NEWBIE...here plus question on using clay bar

M

maxima2k2

New member
hello, im total newbie to full detailing and i have a couple of questions. on my 91 maxima, looks like i have bird crap and tons of water spots etched into the paint...here are a couple of pictures





hoodbeforeclay11.jpg
hoodbeforeclay22.jpg
hoodbeforeclay33.jpg




the paint has been like this for 8 years i think, i bought the clay magic kit and i want to know if using this clay bar will make my paint brand new again like it came from out from the factory. what are the basic steps to full detailing a vechicle? normally i just wash and wax, but i want to do a full detail this time. How often should I clay my maxima? What about polish, what is that suppose to do? any specific brands that are good? All the help I can get would be very much appreciated...thanks
 
Oof - that's gonna take more than ClayMagic - although it will help .

Begin by washing the car with Dawn and semi-hot water . Use a microfiber towel and your wash rag . 2 ounces per 2 gallons of water

Then spray a mixture of distilled white vinegar and distilled water onto everywhere there has been bird sh#t and water etchings after you dry the car .

Let it sit 1/2 hour , then rinse car off .

Now put baking soda onto the car where there are the same etching and bird sh#t spots .

Wash and dry again then clay and see the improvement then we'll see what else should be done .

You will need a proper compounding and polish most likely to get it back to looking new again and remove most the damage . ESPECIALLY if thats been that way for that long

Cut you clay bar into 4 pieces so if you drop it you wont have a total loss ( cant use clay again after it hits the ground )

I suggest finding a " how to use clay properly " also before getting to that stage .
 
Yeah, looks like alot of water spotting and etching from bird bombs. Wash it down real well, and then try the vinegar wash. You will probably need more than just that clay bar to get rid of those.
 
Yeah good luck with those bird sh*t etchings. Those bird bombs can etch a permanent spot in the paint within a day.



You can clay your Max as often as you want. I clay my car (and my previous Maxima) twice a year, before doing full details. You can spot clay after every wash if you really want to. It's all up to you.



There are lots of good brands out there for various products, and most of us use products from many different brands. This is no "best" brand for detailing. You have to try a bunch of products and decide what you like best.



Good luck with the Max, and let's see some pics afterward!



:welcome
 
papi_jay said:
Oof - that's gonna take more than ClayMagic - although it will help .

Begin by washing the car with Dawn and semi-hot water . Use a microfiber towel and your wash rag . 2 ounces per 2 gallons of water

Then spray a mixture of distilled white vinegar and distilled water onto everywhere there has been bird sh#t and water etchings after you dry the car .

Let it sit 1/2 hour , then rinse car off .

Now put baking soda onto the car where there are the same etching and bird sh#t spots .

Wash and dry again then clay and see the improvement then we'll see what else should be done .

You will need a proper compounding and polish most likely to get it back to looking new again and remove most the damage . ESPECIALLY if thats been that way for that long

Cut you clay bar into 4 pieces so if you drop it you wont have a total loss ( cant use clay again after it hits the ground )

I suggest finding a " how to use clay properly " also before getting to that stage .
Click to expand...



what will the mixture of distilled water and white vinegar do to the car's paint? what about baking soda, do i mix baking soda with water or do i just put it on the spots where the etchings are, and how long do i let it sit before i wash off?
 
Vinegar/Water 50/50 mix does nothing to a car's paint - it can soften up teh water spotting though and will help soften the bird doodie that is hard and baked on .

The baking soda stage helps to remove the mineral deposit stains that the water spots leave .

You can make it into paste and spread it on or just put it on after you rinse the car and spread it around with your hand ( take any rings off you may have on 1st )

You want to let it sit an hour or two before your final wash before claying .

Try and do all of this out of the sun or you can get more spots



P.S. yes the vinegar and water mix has to be DISTILLED water and DISTILLED vinegar variety in a spray bottle
 
clay bar didn't help, im just a little worried about using 50/50 distilled vinegar and distilled water mixture because it might eat though the clear coat, that goes for the baking soda also. maybe im just paranoid about ruining the paint because i've never done something like this before.
 
maxima2k2 said:
clay bar didn't help, im just a little worried about using 50/50 distilled vinegar and distilled water mixture because it might eat though the clear coat, that goes for the baking soda also. maybe im just paranoid about ruining the paint because i've never done something like this before.
Click to expand...



But the people here taking the time to advise you have done it before.
 
if youre scared why not just test the mixtures on the door jambs ? I would say under trunk or hood , but those areas many time aren't even cleared .

Does italian salad dressing eat thru your organs ( which are much softer than paint )



scary cat scary cat



BTW - where are you located maxima ? Maybe we can find you a meticulous weekend detailer to help you out ?
 
Consider this- distilled white vinegar is so mild you can drink it. The acidic step of decontamination systems is so strong it'll dissolve metal, *way* stronger than vinegar yet it's *made* to be used on b/c paint. If anything the vinear will be too mild. Automotive paint is tougher than one might think ;)
 
Yeah you don't need to be worried about using vinegar on your paint. I washed my car with the acid step of the FK1 decon kit 3 TIMES in 30 mins (!) and it didn't hurt anything. What's the pH of that stuff...like 2 or something?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top