thinking of claying my car

Lots of great advice here. Just remember to take your time, and listen and feel your way through the process. Once the surface "feels" bump-free and quiet, you know you've done a great job claying. Sometimes I can spend 20 minutes claying a car and other times it may take hours. It all depends on the condition of the car. There are many different grits of clay, fine, medium, aggressive. Get the least aggressive to do the job.

 

Thanks Dana...did you take the final shot of your 360?

 

Hey Moe! Great to see you on F-Chat. It was too hot yesterday and we went to the Angel game tonight. We are going to take pics tomorrow evening. I will send them your way.

Guys, Moe is the best there is at detailing. He has the most knowledge of processes and various product offerings of anyone I have ever met. He has detailed all of my cars for a couple of years now and he is the only person I would trust to detail my vehicles.

 

Sounds great buddy...looking forward to seeing them. Thanks for the kind words as well. It's always a pleasure to detail for clients that understand the scope of work involved and appreciate the hard work going into detailing high-end autos.

 

Your car is pretty new to need a lot of claying. But, maybe the climate where you live is pretty harsh. Anyway ... another option you could consider is using a synthetic polymer, preceded by a polymer surface prep (such as Liqui-Tech's lineup). With this method, the surface prep will take the place of claying--you wipe on the liquid and then wipe off before it dries. Once that's done, you'll be applying the synthetic polymer, which will take the place of your wax, and allow it to cure--usually overnight for the first application--and for a haze. After that you wipe off the car.

The advantage of this method is that you won't harm your car's finish, and you add protection to it. Every time you apply the polymer, you are adding more protection to your paint.

For a decent writeup on the process and some comparisons, you can check out: http://www.nwrfca.org/faq/clean.htm

 

Looking over the description on liqui-tech's site, I'm assuming they're talking about the finish prep pre-cleanser. This product is a very mild polish designed to clean the paint prior to applying the wax. Unfortunately, products like that aren't abrasive enough to get embedded contaminants such as brake dust, light oxidation, industrial fallout, etc. out of the paint.

Clay, depending on the level of aggressiveness, is the safest and most effective way to properly decontaminate the paint surface. This is why professionals and DIYers use the product. As long as you get a safe grade of clay, mild or fine grade, you're not going to damage the paint surface.

 

Almost forgot, never think a new car doesn't need to be clayed. Remember, most of the cars that are new are transported in a huge ship accross the ocean for weeks. This condition leaves the paint open to the salt air, moisture and dirt, then if transported again by rail, your get rail dust, etc. IMHO, anytime you're going to polish/wax a car, spend some time and clay. If the paint was in good condition, claying will go by quickly. If the paint needed the deep cleaning, then you covered your bases.

Here's a brand new Porsche GT3 that I was the first to detail. You can see all the goodies clay picked up.
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I have a question. This this thread seems to be a good place.

I have owned two Ferrari's and many other exotics. My 430 was bought in December 2006 and my (old) 360 was owned for 6 years. When I sold the 360 the buyer and dealer (consignment) complimented me on its condition.

I drive my car through a hands free wash and dry it with microfiber. About every six months I have it wased. That is it. What is this need on so many people's part to spend their lives washing, waxing, claying and whatever the car? Am I negligent (and blind since my cars look great) or will my paint come off in 2020? Best

 

There is a certain satisfaction some guys get from washing and detailing their cars--especially doing it themselves. I'm not so sure that it's worth all the effort, either. But if you're enjoying yourself and staying out of trouble, then heck, why not?

 

What scares me about claying is the same thing that scares me about polishing--the scratches that can be introduced into the paint. If you're a pro detailer, or really know what you're doing, then you're already schooled in your craft. But if you're a weekend warrior like me, and don't want to mess up a perfectly good paint job, then maybe the least abrasive method is the one to try out.

Besides, the liqui-tech stuff sounds pretty awesome. I am waiting for this pollen to settle some so I can have a go at it.

 

Was this after you'd washed and dried the car? Your point about new car contamination is valid.

 

It is a great satisfaction to detail one's own car to a beautiful shine.

After all the car is not made out of clay!

It's a bit of work, but a nice feeling when you drive it and receive all the attention.

 

As long as you do it right, you'll love the results. I couldn't believe the difference in made on my car.

