Klasse, Blackfire or Pinnacle - I can't decide!

C

C5-Deb

New member
Well, I'm ready to detail the outside of my '01 Vette again. Last time I used Meguiar's products topped with Liquid Glass, and got pretty good results (I do still have the minor swirls from when I bought the car over a year ago). BUT, with all the reading I have done on this site, I think I can step it up a notch.



My Vette is metallic navy blue, with minor swirls. A couple of important factors for my next product decision are:



This IS my daily driver.

I live in Phoenix, AZ - yep, 115 temps are around the corner!

I apply products by hand.



I'm torn between Klasse (which I've read helps protect against the UV rays), Blackfire and Pinnacle. I've done soooooo much reading on these products, I wanted some opinions from people who have actually used them.



Any and all suggestions will be very much appreciated!



Thanks!



:wavey
 
i don't think you could go wrong with Blackfire-i've got the same color and IMO Tropicare TC3 looks awesome on it-very glossy and the mettallic pops-you could get a small sample from Tropicare for $2 shipping-as for PS-i would only consider it if the car is garged and driven infrequently
 
Do what I did when I couldn't decide, get all of them!:D



Actually, I have them all, including a crapload of other stuff I bought since joining Autopia, but I've only used Blackfire extensively. So far, I think my TL-S in Nighthawk Black Pearl has never looked better. Of course, it helped that I finally learned how to get rid of the swirl marks with my PC!:D
 
My suggestion is to get a PC first and broaden your choices. IMO, the enabling prep stage gives you the greatest improvement potential you you can achieve next to repainting your car. Try some of the polishes available as a first step. You will be glad you did. Again this is my best suggestion I can come up with. Once you prep your car, then experiment ;)



I was once the king of the backward detail..... never preped properly. :nono
 
The Klasse twins have been around for 30+ years providing exceptional protection and shine. These have withstood the test of time in an extremely competative business while many, many others have come and gone in a heartbeat. You decide.



K-twins + Souveran (or P21S) is fabulous. Here is a vette I did between Christmas and New Years, and this is just after a good polishing followed by AIO and SG x 1!



http://www.svt-enthusiast.com/modules/gallery/Gonzo?page=12



Right click a thumbnail to isolate it and then right click that to see 6MB images. EDIT: Sorry, I lied, those aren't 6MB pix...:hide:



'Nuf said!
 
K-twins + Souveran (or P21S) is fabulous. Here is a vette I did between Christmas and New Years, and this is just after a good polishing followed by AIO and SG x 1!



:xyxthumbs



A polymer for the air temperatures and UVR protection and Carnauba wax as a sacrificial protection (birds, acid rain, etc) and it does enhance the polymers 'flat' silver shine.

JonM
 
Living in Florida, I've given up on waxes for the summer months as the heat just seems to reduce their durability to at most a week or two. For the daily drivers, I would use AIO plus a sealant ... SG is great, but you might want to try 4*UPP or Menzerna FMJ due to their (relative) ease of application. During the non-summer months, I'll top the sealant with a wax so I can get better durability from the wax.



If you're willing to try a PC, you'll be surprised at how easily you can improve your results. Nonetheless, be sure to clay and hand polish before the AIO. I've used Menzerna FP by hand with OK results, but you'll make better progress against your swirls with a PC (and perhaps a more abrasive polish like IP, then FP).



Good luck & let the sun shine.
 
After you get the minor swirls out, I would go with the klasse twins and then top with wax. I would definetely use the SG with the AIO, instead of just the AIO by itself because your in the hot AZ desert.
 
Bill North's method is awesome, but another alternative if you keep your car in a garage is to let it set on the paint for hours and then buff it off. It should come off easy...
 
OK - I think I've made up my mind. I'm going to use the Klasse twins for sure, but I'm still a little up in the air over the Souveran. That stuff is so darn expensive! Does it really add so much more to use as a topper over the Klasse twins?
 
C5-Deb said:
OK - I think I've made up my mind. I'm going to use the Klasse twins for sure, but I'm still a little up in the air over the Souveran. That stuff is so darn expensive! Does it really add so much more to use as a topper over the Klasse twins?
Click to expand...



You might as well try it while it's on sale. I started a thread asking if Souveran was worth the price. I had decided not to buy it, but I still kept thinking about it. I wound up getting two cans and the spray mist! Like somebody told me, it's still cheaper than coffee everyday at Starbucks or any of those overpriced coffee places my wife frequents!:p
 
In the long run, Souveran's price isn't too bad. I think the coffee reference is from one of the vendors descriptions.

Splurge, get the twins and Souveran for your Vette. :xyxthumbs
 
Actually, the first time I saw the analogy was on the thread "Is Souveran really worth it?" that I started. I also saw the same analogy on the Pinnaclewax website.:)
 
Yeah, spring for the Souveran. It just seems to work well on the paint they used on the C5s. Chuck Mallett used it on all the ones his company tuned. I liked it on mine, also over a synthetic. Heh heh, a person who buys (and insures ;) ) a C5 ought not worry about the cost of wax ;)
 
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