car 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.

[donv]

Zaino is another product like Klasse. I've used that and only that on my Boxster since day 1, and it looks great! Surface prep w/P21S paint cleanser and clay bar; 3M swirl mark remover for scratches; but all the rest is Zaino products. Lasts forever for a garaged car, half year for my daily driver that sleeps outside.

[jwocky]

Is there any truth that natural waxes like Carnuba will give a deeper shine than products like Klasse? I've got a black car and a healthy dose of swirl marks (especially on bright sunshiny days), what would be best for my car? Would Klasse be good?

[Brucelee]

In my experience, Klasse is the tops for black cars. The sealant will "hide" many swirl marks very nicely. With the sealant, the more coats you use the greater the hiding effect and the deeper the color gets.

On swirl marks, if you are handy with a buffer, Meguiers makes a nice swirl mark remover that does remove SOME of the marks, depending on what you are starting with. After using that, proceed with the Klasse All in one and then sealant.

Good luck!

PS-Black is just plain tough to get right.

[Adam]

Many people swear by Zaino and I love it too.

[PasadenaBoxster]

Anyone have any feelings one way or the other about Amway Car Polish? My wife swears up and down that it's the best, but I've never used it. If you have used it, how does it rank vs. other products you've tried.

Thanks!

PB