Rednoj

Let me start off by saying that this page is God's gift to Mercedes Benz owners. In the past few weeks, I've learned more than I could ever imagine about how to take care of my Benz.

Ok, enough of schmoozing.

Question:

Klasse or Zaino?

I have been using Klasse All-In-One on my car to protect the new paint. The reason is because I've been reading that it is the best. However, AlBoston (detail guru) uses Zaino. Can anyone tell me what the strengths and weaknesses of each are? I've never used Zaino but judging from the praise I've read on this forum, it'd be safe to assume that it rivals Klasse. Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

Also, after I Klasse my car, I let it cure for about 5 hours and then add on a layer of Pinnacle Paste Glaz Car Wax (Carnauba). Does this sound ok? Car color is brilliant silver.

Kar don

lol thank you for the kind words . I used to use klasse all the time, and I still use it a lot, but for my personal vehicle I really like using Zaino. Zaino really brings out the shine in silver and is the glossiest product I have ever seen. Also it leaves the surface ultra slick and feeling like butter. You must clay the car first (I recommend clay magic, pinnacle poly clay, or Zaino Z18) then wash with dawn and then follow the instruction to apply Zaino. What you are doing right now is ok, but if you really want to see the benefits of the klasse system you must follow up with the klasse high-gloss sealant glaze. I find the Klasse All-in-one provides little to no protection and wears off very quickly. Also Klasse all-in-one contains mild abrasives, not something you would want to use on your car regularly. If you want to stick with klasse, I would dawn wash your car, apply 1 coat of AIO and then purchase klasse high-gloss sealant glaze (gray bottle) and layer that on the car. Make sure you apply the sealant glaze extremely thin and I recommend letting the glaze dry over nite then remove the next morning. Only do that if you have a place you can garage the car. Good luck, please if you have any more question just ask!

awiner

ZAINO !!

jl88

Both are very good..

The general consensus on Autopia is that Klasse gives a warmer, more carnuba-like feel to the paint.

Zaino is easier to apply and it just shines like hell, but doesn't have the same richness as carnuba.

Klasse sucks because you will need a PC or any buffer to apply and remove. Zaino is by far the easiest synthetic to apply/remove.

Alot of high end detailers use Klasse. Zaino is still a niche detailing zealot kind of thing..

I personally use Zaino. I noticed that most people can't tell what the hell i'm using on my car. I like Zaino for its ease-of-use and its longevity. Never tried Klasse, but i'm getting a PC soon so I might just give it a try.

bjwebster

One More Vote For Zaino! I Not Only Love their Polish/Sealant, But Their Z7 Wash Is My Favorite Too!

Kar don

an excellent source I found that tests all the waxes head to head is the guru reports. www.gurureports.com They have a report where they test all the waxes and give a lot of helpful hints. I really recommend it for the detailing newbie!

Rednoj

Thanks to all those that posted a comment. They were very helpful. I went out and bought some Zaino supplies today because of this.

And thanks AlBoston for the link. I'll be reading it all night tonight

awiner

Let us know how you like them after you use them !

Rednoj

Will do awiner!

Rednoj

There is thread on autopia (the home of detailing gurus) dedicated to removing Klasse so that it can be replaced with Zaino mostly. There is also another thread dedicated to Klasse complaints. Thought you guys might find this interesting.

Here are the links:
Stripping Klasse..UPDATE
klasse replacment

Rednoj

this stuff is amazing. I love it. It looks better than showroom cars. I do, however, have one question. The instructions say to squeeze a dime-size drop onto applicator and apply very thin. Can anyone tell me approximately the surface area a dime-size drop should cover? I want to put two more coats on tomorrow.

awiner

What I would do is use it spairingly. Since Zaino is a polymer, a little goes a long way. You only need a ultra thin coat on the surface in order to get the results you want.

For me, while zainoing my car in approx 80 degree F heat, a dime size squirt covers a panel. Approx 2'x2' in surface area. Each application will be different. Just make sure to apply it ultra thin, as applying it thicker only wastes the product and makes drying time increase.

revstriker

I agree. As you get going with this stuff, you will get a feel for it, and you will know how big an area you can cover. Just remember, THIN coats.

schwarz c230

I really like Zaino, what I cant believe is it easy to use lots less work than wax, one coat looks good, that is what is on my wifes car 10 coats look amazing my car.

Rednoj

To all those who replied to my question, thanks. Approx. 2x2, got it Awiner! Get a feel for it, got it revstriker!

Now I have all this Klasse and don't know what to do with it.

SFC320

I just clayed my car this weekend followed by Klasse AIO and Klasse sealant. AMAZING! I haven't used Zaino...but I am really impressed w/ Klasse. I wouldn't rule it out.

tonewheel

Send your Klasse to me!

saffrontiger

Send Klasse my way too

David N.

Keep your klasse AIO and use it as a base for your zaino. Process: wash, clay, aio, z2/z5 with z1 or zfx, you choose.

