Stuck in a bind...what can I use as substitude?

[nanotech]

Hello, I am planning on doing the full zaino polish system on my titanium silver z4 3.0si convertible tomorrow. However, I noticed I only have the clear-coat show car polish and the gloss enhancer spray, i don't have the accelerator zfx that I need to put before the show car polish nor the pre-lok.

I have a clay-bar but its a 3mo old car and I don't want to go through the efforts of claying and plus I am afraid to mess it up...so im not going to do that anyway.

It says on Zaino's website that I can apply either the (old) pre-lok before putting on the polish, or the zfx accelerator, or the zaino AIO...I have none of those. Is this step absolutely necessary and, if it is, can I find a comparable product at a local auto supply store? Which products would be a good substitute?

I could order and wait but tomorrow is the only day for two months I will have to polish and I want to get it over with now so that I can enjoy the shine starting now rather than starting two months later.

Please help! Thanks in advance!

Any other tips with a complete top-to-bottom convertible cleaning you can recommend I would appreciate it. (im gonna do rain-x on all windows, klasse on wheels, raggtop kit on the top, california duster for the interior after vacuuming, and then the tire shine)....should I do fog-x or whatever for the inside glass parts? anything else?

[milobloom242]

If you plan to do the full zaino thing then maybe you should wait till you get all the zaino pieces? In the mean time you could just wash/klasse aio the paint.

[nanotech]

i want to do the full zaino and I am missing only the zfx accelerator that I need to apply to the paint after the wash w/ dawn and before the polish. Like I said in the post I will not have an opportunity (full free day) like this for the next three months and instead of waiting three months I want to try to get it done now. What can I use as a substitute for the zfx accelerator? or is it not really that important in the first place?

Your opinions are greatly appreciated, thank you!

[BMWSTL]

I am not sure exactly what products you have. You must use the older Z-1 or a ZFX enhanced Z2 or Z-5, but if you have Z-CS (you said you had a clear-coat show car polish, but didn't specify which Z product that is), there's a possibility. Here's what I found on the Zaino web site:

Is ZFX required with Z-CS?
No. You may use Z-CS as the bond or base coat to the paint prior to an initial application of Z-2 or Z-5 PRO. You will not need ZFX if you're using Z-CS unless you decide to use ZFX with Z-2 or Z-5 PRO to accelerate cure time for multiple successive coats of Z-2 or Z-5 PRO.

Failing a proper base, the polish won't bond to the paint. As another poster suggested, clay and use Klasse AIO (which you indicated you have) and Zaino later in the year.

Lou

[nanotech]

aww man! Zaino's website says that I can use Zaino AIO in place of the zfx or the older pre-lok....can I instead use Klasse AIO instead of the Zaino AIO as a base and then apply the zaino polish?

The zanio polish I have says Z5 "Pro" "for clear-coat & regular finishes"

I really want to get this done today or else I won't be able to for a while....why does the zaino even need a bonding base...I don't remember meguiars or anything else like that needing it.

The last time I applied Zaino was years ago on a 2yr old champagne-beige Lexus GS400...it was amazing, and I had time back then and did everything, clay, pre-lok, interior, etc etc....yeah the results were good.

I am tempted to just do without....but would it be beneficial if I substitute the klasse AIO for the zaino AIO and apply that before the zaino polish?

The actual bottle of zaino z5 doesn't say anything about applying a base, all it says is that "For optimum results use in conjunction with ZFX accelerator additive"

[nanotech]

btw, its 64 degrees outside, how long do you think I should wait in between coats....I have z6 gloss enhancer that I will apply in between coats

[nanotech]

yay...looks like I found my answer:

Quote:
Originally Posted by rad21
Yes, Klasse AIO is a cleaner as well as a sealant. I would top the AIO with Klasse SG or another sealant or wax. However, if you plan on using Zaino, you do not want to use AIO instead of Dawn because you do not want any acrylic sealant(AIO) on the paint before doing the zaino process.

That's not true. Klasse AIO is a fine base before you apply Zaino. That said, I still prefer a Dawn wash - it's a lot easier and works great.

Dawn - then claybar, then quick wash and dry before Zainoing - works wonders.

And then somebody else replied to that post also saying that Klasse AIO is under their Zaino.

Make sense too, if Zaino's website says that their AIO can be used as a base instead of the other stuff (pre-lok, CS, zfx, etc) before applying polish, then why not Klasse AIO instead of Zaino AIO. Ofcourse ideally I would use Zaino AIO but I want to get this done today and all I have is what I have already listed in this post, Klasse AIO, Zaino Z5 Pro fir Clear-coat and regular finishes, and Zaino Z6 (gloss enhancer spray).

