AG SRP vs. claying

D

D3mon

New member
For paintwork only 18months old, does AG SRP (low- abrasive polish) equate to a good claying? If not, can anyone suggest a clay grade that will give better results?



Also, having read some related posts here, I plan to put on a 'winter coat' comprising a thorough wash with AG BWSP, one coat of AG SRP, one or two coats of AG EGP depending on weather conditions and time available) and finishing up with one or two coats of P21-S Carnauba Paste Wax as required.



I guess my main concern about doing this is if I wax-in any grained in any surface dirt, hence the claying question.
 
Claying is a different process to using a polish. There are various places where you can buy clay, perhaps the easiest is from almost any motor factor which stocks 3M.



It took me a while to decode AG BWSP - the shampoo.



Whilst I like some the Autoglym range, the products are mainly aimed at the final stages of cleaning. Therefore it is better to evaluate your paint and then decide what needs to be done.



I would strongly recommend the Autopia book http://www.autopia.org/display.php?file=Books.htm&s=&menu=4
 
Yeah, I figured 'BS' just didn't do it justice!



Ah yes, I have the book, but haven't read it in any detail yet.
 
~One mans opinion / observations~





An optically perfect shine comes from a clean, prepared and level surface; it improves the desired optical properties, surface reflectance. The other requirements are surface gloss, depth of shine and applied product transparency (clarity), which allows all of the components of an optically perfect shine to be visible.



1.Clean-washed with a car wash concentrate to remove surface dirt and grime, tar and road film



2.Cleaned-by using detailers clay to remove ingrained pollution from the paint surface, and/or a paint conditioner to prepare the surface.



3.Polished-removal of minor blemishes, surface scratches, swirl marks and water marks with an abrasive machine polish or compound



4.Glazed- to obtain a high gloss and to replace necessary oils to the paint film surface by burnishing with a fine polish.



5.Protected-with a polymer sealant to provide a durable surface protection.



6.Waxed-the applications of Carnauba wax to provide a sacrificial and renewable protection that will also provide surface clarity, a high gloss and a depth of shine.



4. & 6. are optional (4)as most polishes contain oils (6) wax is an and/or personal choice





~Hope this helps~



Knowledge unshared is experience wasted

justadumbarchitect / so I question everything/ Jon
 
In my own experience with the Autoglym range, I think the points you raise are covered as follows:



1. Clean - A wash with AG BWSP (Bodywash Shampoo) followed by inspection and application (where necessary) of AG ITR (Intensive Tar Remover) to remove obvious surface contamination.



2. Cleaned - Paint surface assessment followed by application of AG PR (Paint Renovator) to remove any bonded surface contamintants, scuffs or scratches.



3 + 4. Polished/Glazed - AG SRP for removal of light scratching, swirls and water marks. Also acts as as essential oils rejuvenator.



5. Protected - AG EGP gives Suface protection with further enhanced gloss.



6. Wax - Unfortunately, AG don't, to my knowledge, offer a waxing product.



Notes:

1. AG ITR strips all previous protection, so the full process must

completed in the applied areas for maximum protection.



2. I have found that AG PR can be quite damaging if not used carefully, with some experience, as it is noticeably abrasive. Claying may be prefferable to AG PR in providing an easier-to-use alternative.



3+4. AG SRP *needs* time to settle before buffing for maximum benefits. Quick removal will give desired visual effect, but surface conditioning will be minimized.



5. Similarly, AG EGP requires a much longer period before buffing for maximum protection, although gloss appearance will be improved with quick application.



6. I've currently very little experience with waxing products, although I'm confident that application of a wax over the EGP will give significant visual benefits.



As soon as I take delivery of some P21s Carnauba Wax I'll find our for sure.



:)
 
Since I've been hiding from this forum for a while now so that my bank balance can recover :o I'll just make a small comment to your reply.



2. (My you do love acronyms don't you?) ITR is not a replacement for clay. It will remove tar and the like, but it won't remove contaminants that have embedded themselves in the surface. You need to be careful with these else what you will find happens is that you merely abrade off the part that is sticking above the surface leaving the remainder below paint surface level, and almost impossible to remove without taking the paint surface down.



