Claying and protecting your paint
For those of you that have never tried claying your car, you are missing one of the most important steps in getting a fabulous shiny finish. Also, convince yourself with this little test: Clay the WINDSHIELD of your car and you will be AMAZED at the difference. Removing the surface contaminants lets your polish and or wax adhere much better and will result in a deeper look. New cars that are transported by train are notorious for have "rail dust" imbedded in the clearcoat. These look like little brown rust spots. Claying removes them. Also, claying is easier and faster than waxing. Every new car should be clayed to remove the surface contaminants from the train tracks "rails" and road contaminants from the car haulers. Then polish or wax to keep it looking good. Wax acts as a sacroficial coating that gets eaten up by sun, rain, acid rain, washing....and all the things that would first attack your paint.
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I wholeheartedly agree..! I also try to do this once a year. I then add a good polish after the claybar...next a good wax to top it off(I use my favorite brand...). After this once a year proccess...I use a quick spray detailing wax after each wash. Sounds like alot of work....but after the initial claybaring.. polishing and waxing..the wash and quick spray wax maintains the luster usually untill the late fall.Barry said:For those of you that have never tried claying your car, you are missing one of the most important steps in getting a fabulous shiny finish. Also, convince yourself with this little test: Clay the WINDSHIELD of your car and you will be AMAZED at the difference. Removing the surface contaminants lets your polish and or wax adhere much better and will result in a deeper look. New cars that are transported by train are notorious for have "rail dust" imbedded in the clearcoat. These look like little brown rust spots. Claying removes them. Also, claying is easier and faster than waxing. Every new car should be clayed to remove the surface contaminants from the train tracks "rails" and road contaminants from the car haulers. Then polish or wax to keep it looking good. Wax acts as a sacroficial coating that gets eaten up by sun, rain, acid rain, washing....and all the things that would first attack your paint.
Meguiars Claybar Kit...Deep Crystal Polish...NXT Tech Wax 2.0...Ultimate Quik Detailer
http://www.meguiars.com/
Any Turtle Wax users out there or am I living in the past with this? My father got me on it with my first car. I wanna try Nu Finish, though.
I use Turtle wax products - especcially their Tar and Bug remover.. I use to use NuFinish for over 40 years and still like it I'd rather polish my car then wax it.
I have a '99 Miata, that I store in the winter. Every spring I do:
Wash, claybar (windows and headlight lens), wash again. Use a cleaner wax, then Klasse All-in-one and finish with Klasse Glaze.
Rest of the year is wash and quick waxing...and in between wipe with California duster.
The clay is a great way to prep the surface..for the waxing or polishing.
Wash, claybar (windows and headlight lens), wash again. Use a cleaner wax, then Klasse All-in-one and finish with Klasse Glaze.
Rest of the year is wash and quick waxing...and in between wipe with California duster.
The clay is a great way to prep the surface..for the waxing or polishing.
Clay cleans the finish but it provides no shine. It removed things embedded in the paint.
Once the finish is cleaned with the clay you need to polish it with various staged of polish depending on the condition of the paint damage. Then you need to seal it in a non cleaner wax.
Too many people get the false idea that the clay provides a polishing effect. It is a great tool but it only cleans.
Once or twice a year depending on how you maintain your vehicle is enough.
Formy black HHR I have never need to clay it as the surface has never gotten to the point it needed that deep of cleaning. If you feel the surface and it is not perfectly clean you will feel it. If it is clean it will be as smooth as glass. People who polish often do not need to clay unless there is some eviroment reason or overspray.
I went throught the clay traning when it first came out and I highly recomend it if you need it but do not just use it if the surface is in great condition as it will not improve the shine if the surface is already clean. Better to use this work with the application of another step of polish or hand glaze.
Once the finish is cleaned with the clay you need to polish it with various staged of polish depending on the condition of the paint damage. Then you need to seal it in a non cleaner wax.
Too many people get the false idea that the clay provides a polishing effect. It is a great tool but it only cleans.
Once or twice a year depending on how you maintain your vehicle is enough.
Formy black HHR I have never need to clay it as the surface has never gotten to the point it needed that deep of cleaning. If you feel the surface and it is not perfectly clean you will feel it. If it is clean it will be as smooth as glass. People who polish often do not need to clay unless there is some eviroment reason or overspray.
I went throught the clay traning when it first came out and I highly recomend it if you need it but do not just use it if the surface is in great condition as it will not improve the shine if the surface is already clean. Better to use this work with the application of another step of polish or hand glaze.
IF I was doing myself and surface paint quality was questionable, NO clay bar for me, but rather use Mequiars Deep Crystal system paint cleaner or similar product, followed with Fire Glaze auto polish or similar long lasting advertised polish.