Also, for SG, apply it like you would apply s100 wax. Wipe it on to a panel and immediately wipe it off. This will make it much easier/user friendly. Letting it sit overnight is not practical. Wiping it on and off will not hurt the durability of the product. I've used SG this way for the last two years and it's durability was not compromised.

Ali, I thought you tried the woo method and liked it? why are you recommending something esle now?

David.

Kar don

David, check the dates on my post ... it is from 2002, LOL. Yes I did try your method and find it produces excellent results, I am not sure whether to use zaino or klasse on my new topaz blue bimmer. I no longer recommend letting it sit overnite. I prefer Zaino still however and use AIO as a base as well

David N.

Holy cow!! Ali, my apologies. I never looked at the date. I assumed the thread was recent. It was on the first page of the forum. I guess this place isn't as busy as it used to be.

As a side note, I tried Zaino this past weekend (z1 + z5) on my Silver car. I noticed that it felt slicker an hour after buffing off the residue. It looked good on Sunday. Though I haven't seen the car since then. Maybe I'll see it tomorrow. Now I know why you like the stuff so much, especially from a usuability perspective. Easy on, easy off.

Other than that, how's life? I don't see you on autopia much anymore.

Take it easy man.

David N.

Oh and congrats on the new car! I LOOOVE topaz blue! One of the nicest colours BMW has ever made. I still use SG on the MB. I love how it looks on Orion blue. It really makes the colour stand out! I can imagine that it would do the same for topaz blue as well.

David.

young

i am just switching to klasse from zaino.

after about 3 years of using zaino, i have the following comments:
1. imo, it looks the same as a good wax - not better
2. it is time consuming to put on
3. you need like 5 coats... or more!
4. it strips w/ my windshield wiper fluid... it got to a point where i basically tried to never use the wiper fluid.

now klasse, i've read, is a one step process and you just need one coat... good enough shine for me. it does bother me a little now that i read that people think zaino is easier to apply... i want a convenient system.

David N.

young,

For klasse, I would use both the All In One (AIO) and Sealant Glaze (SG). The AIO will clean the paint and lay down a minimal amount of acrylic which will ready the surface to accept the SG.

As long as you use the Wipe on, wipe off technique for SG, then it will be easy to use. If you follow the instructions that are given by many vendors (autogeek, CMA, etc), then it will be very hard to remove. They recco letting the SG sit for an hour or 2 prior to buffing it off. Big mistake.

Here is my SG technique which I posted over on autopia:

My technique is pretty simple.

In order to apply SG using wipe on, wipe off, you should do the following:

1. Take a terry covered foam applicator and spray it with water.

I initially recommended spraying the applicatior with a non-carnuba QD or water. I've changed my mind about this. Just stick to good old tap water. Too many different QD's out there that give different results.

Squeeze the applicator as much as you can so that most of the water is gone. All you should have is a slightly damp applicator. This will make the SG more pliable.

2. Apply a couple of drops of SG to your applicator and apply it to a section of your car (1/3 of the hood, half of the roof, etc) in a front to back motion. Once you have covered the whole section with SG, immediately wipe off the residue with a DRY charisma or MF towel in a front to back motion.

3. Repeat step 2 for every section until the whole car is done.


Notes:

- As mentioned before, wipe the SG off immediately, no dry time is necessary.

- The SG should wipe off very easily leaving behind a slick, smooth, and glossy finish.

- You should use no more than 1oz. of SG per coat on a regular size car (BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class)

- Only perform step 1 one time, before applying SG to the first panel. You do NOT need to spritz your applicator with water before applying SG to each section. Once you apply SG to a couple of sections the applicator will be wet enough with SG, negating the need for more water.

-Do not use any water or QD to aid in removal of SG. This will just cause the klasse SG to develop an oily haze/film down the road. I've also experienced this.

-Wait AT LEAST 24 hours before applying another coat of SG. SG needs time to cure and bond to your paint surface. I would personally wait a week. If you've driven the car ANYWHERE, then wash it before applying the next layer, or else you will just re-swirl your car.

-Put on three coats of SG, and you will be good to go.

-If you desire more warmth and depth in your paint, then apply a pure carnuba wax (no cleaner waxes) a week after you’ve applied the third layer of SG. Make sure you wash before you wax. You may experience some streaking or ghosting of the wax. I did, but it wasn’t enough to bother me. This is because SG and carnuba (any carnuba) don’t entirely get along. Consider yourself warned.

That's it!

Any questions, let me know.

edit: I added some more points to the notes section.

edit Jan 1/04: I am now recommending against misting the applicator with QD. Mist it with water instead. Too many QD's give too many different results.

edit May 11/04: If you decide to put a wax topper over your SG, ensure it is a pure carnuba wax without cleaners. The cleaners in a cleaner wax will strip off your SG, resulting in a wasted effort.

David.