not look like a carnuba wax when it dries. It should be a thin film. For reference I use about 1 ounce of Z2+3 drop ZFX and get 3 coats out of that!

Luckily here in AZ it dries almost instantly. I can start buffing it off where I first applied a coat once I have covered the whole car. If that makes sense. Basically I can do 3 coats in about an hour. The trade off is when you start seating like a **** 'cause it is 90 degrees in your garage