Can clay help my old 1999 camry?

Spike73 · 11-03-09, 04:02

Hello, I have a question about clay and what types of contamination it removes. I know you are the best experts to ask. I inherited a 1999 camry xle from my grandmother who lived in Santa Barbara, and the horizontal surfaces (especially the roof) have this rough feeling when I run my fingers across the surface. It's some sort of bonded contaminant, and she also has some white paint speckles that got on the car from someone painting nearby. I have tried Megs 81 hand polish, but this will not remove it (I'm sure it's not aggressive enough). Having never tried using clay before, I was wondering if clay is the way to go to remove this stuff, or do I need a more aggressive polish or something? I do have some experience detailing cars, but I am still pretty much an amateur, and I have never tried using clay (have been intimidated by it). Could you possibly give me a small tutorial on clay, and recommend a product that might get this contamination off? It's an awful feeling to see the car shiny after waxing, but know that it feels so rough because the contamination is still there. My last waxing job has left swirl marks and scratches on the roof because I didn't remove the contamination first. I tend to be a perfectionist, so I would love to solve this problem. Thank you in advance for your help!
I love to experiment on new things, so I hope the clay experiment will work. But I just put my newest experiment, the Klasse twins, on the car, so I would have to re-do my work. Oh well. Maybe just on the horizontal surfaces, right?

Setec Astronomy · 11-03-09, 05:08

Hmmm...I was just looking in the "How To" link at the top of the page and there isn't really any good claying info in there (didn't there used to be??). Oh wait, I found it, on Page 2: Detailing Clay & Pre-wax Cleaning

Atlantic Euro · 11-03-09, 05:39

Claying can definitely help. A good polishing would be a next step - better w/ a Porter Cable.

Spike73 · 11-03-09, 06:53

Thanks for all of your help. I think I'm sold on the idea of using clay now, but I just don't want to have to re-do the car after 1 coat Klasse AIO and 2 coats Klasse SG...but, oh well...my fault for not prepping the paint well...

Do you have a favorite clay that you like to use? And will the Megs 81 hand polish that I have work for after the claying to get rid of the nasty swirls that are on the car, or should I try a different one? I was thinking of Megs Ultimate compound.

Setec Astronomy · 11-03-09, 07:02

That 81 won't do anything, it's basically non-abrasive. Will you be buying online or over-the-counter? If you are not going to follow with a machine, it's probably best to use a milder clay. You can go to WalMart and get the Meg's Smooth Surface Clay kit, and the Ultimate Compound and perhaps some of the Swirl-X to follow up with. A more agressive clay might be better, especially if the car's all swirled up to begin with. They have the blue ClayMagic at Autozone or Advanced Auto (I can never keep the two of them straight, we don't really have any close by me so I've only been in them infrequently).

Spike73 · 11-03-09, 07:10

For my purchases I usually look at all of the reviews on the products here on this website, then I make my decision from there. So I will order online, or get it at a store, just depending on availability. I was leaning towards Griots clay bar since it got good reviews. Don't have a Porter Cable, but I have been considering getting one. But for now, I hope I can get some good results by hand (even though my arms get tired). Does clay really remove swirls too? I thought that it just removed contaminants. But I appreciate the education I'm getting here, so any tips would be appreciated.

Accumulator · 11-03-09, 07:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spike73

I was leaning towards Griots clay bar since it got good reviews...

The Griot's clay is pretty gentle, good for not messing things up, maybe not so good for removing the contamination. FWIW I don't like using Griot's SpeedShine as a lube because its wax/etc. content seems to make the clay (even) less effective.

Don't get me wrong, I like the Griot's clay, I just wonder if it'll get the job done

I think I'd lean towards the ClayMagic Blue instead.

Quote:

Does clay really remove swirls too? I thought that it just removed contaminants..

No, clay glides across the surface of the paint (on a film of lube), shearing off above-surface contamination as it bumps into same.

If you clay (overly, IMO) aggressively, it can help the appearance of swirls just a little by cleaning out contamination that's stuck in the swirls's "valleys", but that's a) not a good way to clay and b) not a real solution to the marring.

Oh, and Welcome to Autopia!

Setec Astronomy · 11-03-09, 07:25

No, clay won't remove swirls. The Griot's yellow clay wouldn't be my pick, it's very soft and not that aggressive. My advice is to go to AutoZone and get the blue Clay Magic, and the Ultimate Compound or Swirl-X, or both.

andrewd523 · 11-03-09, 08:15

Clay removes dirt and contaminants in paint. To remove swirls you will need to polish. Clay --> Polish --> Wax --> Seal

This is what I would do.

Spike73 · 11-03-09, 08:43

Thanks for all the help, and thanks Accumulator for welcoming me. i am excited about trying different products, as I love to experiment. So, I will try blue clay magic, then ultimate compound, then the Klasse twins. Hopefully all the swirls will be gone after the ultimate compound, and the car will feel smooth after claying. Thanks again for all the tips!

Accumulator · 11-03-09, 08:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spike73

.. I will try blue clay magic, then ultimate compound, then the Klasse twins...

See if you need a milder polish as a follow up after the UC. Note that it might look better than it really is after the UC because the UC might leave some oils behind, which the KAIO oughta clean off. If the finish isn't quite right at that point, you need a milder polish in-between the UC and the KAIO. See how it goes.

yakky · 11-03-09, 09:49

One tip you may want to consider, is tape off a 1x1 or 2x2 area and test your plan. Trying to attack the whole car, especially by hand will be time consuming only to find out it didn't work as well as you hoped. Also you might want to update your Location info in your profile, there may be someone close by willing to help you out.