ceramic coatings vs Zaino

danix said:
So, a couple of questions. I'm still using my old Porter Cable (7xxx something) which has done double duty around the house as well, so perhaps it's time to upgrade.
What's the current recommended tool for the job? And what pads do you like?
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Your PC should work fine. I'm using an off-brand polisher not sold here, but it is very similar. As someone who does this as a hobby it works great. I'd recommend getting a 5" backing plate for it and not worry about buying a new polisher. As for pads, my inventory is mostly Lake Country Flat Pads in orange and white. Since I keep my cars in pretty good shape, the white pads get most of the work, but I occasionally use the orange when I need something a little stronger. HOWEVER, now that LC has their Thin Pro pads on the market, I'm going to slowly move to those. I have one in each color they offer and like the Thin Pro's much better than the Flat Pads...not that there is any thing wrong with the Flats. They're a bit cheaper and have served me well for years.

As far as coatings, wow, lots of choices, far more than I expected. Only problem is, the pros are claiming this stuff is semi-permanent, so if I apply something then hate it, I'm stuck with it?

Here's what one shop says when I asked to explain how $70 worth of product becomes a $1400 job even with hours of detailing:
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Some of the pro stuff is not available outside their certified dealer network and from what I understand is semi-permanent. However, the ones you see here at AG are "consumer grade" and will last anything from 1~3 years (LOTS of variables). Even then, the ones here can be polished off if you don't like the results or really mess up a spot that needs to be done over. That doesn't mean they won't protect your car as well...they might be a little less durable and don't require major work to remove. Personally, I don't think I'd go more than two years between major detailing/coating applications anyway.

The time will be a commitment on something the size of a Q7, but it's doable. When I do my wife's Highlander, it's a two-part effort going into a weekend. I'll wash and clay it on a Friday evening and then park it in the garage. On Saturday morning I'll polish it out (normally one step because it's in good shape), do a wipe down, and apply the coating. This will take me into the afternoon and allows the car to sit curing until the next morning when it will be driven again. I've actually found applying a coating like McKee's is much faster and a lot less work than waxing and buffing down the vehicle.
 
I remember the zaino days well still have some. Still works well. Some had problems with water spotting however.

Anyways. There really was never much if any prep correction wise back in those early zaino days. ZPC wasn't even available it was use Z1 then put z2 or z5 over it. Then came zfx and the "pro" versions zcs zaio etc. most the cars that people were using it for were nearly new cars corvettes, F bodies etc.

So on to newer stuff. If your car looks good to you know you could just clean it and put a coating on it. Could there be gloss left on the table ? Sure. There is probably someone that could use something with some pad that would bring out more gloss than you or I.

Not hard to apply a coating. It can be tricky. High spots. Wrong timing etc. but really not too bad. Being in SF I don't think the weather is gonna tax the coating very much. You could likely pick nearly any one on the store site and be ok.


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I'm just a weekend hobbyist as well. I was a big Collinite fan for a long time.
I have 10 thumbs on my hands. If I can do this, anyone can do it and get fantastic results.
The PRO versions may last a little longer, but honestly I'm going to polish my car every 18 months anyway. So what good is an expensive 4-5 year coating for me?
I use the Mckees 37 coating. I can do 3 cars with 2 coats each for $45.00.
I use Gyeon Cure as a maintenance SIO2 product. Best thing about the coating is that the car stays clean for longer between washes, and it's easier to clean.
 
glfnaz said:
I use Gyeon Cure as a maintenance SIO2 product. Best thing about the coating is that the car stays clean for longer between washes, and it's easier to clean.
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If you're adding a sealant over your coating (Gyeon Cure) you're likely seeing the performance of the sealant. I keep asking myself if I'm using a sealant every few months, what value is the coating adding?
 
Lol at those prices, $2700 is about half way to a nice new paint job. Lots of interesting claims for products that are at best 1/100th as thick as your paint.

Let's start with what improvements you'd like to see from your current zaino routine. A newer sealant might be enough or one of the DIY coatings.
 
