What Sould be the choice of polisher ?

[mrq]

I`m going to be using Klasse AIO and Sealant Glaze on my car for the first time in the next few days. Is there anything I should do before I use it? Also, I heard that AIO can be used on my windshield to make it bead when it rains. Is this true? And if so, how do I do it? Thanks

Oh yea, i have a Silver `99 Civic

[boywonder]

What are you doing to prep the paint?

[mrq]

I don`t have a clue. Just wash it? What should I do?

[Blackmirror]

you can try a clay bar and some detailing spray.

[mrq]

I clayed it earlier this summer. Do you think that I need to do it again? Also, do I have to do anything to strip off any wax that I may already have on it, or should I just apply the AIO and sealant glaze on top of what I already have on it? Also, what about the windshield?

[BradE]

If you have any swirl marks or scratches, they should be corrected before applying Klasse. I would use this plan to detail your car:



1. Wash car with your regular car wash shampoo

2. Clay the entire car.

3. Fix any swirls or scratches with an abrasive product.

4. Dawn wash (To remove wax, residue from abrasive and claying)

5. Klasse AIO

6. Klasse SG



Good Luck!!

[jkochis]

Also keep in mind that THIN coats are best! So thin that you can barely see it. Also let the SG dry for a while, at least 20 minutes...the longer the better.

[rmccall6]

Wash, feel paint for smoothness....in you case should be fie. AIO has cleaners that will strip the old wax so the dawn wash in my humble opinion is a waste of time, and i know that if you only use Dawn once a year its fine, but i would get a little scared doing this year after year. AIO is pretty much idiot proof (no offense or anyhing), but its quite simple to use. The SG is a little more finicky. Apply it n really thin coats, just enough to se a vary faint haze, but just barely. You can use about only 1.5 ounzes to do an entire car. Using a MF towel helps alot in the removeal of it so i recomend getting a pack of green viper detailing cloths. As for latering the SG. I find that especially when its hotter, waitng at least overnight (a good 10 hours in my case), inproved results. Since its colder now, i would wait the full 24 hours if you want to layer for more protection and shine.

[BillNorth]

If you clayed once already, then DON`T DO IT AGAIN. Clay is abrasive. It will literally grind away your paint. That`s how it smoothes it out. It`s amazing, so many people on this board think that clay magically pulls embedded contaminants out of the paint, kind of like those adhesive strips teenagers stick on their noses to pull out the blackheads. But that`s not how it works. It grinds away the paint, exposing the embedded contamination, and thus grabbing it.



My personal rule is, the very first time you clay your car, do the whole thing, take your time, and do it well. After, only spot clay on the surfaces that feel rough. Do this a MAXIMUM of once a year. Clay should be used sparingly.



What I would do:



1. Car wash.

2. SMR/Finess it etc. to remove your swirls. The product you use is dependant on how severe the swirls are.

3. AIO

4. SG



AIO will strip old wax/residue. No need to dawn wash.

[svanderbilt]

I`m with Bill and Brad4hay.



Claying too often is a bad thing.



All-In-One has cleaners that really do a bang-up (good) job at cleaning, and also does nicely on light swirls.



Dawn; I leave it in the kitchen.

[clever_nick_name]

Like many who read this forum, I `m newbee to using the Klasse products. I used them on my 2001 Toyota Tacoma, 1 -AIO and 3 -SG followed by a coat of Collinite Insulator wax - the end result looks great! Also did the same on a new Honda Accord.



I got caught up in the debate over how long to wait before adding the additional coats of SG. So I called the Klasse distributor in San Francisco. I spoke with Bob and unfortuantely didn`t catch his last name. He was extremely helpful and friendly. I would strongly recommend that one of the senior members of the forum give him a call and get more details on the product.



In response to my question on how long to wait between AIO and SG - no waiting -"immediately"



In response to my question on how long to wait between coats of SG - no waiting -"immediately" .



When I asked him about curing time, he indicated that unlike wax, the Klasse products `breathes` and hence can be layered without waiting. This is alo aided by the fact that they have very little solvents that have to evaporate. He did say that the final step of adding a wax layer was not needed and that it sealed off the `breathable` layers of Klasse(with no harm done).



Don`t know if this will help or confuse, but I did want to share.



Next time I do a car or truck, I`ll skip the final wax and layer and many coats of SG as possible with a very short wait (give my arm a rest) between coats.



Paul

[imported_killerjg]

I think it all helps. I spend enough time on my cars that I`ll try it the way a lot of folks have in this forum, who seem to be pleased with the results.

Next time I`ll try it the manufacturer`s way. I`ll have to give them a call to see what they put out on using a buffer. Good techniques in this forum and www.properautocare.com has a nice piece on using a buffer.

[Cybercowboy]

If you don`t use a product that cleans like AIO, you need to make sure you start out with a nice fresh wax, water spot, and oil free surface. Dawn can be useful then. This includes carnuba non-cleaning wax and Zaino, among others.



Clay indeed contains abrasives. Using no more than needed sounds prudent. These abrasives are pretty mild compared to some other abrasive products, so don`t lose too much sleep.



I clayed my brand spanking new Corvette because it was quite filthy from delivery. It definitely benefited from it - you could really tell the difference before and after. I may not do it again for years though. I plan on getting plenty of coats of Z2 on now that the paint is perfect. Have only two so far as I am waiting a minimum of 48 hours between coats now days. They were done with care though, and all painted surfaces were covered each time. I didn`t Dawn wash it though, just used Z7 shampoo twice (car was still a bit dirty after the first wash - it was bad). This was because I knew there wasn`t any wax on the car.



Just so you know, when you pick up a brand new car it may have been much dirtier than you can ever imagine. Clay it right away. This will prepare the surface for the "recovery" phase. This is the cybercowboy`s personal opinion, FWIW.

[mrq]

I just used the Klasse twins on my car yesterday and it looks great! Thanks for your help guys.



CyberCowboy, I don`t know what kind of a shaddy place you bought your car from because a BRAND NEW car should be really smooth. When I bought my car new a couple of years ago the paint was amazingly smooth. Also, my roommate just bought a new car 2 months ago and his paint is still silky smooth. If I were you I would have complained to the dealership that sold you that car.

[adjulian]

new cars, depending on how they are transported (ie rail, truck, etc) kick up different airborne contaiminants and they get embedded in the clear, making the surface feel bumpy. One of the worst offenders for me and my BMW was rail dust. It was shipped via railroad to a boat and delivered and during that ride, and the `stuff` sticks to your car. Additionally, I asked the dealer NOT to touch my paint because I didn`t trust them (advice from other Autopians). Hence why I clayed my car as well.



Just my .02