I recently swapped bumper with a fellow forum member because he had upgraded to the MazdaSpeed Kit and his stock bumper had a front lip on it. See as i wanted a front lip i thought well instead of going through the hassle of drilling holes etc... Why not just swap front bumpers.

Took us 15 mins to get the bumper off and another 15 to put his with the front lip on. Today i decided that since he didn't use zaino on his car that i should put a couple coats on. He said he used some stuff from Japan.

While wash i noticed something peculiar. The smoothness of Zaino doesn't last more then a week however the protection never goes away.

In the pictures below my hood and fenders have 2 coats of Zaino on them applied 4 weeks ago. The Bumper has "the stuff from Japan"

Notice how the Water just beads up, its cool to see it actually protecting the finish.

thanks for the informative post. wish more posters your age were such good contributors :) we were interested in zaino...one member here has it....may be purchasing it soon.

I've had Zaino bead water for 7 months before. Probably would've lasted much longer, but I went ahead and put a few more coats on. I detail my car twice a year whether it needs it or not. LOL!

I must detail my car every 4 weeks. Yes I know - obessessssed!!

Nice work Mark.

Wayne

I washed my car last Saturday, and then again today (wednesday), and this weekend am thinking of adding more zaino coats. Am I obsessed, some people think so?

Not at all im on my 5th coat. Car feels like it has a new clearcoat.

My 96 Z28 that I had got Z6'd everyday, washed weekly unless it got dirty sooner, and Z2'd weekly. ;)

I know ppl that washed daily and Z2'd their cars at least every other day. They were a tad more addicted/crazy than I was. :eek:

Great post PoLak. The pics really show the difference.

I just went through a horrible lazy (and frequently rainy) spell where I didn't wash my car for over a month. :eek: Prior to that, I was washing and Zainoing weekly, I probably have 15-20 coats on it. There was so much caked on grime and bug guts, it took me 90 minutes just to wash and detail it, and then one quick coat of Z6.

It still beaded, and came out clean and shiny. Sorry, no before and after pic.

I clean my car every day. Hence my signature. Obsessed? Definitely but proud of it.

Excellent post and great photos. Thanks.

I'd have to put myself in the "nearly obsessed" category. I've had my RX-8 for five months, and I'm at 6 coats of Zaino and counting. (With the warm weather, I've been putting another coat on every time I wash it, which is every other week or so.) For what it's worth, I now have 3 coats on my slightly weathered 2000 Protege, too, and it, too, is beading like crazy.

I think my Meguires NXT beads more than that.
I just washed it last night so no wet pics for a few days.

It may bead more, but this is more about lasting protection. Does NXT last for 7 months without being reapplied? The answer is no, unless you keep it in the garage and never drive it for 7 months. :)

I don't think NXT has been around for 7 months, however with as many applications of NXT as most have of Zaino, I will let you know what happens between fall and spring when it will be too miserable to wax.

I've only used the NXT, I put two coats on two weeks ago, lots of rain here in the panhandle since then. Most of the surface is still beading. The roof seems to have larger beads than elsewhere, maybe cause it's a flatter surface. I'll watch it for another month and let you know if it fades loco. I did use a clay bar for the first time in my life..., it's a pain in the rear, but WOW what a difference!

Labop, yes, keep us updated. I am interested in what your results are. There seems to be a lot of debate about NXT's durability, but there's no question it looks spectacular. Most people indicate they're getting about 2-3 months, which is all some people expect anyway.

If there was a product that easy to use that truly protected as long as Zaino, I'd probably switch. Something that lasts a long time is really nice in the winter when you don't have a chance to wax often, as Astor alluded to.

Notice how the Water just beads up, its cool to see it actually protecting the finish.
Have you been using Z6 regularly? I did complete Zaino about 3 1/2 months ago (claybar/Z5/Z2/Z6) and now just Z6 after weekly wash. Your beading seems weak. Mine beads with very uniform tiny beads. Seems like the Z6 helps to maintain the protection quite a bit.

