Total newbie - clay, etc

[lvalesko]

I`d never even heard of clay until a few weeks ago!



Running my hand over my truck felt like rubbing against 320 grit sandpaper. :-(



I bought some Clay Magic and just finished claying and waxing the hood of my white 1996 F150 and I can`t believe the difference - WOW!



I have a few questions... while the clay removed about 80% of the gunk there is still some specks I can see and feel. Do I need to do it again or maybe use a different grade of clay?



Also there are marks like oily fingerprints around the edge of the hood from past mechanics and nothing seems to remove them - it`s like they`re etched into the paint. How can I remove those?



I washed then clayed and then waxed... did I miss any steps? The white just doesn`t seem as brilliant as it did when the truck was new... am I too late in my detailing endeavor??



Thanks!

Lori

[Envious Eric]

polish bud....you missed polishing....



polish brings out the luster/shine in the paint, wax adds a little looks, but more protection than anything else

[chutney]

polish bud....you missed polishing....



polish brings out the luster/shine in the paint, wax adds a little looks, but more protection than anything else

I second that. Preparation is at least 90% of the result. Probably there will be some oxidation of the paint.

A good place to start is the detailing guide on this foorum :

http://autopia.org/forum/guide-detailing/

You can also do a search in the Click&Brag section with following words : white oxidation ... and see the process others applied successfully.



By the way Welcome to Autopia.



:welcome

[lvalesko]

Thanks guys!



So will polish remove the leftover speck and bumps as well as the etched in fingerprints and stains??



What should I do now... wash, re-clay then polish and wax??



Will any polish work?



Thanks,



Lori :-)

[a.k.a. Patrick]

Thanks guys!



So will polish remove the leftover speck and bumps as well as the etched in fingerprints and stains??



What should I do now... wash, re-clay then polish and wax??



Will any polish work?



Thanks,



Lori :-)



You`d be better off trying to get those "specks and bumps" out before you polish. The last thing you want is to include those specks or bumps, in your polishing routine. Give the clay another shot.

Then quick detail, polish, reseal.....

Find a light abrasive polish. And let us know where you prefer making your purchases.....(Online, OTC)

[lvalesko]

You`d be better off trying to get those "specks and bumps" out before you polish. The last thing you want is to include those specks or bumps, in your polishing routine. Give the clay another shot.

Then quick detail, polish, reseal.....

Find a light abrasive polish. And let us know where you prefer making your purchases.....(Online, OTC)



OK, I`ll give the clay another shot...



What do you mean by "quick detail"? And is "reseal..." waxing or what?



The previous 2 replies made it sound like polishing will remove more imperfections before I wax but you make it sound like polishing will seal the imperfections... I need to get rid of etched in fingerprints and areas where the white has dark streaks/stains.



I prefer to shop online and have used Autopia`s site for my first purchase :-)



Thanks for all the help. :-)



Lori

[mikebai1990]

Quick detailers encapsulate the dirt particles on the paint so you can wipe them off using a MF. Patrick`s point is that you need to clean the paint surface again after you clay to get rid of the leftover particles. Resealing, as you said is waxing, either using carnauba waxes or sealants.



Some polishes remove imperfections, some mask them, and some do a bit of both. Depending on your situation and needs, you can decide what kind of polish you need/want.

[lvalesko]

Quick detailers encapsulate the dirt particles on the paint so you can wipe them off using a MF. Patrick`s point is that you need to clean the paint surface again after you clay to get rid of the leftover particles. Resealing, as you said is waxing, either using carnauba waxes or sealants.



Some polishes remove imperfections, some mask them, and some do a bit of both. Depending on your situation and needs, you can decide what kind of polish you need/want.



So much to learn!!!



Are Quick Detailers a product??? And what is MF??



I wiped the surface with a clean, dry terry cloth after I clayed per the instructions and it looks great... is that enough cleaning after I clay or is there a whole other step and product?



What`s a good polish to remove imperfections, (I have the aforementioned etched in fingerprints, gray stains/streaks and also I noticed some swirl marks) ?



SO am I still loking at: wash, clay, polish and wax as my 2-3x per year steps???



Thanks you guys :-)

Lori

[duffman]

Try ,



wash

clay

wash

dry

polish

wax



I am new to polishing and i am looking to try out "Megs #83 DACP"

[duffman]

another good tip would be to tape off all black trim after u dry and before you polish and wax

[Setec Astronomy]

I presume you are working by hand. This Klasse AIO from the Autopia store should be pretty foolproof for you. Don`t have to worry much about staining trim, etc. Will give you some protection, you can top it with another wax, and it`s available in some bundled kits also. Klasse All-In-One Car Polish, Car Wax and Sealant (http://www.autopia-carcare.com/kus-kla-10.html)

[Accumulator]

lvalesko- Welcome to Autopia!



