Clayed my car and scratched the hell out of it

[sportscarhiatus]

I guess I'm one of the lucky ones, I've never seen any marring from claying

I would agree with this statement, provided the vehicle that is being clayed is never driven in snow/rain/dirt, etc...

In other words, what I'm saying is, in my toy cars, that only see sunshine and probably 5k miles a year, when I clay it, it's very easy, and I can get it done in under an hour. No marring whatsoever.

But on my minivan for example? or my civic? That sees the harshness of salt and sand along with the brake dust for 4 months out of the year? That crap is EMBEDDED in my paint. So when I clay, I have to go over the same spot, over and over and over and over, till everything comes off. So what happens from repeated rubbing? You guessed it, marring. That's even if the temps are warm and repeated kneading of the clay bar.

 

[embolism]

have you tried Iron X before claying?

Might make things a bit easier, and save your clay to boot...

 

[Pagani Zonda R]

It would make some sense that if someone tried to clay his or her car, that some issues would happen if the paint is really dirty (snow, salt, combination of the two).

I live North of Maine and we have winter conditions from December to March. My car is a daily driver (no exception) and it sees a lot of crap of the roads. Today, my charcoal car is brown and white (a crust), I only see charcoal on the roof and the top of the trunk... :awman:

I wash my car every 2 weeks and I must use 3 Cobras washing mits to not "destroy" my paint. The 2 buckets system is really helpful (I change the water and soap 2 times at least). Pre-rinse, wash with care, rewash and dry really gently. I have a heated underground parking at my in-laws. :xyxthumbs:

I have not clayed my car since November but it is still pretty good. I had a good coat of wax from November but it goes pretty thin right now. (I always end my washing with Meguiars Ultimate Quick Detailer, it helps a lot).

I would never clay a car if the paint was really dirty... If you can't wash a car for 4 months in the winter, I'm really sorry for you... I almost cry at the end of my 2 weeks...

Now, it is time to update my inventory for Spring! Bring the Menzerna paint scelant! rops:

 

[SkateForGirl]

I did this with Wolfgang clay on a little bit of a panel. I threw that crap in the garbage after.
I'll stick with Zaino and some no name brands.

 

[Laura]

Their's a huge variable that is a HUGE factor in the kind of results you get no matter what product you're using on a car and that is the PAINT SYSTEM on the car. Cars painted on the assembly line use different paint systems between manufactures, models and even the same model can have a different paint system used today than was used last year.

Body shops spray "paint systems", that is a brand and type of paint and paint companies, just like computer companies, are continually improving and changing their formulas, so the PPG "paint system" sprayed today can be different than the same PPG product code/paint system sprayed 2 years ago.

Some paints can be marred or scratched, called clay haze by claying while others are not affected. It all has to do with the characteristics of the paint and paint systems are huge variables when it comes to working and detailing your car.

One thing a person can do before claying an entire car, especially if it's the first time they've worked on this particular car, which is a another way of saying, worked on this particular paint system is to do what I call a Test Spot.

Test the clay and clay lube you're using to one small area and then inspect the results in good lighting and even two different kinds of light. If the results look good then keep claying the car. If you see any kind of problem then stop and evaluate the situation, even come to this forum and describe what you're seeing.

And I agree with Chad that a safe practice is to only clay if and when you were already planning on polishing the paint. That's a safe practice but it's not necessary for everyone and for every paint system.

Here's an article I wrote recently that talks about different paint systems...

Hologram Free with a Rotary Buffer



:xyxthumbs:

I experienced this last weekend with my car. I finally got around to buffing out all the body shop damage. I hadn't clayed it in a while and it really needed it. The hood and fender that the body shop painted marred something terrible, but the rest of the car was ok. A few places had some haze, but nothing at all like the hood. I was using the Megs clay.

 

[kimchiboi777]

I was going to clay my car, but now this thread scared me since I know nothing about polishing...

 

[WRAPT C5Z06]

Speaking of clay, I'm going to order the medium nanoskin clay wash mitt. I'll still wash and rinse the car before claying, I don't like the idea of claying just by rinsing off the loose dirt. There will still be some residual dirt left on the car.

 

[glen e]

The griots clay is also very mild - always works and never mars..

 

[sportscarhiatus]

Speaking of clay, I'm going to order the medium nanoskin clay wash mitt. I'll still wash and rinse the car before claying, I don't like the idea of claying just by rinsing off the loose dirt. There will still be some residual dirt left on the car.

You need to change your name to GTizzlin'. :hungry:

 

[freddie46]

Sorry that happened to you. I use Griot's produsts, Paint Clay and Speed Shine as a lubricant, plus I follow the directions that come with it. It works great and have never had a problem. Glad you were able to get your paint back in good condition.

 

[Crazy Diamond]

Use pinnacle ultra fine clay with pinnacle clay lube,I clay my black Audi a4 and my corolla s once a month and it looks like class. Don't press to hard and keep it well lubicated, I would only use medium clay to remove things like paint over spray. Best of luck to you my friend and shine on

 

[Eddie 70]

I did this with Wolfgang clay on a little bit of a panel. I threw that crap in the garbage after.
I'll stick with Zaino and some no name brands.

Just bought some over the Black Friday weekend sales for a new black car. Now I find your shining recommendation. I will be hesitant at best now to use it. :doh: I do however have polish, pads and a PC and should be able to correct anything that may happen.

