What 14 Layers of Klasse Sealant Looks Like Topped with Pinnacle Paste Wax

[MLPVT]

I just finished putting 14 layers of KLASSE glaze sealant (WOW)and two layers of Pinnacle paste wax on my xc70. Anyone interested in seeing pictures, let me know at [email protected]

[VWVespaVolvoinVA]

Wow, looks great!
I have the same Ruby Red, and love how it looks when it's clean. Of course, with an 18-month old, there is never time to clean anymore...

Did you use a clay bar first, or just a good cleaning?

[MLPVT]

After washing & drying the car and prior to applying the Klasse sealant,
I removed any bonded contaminants using the clay bar (very easy).
Then, using the Ultimate Detailing Machine, made two passes with two different grades of polish, the first being Pinnacle #1, the second being Pinnacle #2.
Rinsed and dried.
Applied one coat of Klasse every 12 hours for seven days (except for the tailgate which has 24 layers). Prior to applying the second and subsequent coats, I used the Ultimate Detailing Machine with a lambs wool pad & microfiber bonnet to buff out the previous coat.
Allowed the Klasse to cure for 5 days then applied two coats of Pinnacle paste wax. The paste wax wasn't really necessary, however, I hope it will act as a barrier between the elements and the Klasse sealant.

[Mitch]

Looks awesome! Nice deep color.

So you did a polish before the Klasse, used the Ultimate Detailing Machine AND followed up with a polish? Sounds like the ticket!

I've done clay, both Klasses (the All in One, which BTW works great on the plastic cladding and the SG (1 coat only...I know, such a slacker!)) but I don't have a detailing machine, so I did them by hand.

I like the Klasse twins as I find they last very long, but I found the SG very, very difficult to remove by hand. I was thinking of getting a machine and did see the Ultimate. I would imagine that a bit of heat really works well at removing it.

Anyhow, great pics and thanks for the info!

-Mitch

[MLPVT]

The polishing steps were done prior to applying the Klasse sealant. I used two different grades of polish; Pinnacle XMT #2 followed by Pinnacle XMT #1; both designed to remove fine scratches and swirls. You can read about them here (http://www.pinnaclewax.com/pixmtliswreb.html).

The sealant can be VERY difficult to remove if you use too much; even with a dual action polisher. If you have any trouble getting it off, mist the area with a little water or use a slightly damp cloth and buff gently; the residue will come right off.

The trick is to let it cure for at least 12-24 hours, otherwise, you will end up removing the layer you just applied.

(Remember, Klasse is Acrylic which is water based and you must allow it sufficient time to cure before getting the car wet)

If you have any questions, just ask.

[craig h]

That looks fantastic, how long does the shine last with this sealant? will it still need regular polishing?

And... Do you know of any product that will keep the plastic parts looking new/clean that doesnt wash of in the rain after a couple weeks?

Craig

[MLPVT]

Well, they are claiming one layer of Klasse sealant will last up to one year. That of course depends upon climate, frequency of washing, detergents used, etc. Since I have 14 layers which are protected by two layers of Pinnacle Souveran paste wax and three layers of Pinnacle Souveran liquid wax, I don't expect I will ever have to polish again, especially since I apply liquid polish at least once each week, weather permitting. While I don't know for sure, I can only hope that all of the effort I put into this project was worth it.

As far as something to treat the plastic, I'm assuming you mean the cladding on the bumpers and door panels?. If so, I have tried just about everything and I have finally settled upon "303 Protectant" & "Mothers Back to Black". Right now I have two layers of " Back to Black" on my cladding and each time I wash (or just rinse) my car I apply another layer. If I were to wash my car once each week I would expect " Back to Black to last through four or five washings.

Last year I had several coats(6+) of 303 Protectant on the cladding going into the winter with the last coat going on in mid-October. I must have put the car through the car wash at least twice each month through the winter and by April the cladding still looked excellent. I was very impressed.

[craig h]

Thanks MLPVT, looks like its time for me to go shopping!

[dcawd]

Just curious--why did you settle on 14 as being the number of layers?

