Six coats of Zaino lasted four months

[chevyguy28]

The six coats of Z-5 on my car seem to be exhausted in four months. Certainly not bad durability, but I live in Southern California in near perfect weather. I have been washing a lot less in the past two months, which is the time period where I received the most loss in beading. I`d like to raise a few concerns:



1) Decrease in Z-6/Z-7 use seems to have caused more rapid deterioration of Zaino. I hadn`t realized that these two products were so essential to the product line.



2) I had a conversation with AlBoston about Zaino. His numerous coats have also lasted around four months. He feels that coats applied WITHOUT ZFX or Z1 may not be bonding properly and aren`t necessarily providing extra protection. Hopefully he can chime in and give his thoughts on this.



3) Where to go from here? I think I ought to mix up some more Z-5/ZFX and apply three more coats. Either that or top whatever is left with S100. I hear too many people commenting that topping Z is not a good idea, what causes this? Klasse can be topped with excellent results.



4) Does Z-5 have less durability than Z-2? There`s little evidence to say that it does, but not many people only use Z-5.

[Redcar GUY]

Originally posted by JustinTRW

The six coats of Z-5 on my car seem to be exhausted in four months. Certainly not bad durability, but I live in Southern California in near perfect weather. I have been washing a lot less in the past two months, which is the time period where I received the most loss in beading. I`d like to raise a few concerns:



1) Decrease in Z-6/Z-7 use seems to have caused more rapid deterioration of Zaino. I hadn`t realized that these two products were so essential to the product line.



2) I had a conversation with AlBoston about Zaino. His numerous coats have also lasted around four months. He feels that coats applied WITHOUT ZFX or Z1 may not be bonding properly and aren`t necessarily providing extra protection. Hopefully he can chime in and give his thoughts on this.



3) Where to go from here? I think I ought to mix up some more Z-5/ZFX and apply three more coats. Either that or top whatever is left with S100. I hear too many people commenting that topping Z is not a good idea, what causes this? Klasse can be topped with excellent results.



4) Does Z-5 have less durability than Z-2? There`s little evidence to say that it does, but not many people only use Z-5.



#1 to quote the Zaino site >>Z-7 Show Car Wash was designed to deep clean, increase the paint gloss and reinforce the Zaino Show Car Polish system with every washing.

yes they are very Important :)



#2 You need to use Z1 for the first coats, If your using just Z1 then Z5/2 then add a coat off Z1 every 10 coats of Z5/2. If your using The ZFX way then the first 3 must be with ZFX. I still like Z1 for my first one even if I am going to be using ZFX.



#3 If you have ZFX you can add a few coats now if you want, if not You can use just Z5/2 also. But if you want it to last as long as possible I would hit it with some Z1 first.



#4 I think that Z5 lasts longer and looks better. I have been using for about 4 years. That is just my

$02:)



hope this made sense? LOL

[Steve @ Guru]

I think that ultimately, any number of factors can come in to play when measuring the durability of a product on different vehicles. Perhaps the Z just doesn`t last as long on certain types of paint? It really seems to last longer on domestic paints, IMHO.



For example, our Tahoe was last Z`d in February and was beat to heck w/gas station car washes (no wax cycle), and rarely got a Z7 wash -- I think I washed it twice between February and last weekend. Yet, when I went to wash it last weekend, the water beaded like mad, and I had a hard time keeping water on the truck while washing...typical "good Z".



On other cars, it seems that you can wash it weekly with Z7, QD with Z6 and yet, after 4 months or so, it`s losing its life.



I`ve personally never experienced the second situation, but I`ve read about it here and elsewhere on the net...



I totally agree with the theory that w/o ZFX additional layers may not bond properly - I`d like to test it to prove it, though.



Finally, it`s pretty well known that Z7 and Z6 have polymers that help replentish the Z protection, which is why I like Z7 so much. It`s a great wash by itself, but when you factor in the added protection "refresh", it`s worth its weight in gold. Where else can you wash and replentish protection at the same time??? :)



4 months is still great - that`s 16 weeks in the CA sun. I`m willing to bet that with the S100, you`re lucky to see 8 weeks.

[bigpoppa]

it`s been about 3 months since I last applied Zaino to my car (ungaraged, sometimes covered). After washing with Z7 - I was disappointed that the shine didn`t get turned up a notch as usual. I thought the Z was waning. I doubled up on Z6 wipe down, and voila - that blinding Zaino shine is back, and has held up for a week now. Either way - still better durability than a carnauba. So - maybe give Z6 a shot before thinking the Z is worn out.

[chevyguy28]

Thank you for the responses.



For reference, all six coats were applied with ZFX. I also think that Z-5 looks better. Quite the surprise that it may last longer. I Z-6 the car after every wash as part of my water spot policing. The car still looks wonderful by the way, it`s just that my finger squeeks on the surface like mad.

[imported_Custom Detail]

:D

[imported_Paul Mitchell]

This makes me very nervous....how am I going to get through the NY Winter with my Z? I am not able to Z-7 wash in Winter, only DIY baywashes and QEW wash sometimes and it is tough to Z-6 my car when it always seems too dirty for a QD. I have been using Z-7 in a spray bottle at the DIY wash instead of their soap so hopefully that will help me. I have 12 coats of Z-2, the last 6 about 5 weeks ago done with ZFX and the base for the first 6 coats was with Z-1 done over the course of the previous 6 months. I am still beading fairly well but some of the beads on the horizontal surfaces are getting larger.

