Zaino Z5 vs. Z2 - Calling all Zaino Zealots

J

jsoto

New member
Does Z5 really cover micro swirls ? Any major optical differences between Z2 vs. Z5.



I will be using Zaino on a black car so I'm trying to determine is there any + using Z5 on it rather than Z2.
 
Z5 has fillers and Z2 doesn't. The Zaino website states that Z2 is "optically perfect". But, to my knowledge, no such statement is made for Z5.



I have used Z5 for covering minor swirls and "micro-scratches". It works pretty well, especially if I apply several successive coats.



But I never leave it unprotected.



I always cover with a coat of Z2.



Z2 is meant to be a final coat and Z5 is meant as an interim step....



Bill.



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some tend to use z5 for darker cars and z2 for lighter cars...z5 *seems* to have a little more depth than z2 (considering z doesn't have add much depth to begin with)...FWIW...I use just straight Z5 on all my cars dark and light...YMMV
 
I use Z5 about 90% of the time. Z2 is great as well, and I usually use it before a car show or meet.



Z5 does not fill that well, even with the new improved version. Minor spiderlines and such yes, quite good....but any deeper swirls will need SMR or equivalent. Overall great product though.
 

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Luster said:
I have used Z5 for covering minor swirls and "micro-scratches". It works pretty well, especially if I apply several successive coats.



But I never leave it unprotected.



I always cover with a coat of Z2.



Z2 is meant to be a final coat and Z5 is meant as an interim step....
Click to expand...



Bill, I may be reading your post incorrectly, but it sounds like you're implying that using Z-5 by itself would be leaving your car "unprotected".



IME, Z-5 protects very well and lasts just as long as Z-2 and like the previous poster, I use Z-5 the vast majority of the time and only use Z-2 on occassion.
 
DO NOT count on Z5 filling or covering anything, but I would still recommend using Z5 over Z2 on black. I will agree with others that it does seem deeper than Z2, especially the old formula.
 
Intermezzo said:
Bill, I may be reading your post incorrectly, but it sounds like you're implying that using Z-5 by itself would be leaving your car "unprotected".



IME, Z-5 protects very well and lasts just as long as Z-2 and like the previous poster, I use Z-5 the vast majority of the time and only use Z-2 on occassion.
Click to expand...



I stand corrected....



Actually, I was going back to an old "wive's tale" that Z5 couldn't stand alone, and I've since learned that it stands alone very well.....



Bill
 
z5 on black for me (Acura "nighthawk black pearl" which is clearcoated and Lexus' non-cleared black). Looks better than z2....no contest, IMO. I also prefer z5 to z2 on Infiniti's diamond graphite (dark met silver) but I end up topping w/s100 on that one for some warmth.



Filling is mediocre (and that is being generous). It'll work on very minor spiderwebs and marring on the Z finish, but anything more than that and it's SMR city for me.
 
kg/cm² said:
some tend to use z5 for darker cars and z2 for lighter cars...z5 *seems* to have a little more depth than z2 (considering z doesn't have add much depth to begin with)...FWIW...I use just straight Z5 on all my cars dark and light...YMMV
Click to expand...



This is pretty much my feelings too. I don't know why I've gravitated to Z5 more than Z2 but it does seem to look better (richer) on dark colored cars.



The diffs are not super noticeable but they're there. And Z5 seems to last as long as Z2 for me. Since I remove all swirls with a PC and rotary prior to Zaino, Z5's swirl filling ability doesn't matter much to me. I've tested it and it does take several coats for some swirl filling to be noticed.
 
Get the swirls out before any "Z"............ the vehicle will look better for it in the long run. Don't count on the Z5 doing much for the swirls.



On dark colors, I like to mix in a coat of Z2(with Z1) after every few coats of Z5 just for the "heck" of it.
 
Z5 seems to be a "thicker polish." Coats seem to build faster for that "encased in glass" look. I usually start out with Z5 and then top with Z2. I especially like Z5 on Silver.



Z5 does have minimal swirl filling capabilities, BUT what I found it does well is fill in marring that is in the sealant layer. After a few coats, wash after wash, you might get some very minor marring from toweling and washing in the sealant layer not the paint that looks like swirls....a coat or two of Z5 seems to fill this in well.
 
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