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02-25-2009, 11:26 PM | #23 | |
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But in all seriousness your point is very well taken--nice, thoughtful post. |
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02-25-2009, 11:35 PM | #24 |
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amazing! what you guys fail to realized that all this waxing and clay etc. is a serious waste of time when you could be out enjoying your ride. your bimmer is new. leave the damn finish alone. just wash and go.
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02-26-2009, 12:11 AM | #25 | |
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Driving and appreciating your vehicle is a must, but there is nothing better than having a vehicle that just sparkles and looks cleaner and crisper than the others! That gleam, glow, sparkle and luster gets noticed.....and it makes you feel proud. But then again to each his own! Dave @ Innovative Detailing |
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02-26-2009, 10:15 AM | #26 |
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I've been using clay for years and I'm no pro. I simply wash the car then use my auto soap to lube while using light/medium pressure to prep for wax. It's honestly a very easy process and you don't need to be a payed detailer to get good results with clay. I do it once or twice a year depending on how the paint feels when I run my hand across the soapy surface.
I wouldn't attempt paint correction without a pro. |
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02-26-2009, 03:58 PM | #27 |
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Thanks Dave and all for the great comments. I do count myself as someone (like most 1Addicts) who takes pride in my car and its appearance. I'm sure in time I will become more adept at detailing and perhaps won't mess up my finish again! Kudos to those of you out there who've had no problems with using clay, I plan to stay away from it from now on.
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02-26-2009, 05:14 PM | #28 | |
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02-26-2009, 05:31 PM | #29 | |
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From what I've read there are aggressive clay bars that are meant for professional detailers only. Could that be the issue? |
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02-27-2009, 11:37 AM | #30 |
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This is not correct. MOST clay bars themselves have NO abrasives (there are a few advertised as "cleaner" clay bars that do). The only abrasives in a regular clay bar are those picked up by the bar:
1) inadvertantly (like by dropping the bar on the ground) 2) intentionally (having removed them from your paint). To prevent these contaminates from becoming abrasives to your paint, you must: 1) throw away ANY bar that has hit the ground- runing your paint is not worth a $20 clay bar! 2) make sure your car is WASHED as thoroughly as possible, and knead the bar CONSTANTLY I personally have had great experiences with clay bars removing deeply embedded contaminates. I use quick detailer as a clay bar lube after washing my car twice, then follow again with a third wash. I tend to clay bar 2-3 times a year, and my car sits in a garage at home. I would probably do it more if I parked outside. |
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02-27-2009, 04:28 PM | #31 |
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I have yet to use a claybar on my 135. I mainly use only BMW products on it since I dont want any "what-ifs" coming up when using other products. BMW shampoo applied with a microfiber mit. Rinse then spray on BMW Express Wax rinse again. Park in the shade or garage and pull the standing water off with a BMW deerhide chamois. Dry with microfiber cloth and follow up with some Meguire's quick detailer to remove any water spots. Ive had my car since Nov. and I have yet to see any swirls and Water beads up like the day I bought it.
To get rid of the scratches Id use a porter cable buffer with an orange pad and some rubbing compound. buff for a few minutes and follow with a softer black pad and finishing wax. After the finishing wax is buffed out i then take some P21s Pure Carnuba wax, rub it on by hand and buff it out with a clean cloth. PS A good veggie based soap for cleaning the surface is Murphy's Oil Soap. Much gentler than dish soap. I used it for years on my other cars Good luck! |
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02-27-2009, 11:46 PM | #32 |
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Detailing my cars is great therapy...no radios, tv's, cell phone, wife...just me and my stable of BMW's along with all the fine products made by Zaino.
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02-28-2009, 04:22 AM | #33 | |
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Some people like to go fishing to relax and get in touch with themselves. And I do like to do that on occasion. But there's nothing more therapeutic for me than waking up early on a Saturday morning to detail a car. And if you want to do it right it's not something you can rush. That is where mistakes come in, either where you didn't read the instructions beforehand or tried to take a shortcut (not saying that jmcgraw013 did either). As for the claybar fiasco, I've never had an issue with them. I'm sure there are other fine products out there, but I only use Griot's claybar and detail spray to lube the surface. And I'm so anal that after the claybar process is complete I go over the entire car with P21S Paint Cleanser to ensure the surface is free of any contaminates. It takes about an hour, and may be an unnecessary step but IMO the most important part of detailing is paint preparation. In my experience you'll get a deeper, and longer lasting shine if you take these extra steps. But if you enjoy the entire process like I do it's a labor of love, as well as an investment in the car and more importantly my (in)sanity. |
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02-28-2009, 07:47 AM | #34 |
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03-01-2009, 07:39 PM | #36 |
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After looking at some how to clay your car videos on YouTube - I can definitely say now that I did several things wrong when attempting to clay my car - 1) It was cold and I didn't knead the clay well enough (it was very hard), 2) I pressed way too hard when rubbing the clay back and forth, 3) I didn't re-knead and turn the clay enough to avoid putting it back on the car with dirt on it that I had picked up from the car.
Here's the video I watched for better clay bar technique: Any other suggestions beyond what's shown in the video are appreciated.
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03-28-2009, 03:45 PM | #38 |
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Another useful thing for claying a car is to cut the clay bar into small balls the size of marbles. After this knead each ball before using it until it is nice and soft. You can store your clay in a small jar with some QD to keep it from drying out. I use each ball on only a small section of paint. Such as 1 wheel or a 2x2 section of paint, while using a lot of QD and kneading often. I then throw this piece of clay out and get another one even if the clay does not look like it has particles in it to you, it does. If you drop the clay, throw it out, don't even think of kneading it and continuing to use it (there are mean little particles on the ground every where and they want to eat your paint). This method is particularly nice for tar and break dust, which would require pressure with a wash mitt and soap, and do not require any pressure when removed with a clay bar. Hope this helps.
Clay is your friend, just use it right. And yes, I go through QD like water, but QD is pretty cheap when compared to a respray. Disclaimer- I'm no pro. But....I have washed my 1er 12 times in 5000 miles, and no scratches yet. I've used this method on my 98 M roadster for years and have only had to polish her once, no one ever believes she is the ripe old age of 11 years old asking if she is new. So for me this works well. Also make sure you move your wash mitt in STRAIGHT swipes as to minimize the visibility in any scratches you create by washing and never press hard, thats what the clay and polish are for. Rinse the glove constantly, I use the 2 bucket method and spray the wash mitt with a hose BEFORE going in to the rinse bucket, if that tells you anything about how spastic my cleaning methods are. And I love Zaino. Rant over.
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03-29-2009, 08:01 AM | #39 |
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Like many others I clay all my cars when they are new. I have clayed 5 vehicles most of them two times without one scratch. I had comments from people that say they have never seen a car with a shine like my vehicles. I use Zanio products on the exterior of my cars and am really satisfied with their products.
And to those that say not to clay a new car, just clay half of the roof, clean the car and wipe your hand over the two areas and the clay part is way smoother. The smother the surface the more shine you will be able to get out of it. Glad you were able to get the damage fixed.
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03-29-2009, 07:13 PM | #40 |
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Thanks for the tips. I've been two bucket washing since I got her - works great. Maybe I'll get the nerve to try a clay bar again, but most likely I'll just go the liquid clay route with a foam applicator and then polish. Everyone seems to gravitate towards Zaino - I'll probably try some next time too.
Thanks all!
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03-29-2009, 07:45 PM | #41 |
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Noob question, after you clay bar the car, do you then rewash it before polish/wax?
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03-29-2009, 08:01 PM | #42 | |
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03-29-2009, 09:05 PM | #43 |
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03-29-2009, 09:37 PM | #44 |
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Always wash after clay bar use...but do not use the Dawn liquid detergent during this second wash...use Zaino car wash.
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