Sam N

Has anyone had any experience with the "new and improved" Z-5 and the FX Accelerator that you add to it? (4 drops to 1 ounce of Z-5) Just wondering, since it seemed that it left "stripes" in the black paint. In other words, it was difficult to wipe off.

TIA,
Sam

Jordan Lee

Sam,

I have used most of the Zaino line of products for quite some time now and in particular Z-5 & Z-2 both with and with out the FX accelerator. The benefits of the FX seem to be that of convenience only. Z-5 & Z-2 are dry within 30min tops and allows multiple layers to be applied within one day. (Up to 4 layers per day).
FX also makes the Z-1 Polish Lok unnecessary.
Two common causes of streaking with Z-2 & Z-5 are not letting the product dry sufficiently and/or applying to much at one time.

I have 11 coats of Z-2 and Z-5 on my black ’96 993 and it looks pretty good for an ageing car.

Please email me personally if you wish me to elaborate on application and removal techniques.


Best wishes,


Lee

esb97targa

I have found that the accelerator must be used with caution...in other words if you use too much it makes the product much more difficult to remove. When used properly I find it does help speed up the drying process. Just my .02.

jacksonking

Lee,

Sounds like you're pretty experienced with the Z products. I just got a 95 black C4. The paint was not in the best of shape so here's what I've done so far:

1. Washed thoroughly with a liquid dish soad to take off remaining wax.

2. Used Z18 clay bar on whole car gently and with lots of diluted Z7 for lubrication.

3. Washed with Z7

4. Used Z1 polish lok and left it on.

5. Applied Z5 to whole car.

6. Sprayed and wiped off Z6. Waited 24 hours.

7. Applied Z5 to whole car.

8. Sprayed and wiped off Z6. Waited 24 hours.

9. Applied third coat of Z5 to upward facing surfaces only.

I am now waiting for the third partial coat of Z5 to dry. I may do another partial Z5 but it's hard to tell if the added coats of Z5 are diminishing my faint scratches. Was your effect obvious on your black 95?

Do you think it's okay to use Z5 on black even though I don't think it has clear coat?

I am eager to get to a coat of Z2 to see what the high polish finish looks like.

Appreciate any unbiased advice you have on getting the most out of these products.

Thanks,

<img src="graemlins/r.gif" border="0" alt="[king]" />

bet

Jack,

Isn't Z-2 for clear coated cars? I thought Z-3 was for regular paint. If your black doesn't have a clear coat then shouldn't you be using Z-3 ? I was just wondering because I don't think the Speed Yellow has a clear coat and I want to start my Zaino treatment also.

jacksonking

Well... the Z5 is supposed to remove some swirl marks and fine scratches (i.e. stuff you can see but can't feel with your fingernail.) The Z2 bottle does say for clear coat cars. But the only difference on the website that I could find is that the one for non clear coated cars removed oxidation. I didn't have any oxidation so I figured to one for clearcoat would be milder and less (if at all) abrasive. So that's what I have. So far I've used Z1 and Z5 and plan to finish with Z2.

I really want to make sure there's no problem using the Z2 on my non-clear coat car (assuming that the standard black P-car in non clear coated, whick I think it is) before I apply it. I also wonder if there's any difference between 11 coats and 2 or 3.

Thanks,

<img src="graemlins/r.gif" border="0" alt="[king]" />

Rolo

How do you know if the paint is clear coated? I have a 96 GP white 4s. Does it really matter at this point if its the z2 or 3 I use??? Thanks.

satchy

I have 5 coats on my black 96TT, 3 coats of Z5 and two of Z2, and I'm pleased with the look. Just a few observations: I used the accelerator with good results. It's useful in that you can put on up to 3? or was it 4? coats in one day. I'm not impressed with Z5's ability on swirl marks. I used 3M imperial hand glaze first to get a relatively swirl-free base. People have commented on autopia that the polish mixed with accelerator is harder to remove if you wait overnight, so I made sure to take it off within 2 hours. Now that I've established a base coat I don't see the need to use accelerator again if I'm just putting on one refresher coat at a time. It helps to Z6 between coats as recommended. It allows the next coat to go on easier and thinner. Finally I think I'm going to stick with Z5 to stay on top of the few new swirl marks I get. I can't appreciate much difference in reflectivity from the Z2. I think it's more important to put on several coats and finish with Z6. According to Zaino's literature there is no abrasive in the Z5, so I'm not worried about my clear coat. I think it just fills in the microscratches to make them less visable.

SteveL1

I've been a Zaino user for about a year now and love the products. The Z5 does almost nothing to hide swirls in my opinion though. If you really want to get rid of swirls, you will need to use a polish like 3M Swirl Mark Remover or Finesse-It with a buffer of some sort. By hand is possible, but will take forever to get the same results.

I would think that a Black '95 should have a clear coat and Z5 should be very safe. I have noticed that Z2 leaves much less white residue than Z5, for what it's worth.