Personally I used ITR to dissolve tar because it then doesn't contaminate the clay, so I'd use ITR where needed as part of the washing cycle and then clay.



6. Nope they don't, so you will need to find a topper that you like. Just make sure that its a wax and not a cleaner wax else you may find it removing your SR EG layers. P21S should make you very happy.



Note 2. Yes PR is very abrasive. So much so that I don't use it anymore, I now tend to use the 3M range for preparation of really bad paint and then SR. Clay is not and cannot be compared to PR - completely different products for different purposes (oh yes! We are talking of detailing clay here not bodyshop clay which is abrasive)



Note 5. AG keep changing their advice on how long you should leave it. I think their original advice to leave it overnight for best results was felt to be scaring off potential customers.



:)
 
Thanks butchdave.



Given your comments and the other posts I've read, I feel sure now that claying is an essential part of my method. All I've got to do is locate a clay supplier that can deliver within a reasonable amount of time - my order of P21s from seriousperformance UK has already been a week in waiting :( . I'm hoping to find some Clay Magic but finding it difficult to source here in Blighty.



For sure, ITR won't replace detailing clay, I hope that didn't come across the wrong way.



I'm guessing at only 18 months old (20,000 miles), I don't think my paint will need a great deal of pre-Clay preparation - just some comprehensive, methodical clay-work (I hope)



I must give the EGP a try overnight and check the results - currently my single garage is undergoing a transition from junk storage to car storage, but I'm not sure If I'll have enough room in there (with the car in) to get all around it to apply/remove polish/wax - only time will tell I guess.
 
I wish you luck with the garage, mines much to small to detail in. No probs regarding the ITR :)



I don't know how the 'new' Megs clay turned out - its been so long since I was on here :(
 
Yeah, I guess I'm probably gonna have to use the Meguiars Quick clay, no UK suppliers of Clay Magic yet AFAIK.



Thanks everyone! soon as my P21s and clay arrive I'll be ready.



Finally then, what should I used to remove any exisiting SRP/EGP on my paint before claying? I assume the clay will become needlessly clogged with old polish residues?
 
How long should you wait after applying SRP to add EGP? Is it okay to use straight away or should the SRP be left a few hours/days to cure first?
 
I've been applying EGP almost straight after SRP, mainly as I didn't want any accumulated dust/dirt to scratch while applying the EGP. The guys here might set me straight on this though.
 
Andrew Timmins said:
How long should you wait after applying SRP to add EGP? Is it okay to use straight away or should the SRP be left a few hours/days to cure first?
Click to expand...



Since EGP will be your main layer of protection, you don't need to let the SRP cure any. If you wipe away the protection it leaves behind, no big deal.
 
butchdave said:
ITR is not a replacement for clay. It will remove tar and the like, but it won't remove contaminants that have embedded themselves in the surface. You need to be careful with these else what you will find happens is that you merely abrade off the part that is sticking above the surface leaving the remainder below paint surface level, and almost impossible to remove without taking the paint surface down.



Personally I used ITR to dissolve tar because it then doesn't contaminate the clay, so I'd use ITR where needed as part of the washing cycle and then clay.
Click to expand...



I totally agree. The AG ITR is very good at dissolving large tar spots much easier than clay. I tried just using clay at first but it seemed to only take a tiny slice of tar off the top of the spot with each pass instead of removing it.

Is there any competition for AG Intensive Tar Temover ?



Have any of you guys tried AG SRP with a PC ? Does it leave as much dust as it usually does ?
 
The Resin works well with a PC. I think the dust is less as the layer is thiner and more evenly spread than can be done by hand
 
I used SR with the PC for the first time this week, and I was impressed. There was certainly less dust and I guess that I will be using the PC a lot more for this in future.
 
I recently tried some experimentation with Comma polish, which is a mild chemical cleaner. The Resin seemed to have an even deeper gloss when applied on top of the Comma - no idea why though
 
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