I hope I can make it through Winter!!!!!:nixweiss

[imported_doug]

What I want to know is - how the heck do you know it isn`t there any more? A waxless, polymer-less but freshly clayed and polished paint job will bead like the dickens, and a nicely waxed one with adhered crapola wlll not - so beading isn`t a good way to measure.

[Jngrbrdman]

Originally posted by carguy

What I want to know is - how the heck do you know it isn`t there any more? A waxless, polymer-less but freshly clayed and polished paint job will bead like the dickens, and a nicely waxed one with adhered crapola wlll not - so beading isn`t a good way to measure.



:up I tried making the same point once. I`m totally with you on that. I think that sometimes we place too much trust in what the beads are telling us.



A lot of these products cause a pretty dramatic visual change when you first apply them, but if they wear off gradually then you can`t even tell by the time they are gone. Kinda like putting a frog in a pot of water and turning up the heat. By the time it realizes that its hot, its too late. If a product wears off slowly then by the time its totally gone you won`t even know it. That`s why I like to add a coat of whatever I`m using every month or so just to stay on top of it.

[Steve @ Guru]

Originally posted by carguy

What I want to know is - how the heck do you know it isn`t there any more? A waxless, polymer-less but freshly clayed and polished paint job will bead like the dickens, and a nicely waxed one with adhered crapola wlll not - so beading isn`t a good way to measure.



I don`t think that this would happen in any of these situations, because while brand new, undamaged/marred paint will bead water like nothing else, once you introduce `damage` in the form of marring, swirls, fine scratches, etc., the paint won`t bead like before.



Since what JustinTRW is apparently witnessing is a decreased amount of beading on his Zaino`d finish, which I`m assuming was not applied to brand new paint and was applied over paint that had been abraded by other products, I would assume that the paint would no longer bead water when wet, unless there was some sort of protection in place.



I also believe that we`re talking about beading after a wash/during a wash; so, situation 2 probably isn`t applicable? I may be completely confused - it happens regularly. :D



PS: And, I would expect a freshly clayed, polished surface to bead water like crazy - it does - b/c when I do my wash prior to applying Z (after clay/smr/p21sgepc), the water beads like mad, due to the oils in the products. I don`t see the comparison?

[CharlesW]

Originally posted by Jngrbrdman

Kinda like putting a frog in a pot of water and turning up the heat.

Do you do this often? :confused:



Charles

[stuart hicks]

Have to say on many cars the Zaino last for 6 months on it`s own, sometimes without even washing. On Certain cars however hard I try I can`t get the product to bead for more than a few weeks.



Again these cars that don`t hold a bead but for a few weeks are in the minority. Seems to be mostly on BMW`s. Now I have done several BMW`s that have held beads for the usuall 5-6 months, but the few cars that don`t hold the beads seem to be mostly BMW`s. I always use Dawn and prep the car properly but every now and then Zaino won`t bond.



On white cars I find dirt will embed(sp?) itself into the surface even after washing with Z6 and using Z7. Now these cars still have great beading action so I know their protected, but I have to use a cleaner wax on top to remove the dirt. This may compromise the bonding of the next layer of Zaino but I need to remove the dirt.



I always use ZFX just for increasing my chances of getting a good bond.



It`s well known that Z-6 contains a surfactant that will kill the beads for a second or two until it washes off.

[Jngrbrdman]

Originally posted by CharlesW

Do you do this often? :confused:



Charles



All the time, man. Its the best way to make frog soup. ;) lol j/k



Haven`t you ever heard that analogy before? Its super old. They used it in that volcano movie Dante`s Peak. Its a good analogy I think. It just means that sometimes we are too involved in a process or situation to really notice the subtle changes untill its too late.

[chevyguy28]

Originally posted by carguy

What I want to know is - how the heck do you know it isn`t there any more? A waxless, polymer-less but freshly clayed and polished paint job will bead like the dickens, and a nicely waxed one with adhered crapola wlll not - so beading isn`t a good way to measure.



I never said it was completely gone, but it sure is hurting. I consider the product "gone" when an autopian would reapply. The car was swirled quite badly from delivery, so I have since used Meguiars #9 on the surface with a PC. That is the only abrasive product I have used thus far.



The car still beads very well, but I can expect that from relatively new paint (the car was built almost one year ago). What I am commenting on is the regular beads that my car produces vs. the super tight beads on the surface when the Z was more fresh. As far as I know, Zaino has no sheeting qualities. Also, the quality of the bead has degraded much more rapidly as of recently that it had in the beginning.



So what I do know for SURE Greg, is the following:

1) surface squeeks like bare paint

2) surface beads similar to bare paint

3) surface still looks great (but again, it`s new paint)

4) surface is still very smooth, no need for clay.

[JAGOWNER1981]

I`m with steve on this one...



4 coats of Z5 with ZFX applied on our BLACK MB lasted about 4 months. The hood and roof still bead excellent, but the doors have water clinging to them like no tommorow. 4 months is pretty good, but i think Klasse SG lasted longer with less fuss (no dawn wash, mixing with ZFX etc.). With that said i am still sticking to Zaino :).