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11-27-2001, 02:44 PM
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2000 Clk 430
informative web site
Intersesting web site on waxes...
seems like they are objective and fair.
www.thewaxtest.com
I have no financial interest..blah, blah, blah.
seems like they are objective and fair.
www.thewaxtest.com
I have no financial interest..blah, blah, blah.
11-27-2001, 09:21 PM
#2
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I don't think they gave Klasse a fair shake as compared to Zaino. For Zaino they used a three step process and for Klasse they used the All-In-One and Glaze only. I think they should have used a pre-wax polish like the Zaino kit to be competitive. The more pre-work you do the better the wax job will look. Also they did a lot of prep work on the real waxes and little to no prep work on the Synthetic waxes so how can you compare across the two. When I use real caranuba wax I'm lucky if wax stops beading on the hood in two months. With Klasse I get at least double that. Never tried Zaino mostly because nobody around here sells it.
11-27-2001, 09:44 PM
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2002 C240 Classic - Orion Blue Beast!!
Originally posted by Buellwinkle
I don't think they gave Klasse a fair shake as compared to Zaino. For Zaino they used a three step process and for Klasse they used the All-In-One and Glaze only. I think they should have used a pre-wax polish like the Zaino kit to be competitive. The more pre-work you do the better the wax job will look. Also they did a lot of prep work on the real waxes and little to no prep work on the Synthetic waxes so how can you compare across the two. When I use real caranuba wax I'm lucky if wax stops beading on the hood in two months. With Klasse I get at least double that. Never tried Zaino mostly because nobody around here sells it.
I don't think they gave Klasse a fair shake as compared to Zaino. For Zaino they used a three step process and for Klasse they used the All-In-One and Glaze only. I think they should have used a pre-wax polish like the Zaino kit to be competitive. The more pre-work you do the better the wax job will look. Also they did a lot of prep work on the real waxes and little to no prep work on the Synthetic waxes so how can you compare across the two. When I use real caranuba wax I'm lucky if wax stops beading on the hood in two months. With Klasse I get at least double that. Never tried Zaino mostly because nobody around here sells it.
12-04-2001, 04:23 PM
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Hello, sorry for lurking on the board, but we've been getting hits from everywhere...we try to check out the sites that people tell us about - this looks like a pretty cool board (might have to sell the Bimmer and get a MB).
Anyway, regarding your comments about the synthetics we tested. I'll share a little bit of background info...
We originally tested all of the products using identical preparation steps - even the synthetics. Unfortunately, we quickly learned that synthetics don't mix well with traditional glazes and polishes. In fact, it gave us such poor results that we initially gave Klasse and Zaino ratings of D+ and C- (respectively).
Boy, did we catch H#LL for that mistake. Everyone wrote us to say that we needed to do x,y,z before we could apply the synthetics while using normal glazes/polishes to prep the surface. In an effort to correct our mistakes and prevent any 'contamination', we re-did the tests making certain to only use the products as recommended by the manufacturer.
Zaino recommends 4 products - Z1 (PolishLok), Z5 (Polish), Z6 (Gloss Enhancer) and Z2 (Sealant).
Klasse recommends 2 products - All-in-One (Cleaner/protectant) and Sealant Glaze (obvious).
We followed the manufacturer's directions for prepping the surfaces and tested the products. The carnauba equivalents recommended a cleaner of some sorts, and we made sure we used that cleaner. Had Zaino or Kalsse said "use our cleaner" we would have used it.
We did more prep work with the carnauba products because (1) they're compatible with one another, and (2) the panels we used for those products were in terrible shape. The synthetic panels were in much better condition (like new) and they aren't compatible with traditional cleaners/polishes unless you take a bunch of measures to prep them to co-exist with one another.
So, in closing, we tried to be as fair to each product as we could be, even re-doing the tests to correct for our initial mistakes.
Hope this clears any confusion, thanks for checking us out!
[Edit:] Oh, I should mention that with the Klasse products, we could have prepped with some traditional glazes as the All In One would have probably cleaned the oils...but, since we had poor initial results and because we wanted to be fair to the Zaino, we decided against any 'extra' prep work for the synthetics.[/Edit]
Anyway, regarding your comments about the synthetics we tested. I'll share a little bit of background info...
We originally tested all of the products using identical preparation steps - even the synthetics. Unfortunately, we quickly learned that synthetics don't mix well with traditional glazes and polishes. In fact, it gave us such poor results that we initially gave Klasse and Zaino ratings of D+ and C- (respectively).
Boy, did we catch H#LL for that mistake. Everyone wrote us to say that we needed to do x,y,z before we could apply the synthetics while using normal glazes/polishes to prep the surface. In an effort to correct our mistakes and prevent any 'contamination', we re-did the tests making certain to only use the products as recommended by the manufacturer.
Zaino recommends 4 products - Z1 (PolishLok), Z5 (Polish), Z6 (Gloss Enhancer) and Z2 (Sealant).