Probably has to do with turning the hose on "mist".

If i zaino i do the whole deal, using their wash to wax, i hardly ever just use the car wash. I do the gloss enhancer between coats etc....

I'd like to make a quick point about the beading effect. Beading is a property of a wax or polish; something that typically is a petroluem base solution (like oil in away). Just because something doesn't bead doesn't mean it's not protecting. If a car sheets the water off (like what I think I'm seeing in the pictures) it is most likely a sealant product that works more like Rainx for the paint. Have any of you tried CrystalGuard? (I'm curious about "the stuff from Japan" and what it is). The sheeting effect happens with a polymer sealant that is glass based. Ever spill water on a glass table? It doesn't bead up, it runs off...

I'd like to see someone test true durability with one single coat of Zaino vs. a single application of CrystalGuard. This would be a test for ease of application, shine, and durabilty. I don't understand why you have to consantly reapply so many multiple layers of Zaino..sounds time consuming and expensive.

I'd like to make a quick point about the beading effect. Beading is a property of a wax or polish; something that typically is a petroluem base solution (like oil in away). Just because something doesn't bead doesn't mean it's not protecting. If a car sheets the water off (like what I think I'm seeing in the pictures) it is most likely a sealant product that works more like Rainx for the paint. Have any of you tried CrystalGuard? (I'm curious about "the stuff from Japan" and what it is). The sheeting effect happens with a polymer sealant that is glass based. Ever spill water on a glass table? It doesn't bead up, it runs off...

I'd like to see someone test true durability with one single coat of Zaino vs. a single application of CrystalGuard. This would be a test for ease of application, shine, and durabilty. I don't understand why you have to consantly reapply so many multiple layers of Zaino..sounds time consuming and expensive.
I've been curious about getting crystalguard applied on my car but i have certain reservations in regards to "depth of shine", as well as finding a qualified installation facility to do it airbrushes and wash bay etc...

I'll gladly do a protection test, if crystal guard won out I'd be first on board, you hosted a BBQ/Demo day for a bunch of the west coast guys, are you willing to do the same for the Tri-State-Rx8 club? (NJ,PA,NY)
Assuming you have someone on the east coast that’s as qualified and willing to demo as the guy in your installation video.

I'd like to see someone test true durability with one single coat of Zaino vs. a single application of CrystalGuard. This would be a test for ease of application, shine, and durabilty. I don't understand why you have to consantly reapply so many multiple layers of Zaino..sounds time consuming and expensive.I have a crappy mustang convertable, and I put one coat of zaino on it. Just one coat, no claybar, no Z6. I have no plans to waste any more Zaino on it, but I will be watching how long the zaino lasts. The car is beading water like a champ right now, but it's only been about two weeks.

PS: The mustang sits out in the open, and it rains pretty much every day.

I've been curious about getting crystalguard applied on my car but i have certain reservations in regards to "depth of shine", as well as finding a qualified installation facility to do it airbrushes and wash bay etc...

I'll gladly do a protection test, if crystal guard won out I'd be first on board, you hosted a BBQ/Demo day for a bunch of the west coast guys, are you willing to do the same for the Tri-State-Rx8 club? (NJ,PA,NY)
Assuming you have someone on the east coast that’s as qualified and willing to demo as the guy in your installation video.

We do have a service provider in Englewood NJ. I'm sure I could coordinate a meeting at his facility. We usually do a raffle for two free demo of the CG Quick at these events. Maybe I can arrange to include a 1/2 off Ex application in the raffle as well.. (normally $299 for $150). Would this interest any of the members on the east coast? Should I start a thread and find out?

How about members in Seattle, Los Angeles, San Diego?

Alabama?

Well it looks like the service provide in NJ would be happy to host an event at his facility in Englewood. I'll start a thread to see how many of you from the Tri-stae area would like to attend....