rough paint

ptim

ptim

New member
Over the past weekend my wife bought home a 03 Black GT, it was a 4,000 mile demo, they didnt take very good care of it, I washed it then I used Meguiars cleaner wax on it, after that I used Meguiars Hi-Tech yellow wax No. 26. It had a nice shine, but when I rubbed my hand over the paint, it feels rough, I was wondering if I should go over it with a clay bar.



Any suggestions would help.
 
ptim- Welcome to Autopia! Yep, your vehicle sounds like a perfect example of one that needs clayed. Since the contaminants are under your freshly applied wax, *I* would just wait until it needs waxed again and clay it then.



In the meantime, you can read up on claying. It's a pretty safe process, but the more you know about it the less chance you'll mar the paint by doing something wrong.
 
I dont think I can wait to long, she is getting a hood and side stripes on it, I wanted to get it as clean as possible, so that it is clean under the stripes.
 
all you need to know is pick out particles of dirt when you inspect your clay after each section(make sure the bar is kneaded flat). And fold after each section, i.e. a half a hood, door, etc.. Oh, and make sure you use lots of lube(water and car soap mixture, or quick detailer). And finally, wash and rinse your car after.
 
This is my own personal claying technique that I've posted over on another board. Hope it helps.



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Make sure you have thoroughly washed and dried your car prior to claying.



My clay of choice is the one made by 3M. They give you a very generous amount. Cut the bar in half. Take the half and cut it into 15 equal pieces:



2 for the hood

2 for the roof

1 for the trunk lid

1 for the trunk rear and rear bumper

2 for the rear quarter panels (1 per side)

4 for the doors (1 per door)(if you have a sedan)

2 for the front fenders (1 per side)

1 for the front of the car



Take the piece and roll it in to a sphere. Take the sphere and flatten it out into a circle so that it covers the top third of your first two fingers. Spray the first section of the roof with quick detailer. Glide the clay across the area in a front to back motion applying some pressure. Work in 2x2 areas. If you feel your fingers going through the clay, then you are pushing too hard. If the clay is streaking on the paint, then you need more QD. While gliding, you should hear a slight noise and feel some resistance. This is the grit being lifted from the paint. When the resistance and noise stops, dry the QD off with a quality towel. Move onto the next 2x2 section and do the same thing. Once half the section is done, flip the clay over and do the other half of the section. Once the section has been completed throw the piece of clay away. It is too contaminated to use on another section. If you do use it, you will most likely put micro scratches in your clear.



Keep working your way down using each dedicated piece for its area. Flip the clay over when you have completed half a section. Throw the clay away when the section is done.



When complete your car should be as smooth as glass. The next steps should be to remove the swirls (if necessary), clean the paint, and seal in the rejuvenated finish with a wax or sealant.

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I prefer this method. I feel like there is less of a chance of marring my finish.
 
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