After the coming long winter in NY between the salt, snow, and everything else Ive decided to treat my car to a klasse AIO in the spring

my question is is claying the car really necessary and if i do not clay the car, how will it affect the look of the car after the klasse ie. will it bring out the imperfections, etc...

 

be sure to follow up with a few coats of hgs. one tip on that, don't even try to remove it with a dry cloth. i usually spritz mine with clean water and it comes off very very easily.

you don't have to clay it, but i think everyone would recommend it, it doesn't take that long and will make your finish that much smoother. you can definitely feel the difference, you may notice a small difference in some areas as well.

either way it will probably turn out great, just a little better with clay.

 

thanks ensor how long does the process take with and without the claying also do u have any pics of ur car after the klasse

 

if you have a lot of paint contamination, etc.; i would clay it. aio may clean some of it off, but i doubt it will get everything. otherwise, you'd just be sealing it all in when you apply your sealant/wax

 

Without claying the the car you are leaving behind the dirt, grit, and grime embedded in the clearcoat that the car collects during everyday driving. Take a ziplock bag, put your hand in, and run it along the paint surface and you'll feel what I'm talking about. If it is smooth to the touch then you can skip claying. Common sense tells me it should make a difference in appearance. Think about it, if you have tiny black particles throughout the surface of the paint, they become tiny areas where the sunlight is not reflecting off the car's paint. Whether or not it would be noticeable (clayed vs. nonclayed) on a new car, I probably couldn't tell the difference. But the more crap that gets stuck on the paint surface, over time, it will take its toll on the appearance of the car. Claying the entire car should take around 45min-1hr, depending your level of satisfaction. I highly recommend claying when the car is still wet from a wash. It saves you from having to wash again after you clay or having to buff off the clay lubricant. Clay lubricants will run out quickly. An alternative is to use a mixture of car soap and water (~1:20). It ends up saving you money. If the car is wet all you need after you clay a large area is a quick rinse. After you're done sheet the water off your car, and then dry. High quality microfiber mitts, waffle weaves, buffing towels, etc. is a must throughout the whole process. It minimizes (almost eliminates) micromarring when you use the proper techniques to wash, dry, polish, and wax your car.
As for Klasse AIO, I find it easy to remove if you do a panel at a time. Remember a little goes a long way. Your last step product to top AIO can vary but since the previous post mentioned High Gloss Sealant Glaze I'll give you a heads up on its properties. There are a couple of approaches when it comes to applying SG. One method is to apply and let it sit for 15min-few hours. I found that it becomes a p.i.a. to buff it off. This is a result of using too much (the excess is what you trying to remove). First pointer, apply a very thin layer to every panel. Use a quick detailing spray like Eagle One Wipe and Shine or Sonus Acrylic Spritz to remove any streaks/excess. Let it cure for 24 hrs and add a second layer for more durabilty, protection, and greater shine. One thing to consider trying is letting the SG sit (don't buff it off) on the car for at least 24 hrs. According to other accounts, it makes it easier to remove without the need of a quick detailing spray or water. Depends on whether your schedule allows for this approach. Another school of thought is a wipe on wipe off method. The thinking behind this is only leaving the SG on the car until the solvents dry (~2-3min), then buffing off immediately. People that do this feel the amount of product that will adhere to the paint has already bonded in those couple of minutes and the excess can be removed with greater ease.
Let me know if you have any questions and I can try to point you in the right direction.

 

I would also like to add that for the first application, I would let the sealant glaze sit for a couple hours before wiping off. From my experience, the SG needs time to bond to paint but not much time at all to bond to itself. The first time, I let it completely dry (2 hours) and then take it off. Its a royal pain the first time with this method but worth it.

The subsequent applications (layering the SG), I do a panel at a time and wipe off immediately (only sits for a minute or two). I find that the bonding process is much faster in the layering process and this method is very very easy and works extremely well. I usually do a layer once a month and it only takes about 40 minutes for the whole car. I've been using Klasse for over 2 years now and its easily the easiest wax/protectant/sealant I've ever used.

 

how effective is the aio if you do not topcoat with another sealer?

thanks

 

not effective at all, aio is a cleaner

 

Some comments after reading above posts. First, there's a reason it's called Klasse All-in-One; it's a cleaner, polish, and protectant all-in-one. You can get by using only Klasse AIO; I've seen vehicles that use it alone and they look great. That said, for the "perfect shine," (link below) I'd top Klasse with caranuba wax to get best durability, protection and shine that comes from synthetic (AIO)/natural (caranuba) synergy.