RippyD said:
If you're adding a sealant over your coating (Gyeon Cure) you're likely seeing the performance of the sealant. I keep asking myself if I'm using a sealant every few months, what value is the coating adding?
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Gyeon Cure is a SiO2 product specifically designed to boost and enhance coatings.
 
Budget is correct. I also use two other SIO2 coating maintenance products too, which I am testing, however they are not sold on this site and didn't want to mention them for that reason. Among the three, Gyeon Cure is the most economical and it does a great job of extending the life of a coating.

BudgetPlan1 said:
Gyeon Cure is a SiO2 product specifically designed to boost and enhance coatings.
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Long time Zaino user myself...

That being said, look at GTechniq's Crystal Serum Light. Also, look their EXO v3 as the top coat. These are probably the best consumer coatings out there. If you like the look that Zaino gives (I do too) you will like the look Crystal Serum Light gives.

Most important feature about applying ceramic coatings is that the surface must be properly cleaned so there are no polishing oils that can interfere with the coating. It also cannot get wet for 24 hours after application.




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glfnaz said:
Budget is correct. I also use two other SIO2 coating maintenance products too, which I am testing, however they are not sold on this site and didn't want to mention them for that reason. Among the three, Gyeon Cure is the most economical and it does a great job of extending the life of a coating.
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Ya know...i was trading PM's wirh this guy in AZ...
 
SabbyNJ said:
Long time Zaino user myself...

That being said, look at GTechniq's Crystal Serum Light. Also, look their EXO v3 as the top coat. These are probably the best consumer coatings out there. If you like the look that Zaino gives (I do too) you will like the look Crystal Serum Light gives.

Most important feature about applying ceramic coatings is that the surface must be properly cleaned so there are no polishing oils that can interfere with the coating. It also cannot get wet for 24 hours after application.




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Zaino is pretty much partially what is says on the bottle "Show Car...". It holds its looks for a relatively long period but really doesn't offer much protection.

As for Gtechniq being the 'best consumer coating...' well, there is no universal best of anything. It all depends on what specific characteristics you're looking for, and then finding a coating that meets those criteria.

What's best in Arizona ain't gonna be the best in Pennsylvania if used on a car that is driven frequently.
 
BudgetPlan1 said:
Zaino is pretty much partially what is says on the bottle "Show Car...". It holds its looks for a relatively long period but really doesn't offer much protection.

As for Gtechniq being the 'best consumer coating...' well, there is no universal best of anything. It all depends on what specific characteristics you're looking for, and then finding a coating that meets those criteria.

What's best in Arizona ain't gonna be the best in Pennsylvania if used on a car that is driven frequently.
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So what's best in Arizona?


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custmsprty said:
And temp, high spots etc are all a non factor when using Polish Angels products. I machine apply Viking Coat

My Rupes Mini with a 4" LC Blue pad, I used less than 1/4 of the bottle of VC to do my entire Rogue.


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Please stop posting pics of that white vehicle. I'm supposed to be done for the time being and you're making my wallet quiver. That thing looks absolutely incredible. What's your expected longevity?

Man, the reflections on the curves and panel transitions in the pics of your initial post in this thread make me wanna go get a curvy white car. Darn it, I thought I was cured.
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BudgetPlan1 said:
Please stop posting pics of that white vehicle. I'm supposed to be done for the time being and you're making my wallet quiver. That thing looks absolutely incredible. What's your expected longevity?

Man, the reflections on the curves and panel transitions in the pics of your initial post in this thread make me wanna go get a curvy white car. Darn it, I thought I was cured.
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:cheers:

I got 12-14 months with minimal washings or maintenance. It's been quite a while since I did this, pics dated 12/26/15, time flies.

Early this summer I put a quick coat of Sonax PNS as a hold over for the summer. It's hard to beat PNS for speed of application for a quick shine and the durability factor. It's still in the 90's down here and I basically don't detail or barely wash my dd's during the summer, it's just too darn hot. I plan on redoing my Rogue when it cools down which will most likely be towards the end of October. I'll be sure to document the process.

