Help needed...Virgin Weekend - 1st Detail

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Actually, I am pretty excited having spent a bunch of money getting ready for this but I have some general questions.

The car - 98 Honda Acord - Dark Green/Black (I am color blind but I do know it is dark). Swirls and minor scratches.

Procedures:

Exterior:

1. Wash
2. Clay
3. Re-wash
3. XMT #2 with Orange Edge pad on my new PC HD
4. XMT #1 with Blue Edge pad
5. Soveran paste wax

Questions: I am going to assume that after I apply #2, let the machine do its magic, that I wipe the area with the MF towel. Do I need to anything between XMT #2 and XMT#1 and Wax steps??? What speed should the PC be set at for the polishes? I believe I saw a post about 3-4 initial and then 5.5 to finish it up.

How long does it take to clay a vehicle???

I am looking forward to tomorrow and thanks for the help.

Mike
 
process looks just fine.

-yes, remove the products with a microfiber.
-if you really want, you can use a 1:1 dilution of isopropyl alcohol on the paint after you finish polishing to get off any leftover polishing oils that may be left behind.
-start off on speed 3, spread teh polishes around, bump it up to speed 6
-it takes me about 1/2 hour to clay an entire car
 
Thanks for the help... 1:1 is that like 50/50? Alcohol/Water??
 
HTML: 
-it takes me about 1/2 hour to clay an entire car

On average it takes me about 1 1/2hrs to do my car:(
 
You could clay as you wash and save a little time. Also you dont have to wash after you clay.
 
getting your times down just takes experience. In the average week (including my own personal detailing on my own car) I do about 10 car washes, 2-3 coats of wax, lots of QDing, 2-3 clayings, etc etc etc. everything has just become second nature to me. detail enough and your times to do each step will come down.
 
Claying should really take no longer than washing IMO. You should/can start it after the car is washed and prior to drying. Rewashing afterwards is personal preference.

Remember to glide the clay over the surface, dont grind it into the surface. When it hits a contaminent is will stop of studder, thats an area to move back and forth over for a couple passes until smooth. Hardest part of clay is keeping it in your hands while doing the sides ... the clay lube is mighty slippery.

I have dropped the clay on many a detail, and thus why I like the smaller sealed poly clays from Pinnacle. Toss the old and use a new one. I dropped one in the gill of my past Vette once ... had to fish it out with an antenna from a neighbors car. Talk about a long clay experience !!
 
We have discussions over here about claying time, but in the uk guys have alot of the smaller hatchbacks so claying only takes about 30mins the bit they have to remember is my car is 16ft long and 5ft wide so there's alot of metalwork to clay.
 
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