Going to do my first proper detail, new black car

[JustinTRW]

Hey Guys,

I'm going to start my first full detail on my brand new car that happens to be black. On my old car, all I did was wash (with wax every 6 months). Here is the process I have planned out for just the paint, please advise:

1) Wash with dawn
2) Clay the car with claymagic, too harsh for a new car?
3) Wash with gold class shampoo
4) I have swirls already, will Meguiar's #9 be okay? I also have #7. My understanding is the #7 will fill them in, whereas #9 is an abrasive that will remove them. However, I'm not sure if repeated use of #9 is so great for the clearcoat.
5) Should I wash yet again?
6) I will probably use Klasse AIO x 2, but Zaino is still a possibility. Opinions for black cars? The previous thread I searched for did not help me decide
7) Klasse SG x 3-5, not sure on the number of coats.
8) If I am not completely dead by the time I reach this point, I will top it off with P21S probably.
9) Maintain with regular washes and QD.

If I must spread this complete process over two days, what should I do before I start the next day (QD, wash?). Thanks for your opinions.

[Jngrbrdman]

It sounds like you have some fun ahead of you. You are going to wonder why you got a black car after a while I think. lol Its going to keep you busy.

If the car is new then it probably doesn't need to be clayed. If you feel the surface with your hand and it doesn't feel gritty or anything then you are probably ok. It wouldn't hurt to do it but its probably not neccessary. You will want to wash again after you clay though. Clay leaves a residue behind and I always feel better knowing that the car is absolutly clean before I continue on to other steps.

In your research on Zaino and Klasse did you look at the cure times between the two? If you are going to try to put 5 coats of SG on your car in a 2 day time frame then you probably aren't letting it cure long enough. I can see puting a second coat on after letting the first cure for at least an hour or longer, but more than that and you won't get the same results as if you waited a day or two. With Zaino you can add the ZFX to it and it cuts the cure time way down. You would be able to do the 5 coats in 2 days if you went with Zaino. Word on the street is that it looks awesome on black. I'd have to agree. I'm not a Zaino man myself, but I know a lot of people who are. You might have a little more research to do before you make your final decision.

It sounds like the rest of your process is pretty good. I'll let someone else field the #7 vs #9 question. I'm not an expert in those products yet and I've got the same quesiton you do. Have fun with your car! If you can get your hands on some Souveran then I would suggest it. That on top of Zaino or Klasse (or even Blackfire if you have considered that) would look absolutly amazing! Cheers!

[JustinTRW]

Originally posted by Jngrbrdman
If the car is new then it probably doesn't need to be clayed. If you feel the surface with your hand and it doesn't feel gritty or anything then you are probably ok. It wouldn't hurt to do it but its probably not neccessary.

I've done a regular wash, and afterwards I used the ziplock baggie test to see how smooth the paint was. I could still feel little bumps in a few areas that I could not feel with my bare hand. Perhaps I should use a paint cleaner?

[2wheelsx2]

Paint cleaner won't do it. You're going to have to clay. If the Clay Magic you are using is blue, you're ok. Don't use the red, it's equivalent to 1000 grit sandpaper, and is for heavy contamination, like overspray.

As for #7 or #9, you are correct. #7 is a glaze, with some cleaning and filling properties. It will not remove any swirls, but cover them up. In my opinion, it's only good if you're going to wax over it. But if you're going to use Klasse, then I would use #9. You're going to have to really work it in though. Heavily pressure at first, then less and less until the product is almost dry. Then wipe off. It also has some fillers, so if you're going to Klasse over it, as long as you use AIO first, you'll be ok, but you could just dawn wash again and go straight to SG if you need.

And Jngrbrdman is right, you cannot do several layers of SG on the same day. It would cure properly and you'll just be wasting your time and product. What I have found best is 2 coats, wait a week, and then another. The reason for 2 coats is that it gives you better coverage, in case you missed any spots. Believe me, it'll start to look great the second week. I just did that to my GF's car with #20 and it looks amazing for a beater. Just wash with mild car soap and dry and you're good to go, for the subsequent layers.

[Guess My Name]

Originally posted by JustinTRW
...I used the ziplock baggie test to see how smooth the paint was. I could still feel little bumps in a few areas that I could not feel with my bare hand. Perhaps I should use _____________

CLAY will remove the contaminates.