This stuff is amazing too. PA CA White Alabaster applied 4/17

Keep in mind, my Rogue hasn't been touched with a polisher since 12/26/15, no clay, no decon etc.

PA all the wayyy!!!

This time around I may use the Polish Angel Snowhite Carnubaflocken and then maintain it with this. I have three white cars so I'll most likely do one of the others with the Viking Coat too.

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This thread, because Zaino has been apart of it, reminds me of my wife's great Uncle. He's almost 80 years old and has a Lime Rock green C7 coupe. The ego level of this guy is large, did I mention he's almost 80, LOL! He brags about how good the car looks and how many coats of Z he's got on the car, then you go over and look at it. Upon normal viewing the hood has those beginning swirls and he talks about spending $14.00 for a hand carwash, yep, all that Z can't help those swirls out though but keep layering the Z and have garbage people wash your pride and joy, LOL.

On a sidenote my car is usually there but the ego is so large that my car and more importantly it's paint are never noticed, so it's true that stupid is as stupid does.

I used to use Z, right before I joined AG and at the very beginning and it did look amazing because I too layered it but I also made sure the paint was polished and proper car wash methods used as well. I would use their Z-CS and Z-2 or Z-5, can't remember as well as ZFX (lots of money for that stuff!) Once I got here and found Duragloss it was all over for Z and the rest is history!!

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danix said:
Not starting a religious war, but here's the story.
I've been detailing my cars for years with the firm belief that Zaino is the best stuff out there. A lot of work, but worth it.
Saw an ad recently for a used Tesla where it mentioned Opticoat, and that it had just been "refreshed". Started looking into it. Ceramic coatings, who knew. People seem happy with them.

So, I now know there is Opticoat, Cquartz in various flavors, and other similar products.
Got some estimates and doing my new Audi Q7 is quoted as $1399 to $2699 depending on the detailer and the product (100 mile radius of providers I sampled).

I'm sure a real pro will do a better job, and there will be a warranty. But here are my simple questions:
  • I know how to wash, clay bar, and much more. Is there any reason I shouldn't attempt this myself with one of the aftermarket products available such as on AG, for under $100?
  • If I do that, how often does the product need to be "refreshed"? Especially compared with a commercial application, which may or may not be the same product.

If you told me that this is difficult to apply, and a detailer needs to spend 6-8 hours and would charge $695-800, I would just have it done. But at the prices I was quoted my head is reeling...
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Do it yourself those prices are ridiculous! Its not that hard get the new mckees coating its supposed to be easier then waxing.
 
custmsprty said:
I'd go with Polish Angel, easy to use and exceptional shine and excellent durability, super easy to maintain.

You can get them at AG's sister sight autopia:

Polish Angel Car Care Products

My Nissan Rogue, prepped with PA Esclate Lotion, finished with Viking Coat

Polish Angel Viking Coat 50 ml.

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You ever use that on your black car? I thought you used cosmic glass coat? I love PA here's mine after a wash topped with pa rapidwaxx

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OK, decision time.
Lots of recommendations for the McKee's and its on sale for $99 including the prep polish and (apparently crappy) towels.
I like the sound of the Wolfgang Uber and they have a good kit set up for $169.
Polish Angel sounds interesting but there are so many different products to choose from and it's quite a bit more expensive.
Cquartz UK would be interesting as it's the exact same product quoted by one shop.

Choices...
I think I'm going to go with the McKee's. I'm going to upgrade the applicators to the Lake Country ones.

Now, is the polish included there (coating prep polish) going to be enough to remove light scratches or swirl marks? If not, what else should I be using?
This is a 3 week old vehicle so there should be minimal correction needed, but if I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it right.

I've got my Porter Cable with a 5" Lake Country backing plate. I think I still have some new pads but will order more.

My initial plan:
  • wash with dawn (to strip all the old wax and grime) and dry.
  • clay bar. I ordered the pinnacle kit though I usually use the Mother's kit I can buy locally.
  • rewash and dry
  • move vehicle indoors
  • possible polish/swirl removal?
  • polish with coating prep polish (not sure which pad - white? orange?)
  • follow directions and apply McKee's 37 coatings
 
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