 

[stevenKidman]

• • 1
    Purchase a detailing clay kit. Detailing clay kits that can be purchased for a nominal price at any parts store can be a great tool for improving the look of paint jobs. Be sure to follow the directions on the package very carefully as improper use can do more damage than good to the paint. Clay is usually marketed as a tool for cleaning paint but is a good item to use for smoothing out the scratched area. Clay often will not eliminate the scratch completely, but will minimize its appearance. Use clay sparingly as it is an abrasive and will eventually do permanent damage to your paint job. Clay is a good choice for larger or more textured scratches. Follow up with a good wax job.
    
    
  • 2Rubbing compounds, also available at any parts store, are safe, cheap and easy to use. The liquid is simply rubbed onto the scratch using a cloth or waxing machine. As with clay, rubbing compound will not completely remove the scratch, but can significantly reduce its appearance. Rubbing compound is less abrasive than clay so it is best used on smaller scratches and dings that need less attention. Follow this procedure with a coat of wax.
    
    
  • 3If after trying clay or rubbing compound, you are still not satisfied with your car's appearance, go get some touch up paint. Write down the VIN number of your vehicle (usually located on the dashboard or on the inside of your door) to give to the auto parts store. The store can use the VIN number to look up the exact factory match for your paint. If they don't have it in stock, they can usually order it for you. Touch up paint is pretty inexpensive at around ten dollars a bottle.
    
    

 

[Blackthorn One]

The griots clay is also very mild - always works and never mars..

Sorry that happened to you. I use Griot's produsts, Paint Clay and Speed Shine as a lubricant, plus I follow the directions that come with it. It works great and have never had a problem. Glad you were able to get your paint back in good condition.

Amen. I use Griot's clay and have never had any issues with significant marring. Griot's is a med grade but is pretty soft compared to others, so that it pulls contaminants into the clay and away from the paint very well. It does get really gooey and stick to your fingers on a hot day, though. Your fingers will go through it in a couple minutes if it's hot enough. I used to see that as an annoyance, but I realize that it makes their clay safer than others.
I'm totally sold on Griot's clay.
It leaves behind very very slight marring, so if you must have it Concours quality, you do need a very light polish after. It is a very slight reduction in shine, so I can still go right to wax iof I like, but I often use Griots one step sealant, which contains a fine hand polish, so it's all takwen care of then.


The first time I used clay it was Mothers, over 15 years ago on a 50 degree night, and I was removing house paint overspray that had been on there for months, that had gone through the fabric car cover. It scratched the hell out of the black single stage lacquer paint . I used their clay lube that came with the kit. I had to polish a lot after that. I was too scared to clay for years after. Griot's claimed his clay was safer than others, and so I tried it. He was right.

 

[AutowerxDetailing]

have you tried Iron X before claying? Might make things a bit easier, and save your clay to boot...

This is very true. On heavily contaminated cars I have seen Iron-X turn the entire car purple and after a second wash it seems like it barely needs to be clayed. It's still going to take longer than 10 mins though to do a thorough job to remove any remaining embedded particulates.

I was going to clay my car, but now this thread scared me since I know nothing about polishing...

Don't be afraid. If your car has never been clayed before it needs it badly. Go with a mild OTC option like the Meg's or Mother's clay kit and do a test spot and check for marring. If you see no marring and use good technique over the rest of the car you should be fine. If marring does occur it would (typically) be on the degree of something that can be rubbed out with a good polish or cleaner wax.

If that still doesn't sound like something you're up for, a purely chemical decon using Iron-X or Trix will still eliminate much of the airborne contaminates and brake dust that become embedded into the paint.

 

[KS_Detailing]

If that still doesn't sound like something you're up for, a purely chemical decon using Iron-X or Trix will still eliminate much of the airborne contaminates and brake dust that become embedded into the paint.

Trix is a tar and iron remover where as Iron-x is just an iron remover?

 

[Rick72]

CG light duty clay bar and Luber. I used this combo today and it went very very well. Picked up a lot of noseeums - I could feel the difference but couldn't see what it was getting. Possibly sap ?
Paint was very clean to start with I used a stripping solution of CG wash and clear. I just wanted to make sure it was tight before sealing.

 

[swanicyouth]

CG light duty clay bar and Luber. I used this combo today and it went very very well. Picked up a lot of noseeums - I could feel the difference but couldn't see what it was getting. Possibly sap ?
Paint was very clean to start with I used a stripping solution of CG wash and clear. I just wanted to make sure it was tight before sealing.

Where did you read Citrus Wash Clear was a stripping shampoo? CG says many times in the add its "wax safe" and pH neutral. Are you confusing it with Citrus Wash Red?

 

[conthedon]

I have soft paint and cant go wrong with mothers clay kit used it for several years with ONR lube dilution and then I tried optimum opti eraser fine grade on a test spot and that was a no go and marred it badly, so stuck with mothers. On my paint mothers leaves very minor marring which can be cleared up with a polish which I do anyway after claying, but the clay is still strong enough to remove contaminants. I would just avoid $25 for it, I've purchased it anywhere from $13-18.

 

[theparmachine]

I have since switched to the Nano Skin wash mitts and I must say that these things are great.

I first found out about them at the Mike Phillips detailing bootcamp and they have never let me down. They get the job done quickly and I have not noticed marring with the fine grade mitt, the medium grade mitt will mar.