Car cleaning possible clay?

[Phil]

http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/imagehosting/6649e284325e80b.jpg

Right, I might tomorrow, weather and swmbo permitting, Halfords being open, try and give the car a good seeing to. I have been inspired by Deano's work on Black Olive and as it isn't looking like my car is going to sell, I may have to keep it. Which is no hardship as it is absolutely beautiful. I just want a V8!!:mad:
So in a desperate attempt to try and fall in love with the car again. I thought I might give this ere claying thing a go that I hear you all talking about. I am a little confused as to why you would rub clay on a car you are trying to clean but hey! The equipment I have at home amounts to a hose, a bucket, a mitt and that autoglym car shampoo and polish. What else do i need and is there any chance that I could make the above less obvious!!? The pic above shows up under garage forecourt lights and some other lighting conditions. Most of the time it is invisible.

[Dave***t]

Claying makes a definite difference over 'normal' washing etc, but it's hard to tell what exactly that fault on your bonnet is, so hard to know what will help. Any more info?

One thing you'll need is something to lubricate the clay as you use it - most people use either a detailing spray or a strong shampoo mix (and plenty of it in either case).

Halfords do a Meguiars quik clay kit that should fit the bill. Although Bilt Hamber make a clay that only needs water - I'll be trying this one out myself later today, but you'll probably have to shop online for that.

[Rabett_Rover]

Buy your car cleaning bits from ebay- It is much cheaper than Halfrauds!

[StevenWilliams]

I find Clay brings back the smooth glass like finish.

[deano78]

clay will only remove stuff stuck to your paint. from that photo it looks like you have some kind of oxidization going on which is odd on a car with clearcoat and not single stage paint. if you are going to buy from halfords some scratch x and plenty (and i do mean plenty) of elbow grease may get rid of it but if its anything like black olives bonnet it will just laugh at you and stick its tongue out. failing that it will need machine polishing.

[Phil]

Claying makes a definite difference over 'normal' washing etc, but it's hard to tell what exactly that fault on your bonnet is, so hard to know what will help. Any more info?

One thing you'll need is something to lubricate the clay as you use it - most people use either a detailing spray or a strong shampoo mix (and plenty of it in either case).

Halfords do a Meguiars quik clay kit that should fit the bill. Although Bilt Hamber make a clay that only needs water - I'll be trying this one out myself later today, but you'll probably have to shop online for that.

To be honest, I think it is a paint defect under the lacquer. I have been told that all the chromactive paints pretty much suffer from it, I was hoping that there may be a product that makes the lacquer so shiny it makes it un notcable. Wishful thinking I expect.

Buy your car cleaning bits from ebay- It is much cheaper than Halfrauds!
Yeah but I want it now. I'm too impatient!
I find Clay brings back the smooth glass like finish. Thats what I want.:)

clay will only remove stuff stuck to your paint. from that photo it looks like you have some kind of oxidization going on which is odd on a car with clearcoat and not single stage paint. if you are going to buy from halfords some scratch x and plenty (and i do mean plenty) of elbow grease may get rid of it but if its anything like black olives bonnet it will just laugh at you and stick its tongue out. failing that it will need machine polishing.
Thanks. Pics later hopefully!

[Dave***t]

Just to show what clay can do - before today, I last clayed my paintwork about 12 months ago, and this morning I used the Bilt Hamber stuff, having washed the car beforehand.

I wash my car at least every other week, usually weekly, and it's pretty much always got at least 2 coats of wax or similar on it. Basically, I keep it pretty clean.

And here, next to an unused bit of clay for comparison, is the result of claying JUST THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR.

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g307/davecunt/photo.jpg

:eek:

Phil - if it is under the clearcoat I'm sorry to hear that. Could be worth trying Scratch X, and even if it won't fully remove it, at least if it shows some improvement you know that a machine polish could well sort it.

[Phil]

Just to show what clay can do - before today, I last clayed my paintwork about 12 months ago, and this morning I used the Bilt Hamber stuff, having washed the car beforehand.

I wash my car at least every other week, usually weekly, and it's pretty much always got at least 2 coats of wax or similar on it. Basically, I keep it pretty clean.

And here, next to an unused bit of clay for comparison, is the result of claying JUST THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR.

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g307/davecunt/photo.jpg

:eek:

Phil - if it is under the clearcoat I'm sorry to hear that. Could be worth trying Scratch X, and even if it won't fully remove it, at least if it shows some improvement you know that a machine polish could well sort it.


