My 991 Cab is about 2 months old with 1800 miles (almost there) and kept in a garage. I am already starting to notice environmental bumps on the paint surface even after a good wax application ( I wash the car at least once a week). Is it too early to use a Clay Bar and will it damage the clear finish? Thanks in advance for any advise.

 

It wont harm the clear at all. I spot clayed my Spyder when it had 300 miles on it for the same reasons.

 

just use lots of the lube that is recommended and do not rub hard

 

^+1

Go slow, lots of detailer spray, and turn often. No need to get too aggressive with paint that young.

 

+2

Also, detailing clay is available in different grades. Meguiars, for example, has a mild and an aggressive formula. Choose mild....

 

One other question or observation. I get a black dust all over the lower fenders. Is this tire wear or brake dust? Its most noticeable on a drive after I have just washed the car.

 

I believe Chuck is not talking about cleaning cars any more (joke). Seriously-I did notice, when I picked up my new BMW, that there was a lot of "stuff" on it. Nothing the naked eye could see, but if you run a clay bar over it you would notice it. I did not notice it on my Porsche. Maybe the dealer did a better job. I clay my cars every six months. And in all honesty, Chuck's advise is very good (for the car). Cheers.

 

Brake dust.

 

The whole back on my silver car looks perfect- until you drag a finger through the brake dust!

My old Infiniti- had an even worse case of brake dust, but since the G35 there is none- at all..

 

try, Plexus first, then try a cleaner Wax before moving on to mild clay.

 

Check out the autopia site and any of the hard core detailing sites (or search around Rennlist for various digests of "how to.") Suffice to say it's a very good idea to clay a brand new car to remove the freight grime (especially if the car was on a train or boat ... these are "hostile" environments.) Yes, most of the paint and panels is covered by plastic film from the factory, but not all and the dealership itself is not the place to clean the paint during the PDI (better to send the car to a trusted pro detailer with ample karma in prepping new cars for at least some paint protection film around the nose, mirrors, wheels.) A good clay job is a multi-step process of foaming and sheeting water, etc.

 

Wash first with a good dish washing liquid like Dawn (no, this won't hurt anything, but will strip off all old wax) rinse well. Put in garage while still wet,...no use drying.
Then mix about 1/2oz of Dawn to about 32oz of water (distilled preferred, no minerals) in a spray bottle to use as clay lube.
Start with a about a quarter of a bar of clay, flatten and spray with lube, then spray area to clay with lube. Rub clay across car with light pressure, let the clay glide across the surface. If the clay has a small bit of resistance that is OK and the way it's supposed to work. If the clay "grabs" the paint, then less pressure and/or more lube. When one 2ft section is done fold clay over and flatten out. Repeat.
I generally do one panel or a bit more with one quarter bar of clay, then throw out and and start a new one. When complete, wash car again, dry, and you are now ready for wax. If there are some fine clear coat scratches, use a good light polish, then wax.

I really like Zaino, great stuff from start to finish:

www.zainostore.com

 

Unless the car/paint is at the point of needing "repair" then going to dishwashing soap is putting a loaded gun in the hands of a novice. Not because it's harmful necessarily, but because it removes protection and existing waxes and sealants that a novice would need hours (days...) to correctly re-apply once the paint surface (clear coat) is correctly cosmetically resurfaced.

In any case, be sure to use a pH balanced / neutral detergent so it doesn't leave behind an active chemical which will promote corrosion and damage seals, causing debris to remain in places out of sight that were previously protected by accumulated wax residue.

If you're "into" it, the curious can get a paint gauge and an inspection microscope to examine the paint surface. These are also useful tools in the backpack of a motivated car buyer... : )

Coincidentally a new episode in a very good series just popped up in my email inbox a few minutes ago and I enjoyed watching it and reading the associated (marketing) materials.


http://www.ammonyc.com/?detailing=pa...sche-speedster

This video mentions an ultrasonic paint gauge and a digital "microscope" which, mounted on a swing-away boom arm, can be a great way to incrementally manage (limit) paint/clear-coat removal by continuously monitoring the actual surface as it changes under various methods of attack. With a USB interface and software, it's a jewelers loupe and then some. Products from dino-lite range from $200 to $1000 ... that's a lot of clams to satisfy curiosity, but there it is.

http://www.defelsko.com/applications...-detailing.htm
http://www.dino-lite.com/products_li...idge=AM7013MZT

 

+1 on Zaino. Nice write up of claying method.

 

Lots of great info here. Thanks everyone!