1pcarnut

First post here so hello to all!

Over the last couple of years I've done several concours events and picked up some good tips along the way so this is a topic dear to my heart.

A clay bar is a fantastic way to prep and clean your paint. The difference is amazing. That said, be careful.

The clay bar is not really clay but apparently a synthetic putty. Beware, there are several grades available. I tried some grey one time and it put very fine scratches in my paint that required buffing out. Later found out this stuff was invented to remove overspray at paint shops and comes is several coursness levels. Haven't found out how many levels there are but stay with the yellow version, it is finer that the grey.

Mothers is what I use currently, it comes in their kit with a detailer spray that functions also as a lubricant. Water will even work as a lubricant if needed, you don't necessarily need a detailer but since it's not that expensive it's not a big deal. Even if your car has been polished and waxed regularly you will be surprised how much contamination will come off with the bar. And your paint will be so smoooooth!

As far as waxes, this is almost as controversial as an oil thread. Everyone has their favorite. I'm a kind of practical guy and I like to see real world tests on stuff when I get ready to buy, not just opinions. Consumer Reports did a test in July of 06 on car waxes and the top rated wax was Black Magic. It had excellent durability, a great shine, went on and off fairly easily and was only $7! It beat Turtlewax, Meguires NXT, P21 and Griots. I've tried it and really like it. Plus it doesn't turn black plastic white.

Going back to the clay bar for a second, store it in a baggy to keep it from drying and if you drop it, it's done, throw it out because it will pick up dirt.

Cheers,
Roger

ebenke

It's so hot in Florida, the clay sticks and nearly melts this time of year. hopefully in a month I will be doing the same thing with my paint. It does wonders to the 'feel' of the surface. Then polish to bring out the shine, then Wax to make it 'purdy'.

ormy

My car is GP white as well, and I can say that claying has made an enormous difference. The car never really picked up that "wet look" after polishing and looked decidedly dull.

I used Meguiars paint cleaner followed by claying and then polishing with carnauba wax. Wow - what a difference! You could start to see the look of the paint changing (for the better) after the paint cleaning. The effects of claying can't really be seen whilst doing a panel - it's more of a tactile thing i.e. you can hear if the surface is dirty and feel how smooth it is once you've finished.

The waxing & polishing really shows the effect of claying - deep deep shine with that wet look. We've got a harder job with a white car to achieve the same kind of lustre that the dark paints have, but it's worth doing it.

In terms of time - put aside a few hours (3-4)

Chris M.

Hello and welcome Roger. Your comment above about turning black plastic white is why I despise waxing cars. I spend more time trying to keep the wax off any black plastic and then removing what does end up there...it drives me crazy! I will be trying this wax you recommend and I've also heard of a Turtle Wax product called Ice that supposedly doesn't leave a residue.

hawk911

another trick, but time-consumer, is to use Blue painter's tape on the seals. Tape it all up, and you spend zero time removing wax. It also works for cracks between body panels or little lights that are indented below the body panel.

1pcarnut

Hi Chris, thanks for the welcome. The Turtlewax came in a very close second but I don't recall which one, they offer several. Did you get your new car yet? And thanks again for the feedback on the 964s. Haven't found one yet but still looking.

Anthony Orosco

Wow.....what an eye opening thread!

I figured that by now everyone and their grandma knew what clay is! Reckon I was wrong.

First, your car is a rolling magnet. It attracts all kinds of stuff, all kinds of stuff wants to hitch a free ride, like gum, tar, water spots, pollution and birds use it for target practice

So what needs to be done every so often, if you want to keep its value up plus avoid a tetanus shot every time you touch or drive your car, will be a thorough wash and detailing. In recent years chemists have made that chore much easier with a lot less headache. The down side to this advance in technology is there are now TONS of products out there. The headache has now moved to choosing which polish, cleaner and wax to use!!

Lets look at washing first. Don't break out the dish soap, brillo pads (don't laugh, one clients wife washed her car with one because she was pissed off at her husband for not having her Mercedes detailed) or Ajax to clean the tires. Leave that stuff in the kitchen.

Most car soaps are in general the same and most are designed NOT to strip wax. If you're unsure then buy some Meguiars or Mother's car shampoo. You'll need a bucket, at least 3 gallons in size a wash mitt and also some towels.

For a wash mitt I highly recommend and prefer a natural deep sea sponge BUT some PITA people may not agree with the harvesting of sea sponge, so shop that at your own risk.

