Interestingly enough, I think Z7 is a pretty strong wash and reserve it for the dirtiest of the cars I do (and previously zaino'd cars, of course). I use Zymol for everything else, because, well, the gallon I have was free

I don't think you'll find p21s shampoo on a shelf, but the Meg's Gold Class is pretty good and commonly used. The NXT wash is apparently pretty strong and reduces "slickness" on many finishes, but I haven't used it myself.

I've been running a test on a Z'd car and find that with a single z5x1 + z2prox1:
The section I topped with Z8 does shine up nicely, but on the panel topped with Meg's #16 + #26, it's got the shine AND added depth. FWIW, I'm testing on a dark green TL and each of the 4 panels on the driver's side has a different combo going on (z5+z2pro base+ Souveran/#26/#16+26/Z8)

Also, stick with a pure Zaino regimen if you want the metallic to sparkle. Topped with a carnauba, the metallic gets sort of muted.

 

Bottom line: is Z8 worth getting if I already have Z2, a good carnauba, and Z6?

 

my personal fave wash at the moment is Wolfgang's Autobathe..

 

I'd say if you have Z2 on the car, Z8 is worthwhile. I don't know if I'll use it after every wash, but I'm sure I'll use it after every Z2 application. For now...

BTW, I also used it on my wife's new Mazda 3 with a metalic blue finish. It looks great.

 

The look of the Z-8 is excellent, and it's as easy to apply as any other Zaino product.

My car sat for 3 weeks on jackstands, gathering dust, while the bugs on the front from the last run dried out onto the surface. Right before that run, I treated the car with the Z-8. While washing today, I've never had dried bugs come off so easily. They usually take repeated washes - this time, a couple swipes over the area and the gunk was gone. The difference was really noticeable. I highly recommend the stuff to Zaino users.

JonasM

 

I just zainoed my car for the first time today. Right now, it only has 1 coat of Z2 and Z6 right after, but I'm already noticing the dust issue. Would Z8 take care of this problem? I want my car to stay looking the way it is sans the dust that is already accumulating.

Car looks great BTW. It was a pain to do the wash-claybar-wash-Z2-Z6 process (took me about 7 hours, incluiding drying time for the Z2). I think I may wait a few weeks to do another coat - I'm tired! I can see why others on this board have called Zaino a "true enthusiast product". It requires a certain "level" of commitment!

 

The claybar is a once-a-year thing for me. Now that you've done it, the next time should be much faster: a quick wash, Z-2, then Z6 or Z8. 30 minutes plus drying time (unless you use ZFX). After the surface prep is done, additional coats are as quick as any other product.

On the whole, Zaino is not really any harder to use than any other product. To get the most out of anything, you should be using the claybar to strip everything else off first. Surface preparation is key to results.

Z-8 seems to minimize dust, too. Use it sparingly, and don't rub too much - that's what creates static that attracts dust.

JonasM

 

I dunno about you guys there but to me there is little if any difference between Z8 and Z6 IMO. I rather have 2xZ6 for the price of Z8

 

I see a big difference. It has a different feel, and better gloss, and definitely better dust repelling. But that's just me.

 

Apply P21s wax to give a pop to the finish and reduce the dust