To Clay or Not to Clay??

[High Sierra]

Hello,



I am brand new to your board as well as to detailing. Honestly, I know next to nothing about detailing.

I have a black 1997 Civic EX.

I bought it from a Private Party 3 years ago.

It looked shiny and gorgeous when I bought it which was why I was willing to pay a little bit over KBB value at the time.

In less than a year, heavy oxidation seemed to come from out of nowhere.

It`s as if it had been hidden by some temporary black wax or something. Sure was suspicious.

Needless to say, it is now mine.

I will admit, that for the most part I have not treated it all that kindly myself as it is left in the sun each day, (including our blazing hot summer sun) as I have nowhere else to park it at work. Though I park in garage at night, the sun damage has been done.

The oxidation is heavy and is quite noticeable.

There are 2 large areas and a couple of smaller ones.

Just wondering if someone here might be willing to guide me through each step on how to restore the paint to something pleasing to look at as opposed to the embarrassing look that it has currently. That is, of course, if it is even possible to do this late in the oxidation process.



Thanks in advance!



High Sierra

[sinbad]

Firstly, a warm welcome to this board and the world of Autopia. It is possible that the car has a glaze or filler wax before sale. It is also possible that you introduced marring during washing drying, etc. No worries, as swirls and marring can easily be corrected or concealed. I would recommend visiting the "Guide to Detailing" forum within Autopia. You will find a wealth of information starting from the basics. You will need to learn good washing habits; otherwise, whatever corrections you make may come right back.

[abbeysdad]

Welcome as well.

The answer to your question is NO - clay is great for removing particulate matter from the surface. Metals, brake dust, stubborn road grime, tar specs etc. It will do little/nothing for oxidation or sun damage. For that you need a good polish and technique.

Unlike you, when I came here a couple of years ago I had a fairly good surface that I`ve been able to maintain - it would be more difficult to be new to detailing and repair a damaged surface. You`ll learn here about good equipment (e.g. Porter Cable 7424, rotary), polishes and methods - but don`t rule out taking your car to a pro detailer to get the finish back - then you can learn the best methods to maintain it. Just an option you shouldn`t rule out.

[stagius24]

i am new too, but i can recommed you to



-do car wash first

-apply clay to take off contamination

-do a polish, depend on how bad your paint is.

-last step is to do a wax to cover your paint.



If you need a details on how to do it, everyone will sure to help you with it.

[High Sierra]

Thanks for responses!



Am still wondering if there is anything that can be done for the bad oxidation. Black car, so it shows quite significantly on a good portion of the car. Almost the entire top is covered in oxidation.



Any thoughts?



Thanks

HS

[miahman98]

I would suggest you try what has already been suggested to you. Then come back and let us know how well it worked out for you. I think your going to be surprised with the results. Good luck.