car wax

[Brucelee]

Klasse All in One and Sealer are the best products I have ever used. Even on black, these can create miracles.

[Brucelee]

A clay bar is essential IF the finish has surface pollutants within it. You can tell this as you rub your hand across a clean surface. If will feel like there are bumps in it even though the finish is clean, then you need to clay bar.

The clay bar actually draws or pulls out the pollution from the paint into the bar. It is kind of wierd, you get all this crap on the bar that you could not see, but could feel, in the paint.

The essential first step (after washing) to a pristine finish.

After that, well it depends on what you are dealing with.

[spgribben007]

What about paint chips? I recently got an 2001 orient red and the previous owner decided to repair a paint chip and (my opinion) did a poor job. How do guys recommend getting his repair up so I can try to repair it with an Autosharp pen?

[Perfectlap]

take a qtip with a tiny drop of nail polish remover and see if the touch up paint he used wasn't followed up with a clear coat. If he did a poor job I'm sure he didn't use a two part touch up paint and the acetone should lift the paint out of the chip hole. Then get out some pencils
here's the professional method
http://www.bettercarcare.com/articles.php?articleId=27

[IceBox]

Should you not use a paint cleaner or pre-wax first if you're gonna use a sealant next? Then wax?

[Perfectlap]

it depends on the age of the paint. If its a newer car that is garage kept a paint cleaner might be overkill. And remember you only want to rub on the paint a little as necessary year round. People forget how soft the German clear coats are. They are actually banned here in the USA because of their chemicals. So if you have your car repaired by a Body Shop they are not using the same materials. The base coat might be the same.

If the car is kept outside and is a few years old you should use a paint cleaner like P21S or 1Z (looks like a speedstick deodarant).
Don't know about other brands but you can't use Klasse Sealant Glaze without first using their cleaner/polish: Klasse All in One. They are formulated to bond together or something.
Many people use Meguiar's ScratchX before proceeding to the cleaner and sealant. Works well but requires lots of elbow grease. (speed, never pressure).
A great job for the Porter Cable orbital polisher.

[Brucelee]

If you are using Klasse, it depends on where you start.

Cars in poor condition may need a clay bar, then a fine grit compound, then Klasse All in one followed by Sealant.

However, I get many cars here that simply need Klasse All in One and then sealant. The Klasse All in one has a very remarkable cleaner in it that will deep clean and actually take out many imperfections that normally need a compound.

After a job like that, a garage kept car can go 6 months without needing another hit of Klasse.