My MCS should be in next month and at that point the paint is only about a month old, so how long should I wait to start the coats. I keep track of my appications in my sig, well, once I get it anyways. I just got out of my Crossfire and in 23 monthes of having it I applied 102 coats to the car, mixed in there are several clayyings too. I'm sure there are many other NUTZ in here like me, who are you, please introduce yourself.


Once I'm able to start the coats, I will:

-clay the car
-apply 1 coat of Klasse AIO
-apply 1 coat of Klasse SG
-wait 12 hrs and apply another coat of SG
-the next day apply a coat of Souveran "Pinnacle
(even though its for red or black cars, my car is BRG and should benefit)

After that the coats will begin to pile up. I work afternoons and have alot fo free time, so this is how I do it. I also like to apply a coat after work, its quiet and I have the time. I'm looking forward to joining my fellow waxaholics out there

 

You can probably start now

If your car is brand new, claying will do nothing.

AIO will probably do nothing

I always used the Klasse Twins followed by Sourveign.

Two coats of Pinnacle yielded marginal difference in CR. In fact, there are several threads here about that as many people believe multiple coats of wax does nothing but push the old wax around or just catch the areas you missed the first time.

To each their own but the paints may be different between a Crossfire and MINI and I could not see a discernable difference between one and two coats of Sourveign. The stuff is expensive anyway and just was a waste.

 

I can't completely agree with this statement, as your car is new rain dust and industrial fallouts will still be on the paint, all the contaminants from shipping etc, should be removed prior to the pre-wax, seal and glaze, and final layer of wax is done.

 

I think he may have meant "will do no damage to the paint." I would highly agree with claying your car as soon as you get it. The trip over to the States is a long one... salt water, rain, fallout, paint overspray, etc.

 

Anymore, the paint is totally dry by the time you receive it. I'd go for it as soon as you get it.

 

you can wax right away.

BUT, i'd clay your finish first as in the delievery as mentioned, you finish will pick up brake dust and other contaminatns etc...

 

I would also agree that it's fine to start your process right away. It's perfectly safe after the car's long journey and doing it sooner than later will add the protection sooner.

Re: Clay
As for clay, in most cases even new cars need to be clayed.
*In order to determine whether or not your needs to be clayed, I'd suggest doing a touch test...

Wash the car or clean a spot on which to test.
Take a plastic sandwich baggie and place your hand into it.
Gently rub the paint with your finger tips (yes, while they're still in the baggie).
If you feel lots of little gritty bumps, then definitely clay.
If you feel a few little gritty bumps, then you should probably clay.
If you feel nothing, in other words your paint feels silky smooth, then you don't need to clay.

Btw, the baggie helps increase your sensitivity to you can be sure to test for even the finest grit. Try it with and without and you'll immediately notice the difference.

Like I said, you'll likely need to clay but every once in a while I've come across a new car that doesn't need it (or just needs it in a certain spot... like the side mirrors or something like that).

Re: Klasse AIO
Similarly, Klasse AIO's cleansers may or may not help you on a new car, depending on how much gunk is or isn't on your paint. Unfortunately there isn't an easy, definite test for this like there is for the need to clay. So, I would just use it. It's likely that it needs it anyway. If anything, it'll help your SG bond to your paint at least a little better and possibly a great deal better, and it will fill/conceal any wee paint imperfections which may not be obvious until you fill them.

Re: Multiple coats of carnauba
I agree with Chows that there is a limit to how much additional benefit you get out of multiple, frequent coats of a carnauba, like Pinnacle. Certainly, it doesn't hurt anything though!
For a nice balance of feeling like you're applying it as much as you can, yet not so much that you're completely wasting it, I might suggest something like an application every 3-4 weeks (assuming it's not garage 100% of the time, in which case I would spread that frequency out considerably).
I have to admit, there is a certain good feeling that comes from applying a high quality carnauba wax to your special car-child. You just hate to waste the high quality carnauba too!

Hope that helps! Have fun and congrats on the near-delivery!!

-Heather

 

Thanks for all the input guys


I was pretty sure the paint was ready to go but just wanted to make sure. The trip over here will no doubt take its toll on the cars paint and whatever they do when prepping the car is only going to make it "appear" better, i.e. a quick polish. The clayying will remove all that left over salt water marks, the AIO isn't a waste as it will clean below the clear and polish the paint and the 2x's of SG will not only protect it but make that paint "pop" The caranuba of choice, Pinnacle, will add depth that only a caranuba can do. After that there isn't going to any more caranuba added to the car except when I do a complete detailing, which for me is clay, AIO and a coat of SG and caranuba. Inbetween that I'll be layering the SG on and there's nothing wrong with that. As far as my Crossfires paint goes, well, there was nothing wrong with it and the reason I did it so often is simple, its theropy for me. I like to go out in the garage, put on a good CD or sports talk and apply a coat. With the Crossfire I would have it done inside an hour and always used my microfiber duster and/or Cali car duster first to get off all of the dust, then applied the SG to the car. I'd then sit back, enjoy my car and continue listening to why the Lions suck so bad I'm looking forward to picking up new tips from you guys and hopefully I can pass some things onto you as well.

 

You might want to tell your dealership not to detail the car after they have taken off the shipping wax from your car. I didn't do that and ended up with swirls to my black roof. The people at the dealership that do the detailing very rarely very good.

 

+1... you should've seen the swirls my car came with. i could
even feel the swirls.

 

AIO cleans "below" the clearcoat and polishes the paint? Huh

Unless I really dont know whats going on, and that is possible, I thought the clear coat was a several millimeter thing coat on TOP of the paint. The whole point, to protect the paint. If you go through the clearcoat, thats not good.

When I bought MINI touchup paint, its comes with two bottles, the paint itself for the first layer and the clearcoat to go on top

Maybe Heather or Octane can explain

 

what are you talking about? Hydro polishes the primer below the
basecoat. that's how you get the shine.

 

Yeah sure.

Clearcoat is nothing more than clear paint. when you clay, your getting the crap out of the clearcoat, not the colored paint underneath. Same with swirls. The swirls are not in the paint, they are in the clearcoat.

Now maybe, all the clearcoat FAQs are incorrect but no polish is going to touch the "paint" underneath because if it does, I believe your "paint job" is messed up

 

i also heard if you polish your clearcoat it also simultaneously
cleans the fenderliners.

 

Ok wiseguys...

I'm sure Klasse Act just made a mistake and typo'd... it sounds like he (she?) knows what he's talking about in general so I'm sure he didn't mean that. Of course you can't get underneath the clearcoat- not with AIO or anything. It is physically impossible.

-Heather

 

Aww, we were just having fun

 

Glad you guys brought it up, because I was just getting ready to bust a load of "WTF"?
If any vendor's lit says anything about polishing basecoat below clear, run!
Far and fast!