xtin

A couple of weeks ago I asked if someone would show me how to clay my car to get all the contaminants out of the paint. To make a long story short, I did it this weekend with the help of KilroyR1 (thanks again, you rock!) and the results were amazing. My car is so smooth that I cant stop running my fingers along the hood when I walk up to the car. hah. If you havent clayed your car, I highly recommend it. It didnt take too long(but then again, I have a newish car so it shouldnt have TOO much to remove) and it was a great immediate result.

Here are a few pics. Not the best since it was overcast the next day when I got to take these but Im happy with the results.

My process was:
Wash with Dishsoap to remove everything from coat
Clay
Wash with Zaino
Wax with Meguiars Gold Class









-Christin
05 Navi Anthracite
ASPEC Kit

Tripp11

Looking gooooooooooooooooooooooooooood!!

baby_igor

Very nice, what wheels do you have?

kennyc

good job and congrats!

ACURATECHTX

looks like tl a spec wheels....

KatyTL

what is clay your car?? is it something you need to do? is it hard?

neuronbob

It means using a piece of clay to remove impurities from the paint that washing leaves behind. Such impurities can be trapped on the paint when you wax.

In short, claying is a good thing.

Hawhyen51

Form more info on claying, read Autopia's "How To Clay" tutorial. There's also a thread by Exceldetail entitled "Proper Claying Technique".

xtin

Yeah its like a big piece of playdoh that PULLS the pieces of debris out of your paint. Pretty easy, just gotta make sure you keep the paint lubed up

xtin

ASPEC Gunmetal 18x8.5

KatyTL

is it hard to "clay your car"? Will someone who knows nothing about washing and waxing mess up the paint? i have never cleaned my car before i aways take it some where.

brooke

KatyTL

what is the best thing to use on my tires and rims to make them look pretty and to help them stay good?
i asked in the tires sec. but have not heard back anything yet.

berzerker

basically, if you can spray some clay lubricant from a bottle, and wipe a flat piece of clay gently over the surface of the car, you can clay your car. Read the articles linked above and you'll see how easy it is. . . and how awesome it makes your car look. The only way you can mess up your paint with clay is by trapping grit in the clay and rubbing it back into the paint, like if you dropped the clay. Just take it slow and practice on horizontal surfaces first to get the jist of the motions and how much spray lube to use. make sure the clay is kneaded every so often to keep it fresh and NEVER use a piece of clay that has been dropped. The work is worth the results.

berzerker

this is my personal take, but I love how 303 Aerospace protectant makes my tires look. Flat, matte, dark black - beautiful. A bit more expensive than most store bought stuff, but worth it in looks and how long it lasts. Plus you can use it on everything inside the car - saves you on bottles to have for detailing


For wheels, I've put Klasse All In One on before, but it is not worth the trouble in my opinion. Doesn't last long and the shine improvement is minimal. I'd just keep the wheels nice and clean with some soapy water, or gentle wheel cleaners, and concentrate on that paint

berzerker

BTW - to the original poster, awesome job. One question though, why the Zaino wash, and not their sealant? Or, why the Meguiars wax and not the wash? Just curious

xtin

I too am female and I wanted someone to SHOW ME how to do it. You can read a million articles but seeing it in person is always better.

Im in med school and Ive read HUNDREDS of books on how to make a nice clean incision or how to open a ribcage but until you see it done or have hands on experience you wont get it fully.

A nice guy volunteered to help me, I drove over to his place (only 3 miles away!) and he did the first panel and then when I thought I knew how much pressure and lube to use, I took over.

Run your hand over your hood. If you havent clayed before you will feel little tiny imperfections like snags on your fingertips. Clay will take most of those (if not all) of those out and leave your paint as smooth as a baby's butt.

You only have to do it 2-3 times a year and its good for removing bird droppings, bug stains, road debris, brake dust etc . ..

Its super easy and will only take you 30-45 minutes

xtin

I guess just personal preference? I didnt know Zaino made a wax although I do have their polish and car gloss enhancer. I like the way the Meguiars wax smells and I think their Gold Class is awesome I also have the gold class wash that I use on and off and to be honest, I dont see a difference between Meguiars and Zaino car washes.

berzerker

Zaino doesn't really make a wax, they do polishes and protectants though - I was just curious as most people i've known use the whole Zaino system - from wash to polish. I love Gold Class myself, use it all the time, I get it cheap at Target. I've never used any Zaino products so I can't compare the washes but for wax my favorite is actually 3m show car paste in the round tin.....soft like butter, easy to work with, doesn't stain trim, and makes our color TL appear as if it's been dipped in a thin coat of shiny oil....

subinf

i clayed my car for the first time a few months ago and was amazed at the difference. ive always just used wax and felt that got the paint to the level i wanted it...this totally blew me away.


like how your cars looks

silver05tl

clay is the sh*t highly recommended. I was amazed with the results

NYZGREATST

damn nice job

neuronbob

*Zaino Believer here*

As noted above, Zaino is not wax, it is a synthetic protectant. All I can tell you is that it makes your car gorgeous, especially if you put on more than one layer. Takes lots of time twice a year, but worth every second of putting it on. My wife always wants me to do her dowdy old Accord after I've done mine--that's how good it looks. And it protects your paint, too! Spring coating coming in about six weeks....

