Boston area detailer?

**compulady** · 03-30-2002, 08:18 AM

Last summer and fall I used AIO, SG X3 and several coats of Blitz on my Silver 2001 Acura CL. Now that it is spring, I`m getting ready to start over with AIO, SG and eventually carnuba.

I`m looking for suggestions on how to strip what I have on the car and start again. I had been thinking about using the ABC system but notice that most people on the board don`t use ABC. Someone said they were leary about using a chemical system. I have never used clay. I`m a little afraid of scratching the car with the clay.

Is there anything I can use other than Clay or ABC to prep the car?

Thanks.

**JonB** · 03-30-2002, 08:55 AM

AIO will strip everything if you are planning to go the Klasse route again. You should still clay though, at least the horizontal surfaces. If your finish feels rough to you then you need to clay. ABC is OK, but I found that you still needed to clay the horizontals. If you are going with another sealant, you can use PPCL or SMR to remove the Klasse. Depends on the state of the finish and how swirled it is.

H

**Jngrbrdman** · 03-30-2002, 11:48 AM

Having used both I would say use clay. ABC is good and all but in the end I still wanted to clay. I can`t say that after I clayed I wanted to ABC. In the future I will stick with the clay. It takes longer but the results are better. I think ABC was invented to save time.

**MikeLS** · 03-30-2002, 12:22 PM

is much cheaper, very easy to use, and is certain to be 100% effective at removing all imbedded contaminants. I`ve never felt the need to try to chemically remove contaminants when a simple claying is all that`s required. Follow the right claying techniques and everything should work out very fine, it`s really a very simple process.

:xyxthumbs

**Redcar GUY** · 03-30-2002, 12:31 PM

I like clay.

**rmccall6** · 03-30-2002, 04:07 PM

Clay and ABC are two different things. In most cases, ABC will remove the need to use clay, but , for instance, I`m currently working on a 993 targa, the ABC got it really clean (and neutralized), but since the car is older, and the owner mostly just washed and waxed it, there was still a good amount of IFO, so I followed up with clay. ABC does things that clay cant, and clay is good for when you have stuborn contaminants that the ABC couldn`t quite remove. I have em both, and its a good idea to.

**imported_RIC** · 03-30-2002, 05:42 PM

Why does the ABC system leave any contaminants behind?

I thought the reason for using ABC instead of clay was because clay only shaves off the heads of the particles(not my belief) while the ABC completely removes them and any acids remaining and there won`t be any risk of scratches caused by contaminants the clay picks up. It seems to me that if you still need clay afterward then the ABC system did not do the job it was intended to do and you might as well had started with the clay to begin with.

"ABC does things that clay can`t"--right...clay cannot dissolve metal particles. What prevents the B part of the system from possibly getting to the sheet metal of the vehicle?

**JonB** · 03-30-2002, 05:55 PM

I only found the ABC system to strip the sealant and wax. It did a fairly poor job of dealing with contaminants. I had to clay afterwards anyways.....

H

**rmccall6** · 03-30-2002, 08:16 PM

ABC, as the name implies, neutralizes the paint, ridding it of any acids or alkalines that may be present in tthe pores of the peint, preventing any further damage. Its like a very good deep cleaner for your paint. Clay is just ment to grind/pick off IFO and overspray. The B does help with IFO, im not just saying this, I have actually used it on many cars and have had success in that area. I found that cars with light-moderate IFO, the ABC system worked great. Heavier contamination required clay. To save time you can clay while the B is dwelling on the paint. Another plus is that cars with light-moderate contamination, B removes it safer than clay, obviously by loosening/disolving the particles into water and flushing them away. ABC and clay are two different products each with their sterngths and weaknesses. Do what i did, get both, trust me, the $60 for the ABC system is well worth it.

