Has anyone ACTUALLY TRIED some NXT over Zaino Z-2 and/or Z-5 polish? If so, how did you like the results? Will the NXT strip the Zaino? I have 6 coats of Z-2 and one coat of Z-5 on now (last coat applied in Oct.), and it's about to get too cold to spend all day outside waxing the car. Love Zaino durability but love shine and ease of NXT application. Would you recommend: 1.) Just washing the car over the winter and apply more Zaino in April? OR 2.) Apply NXT over the winter and then back to Zaino in the spring? Any other suggestions also appreciated. Zaino'ing in the winter just isn't an option for me. Thanks, all.

 

I'd say commit yourself to zainoing, just less frequently. I dont see why NXT'ing would hurt though if you really want to get it done quicker. I'm not all too knowledgable about mixing zaino and NXT

 

NXT does contain a mild abrasive, so as you apply it you will be removing what ever you have underneath it. How much gets removed is anybody's guess.
With 6 coats on the car you are well protected and should not have to do anything.
If you get one of those accidental decent days where the temperature sneaks up, you can slip another quick coat on and you are good again.

 

Use the Zaino spray. It shines like a champ and extends the life of your coats of Z-5. I hate to break it to you all but none of you have more than about 3 coats on your car. Most polish/wax/sealant/polymer/whatever you want to call it manufacturers will admit that even the best products lose their ability to adhere to themselves after approximately 3 coats (sorry Dr. Bonz). Here comes the flaming. Yes Zaino is great, yes I will continue to use it exclusively, yes it is reasonably priced, yes it has been proven in "independant" tests, but I'm not a sucker for all the hype. But I digress, the Zaino spray is your best bet for quick shining and protecting.

 

Good news. Still have over 1 1/2 bottles of the spray (Z-6?) out in the garage. Works great, and I've always used it exclusively, but somehow I've always been annoyed by the scent. It smells like one of those "fruity" perfumes that adolescent girls wear.

Thanks, all. I was a bit surprised that Kevin didn't kick in and tell me that if I put NXT over Zaino, my car would turn powder blue.

 

The abrasives in NXT are so mild they shouldn't even be called abrasive NXT isn't even a cleaner wax...it's that mild. Your best bet would probably be to layer zaino on top of NXT as NXT does have fantastic filling/hiding ability for swirls. Zaino has none though Zaino does last a very very long time making it a good LSP.

 

With a few coats of Zaino you'll be fine with just washing over the winter; an occasional going-over with Z6 after the wash will be even better. Then in the spring when you get a nice day, throw on a couple coats of Z5 and you'll be good!

 

I just finished putting NXT over Z-5 and it came out fantastic. I'm not going back to Z. My SB is looking the best it ever looked with NXT.

 

On shine, you really can't compare Z-5 w/NXT. I agree NXT shines better, but Z-5 isn't Zaino's best product, shine wise; Z-2 w/Z-FX accelerator added to it is. NXT shine is every bit as good as Z-2 IMO, but not better, when it comes to shine, and Z-2 is more durable in my experience, but on the other hand, NXT is quicker and easier to apply. The Zaino website will tell you that Z-5 was primarily designed to fill scratches, and they recommend Z-2 for the best shine.

I liked the shine, scratch cover and ease of application of NXT, but went back to Zaino a month or so after I bought the car b/c even w/a couple coats of NXT, the water stopped beading after 10-14 dy following the most recent coat.

We're still early on in the cold season, but my multiple coats of Zaino are still beading great. My plan now is to use NXT if the Zaino appears to wear off over the winter, but I hope to make it to the end of Mar. '05 or so w/o having to wax at all, and just trying to Z-6 occasionally.

 

Try NXT w/ a caranuba topper. All the filling/hiding and popping benefits of NXT with a bit more durability.

 

Absolutely !!!! Try topping with S100 or Megs #16...

 

Bump. Alright, guys, I went ahead and did it.

D/N want to go w/a wax on top of the NXT b/c I d/n want to cover its great shine. My theory/hope was that, with six coats of Z-2 and one coat of Z-5, any abrasive properties in the NXT wouldn't take all my Zaino off, so I put two coats of NXT over my Zaino, and for now at least, the results are as I had hoped. Incredible shine, and water beads wonderfully.

One more thing: the easy on/off of the NXT is especially critical in the winter (in places where it gets cold, at least), not only b/c it gets you out of the cold, but because the NXT itself stays sufficiently "liquid" to apply/remove, even outside the garage, in 30 degree weather.

I'm sure Kevin would be quick to point out that the jury is still out on the durability of my combo., and rightly so, so I'll give you the update on durability of the "Zaino w/NXT topper" combination in a month or so.