SCRUFFDOGG

I use Zaino on my black truck and last summer I detailed a co-workers black car and finished it with NXT. She parks next to me everyday so I kept an eye on both vehicles for about 3 months and the Zaino held up better but with the same prep both cars looked very similar for at least a month and half, that's when we started noticing the Zaino looked a little better and held up better to the weekly washes. I'll wax at least every 3 months so the durability of either product is fine with me. I'll agree that NXT is a great product but the prep is still key for any final wax / sealant.

skiptomylo

What are important steps to prep a car for wax/sealant?

UberNoob

is it possible to layer carnauba (Collinite specifically) on top of NXT?

picus

Yes, however this kind of defeats the typical purpose of doing this. Generally when people layer a wax over a sealant the idea is to get the best of both worlds - the durabilty of the sealant and the look of the wax (if you prefer a carnauba look to a sealant look), in this case NXT actually has worse durabilty than Collinite, so there really isn't much of a point layering the two. Waxes I'd layer of NXT would be something like:

Nattys Blue
P21S
Clearkote Carnauba

etc... generally ones with the more typical carnauba durabilty in the 4-6 week range.

UberNoob

ah i see
i was hoping that since NXT brings out the metalic shine, i should put it on to get the shine
then protect it with collinite 476

picus

Any extra shine NXT gives you will be muted by the collinite anyway - the only benefit NXT would have under collinite is that it has fillers, so it would fill in some of your light scratches for awhile.

UberNoob

ah ok thanx

V8Lexus

After reading about Zaino, perhaps theres a factor you Zaino guys haven't been considering. Maybe the reason behind Zaino instructing you to apply all those layers is so that you run out faster and have to order more Zaino? Not only that but it seems to be that perhaps the reason you're getting more durability is because you have a million layers of Zaino vs. 1 or 2 layers of NXT from some of us other guys. How about not doing the Zaino prep and instead applying only 1 layer then see how durable it is?

Off-Topic question, i have Zymol cleaner wax and NXT tech wax and i havent used the zymol yet but my buddy gave it to me for my birthday. Are they the same thing? or should i be applying one before or after the other or should i not mix those 2?

jfelbab

Zaino is durable. Let there be no doubt about that. NuFinish is durable too. That's not to say the appearance lasts forever. The looks drop off gradually, just like every other product, as the grime and grit becomes attached to your paint. I've used Zaino and like it. I might have continued to use it if it was, cheaper, easier to get and didn't require mixing. OTOH, I chose NXT because it's looks were indistinguishable from Zaino, it is cheap and it lasts long enough. I usually reapply every month or two anyway so any extra longevity is meaningless to me.

Zymol is a carnauba while NXT and Zaino are polymer sealants. Carnauba has a different look, usually darker and warmer than a polymer sealant. A carnauba also doesn't handle heat as well as a polymer sealant. Carnaubas, evaporate in high heat. That said I have a few tins of pure carnuba waxes on my shelf. I like the look of Carnauba on dark colors. Even in hot weather a carnauba will last for a month or two.

sha4000

iTrader: (1)

what is a decent over the counter carnauba wax?

jfelbab

There are quite a few. If you look hard you might find some Meguiar's #16 Professional Car Wax. This has been discontinued due to EPA regulations but it is awesome. It is often found in boating stores. Meguiar's Gold Class Wax is good as well and widely available. Occasionally you can find Meguiar's Hi-Tech Yellow Carnauba in some auto stores. This is a pure Carnauba and contains no cleaners. It darkens some colors and adds a warm glow to the paint.

Some other good Carnauba waxes are Collinite 845, PoorBoy's Natty's Blue, Pinnacle Souveran, P21S, S100 and Zymol.

SCRUFFDOGG

Done it, layer for layer with the same prep and the Z2 Pro still holds up better than NXT.

sha4000

iTrader: (1)

thanks alot

V8Lexus

lol scruff, i dont think you quite understood what i was getting at. comparing a layered system like the zaino setup vs a 1 coat(usually) in what you do with nxt doesnt add up. try this, instead of doing the zaino prep. after you wash your car and claybar it and wash it again and dry it. take the z2, dont add anything to it, apply it in 1 coat like the nxt, wipe it off. then tell me how the shine compares to NXT and how long it lasts. im sure you'll understand that.

my other question was: can you or does it make sense to use Zymol cleaner wax on the car first then wait an hour or so and then apply a coat of NXT? or should i not be mixing them because they are 2 different types of waxes? and if the Zymol works better on dark cars and shouldnt be mixed ill just give it to my mom since her car is black and mine is silver.

SCRUFFDOGG

This is what I did to the hood of my black truck, washed, clay, polished with SSR2.5 and a cutting pad, polished with 1Z MP and a polishing pad, wiped it down with 50/50 alcohol, rewash, dry. I put a tape line down the center and finished half with NXT liquid, half with Z1-Z2Pro. Only washed weekly, no QD and they both looked the same for about a month, after 2 months I would say the Zaino was holding up better, looked better and beaded better, this was in October and November.