If you want to learn more about taking care of your paint, you should visit <a href="http://autopia-carport.com" target="_blank">http://autopia-carport.com</a> Some very valuable information there!

jacksonking

Thanks for the comments Satchy,

I guess I will do a couple final layers of Z2 and finish with the spray on Z6. You're right that adds a smooth finish and takes off any minimal polish that you may have missed with the towell.

One note. I used Z18 clay bar over the whole vehicle and still have some old water spots (lord knows how old) that are now well polished in. Maybe next year I'll go down to bare paint again and take them all out before loading on the layers of Z products.

The shine is looking nice and the effort (though protracted) is less than waxing. And no white crud in the cracks.

I may not be so handy with all the complex DIYs, but polishing I can handle.

<img src="graemlins/r.gif" border="0" alt="[king]" />

Jordan Lee

I have had great success with the Zaino products but the learning curve was steep. I own a black '96 993 who's paint was in decent condition but defiantly not as good as it looks now.


I first started by:

1. Washed with Dawn dishwashing soap and dried completely with leaf blower. (this way you avoid dragging another towel across the paint and can also blow out wheels and nooks /crannies)
2. Clayed with Z-18 clay bar using diluted Z-7 in a spray bottle as lubricant. Washed clay bar constantly to avoid dragging deposits over the paint and applied with moderate pressure.
3. Re-washed with Dawn and dried.
4. Applied one layer of Z-1 by hand with a 100% made in the US cotton towel (with labels and edges removed) with a swirl action and left it on the vehicle.
5. Applied eight layers of Z-5 by hand (over two weeks) with a 100% made in the US cotton towel (with labels and edges removed) and buffed off with a fresh towel .


The Z-5 did nothing to alleviate the chronic swirl marks inherent in a black vehicle with 50,000 miles. I am the second owner and even though the PO took great care both mechanically and cosmetically it had been butchered by over zealous detailers wielding buffers for many years. It was obvious that more drastic measures were needed.

They were:

1. Washed with Dawn dishwashing soap and dried completely.
2. Applied 3M FI- II (machine polish) one panel at a time with a Porter Cable Random Orbital Polisher fitted with a CMA white polishing pad.
3. Applied 3M SMR with a fresh CMA white polishing pad.
4. Re-washed with Dawn and dried.
5. Applied 6 coats of Z-5 / ZFX (over 2 days) with the Porter Cable fitted with a grey finishing pad and removed with a HQ microfiber towel. Z-6 between each coat. Applied and removed with a MF towel. Sal Zaino does not recommend application with any thing bar a US 100% cotton towel but I and others have had terrific success using the PC for app. (not removal) Found it helpful to lightly mist the CMA pad with Z-6 prior to adding a small amount of Z-5 to the pad. It goes on so thinly with the PC that in some lighting conditions it difficult to see where you have applied. Any thing more than this IMO is to much. Also less product per application means a more economical use.
6. Applied multiple coats of Z-2 with same technique as the Z-5.
7. Currently wash with Z-7, add a coat of Z-2 every second wash and Z-6 after every wash.

Since removing most of the swirl marks nothing has touch the surface of this vehicle other than microfiber towels and HQ polishing pads but I still notice new swirls and minor scratches constantly. Have resigned my self to the fact that even though it looks great it doesn’t appear to be feasible or indeed possible to maintain a flawless black vehicle that you actually drive. Just my opinion. Having said that however, the Zaino is comparatively simple to maintain, looks great and has proved incredibly durable.

Richard C4S

Here's my product with Z5 X2, then Z2 X2. Left the last coat on overnight before removing. Minor swirls were gone after the 2nd Z5 application. Love this stuff! No experience with accelerator.

Sam N

I see that people use the Z-2 and Z-6. I've forgotten what they are exactly. Isn't one supposed to haze and leave on and then apply Z-5? Where is the best place to purchase 3M SMR? Also, can it be applied by hand. Also, don't you have to remove Zaino before using this product?

Guess I need to start reading the Autopia board more often.

TIA,
Sam

Jordan Lee

Sam,
Z-6 is a gloss enhancer/quick detailer. It does not haze. It is a clear liquid spray that is applied extremely sparingly with a MF towel or 100% cotton towel.
Z-2 is a polish for clear coat finishes. Let dry (haze) and then buff off with a MF towel or 100% cotton towel.

3M SMR is available at automotive body shop supply stores and can be applied over Z-1 / Z-2 / Z-5 / Z-6 since it strips these products by way of mild abrasiveness. I believe it can be applied by hand but considering it requires some serious elbow grease when applied with a Random Orbital Polisher (and removed by hand) I would imagine a hand application would be quite challenging. This product and those like it are designed to be worked over the paint until they begin to dry at which point the abrasives have broken down into finer components in the aim that they then ‘rub out’ any scratching caused by the initial application. If this product is not worked long enough it will leave some stubborn hazing.

Trust that this helps.


Regards,

Lee

Sam N

Lee,
Thanks for the FYI. Very helpful.

Sam