Back to the topic at hand....that car is GORGEOUS.

KatyTL

where do you get this clay stuff? can i go to the car wash first then come home and "clay" it? after i do the clay do i need to wash the car again?

this is very odd seems neat everyone seems to love it hope i will be able to do it one day

joed40

xtin, nice job, great looking car.
Katy, this is where I do most shopping and research.

http://www.autopia-carcare.com/index.html
This will usually answer all your questions.

berzerker

As stated above, OR, autogeek.net, or many others - I've used both autogeek and autopia and they are reputable and easy to deal with.

I would say no, just because you will pick up more grime and grit on the way home with your wet car. Better to clay it in the same spot as the wash.



I am a firm believer in a final rinse wash - just to remove any clay residue. I use a little less soap in this final rinse, and mainly sheet water over the whole car and wipe gently to make sure all the paint is as clean and smooth as possible.
You'll be just fine. You will take a little time learning, and hopefully not drop any clay bars(they ain't cheap) but you'll get the hang of it in no time. Just make sure you employ other smart detailing practices along with the clay process, or your claying will not be as effective.

KilroyR1

Your car is looking fantastic! Too bad the sun didn't come out for pictures.

Keep in mind, xtin's car is only a month old, so the paint was in fantastic condition. I'm actually motivated to do mine now.

The clay bar process will leave behind a little clay residue (as the lube dries). I used to buff the residue off, but a quick post claying wash had us ready for wax much sooner.

Don

xtin

Yeah well I bought it a month ago but it was manufactured in March 2005 so who knows how long it sat out in the sun with birds shitting on it =)

I just know that now that its mine, birds will feel my wrath if they come near my car. Its not bad right now since the birds are in hiding but in the Spring I might have to wash it daily =)

(You know Im obsessed with my car)

When you get ready to do yours, let me know and I will come over and help. Only fair!

AMIC

It looks great. I need to get motivated again to wash/wax. When I first got my car I was obsessed and was washing every week and waxing every month. Now it's been at least 6 months since I've last waxed and it's in desparate need of at least a wash. The weather here has been great lately and I need to get off my butt and do it.

KatyTL

Do I have to wax it after the clay? How do you wax your car? Also what kind of soap do you use to wash your car? What kind of brush do you use to wash your car?

Hawhyen51

KatyTL, you may wanna check the Wash & Wax Forum .....lot of info there about carcare. There's a number of folks who will gladly offer a response to any question you may have. Another source would be Autopia's How To Section located toward the bottom of the page and there is also the Acurazine Carcare FAQ.

The norm is wash, clay, polish and seal. Initially a lot of work (plan on the whole day), but well worth it. In between upkeep i.e. wash, QD will normally require no more that 2-3 hours (WAG).

KilroyR1

Yeah, you have to wax right after you finish with the clay bar because the paint has no protection. That's what the clay bar does, it stips off all the contaminants and wax.

Hope that helps,

Don

xtin

Waxing is easy but how do it depends on what wax you use. Some of them you have to let sit or "cure" for awhile and some you just wipe on and wipe off.

Wash with Dishsoap
Clay
Wash with good soap
Wax with as many layers as you want

Should take 1-2 hours total but you only need to wax once a seaon and clay twice a year

xtin

You can use any soap you want and you can find them at Target/Walmart most of the time

Meguiars
Armor-All etc

I use a chenille mit to wash, just be sure you use something soft and no sponges as they tend to trap dirt and then it gets rubbed into the paint.

Let me know if you need anything else =)

joed40

Katy, your best bet will be to go to autopia or another like site and do some reading. Everyone here will give you their opinion on what to use etc., it can be really confusing and frustrating. You can also get really carried away with purchasing car care products (as I have). The only single recommendation that I can give you without any hesitance is when it comes to leather protectant you have to buy Zaino's leather care product. It works well, like some do, but NOTHING beats that incredible leather smell. Try it, you'll love it.

email_33

you seem to be asking alot of question. But dont worry i'll help you,

KatyTL

3-Step Exterior Carnauba Detail

First we remove oxidation and surface imperfections. Then, we polish the paint to restore luster. Next, we seal the finish with Carnauba Wax. All rubber and vinyl trim is cleaned and protected, wheels and tires are cleaned and dressed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~
Zymol Treatment Exterior Detail

Recognized as the finest wax known to mankind. This 100 year old carriage maker's secret formula provides a superior level of beauty and protection.


Which one is better. I think I give up on this do it myself thing I'm gonna pay someone else to do it. Which pacage should I go for? The top one is 109.00 the second one is 160.00

Thanks for all your help Brooke

Hawhyen51

FYI, carnuba does not have the longevity and durablility of a polymer product. I would ask the detailer if he can lay a sealant as a base coat then top it with 'nuba. A polish will remove surface oxidation and minor imperfections as well as restore gloss and reflectivity. You would still need to maintain and upkeep your car, meaning washes and QD'ing in between washes to prolong the protection. FWIW, check with other detailers in your area as far as cost and the process they use.

Zymol is an expensive product (especially the estate glazes) and like all products they were developed for one purpose - protection. IMO, you can get the same level of protection and shine with products available on the market at less cost.