detailing

[Renegade]

ok guy my girlfriend ad i will be completely detailing my car tomorrow, and well ive never used a clay bar before, so can someone tell me what to do in order starting with washing, any tips, what kinds of waxes to use and in what order. thanks

 

[sdtraviesosd]

All i can offer in advice is DONT DROP THE CLAY and use plenty of lube

 

[Shane361]

Claybar is crazy easy and you will be amazed at the results. As mentioned..once you drop it then throw it away. Clean the car as usual getting it as clean as possible. No need to dry the car afterwards. Claybar needs to be used inconjunction with a lubricant which is spray detail. I love Eagly One for dayum near everything car care related. Just spray the detail on a square foot section and slide the clay over the paint in any direction that makes you happy. Back in forth, circles etc until smooth. I spray detail the area again and wipe clean. After you have a smooth car go ahead and clean the car with soap and water again. Dry and then wax immediatly. -Shane

 

[JGrace]

I prefer Maguirs Next Generation myself especially if you have a dark colored paint job. But if you really want your paint to pop after you clay it then use Maguirs #7 Glaze before you wax. It is time consuming but well worth it. Dont let it dry so do small sections also it offers no protection which is why you do it before waxing. On another note use dish detergent to strip all the old wax off before clay bar so the clay can get at all the contaminants and pull them out. Just my 2 cents good Luck

 

[VP_07SRT8]

i thought dish detergent was hella bad!

as others stated dont drop it and once you do a little area fold it in half and kkeep going (the clay bar) to keep kneading it into itself as yo do sections. and have 2-3 bottles of lube (quick detailer spray usually) for back up because you dont want to run out. but you will be happy and amazed at the result. hope you have strong forearms and wrists haha

 

[JGrace]

Correct,Its not good to wash the ride in all the time, but in a one time application to ensure all wax is gone in order to maximize the hard work of claying the vehicle it won't hurt, plus remember you will be rewaxing the car and replacing all the waxing nutrients your baby(car) needs

 

[Shane361]

Huge debate on using dish soap or not. Said to eat wax which of course is why you wouldnt want to use it normally. Used when you WANT to get rid of wax to clay and rewax. Some will say this is utter bullshit. Could be some truth to it...

 

[Renegade]

ok well it all went really smoothly, kinda. clay bar worked fine all over the car except for the spoiler which come to find out was painted with out a clear coat, but it didn't really mess up the paint. i was only able to buff it out with Maguires cleaner wax since i ran out of time but it still looks a ton better, im going to go over it with Maguires gold class later

 

[VP_07SRT8]

nice congrats. my selection is very limited but thank god for amazon im going ot take one whole day and do this (all mothers)

Clay bar then pre wax cleaner , sealer and glaze, pure carnauba wax, reflections car wax, reflections top coat. ill do pics and repot how it went once they get here (usually 3-4 weeks)

 

[Renegade]

oh and my .02 on dish soap is NEVER, ill use car wash soap, but ill never use normal dish soap on a car

 

[Shane361]

Why?

 

[VP_07SRT8]

ive seen people do it and it makes the finish look so bad. just be safe and use prewax cleaner which takes off the old and cleans

 

[AMDDetailing]

just wanted to drop my 2 cents by but as far as using dish soap on cars I personally would NEVER use it simply wash a car. Dish washing soap contains strong detergents that strip off any protective wax off from the clear which in turn exposes the clear to the elements (UV rays, bird crap and so forth), which over time is EXTREMELY harmful to your cars paint job. Now if thats what your goal is and your planning on using cleaner wax to remove oxidation and so forth with the intentions of waxing it after than thats another story. Basically DO NOT use it unless your going to wax it after!!!!!

 

[Mach1Marauder]

just wanted to drop my 2 cents by but as far as using dish soap on cars I personally would NEVER use it simply wash a car. Dish washing soap contains strong detergents that strip off any protective wax off from the clear which in turn exposes the clear to the elements (UV rays, bird crap and so forth), which over time is EXTREMELY harmful to your cars paint job. Now if thats what your goal is and your planning on using cleaner wax to remove oxidation and so forth with the intentions of waxing it after than thats another story. Basically DO NOT use it unless your going to wax it after!!!!!

I agree for normal maintenance, but for a detail where you're gonna claybar and refine the finish surface, PLAIN Dawn is ok to use as long as you rinse well.

One thing that someone mentioned that I totally disagree with is the usage of glaze. I never use any sort of glaze. Glaze is a band aide in my opinion. My simple detailing philosophy is to get the surface as clean and smooth as possible, correct problem areas and then apply the protective of your choice.

 

[VP_07SRT8]

its part of the mothers 3 step process i think im pretty much covering everything from stripping it down and bring it back up