What is ScratchX? What does it do?

[Dave***t]

It's a scratch remover polish that's available from Halfords IIRC, and it's a deal better than the overly harsh T-Cut equivalent by all accounts.

Like I say it may well not completely sort out your bad patch, but even if it doesn't completely shift it, if it does help a bit then you'll know it can be polished out. If it doesn't touch it at all, it goes some way to confirming it's sub-surface.

[Phil]

Just spent £50 quid in Halfords on Maguiers stuff, I have two little bits of plasticine which I think is the clay? It says spray quick detailer all over car and rub the clay over it? Is that right? Just rub like you would an eraser?

[deano78]

tear a bar in half then spray liberal amounts of the quid detailer on a panel and rub using light pressure. if it starts to stick to the paint use more spray. check the clay regularly and fold into itself when the face gets dirty. you'll know when the panels clean as it will glide and not catch on anything.

[Teflon]

You can read an in-depth guide on using clay here: http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4829

A bit lengthy, but worth reading. You could damage your paintwork if you go about it the wrong way. Best single bit of advice: - if you drop the clay on the ground, bin it! Don't be tempted to pick the grit out and re-use it, as you will only wreck your paintwork.

Hope this helps,

Cliff

[Phil]

So far I've clayed the bonnet, scratchx'd the bonnet, clayed the bonnet, used some special polish that came with the clay on the bonnet, I've clayed the roof and O/S/F wing and polished. The main difference is how shiny and smooth it is. When I was doing it the light was still good outside and it was looking good, I could still see the defect but I could have lived with it.

I have just been out in te car and parked under some lights and I think that under artificial light it looks worse?! I have been told that these chromactive colours, particularly Spectre are not very good at the best of times so maybe I will have to just accept it.

[black olive]

Phil, having seen the pic it is what we call blooming. Its more noticeable to the owner than any excited onlookers !!

[Phil]

Phil, having seen the pic it is what we call blooming. Its more noticeable to the owner than any excited onlookers !!

I was hoping you'd see it. Horrid innit!:mad:

[Phil]

clay will only remove stuff stuck to your paint. from that photo it looks like you have some kind of oxidization going on which is odd on a car with clearcoat and not single stage paint. if you are going to buy from halfords some scratch x and plenty (and i do mean plenty) of elbow grease may get rid of it but if its anything like black olives bonnet it will just laugh at you and stick its tongue out. failing that it will need machine polishing.

Going on Friday to have the bonnet machine polished at my local bodyshop as after seeing some of the other cars at the meet they didn't exhibit anything like mine and if it had been painted to this standard then I'd have thought the original owner would have complained. They are going to do the bonnet and see if it makes any difference and if it does they can do the whole car.

[StevenWilliams]

When I had a look at your car at Cosford I noticed the defect in the paint mainly as I was hoping to be able to buy the car and was giving it quite a close inspection. ;)

The defect is in the chromatic paint. There is noting you can do really to fix this apart from a respray and they can never mix it the same twice so I wouldn't bother.

The weird thing is the more you polish the car and allow more light to reflect off the more you will see the defects in the paint. :o

[Phil]

When I had a look at your car at Cosford I noticed the defect in the paint mainly as I was hoping to be able to buy the car and was giving it quite a close inspection. ;)

The defect is in the chromatic paint. There is noting you can do really to fix this apart from a respray and they can never mix it the same twice so I wouldn't bother.

The weird thing is the more you polish the car and allow more light to reflect off the more you will see the defects in the paint. :o

The trouble is I'm a perfectionist and cannot help myself. For £20 I think I'll give it a whirl, it did look a bit better after the clay and I do not lie when I say I have never seen it as bad as it was at Cosford, I was actually embarrassed. Even Jackie saw it then. In yet, I went to the bodyshop the other day for their advice and it was completely invisible I felt like a right muppet.

[e668ecp]

I've run out of the detailing Meguiars mist... what else can I use to provide the lubricant?

Thanks

[Phil]

This is most annoying.
The paint defect that I have been getting so annoyed about and one of the reasons for me selling the car has vanished. It has been invisible for about 10 days now. I have really tried looking for it as well. So where's it gone??!! Is the car just mocking me because it knows its going on Saturday?:shrug:

No this isn't a joke:). I'm serious!!!! :eek: