is p21s concours wax compatible with a zaino z5 polish

Lets see if I can help!!!

PS21 concours can be applied on top of Z5, but you will probably see no improvement in looks.

Z5 is not really a "polish" but a synthetic sealant, designed to replicate the appearance of a carnuaba wax. Once Z5 has cured, you can apply any product on top of it, as long as you are not applying a cleaner on top of it (cleaner/waxes will remove the Zaino).

Most carnuaba waxes last 6-8 weeks, tops (some expections such as Collonite 845 and Meguiar's #16, which both last 4-5 months). If Zaino is applied properly, you can expect 6 months or great durability with no decrease in apperance.

Zaino also has the unquie property of being optically clear, that is multiple layers can be added over time to build up your protection, and increase the depth and reflection with no loss in clarity. However, Zaino is like painting your walls.

First the wall needs to be cleaned and primered, then you can apply a coat of Zaino. Once it has dried, Zaino will bond to Zaino, like paint bonds to paint. However if you introduce another coat of a different product on top of Zaino, you have to start the process all over again to apply more Zaino, since it only bonds to itself. Like slathering grease over your painted walls and wondering why the next layer of paint will not stick.

I have tried several high end carnuaba waxes over Z5pro and never noticed an increase in performance worthy of the pains it causes.

You can look at Zainobros.com and contact the owner, Sal, directly. He can answer any questions you have specifically.

Regarding Zymol and other high end waxes, there is a lot of slight of hand marketing going on. All carnuaba waxes are the same (as in actual wax type). 99.9% percent of the carnuaba wax harvested comes from the same area in Brazil. Carnuaba, by itself, is not very reflective (think gummy bears which are encased in pure carnuaba) and is a milky yellow in color.

Zymol and others (such as Pinnacle) bleach thier yellow wax white, (with clorox), then claim that thier wax is made from #1 white carnuaba. Also, the difference in appearance from carnuaba to carnuaba is based in the solvents and oils mixed into the carnuaba wax, not the wax itself (since it is all the same).

The higher quality the oils, the better the appearance, like wiping vegetable oil over your car. The problem with the oils is that they evaportate (which is why they only last 6-8 weeks) and the appearance quickly diminishes as oils bleed out and evaporate.

Lets say Zymol Concours gives you an appearance of 10 after applying. However, by week 3, that appearance number may have slipped to 6.

Zaino may give you a 9 in terms of appearance, but after week 3, you will still be at a 9 (Zaino uses no oils and/or silicons, so there is nothing to evaporate). After week 6, the Zymol is going to be right around the level of initial application, where Zaino will still be a 9.

Sorry about my spelling, but I have typed enough, I'm not going back to correct it

 

I have tried Zaino over several high end carnubas and never noticed an increase in performance worthy of the pain it causes.

Ferrari's are babied. They are rarely driven and exposed. The car that is parked outside the office that sees 10-20k miles a year without a cover is the car most suitible to put Zaino on.

For a garage queen, going the extra mile for Zaino is not worth it. Personally, I ditched Zaino, P21S, Pinnacle for Meguar's NXT. Goes on as easy as the carnubas and provides months of durability and good looks. I use it on my cars, I use it on client's cars.

 

My 1988 Red Ferrari spends every day parked outside the office and gets driven 7,000 miles a year or so. Do you still recommend NXT?

I use NXT on my wife's Black Lexus - How do you get the white residue off the rubber bits if you stray in the application process?

Sorry for the hijack.

 

I use "black again" or any rubber/ vinyl dressing" and work it in.

 

Thanks!

 

No problems, I am glad to offer my opinions to see if I can help you out.

1) After the Zaino is applied you can use your Gold Class shampoo, no problem. However, when you first apply the first coat of Zaino, the surface needs to be perfectly clean (devoid of all greases and waxes) to ensure the Zaino sealant bonds perfectly to the paint. You can use dawn to wash your car (or any high alkaline soap) to make sure your surface is perfectly clean and all previous waxes are removed, or you can use a product called Zaino AIO. AIO is a cleaner/wax that chemically removes minor oxidation and leaves behind an intial coat of Zaino that other coats can be layered on top of (think of it as a coat of primer for your walls, as well as your first coat of Zaino.

2) Yes you can apply with a Meguiar's Gold Glass applicator, no problem. However, it must be perfectly clean. I like using Zaino's applicators (100 percent cotton) spritized with a little of the Zaino quick detailer (Z6). Apply very thin (you should barely see it on a surface. I can easily get two coats of Zaino from a 1/2 ounce or less on my truck, let alone a Ferrari. If you are applying more then one coat of Z2 or Z5 in a day, it needs to be mixed with a flash cure acclerator.

3) If you apply Zaino thin enough (barely see it going on the surface) then let it stand for 15 minutes, it should wipe away clean. A good rule of thumb for all sealants is to let them dry to haze then quickly swipe your finger across the hazed sealant. It should wipe away clean, leaving nothing behind on the surface. If you see streaking on the paint where you wiped it with your finger, then let it set for a couple minutes and try again.

So your process, IMO, should look like this...

Wash with Meg's Gold class or Dawn

-If washed with Dawn, you can go straight to your applicator of Z5

-If washed with Gold Glass, apply ONE coat of Zaino AIO, using your foam pad. Use a work in, wipe off method. Apply the AIO, using a clean foam pad, by gently working into the surface, applying with a little pressure and using small, overlapping circles until the entire vehicle is covered with a thin coat.

- After wiping clean, wait 15-20 minutes to allow the cross linked polymers in Zaino AIO to cure.

- Apply one coat of Z5 (or Z2) to the paint using a Zaino cloth applicator. Give the pad a spritz of Z6 (quick detailer spray) to make the Z5 spread easy. Draw a thin cross of product on the pad, and apply ver thinnly. You should cover half the hood (or bonnet as you guys say) with just the cross. Allow to dry to a haze, test, and wipe off with a microfiber or 100 percent cotton towel. Your done, you have put two coats of Zaino on (one AIO and one of either Z2/Z5 pro).

Now let it stand for at least 24 hours before washing to ensure the Zaino is fully cured (you will notice the reflection and depth and gloss increase in this 24 hour period).

Once cured you can continue washing with your Gold Glass, no problem. If you desire to add more coats of Zaino to increase the gloss and protection, just wipe the surface with Z6 (quick detailer) prior to adding an additonal coat or wash using the Z7 wash. Meguiars Gold Glass (as well as most other soaps) soap leaves a little product behind on the surface to increase gloss, so you need to clean the surface with Z6 before applying additonal coats of Zaino.

Z8 is a booster wax, not a detail spray. I used to on GatorFL's car while he was watching, which he noticed an increase in the depth and color. It is applied just a like a detail spray, but leaves a higher gloss surface behind.

 

NXT is great sealant. The draw back of course is that is an oil based sealant, which sacrifices durabilty in terms of gloss. Nothing wrong with it, though I suggest using Meg's #21 instead, as it produces the same appearance with longer durability.

Also, you are correct in stating that the majority of Ferrari's are babied, so they don't need the extra protection Zaino offers, but I think most of my clients like knowing its there. To me, its like offering something less because you can, so Zaino (while more of a pain to apply the first time) is something that every Ferrari should have. Why skimp just because you can, IMO.

Zaino can be layered, NXT cannot. I'm not bashing NXT at all though (its a very nice product) but it is a cleaner wax, one of whose major ingredinents is inca clay, which is used as a mild abbrasive. That means every coat of NXT is likely removing the previous coat (not a problem since it doesn't last long anyways). With Zaino, I can offer my clients a product that is layerable, so everytime they have their vehicles detalied, the additional coats are like investing into the protection of thier paint, whether it may or may not need it.

 

No, NXT will not last long in these conditions, IMO. You could try Meguiar's #21, which is their pro version of NXT. It is my go to sealant for those who do not want Zaino, and lasts much longer then NXT while providing the same type of gloss and reflection.

The white residue is caused by the oils and silicons in the NXT. A detailers trick is to take peanut butter (yes peanut butter) and rub it on the chalked up areas, then wipe it off. The acid in peanut butter oil eats into the residue and removes it.

Zaino, because it is oil and silicon free, can be applied to weather stripping, glass, plastic, ect with no problems.

 

I've used Meguiars Gold Class since it came out, Medallion before. I've tried Nxt Gen and still prefer the GC. I gives more pop to the color and depth to black cars, imo. Plus, it lasts longer and comes off easier than Nxt Gen. I do like the Nxt Gen Spray Wax, however. Still, you need to wait for it to dry even after doing the entire car. As I drive a C6 Corvette and enjoy the Vette Forums, Zaino is the product of choice. Pictures show it to do a fine job; however, I don't believe the effort or cost give a concurrent increase in output received with regard to Gold Class.

 

Generally speaking, caring for a Ferrari is not any different from any other car.
I have been washing and detailing my cars for many years, and the best tip that I have recently picked up is DO NOT use anything but water to wash your car. I put my car in my driveway early in the morning before it is under direct sunlight, use a high pressure washer on the entire car. No rags, sponges, etc. Just the washer. Then I dry it with a large microfiber towel in one hand and a quick detail spray (I use Adams) in the other. I spray a fine mist and dry each area. Takes 10 minutes. Thats it! I learned this from the owner of Premier Automotive in So Cal, which is considered the best body shop in the area, if not in the country! They only work on Ferraris. I was told that soap (any soap) is the enemy of wax or sealant. And if a car has a good wax or sealant, it will come clean without the use of soap. And this is so true! Finally, I think Zaino, while good, is a pain and not worth the time or effort. That is because I use Rejex on my cars, and it seems to protect the surface better and longer than anything on the market. And the shine is as good as it gets. I detail my Ferrari and Corvette every 3 months. The black Vette gets washed every week, and the red Ferrari every 2 or 3 weeks. Its a breeze and they both look better than new!

 

That is a horrible tip. As a general rule, body shops give the absolute worst paint care advice. Without a surfactant to break the bond between the dirt and the paint and a lubricant to ease the dirt away, you are grinding it into your paint when you touch it. This water-only technique is a tip hot rodders seem to hold quite dearly. Based on the paint condition of most hot rods I have seen, they desperately need to use soap.

Pressure washing alone will not completely clean a dirty car. Basically your pressure washer is removing loose dirt and your QD is the surfactant. You would like to think you are washing your car without soap, but in reality you are not.

For washing a car, the complete opposite is true. Use a dedicated car wash soap and plenty of soapy water. You don't need to use a heavy concentration of soap, but the water should feel slickery. Use 3-5 gallons of this soapy water to wash. Slather it on the paint. The more the better. Rinse well, then gently dry. You can use a QD on the wet paint to reduce friction when you are drying.

 

Maybe most body shops give bad advice, but Premier Automotive is not one of them. As I said, they only work on Ferrari's, and their work and reputation is the best in the Country. They are very expensive, they take their time, but when a car is finished it is 100% (not 99%) perfect. That being said, I began to take their advice and use only a pressure washer (not on full blast)
to wash my cars, and, let me tell you, it comes out just as clean as when I used to use a high quality car wash soap. As I said, the key is to keep the paint protected with a good wax or polimer...such as Rejex. My black Corvette (daily driver) sits outside 10 hours a day, 5 days a week, and I don't use soap on it. And a Vette, having a composite skin and rubber bumpers, it very tough to keep looking great,especially a black one.