German Finishes?

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imported_Indy YZF

New member
I have a '99 Alpine White BMW M3...Ive read in several places that our finishes do NOT react well to any of the polymer type finishes, and should therfore stick to good old carnauba when it comes to protection...Can any of you regulars confirm or deny this? Id love to try the Klasse system everybody here is recommending, but Id even like to use up some of my Meguiars Medallion I have left over from my previous Volvo 850 Turbo which seemed to love this product, but Im afraid to use it on the M3 due to its high polymer content.



Thanks.
 
I think Klasse is German, so i can only guess that it is ok for german finishes. I could be wrong
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Sure sounds German...What Ive read from other professionals in the auto surface community, like Larry Reynolds of carcareonline.com fame, is that polymer based products tend to appear cloudy or hazy when applied to german paints.
 
paul e said:
but Id even like to use up some of my Meguiars Medallion I have left over from my previous Volvo 850 Turbo which seemed to love this product, but Im afraid to use it on the M3 due to its high polymer content.
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I've used that previously. the below pic is after a fresh application of zaino. more pics here of medallion and zaino. I have medallion on my subaru as well but will be moving it over to zaino at next application:

http://www.mindspring.com/~pmbenn/bmw.htm



zaino-2.jpg
 
I wouldn't mind some opinions on this too - waiting for a new Golf to arrive, read so much about Zaino I'm tempted to get some Z1 and Z2, but am wary of using it on new, German paint (dark metallic grey).



Incidentally, anyone had any experience of Ecklers and internation ordering? I mailed them two days back to ask who they use for postage and am still waiting a reply - I'm in the UK and if they do usps air it should be cheaper to order from them than from the european Z distributor.



TIA

Paul
 
my friend Robbin's '94 325is in some metallic royal blue looks great in Klasse. No hazing that I can see, and the color really pops. (To be honest, I detail the car because I like the color so much!)



Robert
 
There appears to be two elements to this question.



Firstly, problems using polymers on paintwork and secondly, do the Germans have something different about there paint.



The use of polymers has been discussed many times with the net result that products like Zaino etc are perfectly safe and do an excellent job. Firms like BMW may alter the specifications of paint from the manufacture but I doubt if they change it that much from firms in Japan, UK etc. Remember a company like BMW makes very few components themselves, they buy in from firms around the world.



We do not see similar questions about paint from England, France or Korea so what would German paint be so different. If I remember correctly, Ron K dealt with paint companies from around the world and never made any specific recommendations about one countries or companies paint requiring anything specific.



Steven
 
Thanks all for your feedback...The concensus certainly seems to be to go ahead and use it.



I dont know where this rumor started, but it is widely known among bmw owners...Even here on autopia at http://www.autopia-carport.com/ProductTests/Klasse AIO.htm I found the following quote:



"Past problems with acrylics have been a poor (dull) shine and possible yellowing - especially when used on German paints. For those reasons some car sites do NOT recommend using acrylics. I personally found some acrylics - like NuClear - streaked badly when applied. Klasse is a German company and the product is made in Germany which made me comfortable that it would work well with our Audi paint"



So I guess its just something I'm going to have to try myself...Those carnauba afficionados must be rolling over in their graves, but from what Ive read here, and I just found this forum yesterday, Klasse absolutely must be tried...from all the before and after pics Ive seen, I was absolutely blown away by the depth and wetness of the klasse shine....Particularly on red...But I bet it will look just as good on white. Some people even seem to advocate applying carnauba OVER the 2 stages of the Klasse treatment! That might be overkill for my white daily driver, but I do think I will try the klasse this summer...thanks all. Although, since I already have meguiars medallion, another polymer product, I think I may try this first just to test the waters...Since its only a single stage product, I dont have to make quite as strong a committment right off the bat. Not that the two are equal or anything, but, it should be a decent way to test out the polymer stuff before jumping all in..
 
I've used Klasse which looked great except for the haze problem that I couldn't get rid of. I currently have Zaino on with no problems and looks great. The dealer delivered the car with a sealant on...but it was a crappy job and I stripped it off as soon as I could.



H
 
I use Klasse on my 1999 Alpine White Bimmer too! No problems with it so far... just a great, durable shine
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Damn, thats an amazing shine...I guess I'll have to order Klasse and try it. From the product descriptions and testimonials, Im trying to decide which is better to use: Klasse or Zaino...It sounds like the Klasse system with its AIO polish does a better job and getting rid of fine scratches or swirls, with less work...Because on teh Zaino system, if you want to get at swirls, youre required to use the Z-5 product, followed by the Z-2...And each of those goes after the Z-1...And, they encourage even more multiple coats...Yet the Klasse seems very effective by just using 1 coat of the AIO, and one coat of the SG.



Tough choice...This forum seems to lean toward the Klasse.



Im wondering though, it says that the Klasse products strip or remove the wax during its application...So, if they dont get along with carnauba, how come you can apply carnauba Over it? I guess its not a contradiction, but it kind of sounds like it.
 
If you are looking for the easiest system to use, I think Zaino actually wins by a slight margin if you use ZFX. With both, you will need a good prep. And for the best effect, you will need about 5 layers of either the Z or the Klasse. Don't forget about Blackfire if you are looking for a super deep shine.....



It's not recommended to use wax over Zaino because it will speed the deterioration of the Z layers. Wax over Klasse seems to be accepted, but most people strip Klasse every 6 months or so anyways.



H
 
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