Clay or Skip?

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Well since many have questioned about the TW finish 2001 tire gel in the bright green bottle, I decided to take a few pics of the IS300 with it on there. This is my first wash after 1x aio and 1x SG. Plan on 2x SG tommorow (too cold and snowing today :( ). Here is the first pic, love the way new rotors and calipers look :xyxthumbs . BTW, I use compressed air to dry the rims and brakes to prevent rusting on the painted areas. It also dries the tires great for an application of TW tire gel. Hey, I just got inspired to go AIO my rims :D .
 
here is a shot of the front tires. The flash makes them look glossier than they really are. ooo, but check the paint. Can't wait to get more SG on there.
 
rear shot, I love this photo. The flash makes the camera focus on the metallic specs close to me and the high gloss towards the taillights. Carguy would be proud, except for my messy garage.



:bow Carguy
 
Looks GREAT :up , but tire is a tad too shinny for my personal taste. I just rec'd Z16 tire gloss today and will be trying it on weekend. Hopefully it won't be so shinny.
 
check the picture without flash, that is how they look in real life. Red car guy's tires with zaino looks shiney in his pics too probably because of the flash.
 
Bot your cars look fantastic!!!



Do you drive the ML or the Lexus during the winter ? I know I would hate to do it ...
 
So first a little background.
I bought Corvette new last May, ordered it, picked it up the day it arrived so it never sat outside. 2700 miles to date, 99% backroads and mountain passes, never driven to work, never seen rain, stored all winter. Washed every 3 drives, 2 bucket system, quality microfiber used, NXT 2.0 the day it came home, with spray wax after washing.

So I left work at lunch today to start on my detailing of my Vette, "Wet Ice over Fire" kit. Washed with Dawn and then used Griots wax and sealant remover to get started.

So the paint is squeak clean at this point and I was going to start to clay. Paint feels smooth, so it struck me that I should do a test spot, did one on the front quarter panel, Griots speed shine and clayed it. Wiped it off. Clay was clean and car didnt really feel any different than the paint next to it that I sprayed with just the speed shine. So tried the area where my DD gets the clay really dirty, behind the front wheels where my Vette kicks up tons of brake dust. Same thing, nothing on the clay.

So Im starting to think I really dont have a problem with anything bonded to the paint and maybe I should skip it. On my DD it made a profound difference in how the paint felt, and there was always stuff on the clay, especially down low behind the wheels.

So, any opinion? Im thinking skip it, save the clay for the DD in a couple weeks. But I could be convinced to do it anyway.

Also, as a positive note, after I stripped the wax and NxT, I was worried I would uncover a bunch of swirls, but under direct sun the paint looks perfect, not a swirl in sight. :) I guess the careful washing paid off.
 
KneeDragr said:
So first a little background.
I bought Corvette new last May, ordered it, picked it up the day it arrived so it never sat outside. 2700 miles to date, 99% backroads and mountain passes, never driven to work, never seen rain, stored all winter. Washed every 3 drives, 2 bucket system, quality microfiber used, NXT 2.0 the day it came home, with spray wax after washing.

So I left work at lunch today to start on my detailing of my Vette, "Wet Ice over Fire" kit. Washed with Dawn and then used Griots wax and sealant remover to get started.

So the paint is squeak clean at this point and I was going to start to clay. Paint feels smooth, so it struck me that I should do a test spot, did one on the front quarter panel, Griots speed shine and clayed it. Wiped it off. Clay was clean and car didnt really feel any different than the paint next to it that I sprayed with just the speed shine. So tried the area where my DD gets the clay really dirty, behind the front wheels where my Vette kicks up tons of brake dust. Same thing, nothing on the clay.

So Im starting to think I really dont have a problem with anything bonded to the paint and maybe I should skip it. On my DD it made a profound difference in how the paint felt, and there was always stuff on the clay, especially down low behind the wheels.

So, any opinion? Im thinking skip it, save the clay for the DD in a couple weeks. But I could be convinced to do it anyway.

Also, as a positive note, after I stripped the wax and NxT, I was worried I would uncover a bunch of swirls, but under direct sun the paint looks perfect, not a swirl in sight. :) I guess the careful washing paid off.
Click to expand...

Put your hands in a plastic baggy and feel the surface. If it feels completely smooth then there is no need to clay.

To be honest I would probably clay anyways just to be safe, given that what ever little you may pick up isn't going to effect the clay bar and it will still be fine for the daily driver.
 
th0001 said:
Put your hands in a plastic baggy and feel the surface. If it feels completely smooth then there is no need to clay.

To be honest I would probably clay anyways just to be safe, given that what ever little you may pick up isn't going to effect the clay bar and it will still be fine for the daily driver.
Click to expand...

Best advise you are going to get.

btw, welcome to TID. Now lets see some pics of that Vette.
 
Yes, I too would use the claybar carefully, with lots of lube, not in the sun, and just gently sand the whole car.
I cant remember ever seeing a vehicle that didnt need a claybar treatment - even new ones like yours.
I also never put my hands in a plastic bag to test the paintwork. Just a clean, dry hand, over clean, just washed paint does just fine. I think my fingertips are more sensitive to anything not smooth, etc., without the use of a plastic bag.
But then again, that's how I learned to do this, a million moons ago.. :)

Sounds like a beautiful car you have there. Congratulations on having such a nice vehicle!

Welcome to the Forum - hope you enjoy your stay!
Dan F
 
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