cool! thanks brandon! i got another question for ya. what is a clay bar exactaly and how is the best way to use it? again, thanks!
From the second your car leaves the factory it is exposed to all types of contaminents such as fall out, rail dust, brake dust from the car hauler, sea salt if it comes in by ship. These contaminents get embeded in your clearcoat leaving your paint feeling gritty and rough. Place your hand in a thin sandwhich baggie and rub it across your paint after you wash. The baggie will enhance the feeling in your finger tips. If it feels like fine grit sand paper then you need to clay.
Clay bars can be purchased at any auto parts store and the most popular brand seems to be Clay Magic (but due to registration laws its all the same). Take the clay and cut off a small piece of it, about 1/4 of the bar. Fold the clay flat and apply lube to the area you are claying. The clay comes with a bottle of lube but I just use the car wash shampoo and a bucket of water as its much cheaper and goes alot further. Apply plenty of lube and beging working a small area with the clay by rubbing it lightly across the paint back and forth. You will actually feel the clay pulling out the contaminents as you glide along. When the clay stopps pulling and the paint becomes smooth you'll know that area is finished. Take your baggie again and test the area. This time it should be as smooth as glass. Repeat the process until the entire car is done including the glass and chrome.
Keep in mind that the clay will remove any waxes or sealants you have on the car so be prepared to re-wax afterwards. You will be surprised at just how much dirt the clay pulls out of even a new car, and it will really enhance the finished detail of an older car.
Clay about every 6 months or as you feel its needed. I do my own cars 2 times a year with a major detail of claying, polishing and sealants. Then I just re-apply the sealant every month for good protection. But I never do a detail for anyone without claying first. Its one of the most important steps and one of the easiest too. Depending on the condition of the vehicle it should take an average of about 30 minutes to clay an entire car.
Hope that helped.
