Cuda911

Good comments regarding clay, chuck911 ! You corrected some misinformation that had been posted by others.

Attached are 50X magnification photos of my paint before and after claying. The paint was pretty clean, but you can see the tiny specs of surface contaminants, circled in red (the smaller flecks are the metal flake in the paint).

Before Claying:


After Claying:

chuckbdc

I don't have a defintive answer for why yours was red. I was basing my comment on my experience of claying a car to get rid of "bumpiness" in the paint when a dealer buffed the car after a minor paint repair. It was clearly residue that could not be seen and the clay removed it.

LexVan

My guess would be iron contamination. That's why products like this were established:

http://www.detailersdomain.com/Auto-...-ml_p_780.html

Hammer911

quick demonstration of how clay works?... wet your index finger, wipe your finger tip across your desk. Look at your finger print. Your finger glided on a layer of lubricant, impurities on the desk surface gathered on the leading edge of your finger tip, desk was not scratched. Your finger tip is not abrasive.
Now wax your desk.

Hammer911

A few tidbits:
1) if claying is "difficult", as the kids say these days..."you're doing it wrong." No pressure, nothing vigorous.
2) your car might have always been that way. Worst thing for the paint on a new car is the train ride from port. I suspect most new cars would benefit from the process at delivery.
3) Any chance your car cover left residue on the car?
4) I mentioned on another thread, I notice my car needs to be cleaned when I feel some drag on the microfiber towels I use to dry after washing.

Money2536

I've become a pretty proficient pro detailing wanna be. I started with all Griot's stuff as I like all of the matching bottles, shelves, etc. Over the years as I've learned more and more, I've discovered other products that work much better. For what it's worth if you're starting to get into using more detailing topics like clay or a polisher, I would recommend spending some time watching these:

http://www.adamspolishes.com/t-videos.aspx

Also, claying works very well, but you might want to consider this:

http://www.detailersdomain.com/NanoS...nch_p_709.html

I made the switch about a year ago. It takes literally a quarter the amount of time it takes to clay and car and does 99% of the job. I can Autoscrub my S4 in about 45 minutes versus several hours using a clay bar.

Bragon

I just have to thank everyone. I truly love this car and want to take good care of it. Besides its great therapy messing with and caring for it. Fortunately I haven't ever covered it. It is garage at home and work. It possibly could have been this way from factory. I'm my ignorance always thought wax was answer to all. I've hot a plan now, thanks to everyone. So I'm going to clay seal and wax.

kosmo

thats a good guess. Perhaps brake dust?

kosmo

I've heard about the autoscrub but never tried it. The time savings is huge.

chuck911

Autoscrub is confusing. It says right on the page that its a polish. Packaging says "fine grade" which is an abrasive term that goes with being a polish not a clay. At the same time they imply its like clay. Also says "nano." That's three different conflicting claims!

I don't know how anything could be much faster than the 10 min it takes to clay. At 45 min you could clay door jambs, inside the hood, mirrors, lots of places this great big pad can't get. I know people need to sell stuff but, c'mon...

Hammers right about clay on a new car. Last time I held a Tech session a member showed up late with his freshly repainted 911. I mean he picked it up and came straight to the session. I forget who did it but its beautiful. Eventually I ask and of course it turns out it hasn't been clayed. Everybody thinks I'm crazy, but eventually he lets me clay a fender. Same result. Paint looks even glossier, feels even more silky smooth.

The Tech session car sat around in a paint shop thick with sanding dust. It looked clean, but had a lot of stuff stuck in the paint. The Porsche factory air is HEPA clean-room clean. But the as Hammer points out the cars go on a train. Boat. Park in the great outdoors. Even if the dealer polishes, polish will not remove some of the stuff that clay does. (Think about that one, Autoscrub people.) So bottom line, it will help to clay even if the car is brand new.

Money2536

The Autoscrub is pretty simple. It's a piece of rubber with some texture that is attached to a foam pad. Slap it on your orbital, spray a bunch of lubricant on the car, and go to town. I use NanoSkin's Nanoglide. It works like magic. Much like clay, it will mar softer paints, and really should be followed up with a compound or polish.

chuck911

Not quite sure where you're coming from, or if you just accidentally wrote something completely at odds with what you meant to say, but in my book nothing that "works like magic" would "mar softer paints." Griot's Paint Cleaning Clay will not mar any paint, "softer" or otherwise. You must be doing something wrong. Watch this video and try again.

Money2536

Clay barring any vehicle surface will cause microabrasions and will absolutely mar the clear coat. In most instances it is unnoticable from afar, but on some softer clear coats (Nissan, Honda, most American vehicles) you can see it without using a light. This is why you would always want to follow with a finishing polish before LSP.