Klasse recommends 2 products - All-in-One (Cleaner/protectant) and Sealant Glaze (obvious).
We followed the manufacturer's directions for prepping the surfaces and tested the products. The carnauba equivalents recommended a cleaner of some sorts, and we made sure we used that cleaner. Had Zaino or Kalsse said "use our cleaner" we would have used it.
We did more prep work with the carnauba products because (1) they're compatible with one another, and (2) the panels we used for those products were in terrible shape. The synthetic panels were in much better condition (like new) and they aren't compatible with traditional cleaners/polishes unless you take a bunch of measures to prep them to co-exist with one another.
So, in closing, we tried to be as fair to each product as we could be, even re-doing the tests to correct for our initial mistakes.
Hope this clears any confusion, thanks for checking us out!
[Edit:] Oh, I should mention that with the Klasse products, we could have prepped with some traditional glazes as the All In One would have probably cleaned the oils...but, since we had poor initial results and because we wanted to be fair to the Zaino, we decided against any 'extra' prep work for the synthetics.[/Edit]
Last edited by thewaxtest; 12-04-2001 at 04:29 PM.
12-05-2001, 12:11 AM
#5
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David N.,
My car is black and the SG did not leave a film. I may be in the way you applied it. The AIO us put on with a damp towel in small sections and then buffed off while still moist and the SG is put on with a dry towel in larger sections and then buffed off dry. I use microfiber towels.
It's been four months (bought/waxed car 8/4) and it still shines good and still beads up like when I first applied it. My buffing pad is chewed up so I'm looking for a good 5/8" arbor high speed buffing pad (6-7") so I can remove the swirls and re-apply the Klasse.
TheWaxTest,
Your website has valuable information so don't take my comments the wrong way. To me wax just protects the hard work I put into buffing the car using a good quality polishing compound and high speed buffer. It funny but the car gets slightly less shiny when I put any wax on it after I buff it but it still looks great. I mainly look for someting that will last. I've used high grade caranuba waxes and although it looked good, usually it only last about 4-6 weeks. It appears from my first use of Klasse that it seems to last longer. My comment was more about the effort before the wax goes on has to be consistant. If one product uses a 4 step process vs. another's 2 step process of course it's going to look better because you buffed it more and layered more product one. Most people are lucky to use a 1 step process let alone 4 so it's not fair from my point of view. To be fairer in this case I would do the Klasse 2 step process twice. Many forum members seem to put multiple layers of Klasse SG to enhance the shine. I've never tried that because I poop out by the first coat.
My car is black and the SG did not leave a film. I may be in the way you applied it. The AIO us put on with a damp towel in small sections and then buffed off while still moist and the SG is put on with a dry towel in larger sections and then buffed off dry. I use microfiber towels.
It's been four months (bought/waxed car 8/4) and it still shines good and still beads up like when I first applied it. My buffing pad is chewed up so I'm looking for a good 5/8" arbor high speed buffing pad (6-7") so I can remove the swirls and re-apply the Klasse.
TheWaxTest,
Your website has valuable information so don't take my comments the wrong way. To me wax just protects the hard work I put into buffing the car using a good quality polishing compound and high speed buffer. It funny but the car gets slightly less shiny when I put any wax on it after I buff it but it still looks great. I mainly look for someting that will last. I've used high grade caranuba waxes and although it looked good, usually it only last about 4-6 weeks. It appears from my first use of Klasse that it seems to last longer. My comment was more about the effort before the wax goes on has to be consistant. If one product uses a 4 step process vs. another's 2 step process of course it's going to look better because you buffed it more and layered more product one. Most people are lucky to use a 1 step process let alone 4 so it's not fair from my point of view. To be fairer in this case I would do the Klasse 2 step process twice. Many forum members seem to put multiple layers of Klasse SG to enhance the shine. I've never tried that because I poop out by the first coat.
12-05-2001, 08:52 AM
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2002 C240 Classic - Orion Blue Beast!!
Buellwinkle...
One thing I do differently than the klasse directions state, is that I apply my SG with a damp foam applicator as opposed to dry. The damp applicator helps to spread the SG much thinner. If it's dry, I tend to use more product.
I was thinking about it some more and I believe the weather that I applied my klasse in had an adverse effect on the product. I klassed in October when the weather was cool and damp, as opposed to warm and dry, like in the summer. I think the SG absorbed some of the atmospheric moisture while it was curing, and voila, a white haze ensued. Hopefully it won't happen next spring when I re-detail the car.
Take it easy.
I was thinking about it some more and I believe the weather that I applied my klasse in had an adverse effect on the product. I klassed in October when the weather was cool and damp, as opposed to warm and dry, like in the summer. I think the SG absorbed some of the atmospheric moisture while it was curing, and voila, a white haze ensued. Hopefully it won't happen next spring when I re-detail the car.
Take it easy.