 

It sounds like your 360 was in pretty good shape compared to other used Ferraris. Some cars I've seen don't look like they get much attention at all, unfortunately. However, with all due respect, many people don't know/appreciate the difference between a clean car and one kept in near concours condition - dealers included. If it looks clean, shiny and doesn't have significant damage, it's labeled as 'in great shape'. Look at the finish, though, and you'll likely see marring, especially in direct sunlight. With spider-webbing and light scratching in all directions (usually from improper cleaning) the paint doesn't have that near flawless, deep, poured-on appearance. That may be fine for most people, for others it's not. Put the average 'clean car' next to a correctly detailed car (same color cars) and the difference is noticeable. Often times, the paints look like they're two different shades.

If you drive a moderately dusty/dirty car through a touchless wash and then dry it -even with a MF towel- you're marring the paint. It's called micro-marring, and it will dull the finish. Is the paint gonna fall of the car? No. Throwing a wax or sealant on the car fills the marring slightly and restores some of the shine, but it certainly won't look its best. Of course, certain colors tolerate improper care better than others.. silvers, for example, hide a lot of marring. Darker colors aren't so helpful.

Detailing goes beyond the paint finish. All visible parts of the car get attention.. wheels, wheel wells, door jams, engine compartment, etc. Again, for some people it's not necessary - if it looks good from ten feet away, that's good enough. Others really get into it and take pride in the finished product.

 

Not trying to hijack thread, but want to follow up previous poste. At the end of the day is all this work more for the intrinsic rewards than necessity? It sounds like training should proceed anything more than simple washing/waxing. Right/wrong? Best

 

I am thinking of taking mine through the auto wash, you think it is a good idea guys

 

Really, it's not a whole lot of work. Once you (or a pro) get the paint looking its best, or near its best, maintaining it properly isn't that difficult. Learning the proper technique and using the right products/tools is easy and can make a significant difference in the car's appearance, especially over time.

At the end of the day, the results from 'all this work' are rewarding, but not a necessity. However, I would say maintaining a car to some degree is necessary, especially a Ferrari.

 

I don't know if you are being facetious but a "hands free" wash always makes sense since nothing touches the car (by definition) and "waxing" a car is, well , waxing a car. I am trying to understand the value of doing more. I understand the fine scratches that come from using regular towels etc when drying, but aftr 8 years of owning Ferrari's and seeing my stand next to others who have been meticulously taken care of, I see no difference (and therefore figure my time is better spent doing fun things). Best

 

Thank you

 

Detailling a car is a "fun thing"!!!

 

Yes. Detailing is a very cleansing experience.

Even more so if you are a car buff.

I love it so much that I might even wax poetic about it.

 

You are definitely a very polished person, Barrister.

 

At the end of the day, one could also say why did you buy a 430? Why not a toyota yaris. They're both cars, they both get you from point A to B, and why pay so much for a CAR?

You gotta remember, a lot of hard work and passion went into making your Ferrari, and all other Ferraris for that matter. If I had one, I would simply take care of it in a manner that respected the workmanship that went into making the car.

Taking it through a touchless car wash is better than a typical car wash, but you're doing more harm than good. The chemicals used to clean the car are doing it without touching it. So how does it actually clean if there no contact made to the finish to remove the dirt. The answer is very powerful chemical are taking the place of washing by hand.

With all that said, there should see a noticeable difference between a properly maintained car than a car that goes through the car wash and is wiped down with a microfiber. If you don't see a difference, than the examples you're comparing it to aren't good candidates for comparison.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but for every well cared for Ferrari I see on the road, there are 10 more that need TLC. It probably wouldn't take you much longer to do it yourself if you had the right tools and products, and more importantly, the desire.

Detailing is a hobby, a form of exercise, or simply a vehicle to escape the world and do something that brings immediate gratification. To each his own

 

Respecting your intent (good will) , my car has no fine scratches, smells of leather, mechanically perfect, and if car washes "hurt" a cars paint, you cannot prove it by me, including a Porsche Turbo I (grey market) imported in 1981, whose paint is all but flawless.

I am no expert but have gone through all the brands recommended here and find all more or less the same. Given that my car is Silverstone, compared to my BMW and Bentley which are black, it is not a "rewarding" color to labor over. For some cleaning their cars is a labor of love, not for me.

Personally, whether I drive my Ferrari or Corvette, I bought the cars to enjoy, not to worship. Each has its own tradition and each is respected in its own right. Best

 

Me too, just wash it. None of the other nonsense.