Hi guys/gals,

I have a question regarding the application of Z-2/Z-5 products. A few weekends ago, I applied Z-2 with the ZFX (?) accelerator to my new Anthracite TL. In reading over the instructions and heeding recommendations on this forum, I used about a dime-size amount per panel of the car, excluding larger panels such as the hood where I used more.

I ultimately used just under an ounce for the entire car; more like 3/4 of an ounce. The result was that I could hardly see the product applied to the paint during the drying period. Of course, if I looked hard enough, I could see very faint hazing/streaking from the Z-2. But since I've never used this type of product before, and especially since I am accustomed to see a large buildup of other products like carnauba wax, I feel naive in how well I'm using this product in order to maximize my benefits from it.

Does anybody have any general tips on how to judge how much Z-2/Z-5 to put on the car panels, coat-by-coat?

Actually, this brings up another question about my clearbra. I got my clearbra done by Steve's Tint in Upland, and he recommended using a product call Plexus for helping maintain the shine and smootness of the clearbra, and to stay away from waxing/polishing the bra. Does anybody have any feedback on this? I also use the Aerospace 303 Protectant on my interior; I wonder if that would work on the clearbra, rather than the Plexus?

Thanks!

 

well i don't use zaino so can't answer your question regarding that. however as far as clear bras are concerned i have read that you are suppose to treat it like it wasn't there at all and jus detail it with whatever product you choose. i am still skeptical about that statement. i use Plexus on my clear plastics like headlights and brake lights. not sure how well it would work on the clear bra.

 

DeeW...I've used Zaino many times. I've also got Anthracite paint on my '04TL. The less you use..the better. It takes several coats...approx. 3-5 before Zaino does it's magic with Anthracite. Everyone who sees my car thinks it's a "custom" color...it looks much darker than it did from the factory. After the first coat of Zaino..it looked OK..but no different than any other "wax"...I wasn't impressed. I kept applying Z-2..and Z-6 between coats...the whole process taking over 6months...but finally..after a year...my car doesn't even look like the Anthracite that Acura uses. With the Z-6...you should "mist" the spray and let it settle on the finish..barely enough to even see...then wipe it down with a really good quality cotton cloth...100% cotton..and cut off the seams so the polyester stitching doesn't scratch your paint. Then..with the Z-2...only use enough to barely see the stuff after it drys...you shouldn't see anywhere as much as you would with regular wax. Let it dry for a few hours..that's very important..and don't do more than 2 coats in a 24hour period. After a few coats...and a few weeks...you'll start to see what people rave about Zaino. Stick with it...you'll be blown away when you finally get the stuff built up on the finish. It's going to make your Anthracite darker..and the depth to the shine is incredible. There is a sticky about Zaino on this forum....Zaino 101 for dummies or something like that...check it out!! BTW....you don't need Z-5 unless you've got swirl marks...then use mabe 3 coats of Z-5 and then go back to Z-2.....then build up another 3-5 coats....layering Zaino is the secret...anyone who only puts on 1-2 coats isn't going to realize how incredible that stuff works. It's one of the few products that actually "layers" on the finish.

 

I have been using Zaino on my Anthricite with an Xpel Clear Bra for 15 months and have been very pleased with the results. Multiple light applications of Zaino have been very successful for me.

 

Thanks guys!

I'll continue to do it the way I did a few weeks ago. I'll focus on putting multiple coats on, probably on a weekly basis...

 

zaino acually makes ur car look a diff color? pics plz

 

i didn't think that was the purpose of zaino or any other detailing product. what zaino is known for is it's optical clarity. meaning that the light being reflected off the surface of the car is uniform. this way when someone is looking at the car they see a brilliant shine because the light being reflected is not being distorted in any way.

 

What brand of film did they use for your clear bra. If it is 3M you are suppose to treat it like it would not be there. It is clearcoated like the rest of your car, so you should wax it or Zaino it like the rest of the car.

Some products like Llumar are not clear coated and may need to be treated differently.

Remember though, if you treat it differently, you car may become 2 tone if you ever decide to take the bra off. It can be compared to a situation, where you would wax the entire car, but one door. How do you think that door will look after few years. Of course, it will be a different color.

If they used 3M material for the bra, it is UV stabilized, so the sun will penetrate through it and discolor the covered area just like the rest of the car.

Let me know if you will have any more questions.

Take care, Mark.

 

Here is my SSM 99TL. People say it looks almost white in some sunlight. I've applied over 100 coats of Z2 to it in the 5 years I've had it.

 

Wow, from this pic i'd say it does look almost white. Wonder what Zaino would do to black? Make it BLACKER???

 

i have an ssm, and plan to zaino it soon...

 

Guys, I don't have any pictures to post...sorry....but the Zaino actually made my Anthracite TL look darker. I'ts very noticable and is probably due to the optical properties of the Zaino polymers. Several weeks ago, I had my TL at the dealer and it was sitting next to a brand new '05Anthracite TL and even the service manager noticed the difference in the shade of the finish between my car and the new TL. When I took delivery, I didn't think my finish was all that shiny, and certainly didn't have any depth to the shine. It looked almost flat...but after the Zaino treatment...many many coats...the paint has real depth to the shine and looks like a mirror finish. It really works...try it!

 

I vote for using Zaino. It looks great after several coats on the Anthracite.