I might just do that on both black cars this year and forget the $80.00/car to have Ziebart do once a year. I have to get up the ambition FIRST. :blob:
I might just do that on both black cars this year and forget the $80.00/car to have Ziebart do once a year. I have to get up the ambition FIRST. :blob:
Well, to each his own, and having worked as a professional detailer in the past, I figured the finish on a new car wouldn't need the extra, deep-cleaning that a clay bar provides. Boy was I wrong. (I have a 2012 Equinox, BTW that is only a month & a half old) If you are unsure, I recommend purchasing one (a detail-specific clay bar, not the green Play-Do from your kid's toy box) & trying it on a small portion of your car. Usually the hood & top of the car are the most in need of deep cleaning. Follow the directions and compare the small area you clean (1'x1') with the rest of the surface and see if you can feel and see a difference. In a lot of cases the car WILL shine better, of you have a lot of surface contamination.
Remember though, a clay bar is meant to do one thing, clean. It will remove all kinds of crap off the surface of your paint/clear coat, including wax. Remember to follow-up your clay work with a good, quality wax. Everyone seems to have their favorite, so go with that. Please start with a clean car, that is as dust-free as possible.
I was surprised at how much nicer my car looks and how much smoother the surfaces of my Equinox are to the touch.
Highly recommend clay bar- even on a new car!
Remember though, a clay bar is meant to do one thing, clean. It will remove all kinds of crap off the surface of your paint/clear coat, including wax. Remember to follow-up your clay work with a good, quality wax. Everyone seems to have their favorite, so go with that. Please start with a clean car, that is as dust-free as possible.
I was surprised at how much nicer my car looks and how much smoother the surfaces of my Equinox are to the touch.
Highly recommend clay bar- even on a new car!
The clay is a good tool but not a tool that needs to be used at all times.
Like stated clay is a cleaner and not a polish. Too many people think it as a polish and it does no such thing. You still need to polish the car after clay and then seal it with a quailty wax.
If you maintain your car well and often you may only need to clay once or twicw a year at best. My show car is maintained well and seldom left out for long so it never needs clayed.
Now a dailiy driver and anything near a city may need it more often. Often you can feel the surface and tell it it has any abrassiveness to it. If it is dead smooth there is no need to do any clay. Once you have clayed you know what paint should feel like if you forgot since your car was new.
Like stated clay is a cleaner and not a polish. Too many people think it as a polish and it does no such thing. You still need to polish the car after clay and then seal it with a quailty wax.
If you maintain your car well and often you may only need to clay once or twicw a year at best. My show car is maintained well and seldom left out for long so it never needs clayed.
Now a dailiy driver and anything near a city may need it more often. Often you can feel the surface and tell it it has any abrassiveness to it. If it is dead smooth there is no need to do any clay. Once you have clayed you know what paint should feel like if you forgot since your car was new.
Man that seems like a lot of work! I'm must be getting old, fat, and lazy...................Ok, I've gotten old, fat, and lazy. Of all the polishing I've done in the past I've never used this clay bar. I wonder if I can trick my wife into doing this? :comfort:
One trick I and others have learned is you can water with the clay, IF the car is clean and not in great need to break up any tar etc you can use the water as a lub to rub out the car.
Only use a small piece of clay and turn it regular. If you use only part of the bar and you drop it you can just pull more off and keep going. If you drop it toss it.
Think of waxing as automotive arobics. You will be a slim trim fighting machine if you get OCD on your car.
Lose weight, live longer and better resale what more could you ask for?
Only use a small piece of clay and turn it regular. If you use only part of the bar and you drop it you can just pull more off and keep going. If you drop it toss it.
Think of waxing as automotive arobics. You will be a slim trim fighting machine if you get OCD on your car.
Lose weight, live longer and better resale what more could you ask for?
I use soapy water as a lube. Car wash soap, of course. One thing that I use for clay - when in a pinch - is Home Depot window rope-caulk. It comes in a roll - and it is the consistency of clay - maybe a little less pliable, but tons cheaper. If you ruin your car, don't blame me, but it has worked fine for me for the last 10 years !hyperv6 said:One trick I and others have learned is you can water with the clay, IF the car is clean and not in great need to break up any tar etc you can use the water as a lub to rub out the car.
I'm sticking with sidebite, I'm too old to worry about "How my car FEELS".
I had my Vettes in concourses for more years then I care to remember and never used a clay bar once and ALWAYS received 10 points for paint. I never even heard of clay bars until a few years ago.
Since I wash my cars regularly, by hand and car washes(oh-nooo), I don't see a need to go to that extream. Just my opinion - no need to throw stones. :cheers:
Besides I really don't have time for it due to all my other interests. I'm lucky I even have time to wash/wax it.
I doubt if it will get you more money at resale time. Exercise I'll agree with. :thumb:
I had my Vettes in concourses for more years then I care to remember and never used a clay bar once and ALWAYS received 10 points for paint. I never even heard of clay bars until a few years ago.
Since I wash my cars regularly, by hand and car washes(oh-nooo), I don't see a need to go to that extream. Just my opinion - no need to throw stones. :cheers:
Besides I really don't have time for it due to all my other interests. I'm lucky I even have time to wash/wax it.
I doubt if it will get you more money at resale time. Exercise I'll agree with. :thumb:
Some interesting methods described here! My nox is a couple weeks old now, and I really need to get myself in gear and give it a good clay and seal.
