actually i WANT it to remove klasse on my next deatil and start fresh. i just finished my spring detail and tried to get out as many swirls by hand as i could (previous owner didn't maintain very well). i couldn't swing a PC right now but, am planning to get the bundle and some swirl from OG in the next couple months. results are good, very shiney and good depth (clay, zaino pc polish, klasse AIO, 3 coats klasse SG, one topper s100 carnauba). but, some swirls can still be seen in some areas. my hand just didn't do the job in some spots .

so i'm wondering what is the best thing to use to break down the klasse when i get the PC and want to work on the swirls. will the PC and some swirl do the trick? i'm assuming it will strip it off.

so should i wash, clay, swirl, klasse, carnauba. or should i wash, swirl, wash, clay, klasse, carnauba? or will claying in the begining still be the best option to pull out any gunk? i've always just washed, clayed, klasse'd, carnaubad. never been so **** about swirls until the MINI . and never really worried too much about stripping off the old klasse.

thanks.

 

Abrasive polishes should cut right through any klasse/wax/etc. you have applied to the car, so that's not a problem. Just in case there are car parts you miss with the polish, it probably is a good idea to strip all the old stuff off so that you can polish and apply new seal/wax.

Prepare for about eighty more detailed replies than mine as soon as everyone wakes up! During my twice-yearly strip/claybar/Epic/wax frenzy, I take a rag wet with rubbing alchohol to the car, followed by an extra vigourous wash of hot water and Dawn dish soap. I am told these knock off all the shiny stuff to make room for the new.

As for the clay vs. Swirl order, my uneducated guess is:
- Swirl to grind-down/polish car
- rinse then Clay-bar to remove left-over Swirl and dirt that the rinse missed
- light washing to remove clay-bar particles/smears
- then seal - cure - seal - cure - wax

-Doug the water-waster

 

wash, clay, polish, klasse, carnauba would be my choice.

now if you're going to use a different wax brand:

wash, Griot's PaintPrep, clay, polish, new wax.

 

thanks for the input. i don't think dawn or alcohol will strip off the klasse though. and i'm not sure if the clay would even penetrate the SG if i didn't remove it first. the stuff is tough but, i like because the so cal air is so filthy.

T2NAV is thinking along my inital lines so far. i just worry that that claying and buffing could introduce new swirls after i polish.

then again ken (i guess he didn't recommend hydro because i'm going to use swirl) may have a point in the classic approach assuming the clay will even work over the SG.

thanks so far guys for the ideas. planning on getting the PC fairly soon. any more ideas are welcome.

 

actually alcohol will remove pretty much any wax.

try Griot's PaintPrep. thing is amazing as far as removing old waxes.

 

+1 on that thought

Mark

 

mmmm. ok that may be easy enough then. i just thought i read a comparison article her on NAM where someone used klasse, zaino and epic (don't quote me on that last one), and the klasse withstood the alcohol.

so how do you use the alcohol? just wash then fill a sprayer with a 50/50 mix and take it from there? sounds kind of scary .

i do like griot's stuff usually very good but, i won't spend $$$ if it's just a bottle of 50/50 alcohol/water .

 

Do some looking around but I WOULD NOT use this order. You are just asking to do damage to your paint. THe swirl will take off the polish but will also grind any contaminants. Here's what I suggest:

Wash with Dawn or P21S total autowash to remove the Klasse.
Clay
Polish with Swirl and then Amigo
Apply wax
Enoy

 

yeah i hadn't thought about the contaminants getting ground in! yuck!.

i must say, the klasse DOES put quite a barrier down. and the look after the s100 topper is incredible and deep.

of course it was a 4 week process to get polish, AIO, 3 coats of SG and 1 carnauba on the MINI. it better hold up

 

no, the Griot's PaintPrep is not just alcohol and water. lol that would
be their WindowCleaner.

i would wash and dry, and then pour some alcohol onto your high
quality MF towel (not your utility MF towel) and wipe off. i use
70%, but 100% should work just fine. feel the paint and if your
finger tips catches the paint and squeaks clean, the wax is off.

i dont recommend spray bottles cause it will just accelerate the
alcohol evaporation.

 

I agree with the clay first then Swirl order. As to the alcohol, a 50/50 mix with water in a spray bottle is how I have done it, paint is very "squeaky" as in not slippery at all after, so I figure most everything is removed.

Mark

 

thanks guys. will try the alcohol. maybe i should use that coupon for a PC from DP on the NAM calendar before it expires? decisions! but, man i just finished the spring detail, having the PC here will kill me trying to wait until june or july. if my wife doesn't kill me first, that is. .

 

Get the PC now, invite a friend over with a car that needs some paint restoring, and practice on it before you redo your MINI Works every time for having buddies bring beverages

Mark

 

rather than start a whole new thread: i have another question regarding black side markers and the vent grills. what are you guys using to restore them to black? i tried black wow but, it doesn't seem to work that well. works great on everything else. i guess the plastics are not porous enough to absorb.

any advice on that?

 

Would you like me to re title the thread to "Questions from whitey"

You could try peanut butter, smooth not crunchy, it works, and the dogs will love you too

Mark

 

sure change the thread title. i always have random questions so maybe i need my own "little area" .

really peanut butter will get them black again? wild.

 

try some Hydro.

 

btw, that wasn't a joke. i use Hydro over my plastic door sills and they
are a very nice black.

 

Clean with some alcohol first, then peanut butter, works good. How long it lasts depends on how soon the dogs get at it

Hydro works too

Mark

 

Black Wow.

Just did a coat on all my black trim; I had almost forgotten how well it works (hadn't done it since last fall).

 

cool. i have Black Wow and love it on my trim but, it doesn't seem to adhere well to the very hard black plastics on the side markers and cowl vents. i tried it last weekend and the side markers and vents are already looking greyish again. but, it does really well on the rest of the trims.

 

Can't remember the thread (may have been on showcardetailing) but it was a recommendation by octaneguy on the rear black plastic louvers. He didn't use black wow on them - pretty tedious - but used a meguires spray product. I can't remember which. If I find it I'll link it here.

Want to mention the p21s total autowash. It is a orange/citrus based product and works really well on removing wax etc. I'd give it a try before the alcohol. Of course, I've never tried removing Klasse so I can't say that it would remove it if it's as tough as everybody says.

 

I have it...it's Meguiar's Spray-On Trim Detailer. It's an aerosol product. It works really well on the stuff that has lots of holes - the honeycomb lower grille on the MC, the cowl vents, etc. You'd probably want to pop them out before you spray them though (the cowl vents and the side vents).

 

The side vents are very easy to mask off with tape. I figure there is a way to make Black Wow spray able though.

Richard, get on this will ya, make it easier to detail the dogs

Mark

 

you let the cat out of the bag. lol. I may have a test version to play with at amviv. I've been testing one out but the biggest problem is that I have to thin it and make it less concentrated and that affects durability but it is easy to use.

richard