Starting From Scratch

[derrickm]

My car currently has 2 layers of SG on it and I want to start over tomorrow. Clay, SMR, PPCL, AIO, SG, blah..blah...blah...



What do I need to do first to strip all the SG off? I did some searches and there seems to be a lot of debate as to what works. Will SMR or PPCL take it off? Dawn? Or should I just start with AIO before I start claying? Or should I just start with clay?



Here`s my projected order:



Wash

SMR/PPCL/AIO (whichever one will remove the SG)

Clay

Wash (maybe)

SMR

PPCL

AIO

SG (4 or 5 coats, waiting 24hrs between coats of course)

S100 (after all the SG layers)





If I Dawn wash first and then start claying, shouldn`t that take the SG off? Or do I need to make sure all the SG is off before claying?



Sorry for all the questions :D

[Jngrbrdman]

I would do this:



Dawn wash

Clay

PPCL

AIO (if you want to. It is good for the SG to bond to but not really necessary)

SG

S100



The SMR has a lot of fillers. If you do that before PPCL or AIO then you are just wasting your time because either of those products will remove all the fillers. If you do it after AIO then you are wasting the AIO because now the SG doesn`t have it to bond to. If you have swirls to be removed then I would use something different because you will want to AIO after that so the SG has something to bond to besides fillers. See what I`m saying? Something like DACP would work better. Or maybe some 3M Perfect It-II compound would work for you. I guess it depends on if you have a PC or not. If not then get some Meguiar`s #9 and skip the SMR altogether. #9 will be more effective by hand and won`t leave the fillers behind. AIO will remove those fillers anyway.



Did I make any sense? Sorry for all the answers. :D ;)

[Accumulator]

derrickm- If you still have a healthy layer (or two) of SG on there, the Dawn won`t do much to remove it. Neither will the clay, at least in my experience. But the SMR will (abrasives, mild as they might be) as will the PPCL (ditto, plus other cleansers), and the AIO (same reasons as PPCL). If for some reason you wanted to remove the SG as a separate step, I`ve had good results with rubbing alcohol (and paint-prep solvents like PrepSol).



I`m with Jngrbrdman on the SMR`s with fillers (and with his product sequencing). Those SMR/polish products that do NOT contain fillers are better for your regimen. I DO like to use AIO between PPCL and SG.



Unless you have contaminants UNDER your existing SG, there`s no need to do anything between the wash and clay steps. There`s probably no need to wash AFTER you clay, unless the clay you`re using leaves a LOT of residue (the PPCL and AIO will clean the paint, just keep your applicator and removal towels clean).

[derrickm]

I forgot to add something important. The SG that`s on there has been on since last August/September.



Do you think I could just start with claying after I wash?

[Accumulator]

derrickm- You`re in the same boat as I am with one of my cars. Yep, wash, then clay. I bet you WILL have some swirls to deal with; you might find some more stuff that needs clayed after you do that. But again, no real need to re-wash after claying unless your clay leaves a lot of residue.

[derrickm]

Will the clay remove what little SG might still be on the car?

[Accumulator]

derrickm - It will remove a LITTLE and that might be all you have left. I honestly wouldn`t worry about it. Once you use PPCL or whatever, it`ll all be gone anyhow.

[derrickm]

Ok...



Here`s what I`m going to do today and tomorrow..





Wash

Clay

PPCL

AIO

SG



Sound good? I do have some Finesse It II also, do you think I should use that after the clay as opposed to trying the SMR? My car is silver with no visible swirls, but there are a couple of very light scratches that I`m sure the SMR would take care of. Is the FI-II too strong for that?





BTW - I do have a PC

[Accumulator]

derrickm- OK, now yor plan sounds good :xyxthumbs . I think that I (emphasis on "I") would use the FI-II on the scratches. I`ve never had that much success with SMR`s on anything except VERY light marring. Just work it until it`s all broken down.

[OUCH]

PPCL has fillers so AIO will just remove it, I suggest using Menzerna according to CMA they don`t have any fillers

[derrickm]

I guess I`m a little wary of using FI-II because my car is only about 9 months old. The few little marks I have on my paint aren`t that bad at all. I think SMR will take care of them. After I apply the AIO, I`ll check things out and if I`m not satisified I`ll go with the FI-II.



Thanks for everyone`s advice. I can`t wait to finish up tomorrow. All I did today was the interior and a VERY thorough washing. I don`t think I`ve every washed a car as good as I just did!! :cool:



I`ll give you guys some updates on what goes on tomorrow. I took the day off from work to do this:xyxthumbs

[Nick T.]

Here’s my take on the polish before clay issue:

As used by detailers the clay never really contacts the paint. It floats over the paint on a thin layer of lubricant and pulls out any debris embedded in the paint that protrudes through the lube film, but will not remove the underlying sealant. The technique used by a body shop uses more pressure and maybe an abrasive clay like red Clay Magic, and the clay does touch the paint and will remove any sealant.



If you polish before claying, then the polish may smooth out the embedded debris enough that there won’t be enough left to protrude through the lubricant film and be removed by the clay! If the unremoved embedded debris is iron - such as rail dust or some brake dust - then there is the chance of rust spots in the future.



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