Clay bar treatment
Discussion
I had one of my cars detailed a while ago and part of the process was using a clay bar on the paitwork to remove all swirls and contamination etc...
I bought a clay bar kit today from halfords, I was a bit dubious as normaly when you buy a so called wonder product off the shelf it turns out to be rubbish...
Not this time round... If you havnt used this kit before, I would seriously recommend it!!! My car is like a mirror... No swirls from old wax. Absolutley brilliant... And theroputic too.. Best £25-00 ive ever speant in Halfords...
I bought a clay bar kit today from halfords, I was a bit dubious as normaly when you buy a so called wonder product off the shelf it turns out to be rubbish...
Not this time round... If you havnt used this kit before, I would seriously recommend it!!! My car is like a mirror... No swirls from old wax. Absolutley brilliant... And theroputic too.. Best £25-00 ive ever speant in Halfords...
Sorry, i have to step in here before people rush out and start claying their cars expecting a mirror finish.
A clay bar does not remove swirls. Its only job is to remove bonded contaminents from the paintwork. This works by effectively shaving off the stuff that is stuck to the car. So if you wash your car and it feels rough to the touch, then it needs claying. If not done properly, clay bars can make the car look worse through marring. This would be done through not enough water/lube or too much pressure or a hard aggressive clay bar. The car would then need to be machine polished to remove them.
If you do clay the car, i would recommend following up with a pre wax cleanser to further clean the paint and then a quality wax. If you really want to go the extra mile, spray this stuff on the car before you clay it and watch it dissolve all the iron filings stuck in the paint. They turn purple as they dissovle, which looks pretty cool. great on wheels too.
http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/CarPro_Iron_...
wax does not cause swirling either. This is cause by poor washing and drying and not using the correct products to do the job. This is not helped by the fact that astons are more often than not in a bad way even from new and the dealer/valeter only mask the defects slightly using autoglym srp.
Francis
A clay bar does not remove swirls. Its only job is to remove bonded contaminents from the paintwork. This works by effectively shaving off the stuff that is stuck to the car. So if you wash your car and it feels rough to the touch, then it needs claying. If not done properly, clay bars can make the car look worse through marring. This would be done through not enough water/lube or too much pressure or a hard aggressive clay bar. The car would then need to be machine polished to remove them.
If you do clay the car, i would recommend following up with a pre wax cleanser to further clean the paint and then a quality wax. If you really want to go the extra mile, spray this stuff on the car before you clay it and watch it dissolve all the iron filings stuck in the paint. They turn purple as they dissovle, which looks pretty cool. great on wheels too.
http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/CarPro_Iron_...
wax does not cause swirling either. This is cause by poor washing and drying and not using the correct products to do the job. This is not helped by the fact that astons are more often than not in a bad way even from new and the dealer/valeter only mask the defects slightly using autoglym srp.
Francis
Edited by paddy328 on Saturday 24th September 21:04
Edited by paddy328 on Saturday 24th September 21:09
Edited by paddy328 on Saturday 24th September 21:12
paddy328 said:
Sorry, i have to step in here before people rush out and start claying their cars expecting a mirror finish.
A clay bar does not remove swirls. Its only job is to remove bonded contaminents from the paintwork. This works by effectively shaving off the stuff that is stuck to the car. So if you wash your car and it feels rough to the touch, then it needs claying. If not done properly, clay bars can make the car look worse through marring. This would be done through not enough water/lube or too much pressure or a hard aggressive clay bar. The car would then need to be machine polished to remove them.
If you do clay the car, i would recommend following up with a pre wax cleanser to further clean the paint and then a quality wax. If you really want to go the extra mile, spray this stuff on the car before you clay it and watch it dissolve all the iron filings stuck in the paint. They turn purple as they dissovle, which looks pretty cool. great on wheels too.
http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/CarPro_Iron_...
wax does not cause swirling either. This is cause by poor washing and drying and not using the correct products to do the job. This is not helped by the fact that astons are more often than not in a bad way even from new and the dealer/valeter only mask the defects slightly using autoglym srp.
Francis
I know what you are saying is totaly correct, I know a well known detailer who in the past has given me a bit of advice and yes the car was not that bad to begin with.. But the difference after using the clay bar was very very good... I was just really impressed with it..A clay bar does not remove swirls. Its only job is to remove bonded contaminents from the paintwork. This works by effectively shaving off the stuff that is stuck to the car. So if you wash your car and it feels rough to the touch, then it needs claying. If not done properly, clay bars can make the car look worse through marring. This would be done through not enough water/lube or too much pressure or a hard aggressive clay bar. The car would then need to be machine polished to remove them.
If you do clay the car, i would recommend following up with a pre wax cleanser to further clean the paint and then a quality wax. If you really want to go the extra mile, spray this stuff on the car before you clay it and watch it dissolve all the iron filings stuck in the paint. They turn purple as they dissovle, which looks pretty cool. great on wheels too.
http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/CarPro_Iron_...
wax does not cause swirling either. This is cause by poor washing and drying and not using the correct products to do the job. This is not helped by the fact that astons are more often than not in a bad way even from new and the dealer/valeter only mask the defects slightly using autoglym srp.
Francis
Edited by paddy328 on Saturday 24th September 21:04
Edited by paddy328 on Saturday 24th September 21:09
Edited by paddy328 on Saturday 24th September 21:12
Quinny said:
We only have your word for that now don't we
Come on man get a grip and pull your socks up....... You can't come on here spouting about how good the car looks and no photos
It's just not cricket old boy
Ha ha ha ha,,, Here we go....Come on man get a grip and pull your socks up....... You can't come on here spouting about how good the car looks and no photos
It's just not cricket old boy
[url]
|http://thumbsnap.com/dNCs8bmU[/url]
Nice N Shiny...
What Paddy said.
Remember you can get clay in different grades just like sand paper, so if you are tempted go for the finest you can and use plenty of spray lubricant as you are going. (when I did my wife's Z4 I made my own from water and fairy liquid, works just as well).
I also use the Ironx product and with it you can see the iron filings stuck to the paint, particularly on the plastic protection stuck to the rear wheel arch. I was astonished at how much accumulates there, but the ironx sorts it out which helps preserve the appearance.
And whatever you do, don't let the dealer wash your car with a courtesy wash if it's in there for. Servo e or whatever. Sure way to ruin your finish!
Remember you can get clay in different grades just like sand paper, so if you are tempted go for the finest you can and use plenty of spray lubricant as you are going. (when I did my wife's Z4 I made my own from water and fairy liquid, works just as well).
I also use the Ironx product and with it you can see the iron filings stuck to the paint, particularly on the plastic protection stuck to the rear wheel arch. I was astonished at how much accumulates there, but the ironx sorts it out which helps preserve the appearance.
And whatever you do, don't let the dealer wash your car with a courtesy wash if it's in there for. Servo e or whatever. Sure way to ruin your finish!
steveatesh said:
What Paddy said.
And whatever you do, don't let the dealer wash your car with a courtesy wash if it's in there for. Servo e or whatever. Sure way to ruin your finish!
Funny you should say that because when I picked it up from my Local AM garage after some wrork, the cars finish was greasy looking and a mass of swirly look to it, like they used some really old greasy rags to polish it with.....And whatever you do, don't let the dealer wash your car with a courtesy wash if it's in there for. Servo e or whatever. Sure way to ruin your finish!
Its going in on Thursday for an ipod connection and some new wing mirror arms, will tell them not to clean it...
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