What about Zymol?

All you ever hear about is Zaino and NXT nowadays. I remember Zymol used to be somewhat popular a little while ago. How come it's not now? How does it compare to other waxes, like Gold Class, or Zaino, or NXT?

I used zymol before zaino, and it was a favorite... until zaino...


Really brought back old paint on cars in my opinon...

Be careful with Zymol, that is serious wax. There are different levels of zymol, starting with the fake turtle wax brand found in retail auto parts stores( for $20, skip those and go right to Mothers), then the authentic zymol which you may find in some auto accessories catalogs, which typically range from $35 to $70.

Then, you go into the serious area, the estate waxes. This is where the conoisseurs take over. These waxes demand time and effort, and will range from $75 to infinity ($1500). Their wax quality is beyond reproach, and will give you (in my humble opinion) the most intense depth of shine you will find on any clearcoated paint surface. My advice is that if you like your current wax or synthetic, then you should stick with it, because once you make the mistake of trying out "Real" Zymol, there is NO GOING BACK!!

I have tried other waxes in my long experience with detailing, and many of them are quite good (I tend to favor the Mother's line at their price level between 10 and 25 dollars), but Zymol doesn't play around...............you'll just have to try it yourself to see what I mean. A real wax is judged by its results, not necessarily by someone's opinion.

PS: make sure your hands and fingers are ready!

Oh and it probably isn't as "popular" as you think because real zymol cost so damn much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have some but I have not used it yet. My mom found a Zymol kit for DIRT CHEAP(don't even know how they could sell it sooo cheap) at target one day and I plan to use it on my folks and sisters cars and see how it does.......but for the TA i'm sticking with Zaino;)

The only Zymol I ever used was the store-bought Turtle Wax made stuff... I wouldn't wax my garbage can with that stuff. :yuck:

While I can't say I have hands-on experience with the super-expensive stuff ($1500?!?! :rolleyes: ) I can say I would really have a hard time shelling out anything even remotely close to that amount to a company who is willing to put their name on a rebottled Turtle Wax dime-a-dozen junk wax.

Remember the Cadillac Cimmaron? This is the wax-world's equivilant, IMO.

So the bluish Zymol liquid, in the clear bottle, with the white cap is the cheap stuff? I used some the other day and it worked well... seemed kinda runny, though. I've probably had it around for too long.

Fred

The blue zymol at walmart is the cleaner wax version, it contains zero carnauba wax, it contains bees wax. The other very expensive kind of Zymols contain carnauba and no cleaners but tons of oil, all Zymol has a short paint life. The blue Zymol has faired better in all the tests I have seen vs. the very expensive Zymol.

See here:

http://www.nsxsc.com/nsexcitement/waxtest.html

That is quite incorrect. Zymol has an excellent duration. I still have my coatings from last year, and it has held up better than anything I've ever seen. I even regret the fact that I have to take this stuff off soon, but all wax should be taken off of your paint in a year's time, and I am putting more of that good stuff on. It does help if the car is covered, but this stuff is just beyond a description. You would just have to try it. I was quite skeptical of it at first. I used to say that a wax costing that much was a waste of time. Then I tried it. From what I was able to see in that wax was an absolute brilliant resolution, and (in my own view) no wax or synthetic could even come close to the depth and intensity of the Zymol estate wax. Yes I've tried Zaino.

I don't recommend Zymol for everyone, because it is a serious wax that is demanding in its application, somewhat time consuming, and of course expensive. However, if you are willing to take a chance on the absolute best result for your money, then try it for yourself and see if it holds up to your expectations.

There is just no equal to it, but that's just my opinion. Unfortunately for my wallet, I won't use anything else.

Originally posted by lbls1
That is quite incorrect. Zymol has an excellent duration. I still have my coatings from last year, and it has held up better than anything I've ever seen. I even regret the fact that I have to take this stuff off soon, but all wax should be taken off of your paint in a year's time, and I am putting more of that good stuff on. It does help if the car is covered, but this stuff is just beyond a description. You would just have to try it. I was quite skeptical of it at first. I used to say that a wax costing that much was a waste of time. Then I tried it. From what I was able to see in that wax was an absolute brilliant resolution, and (in my own view) no wax or synthetic could even come close to the depth and intensity of the Zymol estate wax. Yes I've tried Zaino.

I don't recommend Zymol for everyone, because it is a serious wax that is demanding in its application, somewhat time consuming, and of course expensive. However, if you are willing to take a chance on the absolute best result for your money, then try it for yourself and see if it holds up to your expectations.

There is just no equal to it, but that's just my opinion. Unfortunately for my wallet, I won't use anything else.


Serious Question:

What makes the $1500 Zymol worth $1500, compared to a quality $22 bottle of Meguire's Gold Class? I won't compare Zaino even, because of the synthetic vs natural thing, but if you would rather use Zaino as a comparision, that is fine too.

Even if the $1500 Zymol is better, which I am skeptical about, but can't say for sure as I've never used it.... is it $1478 or better than Gold Class?! The difference can not be that great, IMO. Also, there is no way a natural is going ot be more durable than a synthetic... the only way I can believe there is wax still on your car a year later is if it is a show car that is covered, stored, and never driven.

Like I said..........the only way you will know is to take the plunge and try it.