[MLPVT]

When I was researching people's experience with Klasse sealant, I came across one article that stated after five layers there really isn't any discernible difference in the appearance. Yes, you will end up with more protection that will last much longer but you probably will not be able to see any difference with each successive layer. I didn't find that to be true. After I had five layers on the car, I applied layer number six on the driver's door only; stepped back and evaluated how it looked and could still see a difference; more subtle than say, layer number two, but still there was a difference.

So I continued, until finally, at layer 10, the difference was so subtle I could barely tell at all. It was then I decided to apply (4) additional layers to protect "the look" that 10 layers gave me.

Being a water-based, acrylic product, unless you live in a desert environment where it never rains and you never wash your car, Klasse WILL eventually wear off. So depending upon the environment you're in, how much it rains, how often you wash your car , and what detergents you use, determines how long the sealant is going to last.

Since I live in northern Vermont, my car gets washed frequently; as often as 2-3 times each week, weather permitting; sometimes with water only and sometimes with detergent if it's necessary.

[mbsl98]

When the time comes to do this again, is there a big job to be done to get the remaining old sealant off? Sounds as if it bonds pretty tight to the paint.

[MLPVT]

First off, you would never want to remove Klasse sealant, unless of course your repairing your paint, in which case it does have to be removed. Removing it isn't difficult if you have a dual action polisher such as the Port Cable 7424 or the Ultimate Detailing Machine like I have. Just use a mild polish and it will come right off.

Klasse All-in-one and Klasse Sealant are two standalone products.

Klasse All-in-one is a cleaner, mild polish, and acrylic sealant in one bottle.
You need to clean and prepare the surface just as you would with paste wax. After you apply the initial coat, If you reapply another coat, it's going to remove the first coat because it contains a mild polish.

Klasse Sealant is just that, and acrylic sealant; it doesn't contain any cleaners or polish and you need to clean and prepare the surface prior to applying just as you would using traditional paste wax.

If you want the additional protection that layering provides, you can start with either product then you can apply as many coats of Klasse sealant as you like providing you wait at least 12 hours between coats.

It sounds as if you're thinking you need to remove the existing Klasse sealant before reapplying a new coat like six months down the road ?. No, that isn't necessary; just wash and thoroughly dry your car; if you have any bonded contaminants like sap, you might want to consider the clay bar treatment first and then just reapply more Klasse sealant.
Any questions?

[Mitch]

This is THE best thread!

So when you applied the 14 layers and waited for the full cure, did you just leave your car in the garage for like 2 weeks?

I've convinced, I'm getting the Ultimate Detail Machine and going to try this out. Probably not 14 layers though, but I'll do a few. My XC70 is beige/sand color, so it will be difficult to get a 'deep' gloss and shine such as yours, or a black car, but I'm going to try!

-Mitch

[MLPVT]

Nope, I don't have a garage and fortunately, it only rained one night, several hours after I had applied the 10th coat; so I didn't have to worry about the Klasses coming off.

Personally, If I were you, I would purchase the Porter-Cable 7424 polisher; the reason I say that it is because I had my Ultimate Detailing Machine less than one day before it failed after less than one hour's use. I was just finishing the first pass with the polish when all of a sudden the machine just quit.

I called AutoGeek.net where i had purchased the machine, explained the situation, and they agreed to have a new machine on the way to me that afternoon; and they did! (they have a one-year replacement policy). The sad part in all of this is that the entire Klasse project was set back almost a week while I was waiting for the new machine to get here. I was not a happy camper.

The following comes from the Ultimate Detailing Machine web site:




About the Ultimate Detailing Machine Brand

You found the ultimate online store for all your automotive polishing needs.
The Ultimate Detailing Machine brand is the creation of The Perfect Shine, LLC.

We own the Sonus brand, the Autopia.org detailing community, and we're co-owners of Ultima, the very best car sealants on the planet.
It's all about you and your car... and the underserved!

In 2003 we moved our warehouse and manufacturing facility to ARC of San Diego (ARC), a quality-of-life center for adults with learning impairments. Having ARC assemble our polisher, bottle our polishes and ship your order is a dream-come-true for the ARC workforce and us. About 10% of the revenue generated from each Ultimate Detailing Machine sale goes directly to programs to support adults with learning impairments.