**BillNorth** · 03-30-2002, 08:18 PM

ABC is intended for cars that have contamination that is less than 120 days old. That`s why ABC is predominantly used on new vehicles which enter dealer showrooms. ABC will give your paint a good deep cleaning, but it will not smooth out the surface (I know, I use ABC). Claying alone will cause your metal particles to resurface after a couple of months (I know, it happenned to me). All claying does is remove the bloom. You still have the acid left. After claying the bloom, the acid is exposed to the elements, such as water. Once it comes into contact with the water it starts a new reaction which causes the acid to spread, and more rust specs will eventually appear.

The ideal method would be to use the "A" as normal, then use the "B" product as a lubricant for your clay. This way, you remove the bloom while the "B" is dwelling on the surface. As soon as the bloom is removed, the "B" product can immediately neutralize the acid under the bloom. Then use "C" as intended.

Make no mistake, clay and ABC are not meant to do the same thing. They both serve a different purpose.

Take care.

**imported_RIC** · 03-30-2002, 08:30 PM

Hmmm...I have not observed any metal particles resurfacing after a couple of months. But I am very meticulous and know I do a very thorough claying.

I have seen new particles from metallic brake dust imbed after claying and sealing. Unfortunately clay, ABC, and sealants/waxes cannot prevent the hot metal filings from future adhering. At least with clay it is very easy to attack new areas without having to do the entire vehicle and not have to completely strip off the sealant.

**compulady** · 03-31-2002, 11:47 AM

I need your expert advise on starting over as I have Klasse and Blitz on the car now. From everything I have read, I will use dawn to strip off the Blitz. Then what? What is the best procedure? Do I clay after the dawn or wash the car with Meguires and then clay? After the clay do I wash before starting with the AIO?

Thanks in advance.

**JonB** · 03-31-2002, 12:16 PM

I would just wash with a regular car wash. Then clay. You might want to rinse or wash after the clay depending on how much residue there is. Then go straight to the AIO. Its a cleaner as well as a sealant and will strip wax and Klasse as it goes on. Just polish it on with an MF applicator.... That should do it.

H

**Jngrbrdman** · 03-31-2002, 03:29 PM

<blockquote class=`ipsBlockquote` >

<em class=`bbc`>Originally posted by BillNorth [/i]
<strong class=`bbc`>ABC is intended for cars that have contamination that is less than 120 days old. That`s why ABC is predominantly used on new vehicles which enter dealer showrooms. ABC will give your paint a good deep cleaning, but it will not smooth out the surface (I know, I use ABC). Claying alone will cause your metal particles to resurface after a couple of months (I know, it happenned to me). All claying does is remove the bloom. You still have the acid left. After claying the bloom, the acid is exposed to the elements, such as water. Once it comes into contact with the water it starts a new reaction which causes the acid to spread, and more rust specs will eventually appear.

The ideal method would be to use the "A" as normal, then use the "B" product as a lubricant for your clay. This way, you remove the bloom while the "B" is dwelling on the surface. As soon as the bloom is removed, the "B" product can immediately neutralize the acid under the bloom. Then use "C" as intended.

Make no mistake, clay and ABC are not meant to do the same thing. They both serve a different purpose.

Take care. [/b]</blockquote>
If I skip the ABC and just use clay and I use a sealant right after the clay, will that help keep the acids away from the elements? If I clay and then PPCL right after, then wouldn`t that take care of most of it anyway? Especially if I put a layer of AIO or something on right after.

**rmccall6** · 03-31-2002, 03:42 PM

I wish Ron was still posting because he could awnser your question in great detail. What he explained to me was that paint is indeed porous, and any chemicals that rest on the paint potentialy will seep into the pores. E.G., if a bird drops a duece on your car, the dropping will most likely contain acidic chemicals that will seep into your paint, unless you clean it off within a minute or two. After that, you should clean the area off with some alchohol (sp?) to try to neutralize the acids. Plus, these chemicals can rest in the paint for quite a while, and the rxn can be triggered again a few months later by water for instance, and they will etch deeper into the paint. Thtas why its a good idea to use ABC reguarly. I use it when its time to re-wax/seal.