Secondly, I would NOT use Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze if you use Pinnacle Souveran paste wax (especially designed for black/red cars); see link http://www.properautocare.com/klaskit.html. For colors other than black/red, I'd use Klasse, glaze then P21S caranuba wax.

Finally, you can read my past posts to tell I love Klasse AIO! Imho it's the best cleaner/polish/protectant on the market. I use it on everything, from glass to wheels to exhaust tips. Easy application, 6+ months protection, and when combined with caranuba wax, it's "perfect."

Applying Klasse by hand (discusses clay bar test)
http://www.properautocare.com/apklasbyhan.html

The "perfect shine"
http://www.autopia-carcare.com/inf-perfect.html

 

In response to the previous post I would highly recommend using a last step product other than Klasse AIO whether or not you want the perfect shine. Even the most careful person can not ensure he has evenly distributed the AIO and covered every square inch of the car equally. Following with sealant glaze fills in and levels out the areas of the car that are being protected by the synthetic polymer. And before topping with a carnauba I would add a second or third layer (SG can bond to itself) allowing proper curing time before adding each layer.
I also heard about a ghosting effect when topping SG with Souveran from Classic Motoring Accessories but if you check out Autogeek.net the forum favorite kit claims they get outstaning results from that exact process. Go figure.

 

just so I don't get on a soapbox, sure you could use aio as the all-in-one it states it is. it would probably get you protection for a few days (based on my experience). most people top it with another more durable sealant.

personally i doubt aio/wax will get you 6+ months protection from just one application unless it was a garage queen. if you've been able to achieve that, then more power to ya.

ultimately it's up to you to find a product/process you like and stick with it. if you really want to read up on people's experiences w/ klasse, take a read over some dedicated detailing forums like http://www.autopia.org or http://www.detailcity.com

 

As far as claying, I did mine once, and It did help to smooth the finish....especially around the wheel wells and rear bumper, where the brake dust builds up.....

I have tried many types of wax/cleaners/polishes, but to date the best combination I have come up with is the Klasse AIO, Sealant Glaze, and topped off with several (3-5) coats of P21S carnauba wax.......

I have found the results on my Ivory Pearl ( which doesn't really shine like black/red/dk blue) to be spectacular.....

I follow up after washes with the Sonus Carnauba Detail spray, and the finish stays smooth as glass and continues to bead water off like the day I waxed it.

Many here will atest to the results you get with Zaino as well.......

A couple pics I took some time back when I first tried the combination.....

 

gr8tg35,
thanks an excellent combo. I have P21S sitting in my garage and I'm anxious to top the two layers of SG I have on my car right now. I'm also looking forward to try Four Star Ultimate Paint Protection and Poorboys EX-P (also sitting in my garage) in the near future. I've heard Four Star leaves a slickness to the paint like no other and is pretty durable and poorboys products have been getting great reviews by professional detailers. And the bonus with poorboys you can apply in direct sunlight without worries (at least its line of SSR polishes).

 

Bababooey.....the P21S is by far the easiest wax I have used to date.....It goes on like butter, and you do not wait for it to haze, just buff it off immediately......I find you need at least two (2) micorfiber towels with the P21S, one to clean and one to buff the final finish.....

I have put multiple layers on in a 24 hr period, and the depth and gloss is mind boggling!
Only drawback is this combination requires re-application every 6 weeks or so.....more if your car sits outside like mine....
Hope you find it to work just as well for you....

 

i'd say it was 1 to 1.5 hours to clay. and there was a very noticable difference in the texture that i could feel with my bare fingers. my car was only about 2 months old when i clayed/klasse.

pics of mine are here

in those pics i think i had 2 coats of hgs on, now i'm up to 6 or so and it looks amazing. my method is to apply and let it sit for atleast 8 hours, usually i go around 12. then wipe off with a spritzed microfiber cloth. it takes me about 15 minutes to apply hgs to the entire care and i can remove it in about 30, so every few times i wash i end up applying another coat.

i have not been applying an carnuba over the klasse, its only going to last 1 month then you'll have to reapply it. i'd rather just keep piling on hgs.