I said the same thing a year ago about the "ripoff" wax until I tried it. However, I haven't gotten up to that 1500 dollar version yet. It would be great to have that kind of cash to spend on wax (better yet...that kind of cash in hand).

PS: Serious answer...if you are in a concours show, and you're car is being judged, you had better have an advantage in your car's finish that is better than average. I like meguiars a lot, I used to use it. For me, I took my car's finish to the next level because I wanted the best finish that I could afford, and Zymol soundly fit the bill.

Originally posted by Darth Xed
Serious Question:

What makes the $1500 Zymol worth $1500, compared to a quality $22 bottle of Meguire's Gold Class? I won't compare Zaino even, because of the synthetic vs natural thing, but if you would rather use Zaino as a comparision, that is fine too.

Even if the $1500 Zymol is better, which I am skeptical about, but can't say for sure as I've never used it.... is it $1478 or better than Gold Class?! The difference can not be that great, IMO. Also, there is no way a natural is going ot be more durable than a synthetic... the only way I can believe there is wax still on your car a year later is if it is a show car that is covered, stored, and never driven.

The $1500 dollar Zymol we are talking about is for a LIFETIME supply of it. It comes in a little class crystal gar if i remember. Its on their site somewhere.

I was kind of thinking about it a little while I must admit. The car in my signature I do not plan on trading in or selling (I hope), so I figured that a lifetime supply of that outstanding wax actually may be cheaper than me buying their other expensive waxes every year in the long run.

Problem is, forking up the 1500 bucks when other things take priority over wax, like car payments, living expenses, etc.

That's why I caution anybody looking at Zymol's high end stuff, because it is outrageously priced; yes for a good reason, but outrageous nonetheless.

I'd tried Zymol, along with the dozens of products over the years. It has a great shine but didn't last on a daily driver worth spit and didn't seem to provide any real protection from bugs or presents from birds.

Your results will depend on which zymol brand you use. I would stay clear away from the stuff that is sold in AutoZone, because it is no more than fancy turtle wax (which isn't even wax!).

I had success with the brand I use (name not disclosed...its in the estate line) by layering it slowly over a season in a succession of a coat of wax at a time. Zymol actually recommends that you put on no more than 5 coats before re-cleaning your paint surface. The rep said that I would get the optimal resolution within 3-5 coats. But being the waxaholic that I am, it would be safe to say that I exceeded the recommended coatings. It is fine as long as you don't cake on too many layers at a single time, and breaking down the layers with several hand buffings with a smooth polishing cloth.

Another thing, with a daily driver without a garage, it will be normal to lose beading quality in a carnauba wax. Not to worry, because the actual wax will remain, (which is the most important ingredient), providing the necessary protection to your paint surface.

Can't wait till I get her in shape this summer!

Originally posted by lbls1
Zymol actually recommends that you put on no more than 5 coats before re-cleaning your paint surface. The rep said that I would get the optimal resolution within 3-5 coats. But being the waxaholic that I am, it would be safe to say that I exceeded the recommended coatings. It is fine as long as you don't cake on too many layers at a single time, and breaking down the layers with several hand buffings with a smooth polishing cloth.

Another thing, with a daily driver without a garage, it will be normal to lose beading quality in a carnauba wax. Not to worry, because the actual wax will remain, (which is the most important ingredient), providing the necessary protection to your paint surface.

Can't wait till I get her in shape this summer!

2-3 coats of wax? You are only wiping off the previous coat. Waxing or polishing should not be hard or difficult. That does not make the stuff any better. Carnauba is NOT good for your car. It is brittle, and is full of oils.

READ These:

Reasons NOT TO USE carnauba waxes:
http://www.ls1camaro.net/sections.php?op=viewarticle&artid=6

Reasons to USE ZAINO:
http://www.ls1camaro.net/sections.php?op=viewarticle&artid=7

VERY IMPORTANT INFO REGARDING WAXES:
http://www.ls1camaro.net/sections.php?op=viewarticle&artid=5

These are WORTH reading. It is shocking to know some of the horrible things to our cars, not knowing any better.

With a pure wax if you do not use a cleaner, you will compound your coatings. Your statement would apply to a cleaner wax or a polish, not a pure carnauba wax.

2-3 coats of wax is the minimum amount you will need for basic protection. I mentioned earlier that this amount will not guarantee that you will maintain bead quality (especially if its outside).

As for comparisons......I've read many of them. My challenge to anyone that is curious about Zymol or any wax or polish system is to actually try it, instead of relying on heresay. I was quite gun-ho about a particular brand of syn car polish when I first bought my SS, because everyone on SLP's message board raved about it. I tried it, as well as observed several of my club member's results. I was disappointed in the results, but in hindsight I am glad that I did it because I tried something different, which in the end made me sought for (and find) the best wax for my money, which exceeded my expectations in terms of a finish quality.

That is what a good wax or polish system should do, to exceed expectations.

BTW: I've used carnauba wax for almost 20 years (and more than 20 years overall....Dad drove a hard bargain!!!), and NOT ONE of my cars I've used it on ever needed to be repainted, or professionally wetsanded or detailed. My previous clearcoated car which I bought new I am selling after 11 years, and it still has its ORIGINAL showroom shine!! Nothing but carnauba wax (gliptone, meguiars), no car cover, no garage, and all of the acid rain that the eastern seaboard had to offer!!

Carnauba is bad??? Try it, don't read it!!!!