Klasse AIO and HG Sealant, now what???

[JHZR2]

Hello,

Last year I did a full go-over of my 04 saab 9-3, starting with wash, clay bar, P21S paint prep, Menzerna PO115 finishing touch glaze, Klasse AIO, and then a few coats of Klasse high gloss sealant glaze, using Menzerna high gloss acrylic shield as a buffing assist to help take the sealant off to a nice smooth shine (that Klasse sealant is tough to work with, even if applied super-thin).

Well, the winter came and has more or less gone now. Time to start taking care of the paint on my car again. My question is what do I do next? I am willing to spend the time. I am willing to accept the cost for the right products. I'd just like to know if I should continue with just starting to add more coats of the sealant, if I should start with AIO before putting more sealant on, or if I should go back to square one, and start with a clay, maybe even a very fine compound, etc.

Im also thinking of putting a Caranuba wax over top of maybe 5 or so layers of the sealant this year. I think itll add a bit more depth and longevity to the finish. To be honest, I was suprised that after the winter, the beading from the klasse sealant glaze is SIGNIFICANTLY reduced compred to where it was in, say, november... Not that Caranuba is the longest-lasting thing, but it looks nice and is a tad easier to apply than the sealant, which would be nice for me to only have to put on once a year.

Any thoughts would be most appreciated. Maybe Im way off on what I ought to be doing...

Thanks,

JMH

 

[john1782]

AIO cleans and polishes, so I'd think you'd want to use it first since it would probably remove anything you put on before hand.

 

[RTexasF]

Klasse sealant is a real pain in the tail feathers to work with. Of the products you have I would go again with AIO (clay prior if needed) then the Menzerna. Three layers of the Menzerna 24 hours apart will give you great protection, there's no use applying more than three. Topping with Carnauba may add to the look but it will need to be a monthly ritual unless you use one of the Collinite waxes. Durable is an understatement and they are not finicky. One coat every six months, after an initial double coat to assure complete coverage, will last and look great.

 

[Saturn_Fan]

Klasse is a PITA! Used it once, and literally opened up lid and poured it out into my used oil container. Looking for an alternative at this time.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: RTexasF
I would go again with AIO (clay prior if needed) then the Menzerna.


I have the Menzerna glaze, and then the acrylic shield, which is really just a thin, spray on product. Which one do you mean??? I assume that the glaze is not really for protection but for "perfecting" the paint, and the acryllic shield is this stuff:
http://www.properautocare.com/mehiglacsh.html

Im not sure that it really does much, but it does help buff residues from the sealant or whatnot.

Did you mean something more along the lines of Menzerna FMJ?

Ill hve to look into collinite waxes... thanks for the lead!

JMH

 

[bretfraz]

At this point you probably need to do a full detail to get the paint back up to par after winter driving. From there you can maintain the car all spring and summer.

Frankly, I think the Finishing Glaze is overkill in your process. The AIO is going to remove most of the glaze's effect, basically rendering that step pointless. The AIO is a light polish/paint cleaner with some protection. It mostly does what the P21S polish does. Either stick with the AIO and eliminate one or the other steps, or skip the AIO altogether.

The trick to Klasse SG is "wipe on-wipe off". Applying it to a small section then wipe it off before moving on. Let it set up and it becomes tough to remove.

So your steps are:

1. Wash
2. Clay
3. Polish
4. Glaze (optional)
5. Wax or seal
6. Spray detail for finishing

 

[RTexasF]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: RTexasF
I would go again with AIO (clay prior if needed) then the Menzerna.


I have the Menzerna glaze, and then the acrylic shield, which is really just a thin, spray on product. Which one do you mean??? I assume that the glaze is not really for protection but for "perfecting" the paint, and the acryllic shield is this stuff:
http://www.properautocare.com/mehiglacsh.html

Im not sure that it really does much, but it does help buff residues from the sealant or whatnot.

Did you mean something more along the lines of Menzerna FMJ?

Ill hve to look into collinite waxes... thanks for the lead!

JMH



I was referring to the Acrylic Shield. Spray or not it is a very good sealant. It goes without saying that any machine polishing will need to be done if there are marks/marring after clay & AIO. Those two steps will give you a good look at the paint's current condition and dictate the next step.

Some have said that the Collinite waxes are available at Harbor Freight but that may vary by locale. They make two and both are extremely durable. I prefer the Insulator Wax (liquid) but do a little research and see which appeals to you. You can read about them on Auto Geek and other detailing sites.

 

[JHZR2]

thanks so much for all of the assistance, I greatly appreciate it.

One other stupid question - do sealants not bead water like waxes? Despite using klasse sealant glaze and the acrylic shield, the beading "depleted" faster than say, my meguiars gold class wax that I use on my truck.

Not sure if it is just a function of the product, still keeping the paint sealed but just not beading or what...

Thanks!

JMH

 

[bretfraz]

SG has never beaded water like a traditional wax, with small tight beads. Sealants need to be designed to bead tightly (Zaino is like this) but most I've used leave larger beads. Water still slides off the panel easily, its just not super slick. I've used SG since the mid 1980's and it's always been like that, as far as I can recall.

 

[JHZR2]

OK, great.

I figure as of now that a few coats of SG layered in the spring, then covered routinely with a good carnuba in the summer, and once with two layers of collonite at the end of the season (for long-term duration) is a good routine. Keeps a sacrificial layer on top of the SG.

Thanks!

JMH

 

[RTexasF]

Collinite is available at our local Harbor Freight, I saw it yesterday. If it's availble in this backwards town it should be at every HF store. It's about $12 for paste or liquid.

 

[BayouTodd]

http://www.autopia.org/forum for more answers on Klasse and such...fyi.
A great auto detailing forum, fyi.