Imperial Hand Glaze

[wizardofahs]

Do a lot of you guys use/like this product? I heared about it a lot on another forum... but here i couldn`t even find a good review in the product review section. I was thinking of using it when i do my big job come spring break.... any advice from people that have used it? Is it worth it? Or will the cleaner coming in my klasse kit work just as well? Thanks



Dr. Jones

[BradE]

IHG is not a cleaner. It`s combo of oils and fillers used to fill swirl marks and other imperfections. The durability of the product is not great and it cannot be use in conjunction with polymer sealants. But it has it`s uses. Like right before you trade a car in, slap a coat of IHG on to make it look good. Or perhaps even right before your car is going to be judged at a show.

[Pats300zx]

I use it alot on my show car. It does add depth to the shine on the car and fill in some of the minor swirls. The only problem is that it tends to evaporate after a few days.

[imported_doug]

You can put carnauba over it.



It is actually difficult to put on a black car evenly enough to avoid "staining" or "streaking". But it does make a car look nice. I think meguiar`s show car glaze is a bit easier to apply without this streaking, but it is a bit more difficult to buff out. The trick there is to use a bit of detail spray if the buffing cloth is pulling to much.

[imported_Intermezzo]

Carguy, I agree. The IHG did leave a glistening shine...but only after I painstakingly buffed it out. It was almost imposssible to buff it without it streaking all over the place on a black car. After doing the hood this way, I tried it on another panel and tried to let it dry for a while before buffing to see if that would reduce the streaking. This helped a little, but I didn`t really give a crap at that point because the IHG became almost IMPOSSIBLE to remove. I should have used the detail spray like you mentioned.

[wizardofahs]

so from what it sounds like, i should stay away? I do have a black car afterall... and not to much expierence.. i was going to dawn and then clay then remove the swirls (in a procedure yet to be determined.. probably FI-II and SMR) then use the pinnacle paint cleansing stuff... then 3 coats of klasse AIO and 4ish coats of classie SG then souveren.... with that should i even need the IHG? also would it be more beneficial to do the paint cleaner before removing the swirls? Thanks again



Dr. Jones

[Lemonxxs]

Welcome to the forum.



Once you remove those swirls you probably will not need the IHG anymore for that car.



I would clay then remove swirls then you can use you PPCL.



Remember AIO is a paint cleaner with polymer so maybe you could save money and skip the PPCL. Just a thought.

[Figz]

Finally a thread that I can contribute to! I have used IHG for around a year on my black VW. I have to say that the car looked really good after apllying one coat of this stuff, toppped with a coat of carnuba wax. However, like others have said, it doesn`t last very long. If you wash the car the week after you apply IHG you can start to notice an increase in the swirls that were previously removed. Though, i found it very easy to apply and remove. I heard rumors that 3M Swirl remover for Dark Cars actually replaced this stuff, but I can`t confirm that.



Bottom line: I have used this stuff for about a year or so, and now I am moving on to 3M SMR.



Tom

94 VW Corrado

86 Jetta coupe

[DETAILKING]

Please be aware of of the products you are using. If you use abrasive products regularly, you won`t have a clear coat left after a while!!!!



FIGZ---> IHG is a non abrasive glaze. It is basically putting a layer of oil on your car for gloss and to fill in swirls. A carnuba topper helps durability, but after a few washes, you know what happens. You can use IHG as often as you like, but unless the car is a garaged show car, you are not going to see your hard work last as long as it could with the right products.



3M swirl mark remover (#39009) is an abrasive product. It is to be used to remove swirls by abrasively leveling the clearcoat. It also leaves a layer of oil on the paint as the oils are used as carriers or the abrasives. You can apply a carnuba wax directly on top of SMR, or better uet wash it off the car to really inspect to see if any swirls are left and then follow up with a carnuba wax or synthetic polymer sealant. This swirl mark remover product should not be used more than 1-2 times a year MAX. It is mild, but every time you use abrasive products you are sheering some clearcoat off, and regular use will possibly cause you to break through it. SMR is not a glaze and not a required first step every time you want to put a layer of wax on the car.



Dr. jones-----> In my opinion, you are going a bit overkill too. It is best to start mild and go more aggressive if you need to. Try SMR first, and if that doesn`t do the trick, go to Finesse it II. If there is some hazing follow up with PPCL, AIO, or SMR. AIO basically is abrasive and will strip and reapply it self. With the prep you are taking, I would apply one coat of AIO maximum, and then go on to SG. If it were me, I would use those other product and get my paint looking the way I wanted to if it had swirls, SKIP the AIO, and then just use multiple coats of SG, especially on a NEW CAR.

[Don2000g]

DK makes very good points. If you`re planning on using the Klasse AIO on a 2000 model, then you should be fine. I wouldn`t worry about it. But I agree that you really don`t need to use the AIO more than once.



Here`s what I would do.



1. If needed I would clay the car. This is very important and helps give you the ultra smooth feel.



2. To attack the swirls try 3M SMR first. If one coat doesn`t do that much to it, then try a 2nd coat. If this fails, then and only then go more aggressive and you can give the 3M Finnesse It 2 a try. This should help you with removing most of the swirls.





3. Dawn wash to remove any oils from the 3M products.



4. AIO may or may not be needed here. If your paint is in good shape, then you can just skip it. But the AIO does give you a very good shine and it gives you some acrylic protection while giving you a good base for the Klasse SG.



5. Add at least 3 layers of Klasse SG. Give one day of cure time between each coat for best results. Make sure to allow the Klasse SG sit on your car for a MINIMUM of 20 minutes before you buff it out.



6. After you`ve obtained the desired results (perhaps 3-7 coats of Klasse SG or so) then and only then top it off with carnauba coats. Laters