billrouleau
New member
What does the little blue stuff REALLY do...any ideas? Anyone know what it is (composition)? Has anyone tried to skip it and apply Z2/Z5 and see if it makes an appearance/durability difference?
What is ZFX really?
- Thread starter billrouleau
- Start date
SK2003TypeS
New member
Funny, was just discussing this with someone else. It's marketed as something to accelerate the drying process. I've only used ZFX, never Z1, so I can't compare the differences. I'm going to apply Z2 and Z5 next time without it to see if there's a difference.
For all I know I paid $19 for blue toilet water. :nixweiss
For all I know I paid $19 for blue toilet water. :nixweiss
JasonC8301
New member
Well the ZFX in the little kit treats 16 oz. of Z if mixed to directions. It lets you apply 3 coats in a day. Thats the main benefit of ZFX. Drying time is almost instant compared to the Z-1 and Z-2 combo.
You don't have to use ZFX every time you put Zaino on your car. Its only needed when you want to apply more than 1 coat onto you're car in one day. I also read in the directions use some ZFX fortified Z once a year or every 10-15 coats or something like that.
For the Zaino cars, I TRY apply 3 coats of ZFX and Z every 6 months and a Z7 wash followed up with Z6 and a coat of Z every so often.
I like the Zaino system because everything is kept within the line. Really makes me made to lug all my detailing supplies to my family members house and find I forgot to pack something. I just build a kit for each of my relatives house and its set.
You don't have to use ZFX every time you put Zaino on your car. Its only needed when you want to apply more than 1 coat onto you're car in one day. I also read in the directions use some ZFX fortified Z once a year or every 10-15 coats or something like that.
For the Zaino cars, I TRY apply 3 coats of ZFX and Z every 6 months and a Z7 wash followed up with Z6 and a coat of Z every so often.
I like the Zaino system because everything is kept within the line. Really makes me made to lug all my detailing supplies to my family members house and find I forgot to pack something. I just build a kit for each of my relatives house and its set.
billrouleau
New member
I'm familiar with the whole Z system. I'm just wondering if anyone has applied say 3 coats w/o ZFX in 1 day or if someone has done the initial coat without ZFX or Z1 and compared durability. Our garage is usually 50-60 degrees F and I've tried 1 coat w/ ZFX and 1 w/o and drying time was very similar. ZFX didn't seem to do anything.
JasonC8301
New member
Hmm interesting. I will pick up some Z1 and do some testing this summer.
VetteToVair
New member
This is definitely worth testing!!!
B
Blue-Sun
Guest
when I called Zaino a few weeks ago to ask about ZFX, I was simplt told that is has over 20~25 (can't remeber the exact #) of special features to it.
That's all I was told. For now, I'm gonna use it all the time with Z2, at least until my Z1 runs out. . .
That's all I was told. For now, I'm gonna use it all the time with Z2, at least until my Z1 runs out. . .
billrouleau
New member
You're absolutely right. My comparison with the drying times of Z2 & Z2 w/ ZFX are irrelevant. The question of "curing" still remains. If the durability of 3 coats of Z2 applied all at once vs. 3 coats of Z2 w/ ZFX applied all at once is the same or very similar, what's the use of ZFX? I'm not saying ZFX is just blue toilet water; just wondering if anyone has ever compared before.
Nick T.
New member
Great topic! $20 for that little bottle is a lot of money!
As a beginner Zainoholic I used Z-1 with every application. Why not, it was only $8 then. When ZFX was introduced I just had to buy some and was shocked when I opened the box and saw the tiny bottle! Some of my dismay disappeared when I talked with Mr. Z on the phone and he assured me that I only needed to use it for the first coat of Zaino and every tenth coat or once every six months to a year thereafter. That made the price a lot more reasonable.
He also told me that ZFX would do two things: improve the both the bonding and the curing rates. After using it for many layers (every 4-6 coats) I decided to do some testing. Small (maybe 6� squares) on my rear deck. Only Z-2 (or maybe Z-5, don’t remember now) on one area, Z-1 topped with Z-2 on another, and Z-2/ZFX on another. Started timing and doing the “finger test�. I don’t remember the exact times now, but they each passed the finger test within a couple of minutes of each other, and as I recall it took about 25-30 minutes in direct sun on a cool (maybe 60-65) day,
Then I did some thinking about it. There is no way to tell how much of the product actually bonded to the surface if the surface already had a good Zaino base on it! Same thing applies for checking the curing time - how can you tell if a coat of Zaino was really cured when you add a second or third coat?
My answer to the problem is to follow Mr. Z’s guidance for the most part, but usually on the conservative side. When starting from bare paint I use Z-5/ZFX for the first 3-4 layers, the every few (4-6) layers there after. When dealing with a small spot repair I always do two back-to-back Z-1 & Z-5 layers and then repeat the next day.
More opinion: I think that Z-6 to some extent acts a little like Z-1 in aiding bonding. Misting with Z-6 just before applying Zaino gives slightly better results that if the Z-6 wipe was an hour earlier, and it gives much better results compared to not doing any Z-6 wipe down.
In the past couple of years I’ve gone through several bottle of both Z-5 and Z-2 and three bottles of ZFX and had as many as 30+ layers of Zaino on my Jet Black paint at any one time. But now with the help of counseling, therapy, and Prozac I’m overcoming my Zaino addiction!
As a beginner Zainoholic I used Z-1 with every application. Why not, it was only $8 then. When ZFX was introduced I just had to buy some and was shocked when I opened the box and saw the tiny bottle! Some of my dismay disappeared when I talked with Mr. Z on the phone and he assured me that I only needed to use it for the first coat of Zaino and every tenth coat or once every six months to a year thereafter. That made the price a lot more reasonable.
He also told me that ZFX would do two things: improve the both the bonding and the curing rates. After using it for many layers (every 4-6 coats) I decided to do some testing. Small (maybe 6� squares) on my rear deck. Only Z-2 (or maybe Z-5, don’t remember now) on one area, Z-1 topped with Z-2 on another, and Z-2/ZFX on another. Started timing and doing the “finger test�. I don’t remember the exact times now, but they each passed the finger test within a couple of minutes of each other, and as I recall it took about 25-30 minutes in direct sun on a cool (maybe 60-65) day,
Then I did some thinking about it. There is no way to tell how much of the product actually bonded to the surface if the surface already had a good Zaino base on it! Same thing applies for checking the curing time - how can you tell if a coat of Zaino was really cured when you add a second or third coat?
My answer to the problem is to follow Mr. Z’s guidance for the most part, but usually on the conservative side. When starting from bare paint I use Z-5/ZFX for the first 3-4 layers, the every few (4-6) layers there after. When dealing with a small spot repair I always do two back-to-back Z-1 & Z-5 layers and then repeat the next day.
More opinion: I think that Z-6 to some extent acts a little like Z-1 in aiding bonding. Misting with Z-6 just before applying Zaino gives slightly better results that if the Z-6 wipe was an hour earlier, and it gives much better results compared to not doing any Z-6 wipe down.
In the past couple of years I’ve gone through several bottle of both Z-5 and Z-2 and three bottles of ZFX and had as many as 30+ layers of Zaino on my Jet Black paint at any one time. But now with the help of counseling, therapy, and Prozac I’m overcoming my Zaino addiction!