Two things to keep in mind with a deep sea sponge. 1) Since they come from the ocean they may harbor sand and small sea creatures so wash and rinse them very well before using on your Porsche paint. 2) Keep them away from your wife because she will fall in love with how they feel on her skin when washing...or buy your car one and her one, score some points!

The deep sea sponge is very porous and releases grit very easy when placed in the rinse bucket. Another option is a foam washing mitt made by Lake Country. It's red in color and works fantastic and so far has not caused any marring on any of my clients paint, and so far very durable.

I don't care for wool wash mitts or microfiber wash cloths, but that's my personal peeve.

For towels you can use 100% terry but be watchful of those stitched with polyester on the edges. I prefer and recommend microfiber towels. Some really nice large microfiber towels can be bought from Target and WalMart. I just bought several large blue towels from Wallyworld and they work great.

I would avoid the chamois though, both natural and synthetic. Reason being is that when wet these materials make full contact with the paint, in other words the water sucks them down flat on the paint and if some grit happens to blow up on the car it has no where to go but right across the paint. With a fabric towel the grit can be trapped up into the fabric and away from your paint. Plus once a chamois gets dirty it may not fully wash out.

My favorite tool for drying is an electric leaf blower. On a waxed surface this is the key to keeping your paint looking great. Keep it dedicated for car drying only. So don't mow the lawn and then mulch up grass and leaves with it then use it to dry your Turbo....you'll be very unhappy with garden debris hurling at your car over 200 mph!!

To clean wheels and tires, well.......I have no experience with store bought products but rather only professional products so I can't recommend anything here. You can PM me though and I can send you info of where I get my stuff.

Now on to the clay bar...... thingy First this is not playdough nor is it the clay your kids may use to craft you a nifty ashtray or pencil holder in Arts and Crafts. Detailing clay is, in a nutshell, a plastic resin which has a synthetic detergent and embedded micro abrasives. A solution is sprayed on the cars surface to give it a slick surface, the clay bar is then rubbed over the paint and glass to remove contaminates....more correctly though it shaves off the protruding pieces of these contaminates.

Iron ferrous materials may be embedded in your paint and cause rust blooms (these are very evident on white cars) and the clay can shave off the top portions leaving the paint nice and smooth. Clay will also remove overspray, sap and tar. It won't though remove oxidation or hard water etching.

Want to see (or feel) just how bad your paint might be contaminated? Place your hand in a sandwich baggie and rub your hand across your paint (wash and dry first) and you may feel all kinds of bumpy, gritty things that your naked hand may not feel. Those are contaminates which need to be dealt with. So clay the area, make sure to turn or knead your clay often, and then do the baggie test again. It should feel much better now.

Now your car can be polished and waxed with your choice of product. Note though that wax can't be layered nor should it need a hammer and chisel to remove. If you want some longer protection choose a synthetic sealant.

Have any questions? I'll try and answer all I can.

Anthony

1pcarnut

+1 on what Anthony said above.

My only gripe with microfiber towels is everthing that touchs them sticks to them so inspect often for foreign debris. Also, Costco sells them very reasonably. When you wash them don't use softener and only wash them with other microfiber towels, no cotton based fabrics.

robmug

...or use Zaino.

(see avatar)

tbennett017

Also, after a good wax, use a circular polarizing lens on your camera... makes all the difference capturing the shine... Works great on Black cars especially.

Anthony Orosco

Of course one could use Zaino, but are you stating then that Zaino alone would fix the issue without having to clay and polish ?

Whether it be Zaino, Zymol or Turtle wax....proper paint prep is key.

Anthony

bmwtinut

I give a second thumbs up for Autopia. I used to go to the autopia forums all the time. The guys on the board are awesome. Check out Brad B. 993C4S. Unreal shine. He is a PCA member and runs clincs on detailing.
On to the clay. Try the Sonus brand clay from autopia. The clay is like a small bar of soap, but the consistency of sticky clay. Even after you wash and polish your car you can feel very small grit adhered to the paint. If you wash the car and then use the clay. The car should be smooth as glass afterwards. Then you can use the polish to make the paint shine.
I also have to recomend s100 or pS21 wax. It goes on like melted butter and won't leave any residue on any rubber surfaces.

joetiii

So..... to bring this thread back to life after 60 days, What is the difference between polish and wax?