First time using clay OR wax! (pics inside)

[turbomangt]

My paint cleaner will remove minor scratches in the clear, I also posted a thread on scratch repair. do a search for it. Gary

[AztekzRpurty]

One caution that no-one has mentioned, (unless I missed it), If you drop your claybar, all the pros say throw it away, and never use the same claybar more than about 3 or 4 polishings.

If the claybar picks up any grit/sand/dust it will scratch the hell out of your paint.

I have the same claybar set, autozone has them. I've done the hood. Plan to finish it soon.

[RedSol]

I must of run into some wet paint a couple of nights ago. This morning I noticed small threads of white paint all over the drivers side, kicked up by the left front wheel. It came off easy enough using a finger nail, thanks to new paint and a few good coats of Zaino to make everything nice a slick... When I washed the car I saw the job was going to be a big one with small specs everywhere.

No problem man! I pulled out my trusty clay-bar and in minutes all those hundreds of spec and threads were gone.

People have warned us to throw the bar away after 3-4 used or if you drop one. That is great advice, but consider putting it in a marked container for doing windows only. Glass is hard and can take a little dust without scratching.

I might try using an old bar (once and then through it out) on wheels to remove brake dust. Has anyone done this before?

[turbomangt]

I have warned poeple in the "sticky" thread I posted on claying about dropping it. Gary

[dori-san]

Originally Posted by turbomangt Dori-San, the Gold class is old technology wax, if you want to use a superior product that will last 6 times longer try my Ultimate series Paint Seal. its only 10 bucks, probably cheaper than the Gold Class, the their is really no comparision in quality. Most people are using synthetic oil in their car. why?becuase it has man made chemicals to lubricate your engine and make it last longer. no different in hi tech paint selants, it has polymers (from the greek word, poly as in "many" and mer as in "Units") in simple terms it has man made chemicals to co-exsist with your finish, providing a superior sacrificial layer of protection that blows any wax out the door. Wax is a natural by-product from trees, it has a melting point of 99* whereas my synthetic has a melting point of 392*. Combine this with modern technology, and wax falls into old school application.

Gary, I appreciate your input. However unless it's a thread that you started, try to keep the product pushing to a minimum.

Obviously I don't know much about wax, so I have a couple other questions...

1. What KIND of wax am I using? It doesn't say Carnauba or anything on the bottle.

2. What kind of wax produces the wet look? I want the car to look like it has water on it all the time.

3. You say that circles are fine when following the process. What about times that I DON'T clay? When I just wash and then wax should I go back and forth and ONLY do circles after I've clayed it, or am I safe to do circles all the time?

[turbomangt]

Dorii, you can use circular motion for any finising procedure, by that time your finish should be clean of any foreign defects. Carnauba wax is the most popular for cars, although it may not say it, that's what is usually is. the % of content is what makes some brands cost more than others. average percentage is around 25%, keep in mind that pure carnuba has the consistantcy of a brick. to get that "wet look" shine, you should use poly-seal once a month, check out the picture out of the Mercedes I detailed in the sticky section, I think that is the look you are looking for. To achieve that follow my procedure and product recommendation. Gary

[brad8758]

I suppose I may as well post a picture of my moms solstice after we clay barred and waxed ours. It didnt really look like it was that dirty before it, but when you ran your hand across it it felt like sand paper. Afterwards, it was just like glass...or atleast for a few minutes. It ended up with sap on it again after 30 minutes.

[firedup]

I will be claying my Sol tomorrow. Everything is a go. Also painting calipers. Great Saturday project.

[solli4me]

I bought a clay bar kit (Meguiar's) yesterday and after reading dori’s advice I attempted to clean my car. The kit came with two 50 gram white clay bars, one detailer spray, one 4 oz. cleaner wax and a great microfiber towel. My clay was somewhat difficult to manipulate. It didn’t look anything like dori’s. After it warmed up it was more pliable, but I’m sure the temperature outside had something to do with it. It was sunny but cold here.

After washing & drying my car, I sprayed the lubricant directly on the surface and was surprised to see blue fibers in the spray puddle. Everywhere I sprayed, there were blue fibers. I started to get really suspicious, thinking “hmm, bet they put this stuff in here to make you think something’s coming off the car when you rub it.” So, I went inside and sprayed my kitchen sink just to double check. Nothing there. The bluish things were sticking in my clay, and I’m guessing that they were the “bonded contaminants”. I rubbed the clay left to right.

Got to say it was worth the time to do this. I removed little specks of road tar, dirt and glue. At the top of both head lamps in the same place was a small area of dirt which came off with the clay.

After the clay, I used Meguiar’s NXT wax. Very easy to apply & buff. No dust. I really can’t claim that the shine is any better since I have a silver car and it’s hard to notice with silver. I will believe, however, that the shine is superior.

I enjoyed doing this for the simple fact that I was able to really look Amelia over and assess the winter’s wear on her. Noticed lots of little chips, scratches etc. all over the body.
The entire process will take you about 4 hours; dori’s right about that.

[dori-san]

Excellent Solli!

And I will back you up on your belief that the NXT Gen wax is better. I just bought a bottle on Wednesday and applied 2 coats. It buffs off much easier than the Gold Class and doesn't take as long to set up. It also does provide more of the wet shine I was looking for than the Gold Class does.

[Jabez]

Originally Posted by dori-san Excellent Solli! And I will back you up on your belief that the NXT Gen wax is better. I just bought a bottle on Wednesday and applied 2 coats. It buffs off much easier than the Gold Class and doesn't take as long to set up. It also does provide more of the wet shine I was looking for than the Gold Class does.

NXT is a nice product but it lacks durability. Maybe 3 or 4 weeks max before you have to re-wax. Also be careful of getting NXT on the black trim in the back. NXT will leave a white stain if it comes in contact with it.

[Jabez]

Originally Posted by turbomangt Dorii, you can use circular motion for any finising procedure, by that time your finish should be clean of any foreign defects. that follow my procedure and product recommendation. Gary

I disagree with using a circular motion when finishing by hand. Better to use a side to side motion. The circular motion , if done incorrectly or too hard may cause swirl marks .

[turbomangt]

Jabez, I agree with you to an extent..........if the paint is not completely free of contaminants you will get swirls regardless of what direction you go. the assumption is that by the time you get to the wax/seal stage the car is free of ALL foreign contaminants. That however is a huge assumption since many people don't detail properly.

[twopolarbears]

I just wanted to bump this but also let people know that he used mother's in his explanation, but McQuires (spelling?) also makes one that I have used on my Jeep. A dark Wine colored red. Looks absolutely beautiful.

Both Mother's and McQuires were found at Pep Boys.... fyi

[turbomangt]

The clay I sell on my web site is a little more aggressive than the Mothers, but less aggressive than Meguairs, I have used them all, and discovered the one I use is just the right degree of aggressiveness you need. Gary