[BMWSTL]

Sounds like you're talking yourself into it. Klasse is an acrylic sealer, and the advice you were given was not to top it with Zaino.

Absent a base with Zaino (Z-1 or ZFX enhanced Z-5), I suggest you just do a layer of Klasse, let it dry, and put some Z-6 on top. That should serve you well until you have the right Zaino products for a proper application. Or, just go get some decent Carnuba wax for now at a local store. If you must use Z-5 direct, and take a chance it won't bond, I wouldn't layer anything on top of Z-5 until it dries thoughoughly (overnight at a minimum). Without ZFX to cure the Z-5 quickly, you risk streaking.

Added: I did some Google searching. Here's a link from someone who says it's OK to top Klasse AIO with Z-2. http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/detailing/95077-what-wax-and-why/#post634152 I've seen some posts that say it won't hold up. Let us know what you decide.

Lou

[nanotech]

wow...i have been spoiled by the automatic soft-touch car wash here that dries too. After I go through it all I have to do is take my Big Blue micro-fiber waffle-weave towel and dry the parts it left off and I could be done with the whole vacuming top, interior, wash, dry in about 35 min.

I hand washed w/ dawn and boy it takes some time to do it just right without spots after you are done. After I finished washing I did the non-spray flow of water technique to push drops of water away with water sheets...works well. Then by the time I was done completely drying the car, I noticed the wheels all had spots on them, so I had to scrub dry them with my micro-fiber towel. Took about an hour w/ the raggtopp cleaner application and completely drying including door sils, trunk insides, etc.

I still haven't started, but I am still thinking about doing it, Klasse AIO, then Zaino Z5. Maybe I will just do one coat and then keep re-applying for the next three days for a total of three coats w/ z6 gloss enhancer spray in between.

And why would Zaino AIO work as a base (as listed on Zaino's website) but not Klasse AIO? I know they are different, but the same basic concept is the same right...so both should work well as base?

[ronkh]

And why would Zaino AIO work as a base (as listed on Zaino's website) but not Klasse AIO? I know they are different, but the same basic concept is the same right...so both should work well as base?

Beer and water serve the same basic function (hydration). But they both do it differently and with different effect.

Water is no substitute for beer.

[nanotech]

lol....it is a good try at an analogy, but you would do better if you compared to very differing types of beer...because an AIO treatment is an AIO treatment, different brands, different chemicals, different mixtures....

I am not trying to replace the Zaino AIO with sterling silver polish!

[ronkh]

lol....it is a good try at an analogy, but you would do better if you compared to very differing types of beer...because an AIO treatment is an AIO treatment, different brands, different chemicals, different mixtures....

I am not trying to replace the Zaino AIO with sterling silver polish!

That's exactly what you're trying to do, and asking people here to validate you. :mad:
Just do it already.

[nanotech]

it's taking a long time!....its only a z4 and a convertible top at that....im very meticulous I guess

im about 65% finished with the body w/ Klasse AIO (had breaks and such too)

After I finish the whole body with Klasse AIO (and wiped)...I will start applying the Zaino Z5 to the body...after that I plan to start applying Klasse AIO to all other surfaces (wheels, glass, headlights, etc) while I let the Zaino sit in overnight.

[nanotech]

alright....finished applying Klasse AIO as a base and then Zaino Z5 show car polish after wiping the AIO off. Also applied Klasse AIO to all other exterior surfaces except wheels (ran out of time, gotta hit a party now).

Tomorrow morning I will wipe off Zaino Z5, apply Z6 gloss enhancer, and then apply and wipe off Klasse AIO to all the wheels. Hopefully it will look good after all this effort.

Tomorrow night I hope to have time to wipe of the second coat of Zaino Z5, apply Z6, and then apply the third (and final) coat of Z5. After which I may start doing the zaino leather cleaner and then conditioner on the interior and then just swipe the california dash duster.

I will let you know of the progress and results!....this may extend onto Monday, but I have an extra vehicle....just very little time to be doing all this, oh well, its worth it!

[nanotech]

by the way....just wanted to finally update this thread and let you know it worked. Just like some of the others have already done before me, I applied Klasse AIO as a subsistute for Zaino AIO....wiped it off, and then applied zaino car polish, then wiped, applied, wiped, applied, wiped, then finally applied it with the gloss enhancer

it did an amazing job....took me a total of 12hrs of the course of two days...but could have finished in one day if I had started earlier

doing zaino three times seemed to be worth it