Each task, be it the simple application of a label or filling a complex order, is a worthy accomplishment for the ARC employee. The work boosts their pride and enhances their quality of life. When you remove the shrink wrap from your Ultimate Detailing Machine and unpack the parts, you'll know it was all lovingly assembled by someone who cares that you receive your product in perfect condition.

We're not a superstore (and proud not to be)!

Anyone can bring every brand name in the industry into their web store and tell you that every product is "the best". We focus on what works and the products we will use on our own cars. It is our own process of continuous learning and pursuit of solutions for detailing perfection that makes a product worthy of being offered to you.

Got questions?

Come join me on Autopia in our Ultimate Detailing Machine Support Forum

<http://autopia.org/forum/ultimate-detailing-machine/>.

Yours in Better Car Care,
David Bynon
Founder and Co-owner

[MLPVT]

I failed to mention earlier that you MUST remove any existing wax on your car prior to applying the Klasse sealant. Otherwise, you're going to be applying a water-based product on top of a petroleum based product.


OIL AND WATER DO NOT MIX!

The easiest way to remove existing wax is to wash your car using a few ounces of your favorite degreaser product in your wash water.

I personally used a product called "Purple Power Degreaser (http://www.clean-rite.com)" that that I picked up at Advanced Car Parts.

Another product you can use is " Oil Eater Degreaser" (http://www.oileater.com) that you can pick up at any Costco store.

I had not less than 25 layers of liquid paste wax on my car before I started the project, so I was curious as to how easy(or difficult) it was going to be to remove the existing wax.

To determine if the degreaser was in fact going to remove the wax, I performed a short test:


I added 1 cup of Purple Power to 2 Gallons of Hot Water and proceeded to wash one half (left) of the hood.
I then rinsed and dried the hood thoroughly.
Using the hose, I then flooded the entire hood with cold water. The purpose of doing this was to determine if the wax is in fact gone on the half I just washed. If the water "sheets" off the surface, then I know the wax is gone; if the water "beads up", there is still wax present and I will need to wash again.
Much to my chagrin, the water on the half I had just washed was sheeting off the surface(no beading whatsoever) while the water on the right side (unwashed) was still "beading up" beautifully.
So there you have it. The easiest way to remove wax from your car.


For some strange reason, there are people on the Internet that are under the impression you can remove existing wax by using " a clay bar and lubricant".



I AM HERE TO TELL YOU THAT IS IT NOT TRUE.


A few months ago I performed the very same clean water test I just mentioned after clay barring one half of my hood using "Mothers Clay Bar Paint Saving System" (https://store.mothers.com/product_info.php?products_id=26) then flooding the entire surface with water. Well, guess what; the water was still beading beautifully on both halves of the hood which tells you the wax is still THERE!.

I don't know where this myth came from but it isn't true and you're wasting your time if you try this method.

[Mitch]

So you did that without a garage? Fantastic. Were you getting slight dusting from the environment from leaving the car overnight and if so how did you handle this?

Good point on removing wax. I was one who thought that using the clay bar removed everything, including the wax I had on before.

-Mitch

[MLPVT]

Your right about the dust (and pollen); it was a problem; so before I started, I purchased a California Car Duster (http://www.californiacardusters.com/standardcarduster.html) and that thing works great; I use it daily. The duster is impregnated with parrafiin wax which grabs and holds everything it touches on the car surface.

Prior to use, you MUST let it sit on several layers of newspaper for at least 24-48 hours, changing the paper when it has become saturated with wax; otherwise, the excess wax will end up all over your car and anything else that it touches (and believe me, it ain't pretty).

(If you decide to get one, NEVER use it on a hot surface or you will have (melted) wax on every surface it touched)

[edwa]

Sorry for jumping in so late on this thread, I've temporarily relocated to another country having left my 07 Ruby red XC home with the missus. Everyone thought I was perverse for the layers I put down on the new car but you've got me beat. I clayed, Klasse AIO, let it cure and then used Wolfgang's Deep Gloss Paint Sealant which I find so much easier to use then the Klasse sealant. Then because I wanted to try it out, used some Mother's Carnuba w/o cleaner. Before leaving I took advantage of autogeeks sale and order some Souveran paste for next time. By the way those microfiber cloths sure make a difference.