My procedure is hand wash, mothers clay kit, wash again, then Blackfire Wet Diamond sealer.
I love the Blackfire stuff, it's too easy to use and lasts too long for me to not use it.
I see some people here talking about polish, then wax/sealer? Polish, to me, suggests that it has some abrasives in it which is definitly a no no, especially on a new car. Your clear coat is not going to get any more shiny than it already is, and a polish would just add micro scratches in the clear coat. Polish is for old hoopties with blown out, oxidized, swirl marked paint, NOT a beautiful new car with fresh clear coat. Oh, the horror!
My procedure is hand wash, mothers clay kit, wash again, then Blackfire Wet Diamond sealer.
I love the Blackfire stuff, it's too easy to use and lasts too long for me to not use it.
I see some people here talking about polish, then wax/sealer? Polish, to me, suggests that it has some abrasives in it which is definitly a no no, especially on a new car. Your clear coat is not going to get any more shiny than it already is, and a polish would just add micro scratches in the clear coat. Polish is for old hoopties with blown out, oxidized, swirl marked paint, NOT a beautiful new car with fresh clear coat. Oh, the horror!
First off there are different grades of polish. I keep anywhere from 7-8 different levels of polish or glaze. On a new car I use a glaze then I seal it with a pure Carnuba wax with no cleaners.1LT said:Some interesting methods described here! My nox is a couple weeks old now, and I really need to get myself in gear and give it a good clay and seal.
My procedure is hand wash, mothers clay kit, wash again, then Blackfire Wet Diamond sealer.
I love the Blackfire stuff, it's too easy to use and lasts too long for me to not use it.
I see some people here talking about polish, then wax/sealer? Polish, to me, suggests that it has some abrasives in it which is definitly a no no, especially on a new car. Your clear coat is not going to get any more shiny than it already is, and a polish would just add micro scratches in the clear coat. Polish is for old hoopties with blown out, oxidized, swirl marked paint, NOT a beautiful new car with fresh clear coat. Oh, the horror!
Also why would you clay a new car. I would think the surface should be clean yet unless it was sitting on a dealer lot for a long time?
Again too many think clay is a polish when the truth is it is a cleaner. It removes enbedded marterials but it has no real poish quality to it. If the paint is in good condition and does not feel rough then just glaze it and wax with a non cleaner wax.
Clay is a tool to be used if needed and not on ever wax job.
HYPERV6, that's what I've been saying for years. I've never clayed any of my cars including my Vette show cars. And always received 10 points for paint. 10 was the max points available.
Not knocking claying - it's just not for me - I have a lot better things to do in what little time I have left. :thumb:
If I put my washed and waxed car next to a clayed car, I bet 99 out of 100 wouldn't know/see the difference, maybe 100 out of 100.
Not knocking claying - it's just not for me - I have a lot better things to do in what little time I have left. :thumb:
If I put my washed and waxed car next to a clayed car, I bet 99 out of 100 wouldn't know/see the difference, maybe 100 out of 100.
Truedat, but I'll bet 9 out of 10 could "feel" the difference ! Especially if they put their hand inside a baggie before the "feel your car up" !GARYD said:If I put my washed and waxed car next to a clayed car, I bet 99 out of 100 wouldn't know/see the difference, maybe 100 out of 100.
Yes, clay is not a polish. Clay is used to remove stuck on surface impurities that washing does not remove. It's not to make your paint 'feel good'. Thats a side effect. It's so you are not buffing those impurities into the paint, causing swirls or scratches, when you are buffing the wax/sealer/polish onto the finish.
Claying a new car is the perfect time to do it, before the first wax/seal, or in some cases, polish
There are many kinds of stuck on surface impurities on a new car. Rail dust being one.
When I clay mine, I'll post a pic of the clay after doing just one pannel. You will see.
Claying a new car is the perfect time to do it, before the first wax/seal, or in some cases, polish
There are many kinds of stuck on surface impurities on a new car. Rail dust being one.
When I clay mine, I'll post a pic of the clay after doing just one pannel. You will see.
The truth is clay is a tool that need to be used when there is a call for it. If the surface of the car has sap or embedded material like most daily drivers get claying once or twice a year is fine. Most of it depends on local conditions and where you park it.GARYD said:HYPERV6, that's what I've been saying for years. I've never clayed any of my cars including my Vette show cars. And always received 10 points for paint. 10 was the max points available.
Not knocking claying - it's just not for me - I have a lot better things to do in what little time I have left. :thumb:
If I put my washed and waxed car next to a clayed car, I bet 99 out of 100 wouldn't know/see the difference, maybe 100 out of 100.
As for show cars that only go out once in a while they may never need clayed as they are never out in the harsh envioment for long and seldom collect anything on the paint.
The key is clay fixes what you don't see the small embedded things in the paint. You can feel them but you normally can see them. Also great for over spary clean up.
What is wrong many think that clay is a polish and it is not. The car has no more shine if it is clayed or not. It is a cleaner not a polish. Once you have clayed you still need to follow up with a polish and a wax to do it right.
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