nukecat

Is it necessary to wait a specific amount of time before claying/waxing/detailing a new vehicle?
I've heard that in transit the car picks up a lot of rail dust and contaminants that should be removed as soon as possible. Yet I remember hearing that you should wait before waxing a new finish

Any ideas???

CanadianMoFo

My understanding is that a new vehicle finish is baked on quite well during the process. Therefore it doesn't require the waiting period that would be warranted if you had just got the car back from being painted at a body shop.

CM.

tonywinsc

I bought my SE in August and waxed it in September but the paint still wasn't that smooth. So yesterday I used the clay brick and waxed my SE again. The paint is like glass now. Looks perfect in the sunlight.

Burny

What is a clay brick?

tonywinsc

The clay brick is one of the most amazing car care products that I have found. I bought Mothers clay brick at an auto parts store. Just knead the clay until it is soft, spray some lubricant on the paint and rub the brick back and forth on the paint. You can hear the clay pulling contaminants out of the paint. When that section is smooth, move on to the next area. Once you are done, just wax the car. The finish will look fantastic and feel as smooth as glass.

Burny

I will try iy. How long does an application last? Does the water bead up nicely after applying the brick?

DanNY

iTrader: (14)

clay is like a fine fine paint scraper. it scraps the tar nicks and the crap that hits your paint and stays there..even with washing.

once you scrap all the junk off the paint is smooth but it's not shiney since it's just been scraped. now what you need to do is following up with some good glaze/wax and you'll see and feel the shine.

this is going to the detailing forum..the guys/gals there can give u more info on clay use. also HIGHLY recommend using the search function on clay bar cleaning.

tonywinsc

Once you use the brick, you must wax the car using a standard wax- I prefer carnuba based wax myself. Then the car will shine and water will bead until the wax wears off. I normally wax my cars each season. If you would like to read about some more of my personal car care tips- well here they are.

1. Never, ever go through an automatic car wash.
2. Use only cool, low pressure water for wetting and rinsing. When I lived in hard water parts of the country, I plumbed a soft water line in my garage for washing the car. That really helps avoid water spots.
3. Use clean terry cloths for washing and polishing and a clean chasmois (spelling check) for drying. Never leave the car wet- especially in the sun. That is like putting you car's finish under a million little magnifying glasses. Remember what a magnifying glass can do to a bug?
4. I use car wash soap which is good stuff and minimizes spotting and streaking. Maybe it helps the wax last longer too, but I do not know that for sure.
5. Be sure to wipe clean all doors, door openings, undersides of trunk lid and hood.
6. Keep bugs cleaned off the front of the car. The sooner they are cleaned off, the easier they come off. I try to wash my car immediately after a long trip- just like taking good care of a horse.
7. Always clean the wheels- I use a brush to get in between the spokes. Brake dust left unchecked can harm the wheel finish. Seriously dirty wheels can even cause an imbalance.
8. I wipe down the engine with a damp cloth every time I wash the car. A little effort often- saves time over the long run.
9. Clean the windows and wipe them dry with a newspaper. The ink in the paper polishes the glass. But don't do this to the rearview mirrors. The mirror glass is too soft. Treat the mirrors like prescription glasses. I use RainX or wax on the mirrors, side glass and rear glass. Then the water rolls off the glass in the rain and improves visibility. I hate driving a rental car in the rain. The water sheets on the mirrors and side glass and makes it hard to see.
10. A tip that I have not yet tried so I cannot say if it is good or bad: You know how after a your car is a few years old- the wipers leave a shiny zone on the windshield? Well, according to collegue who used to work in Wiper development, he says that cleaning your windshield with Brasso will eliminate this shiny zone and wiper chatter. I have yet to try this- I don't think it can hurt. If someone does try it, let us know how it works out.

pruizgarcia

iTrader: (1)

I just clayed and waxed my Max this weekend. The clay does make a difference, a big difference.

Pedro

PrinzII

iTrader: (2)

a) It is not necessary to wait a specific amount of time to clay/wax/detail a new vehicle. The reason for that is the paint is already hardened/cured at the assembly plant. The main reason for the accelerated cure times for the paint is that the ovens used to bake the paint are at a high temperature (In fact, that is why you will notice that only the body shell goes through the paint area in assembly). The only time you wait to wax is if you are just getting the car out of the body shop. That's when you wait 30-60 days.

b) You are correct that vehicles pick up a lot of contaminants in storage and transit. I recall an issue with folks that had Icelandic Pearl Maxes were complaining about seeing specks of rust on them. Those specks were from rail dust.