While there are a *lot* of great products on the market, I always recommend the same thing for people just getting into polishing: 1Z Paint Polish (I get mine from Aloha & Welcome to Our Oasis for All Your Auto Detailing Supplies & Accessories (http://www.pakshak.com/index.html) where you can also get a scad of other good produts). It`s even OK/nonstaining on many types of black trim and it leaves some wax behind so you don`t have to apply your "real" wax until after the next wash if you`re pooped from all the polising. The 1Z works very well by hand and is extremely user-friendly. My non-Autopian friends, who couldn`t care less about this stuff, get great results with 1z polishes topped with wax ; a female friend who`d never polished before got great results on her Lexus using 1Z topped with wax (she was justifiably proud of herself too..got to say "I did it myself" to her husband :D ). She used 1Z MetallicPolishWax, which is slightly milder than their Paint Polish, hard to say which one would be best for you.



My only concern with stuff like Klasse AIO (which I do use and like) is that it`s so mildly abrasive as to be functionally nonabrasive when used by hand, and most vehicles could use a little gentle abrading (sounds like yours could).



If you wash properly, you can just clay (if necessary) and add more wax for a good long time and not have to polish very often at all. IMO 99% of the marring on vehicles comes from improper wash/dry techniques. The "QDing" can cause it too, I`d probably recommend you simply let that go for now and just wash the car when it`s dirty. "Quick Detailers" are spray-on/wipe-off products that can do more harm than good, but they can be a good quick "touch up" to restore slickness and gloss if used after a regular wash (which gets the abrasive dirt off safely).



Yeah, by "resealing" Patrick meant "rewaxing".



MF= MicroFiber, a type of fabric that`s very gentle and works great for detailing. There are "plush" MFs (think fluffy towels) for buffing off polish and wax and "Waffle Weave" MFs ("WWMF") for drying. There are differing qualities of these and it pays to spend a little more and get the best.



Duffman- Note that #83 often/usually requires a follow-up with a milder polish. And it might not be the most user-friendly choice if you`re working by hand.

[Setec Astronomy]

Well, as usual, Accumulator`s advice sounds like the best (I don`t remember hearing that 1Z recommendation and rationale before). I feel I should mention that there have been several one-step products released recently (which, like the 1Z Paint Polish, I have never used) which have been getting excellent reviews and seem to be very user friendly as well: Jeff`s Werkstatt Prime Strong, Zaino Z-AIO, and Optimum Poli-Seal.

[deathlok]

@Accumulator just one question. you mention 1z paint polish. I bought one (it is cheap here in Greece 7.5euro 250ml tin) when I first read in another topic your recommendation about it. Is it PP proper for metallic colours? I ask because I use it to my moms two years old black ford fiesta (has a lot of swirls) and PP left some haze ( I polish by hand)



@lvalesko I suggest to just leave it for now. Just wait for the wax to be depleted (It depends on the wax 1-6 months) and after that period just do what everybody said...POLISH. It is to shame to remove and throw away all the work you have just done (my opinion) except you have became addicted to detailing :P.

[Accumulator]

Setec Astronomy- I`m a little surprised you haven`t run across my 1Z-for-newbies advice, I`m pretty well set on that recommendation when people aren`t determined to use a sealant. Heh heh, not that I expect you to read all my long-winded posts :D but I remember mentioning my pal using it on her Lexus before- she`s a *perfect* example of why 1z stuff is something I recommend to people who are gonna try some hand polishing.




@Accumulator just one question. you mention 1z paint polish. I bought one (it is cheap here in Greece 7.5euro 250ml tin) when I first read in another topic your recommendation about it. Is it PP proper for metallic colours? I ask because I use it to my moms two years old black ford fiesta (has a lot of swirls) and PP left some haze ( I polish by hand)...



The PP *can* haze some paints if they`re very soft, but that generally hasn`t been a problem for me. IIRC some Fords have fairly soft paint, and that, plus the unforgiving nature of black, might explain what happened with your mom`s Fiesta. Assuming you broke it down completely (not much worry about overworking 1z polishes IMO, so be sure you work it a good long time), then it was just a bit too aggressive for a final finish. I`d suggest a follow-up with one of their milder products like the metallic.



The PP is OK for use on metallics, the "Metallic Polish" name for their milder stuff goes back to the old days when the first European clearcoats were thin layers of soft lacquer that had to be treated very gently. I even use their Ultra/Extra on clearcoats of all types, which they still won`t recommend (for liability reasons).



IMO you`re lucky to have it available cheap! I really like 1Z polishes and while some more modern products get all the attention these days (and yeah, there are some great new ones out there) 1z polish topped with wax is still a perfectly viable way to go. I`m pretty particular, and I currently use that approach on two of our vehicles.



And yeah, I can see a lot of wisdom in your advice to lvalesko to just let it go until it really needs rewaxing. Heh heh, I suppose we`re being Autopian heretics to say that...sure wouldn`t be the first time for me :o