Zaino, NXT & I am confused!!!!!

[evor1]

I used Zaino exclusivly the past two years. I love the way it never left any white residue anywhere and shined very nicely.



I do not like how you have to dawn wash everytime you need to do a little surface prep.



My car is a black Mustang that never sees rain and I haven`t washed it for 2 years. I simply cali-dust it, quick detail, and cover.



This has resulted in some build up of small surface scratches that I need to remove.



I purchased 1Z Metalic Polish and 1Z Polish as well as NXT. The plan being scratch removal with the 1Z`s and protecting with the NXT.



I did my wifes Dark Blue Jeep and my Red Acura with the NXT and I found one real annoying trait, that makes me think twice about using it next on the Stang. After about a week, I start to see areas of white lines. I am sure I simply didn`t get it all off the surface when I did it, but it is hard as concrete now and very hard to remove.



I am really concerned about all the crevices, etc... on the Stang having white residue. Zaino never did this at all.



What can I use afte 1Z products, without Dawn Washing, that will give me a great shine, but not turn white in crevices, trim, etc...?????????????????????

[Steve @ Guru]

Why not Z7 wash and use Zaino if you`re happy with the results that you`ve had in the past?



Or, you could try S100 (or P21S) - they don`t dry white and should look nice on the Mustang.

[kustomsol]

I`m gonna jerk a few chains here, ("heresy!!" they cry) but why worry about a brief Dawn wash every two years? Think about it: today`s car exteriors are designed to deal with years of neglect, acid rain, sleet, snow, hail, low humidity, high humidity, temperature extremes, ozone, bird crap, ashes, insects and "love Bugs", the many various polutants and chemical exposures from hydrogen sulfide to formaldehyde, baby barf, tree sap, pollen, dust, mud, tar, windshield washing liquids,...you name it on a daily basis which are each individually much more potentially damaging than the threat of a semi-annual brief Dawn wash. I do it about twice a year. All of us have seen finishes which had suffered years of neglect and abuse and have been able to restore them to a remarkable condition. The materials used in clearcoat, trim, gaskets, and seals is used in kitchen utensils that withstand the daily detergents, chemicals, and temperatures used in commercial and home dishwashers and are replaced because they were lost or broken rather than worn out. The interiors likewise, especially convertibles, are designed to suffer stress of exterme heat and cold, scrapes and abrasions, spills of all sorts, bowel, bladder, and upper gastroentestinal accidents from pets as well as humans, blood stains, ...again, you name it. Most of us who maintain our cars will retire, trade, wear out mechanically , or wreck them, or just get tired of them long before causing any "damage" that even a semi-annual detergent wash might present.

I too am a Zaino - aholic and have never worried about the infrequent use of a brief detergent wash since I`m planning to follow it with what I believe to be the best sealant and protectant available for my finish, vinyl, plastic, leather, and rubber. It`s not like the car`s finish is going to be "soaked for hours" in Dawn. A Dawn wash is on the car a much shorter time than the average insect splat or drop of bird crap remains on your car during a trip to the store and back. Even a 15 min scrub semi-annually adds up to 10 hours in 20 years; less than an overnight soaking acid rainstorm. Think about it; I`m really going to worry about a brief Dawn wash. Especially when I`m going to follow it with Zaino! And you are going to wash it only bi-ennially.

[rstype]

1Z polishes get dusty, so I would do a wash anyway before the final protectant or wax. If you don`t like Dawn, Z7 shampoo is enough to prepare your paint for Z.

[imported_RIC]

HRP, you have said what I wanted to regarding Dawn washes but just did not have the effort to write.



I have done the occasional Dawn wash over a 4 year period and have yet to see any evidence of the seals and weatherstripping drying out or cracking.

[imported_Greg]

Just do an isopropanol/water mixture and spray it and wipe off. I personally would pick Z over NXT.

[evor1]

What % mix of isopropyl/distilled water mix works best?



What do you do, just spray on and wipe off with Micro-fiber?

[evor1]

My resistance to dawn wash has nothing to do with the harshness.



The Mustang has a ton of places that water sits and drips for hours, if not days. It makes it really hard to do the Dawn wash and then plan on jumping right into the Zaino application.



My other problem that I had last time was that washing and drying the car, after all my surface prep., showed some minor surface imperfections after the wash, that were not visible prior to the wash. Then I had to redo the surface prep., and wash all over. (and in the end still live with a few scratches that magically reappeared after the Dawn wash.



I really dig Zaino, and from what it sounds like, that is going to be the best way to go.



I`ll just try the isopropyl / water mix in a spray bottle idea (for the hood and trunk, which are the only places I can see the scratches in demanding garage lighting). The rest of the car already looks perfect.



Thanks for the input everyone!

[kustomsol]

A vinegar rinse will also strip some old wax and get a lot of the stuff that Dawn or your regular car washes miss since vinegar is acid and will help remove water spots. Just rinse well and frequently and don`t forget to rinse the windows with vinegar.

[Matt M, PA]

I have no problem with using Dawn before a wax regimen...just make sure it is rinsed well. IMHO, Zaino is the best.



After all the "great" reviews, I bought a bottle of NXT. I tried it on two surfaces and was completely underwhelmed. I first placed it on the side of my Bronco and it looked no better than month old Zaino that had been washed a few times. (My Bronco still has it`s factory paint and I get asked regularly "who painted it?")



I also tried it on a non-clearcoated stripe on my car trailer. Lots of blue paint on the applicator. I even used the old Meguairs Cleaner-Wax next to the NXT...the Cleaner-Wax looked better.

(No flames about the CW, huh? The trailer 22` by 8` and I have to get the streaks off)



NXT also contains silicones and abrasives. The silicones are listed in the MSDS sheets on the products and the abrasives were admitted to on another forum (svtperformance) by a Meguairs` employee. They even admitted it was a cleaner-wax.

[togwt]

Think about it: today`s car exteriors are designed to deal with years of neglect, acid rain, sleet, snow, hail, low humidity, high humidity, temperature extremes, ozone, bird crap, ashes, insects and "love Bugs", the many various pollutants and chemical exposures from hydrogen sulphide to formaldehyde, baby barf, tree sap, pollen, dust, mud, tar, windshield washing liquids,...you name it on a daily basis which are each individually much more potentially damaging than the threat of a semi-annual brief Dawn wash.



And I always thought that the porous clear coat would only provide protection if the above pollutants were removed otherwise they would etch the paint surface.