Planning on a little DIY detailing soon to prep the car for a Rejex protective coat for the rainy season. I figure I may as well do it right. Will using a clay help to remove any swirls etc in my 10 yr. old BLACK paint job?

 

Nope.

You'll need to level the paint to remove those. By "leveling" I mean you or someone else will have to abrade away the paint down to the "level" of the scratches. This sounds harsh but in reality it's only a micro layer or 2 of paint

This is best left to a professional detailer who understand your specific paint and is not a hack.

Anthony

 

That is surely the most difficult part of it all, finding someone who is not a "hack."

 

There should be some good detailers in your area..... Just remember black shows the most swirls-spider webbing.....BUT when its done right....it looks great!

 

I have a couple of friends that have used Zaino ZPC with a lot of success, but it would really depend how bad the swirls are if this is something you would want to attempt yourself or not?

 

I suggest Zaino Z5 Pro. I have a black 997 and it made a huge difference, the paint looks smooth and little swirls or spidering. You can go to www.zainostore.com. I've been a Zaino user for 8 years and it's great product.

 

Claying will not remove any of your spider webbing or micromaring. Clay is a malleable piece of plastic with embedded micro abrasives. When it is used properly with a clay lubricant the bar glides over the surface and grinds of any contaminant that sit higher that the surround paint.

You have two choices to follow your clay bar application. You can fill the light scratches and hide them using a glaze followed by a synthetic sealant or you can remove them permanently. This requires a light abrasive based polish. To remove them permanently the paint needs to be leveled to the depth of the surround scratches. It sounds scary but we are talking about hundreths and thousandths of a milimeter.

If done correctly the results are dramatic. If you would any instructions let me know I am glad to help.

Brett

 

Brett,
I'm a little scared to do this on my own to say the least!
I had a 928 that I tried colorsanding out some oxidation and pretty much screwed up the paint. I was using a very high number sandpaper with a block and wetsanded it. It did not go well. I fear trying something like this on an all black car but would love to read how to do it if there's a safe way. On a side-bar which I'll probably post here in a second. I also want to fill tons of little chips on the lower areas behind the front wheels (wheel well area), right around the headlights, and below the clear guard of my rear fender flares. I had clear guard right behind the rear wheels in the wheel wells (on the rear bumper cover) after it was resprayed due to a minor rear-ender. That has protected it nicely. Just had the hood and front bumper resprayed and want to have that clear guarded now that its been about a month or more. I already had to touch up a few spots and remember seeing a process to level out the touched up spots so you can't see them. I'd like to do that in alot of places on the car but the priority is the bumper, splitter areas, and mirrors since those areas will get clear guard installed very soon. Any advice regarding all of this?

 

Claying is not at all like wetsanding....unless you are using a "hot" clay bar. These types of clay bars are far more abrasive than your normal store bought clay bar.

Claying for the most part should only leave little to no marring. If a silver car you won't even notice it but dark colors may show it a bit more. This is nothing to worry about as the polishing step will level out those.

Just remember to have plenty of lubrication on the surface as you clay. I mix up a solution of 32 oz water and add a few drops of car soap.

After claying a few panels fold the clay over a few times and continue. Also, slice your car into 3rds and use those single pieces instead of the whole bar because if you drop one small piece you can toss it and still have more clay to work with. If you drop the whole bar though you'll most likely have to toss out the whole bar.

Anthony

 

Brett: I'd say invest in a DA, dual-action polisher from Porter Cable. I'd get the Meguiar's one http://www.autodetailingsolutions.co...20Specials.htm. It's a Porter Cable rebadged for Meguiar's and comes with a lifetime warranty. After claying, you can use Menzerna's NanoPolish with a Lake Country Orange or White pad. Then hand polish and wax. This will do a good job of removing fine swirls from washing and hiding the deeper scratches. And don't worry; you cannot burn paint or damage the finish with a DA Oh...Anthony hit the nail on the head. Clay is not like colorsanding. I use Zymol Lehm Klay II with Lehm Lube. Very mild and leaves minimal marring which can be polished out by hand.

 

OK, let start by differentiating between color sanding aka wet sanding and polishing. Wet sanding is really a last resort before 1-800 bodyshop. It should only be done by a professional with a paint meter and lots of experience. Wet sanding removes a tremendous amount of paint in a short amount of time. Compounding would be less aggressive than color sanding and polishing is less aggressive than compounding. Think of compound and polish, abrasive based, as liquid sandpapers. The difference is that they also contain lubricating oils and contain much finer abrasives. A fine polish could be compared to a 6000 grit paper. Polish also has the advantage of containing diminishing abrasives. As the polish is worked the particles become smaller and smaller.

I would not be scared of hand polishing at all. Comparing this to wet sanding is like comparing a hand file to a chainsaw.

I would perform a test spot on a small area. Wash the vehicle first and then take a fine abrasive polish and apply a quarter sized dollop to a foam or microfiber applicator. Spread the polish over a 15inch x 15inch area and begin working it in with medium to light pressure. Don't work out beyond the 15 x 15 area. Most polishes will break down and start to turn a more translucent. This will take from 30 seconds to 2 minutes depending on amount of product, type of product and environmental conditions. Never polish dry. You want to stop when the product is still slightly oily. Gently wipe with a microfiber towel and then inspect the section under natural lighting. If you satisfied continue on the rest of the vehicle in the same manner. If there are still imperfections then I would step up to a medium polish and try a test spot again. If this does not work then I would suggest bring it to a professional for compounding.

I hope this helps.

I will answer your chip repair shortly.

Brett