Happy valentines day everyone!
02-14-2011, 11:38 AM
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'14 911S (garage queen) '13 X3 (family hauler)
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02-15-2011, 02:12 PM
#16
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C63 AMG
02-15-2011, 02:35 PM
#17
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2011 P31 C63 2015 CLA45
Always recommended to clay before waxing so that it doesn't swirl, and I'm anul about cleaning stuff. Dealership didn't do a good detail job. My first time detailing, and I've watched a ton of vids from autogeek.net lol. bought a buttload of Pinnacle cleaning products. Wish me luck guys.
I want to turn this color
Into this
I want to turn this color
Into this
Last edited by khmergod; 02-15-2011 at 02:38 PM.
02-15-2011, 02:45 PM
#18
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C63 AMG
You do realize that clay is used only to remove imperfections left behind by road grime, dirt, etc that can't be removed by washing/polishing, right? A fresh coat of paint on a new car is not something I would use a clay bar on. Each time you clay, it removes a tiny bit of the clear coat. Also, colors in pictures are often times manipulated/enhanced by photoshop or other editing software. 
If this is your first time detailing, good luck, and have fun. You'll feel it the next day.
If this is your first time detailing, good luck, and have fun. You'll feel it the next day.
02-15-2011, 02:51 PM
#20
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2011 P31 C63 2015 CLA45
You do realize that clay is used only to remove imperfections left behind by road grime, dirt, etc that can't be removed by washing/polishing, right? A fresh coat of paint on a new car is not something I would use a clay bar on. Each time you clay, it removes a tiny bit of the clear coat. Also, colors in pictures are often times manipulated/enhanced by photoshop or other editing software.
If this is your first time detailing, good luck, and have fun. You'll feel it the next day.
If this is your first time detailing, good luck, and have fun. You'll feel it the next day.
Oh and yeah, I know they always photoshop, but for some reason my mars red w203 looked brighter than the current color.
Last edited by khmergod; 02-15-2011 at 02:55 PM.
02-15-2011, 02:55 PM
#21
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Run your bare hands across the paint. If it feels smooth and clean after your wash, then you definitely don't need to clay it. I highly doubt you would have to clay your car after a few months of ownership.
02-15-2011, 03:37 PM
#23
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'14 911S (garage queen) '13 X3 (family hauler)
Absolutely a new car needs to be clayed.
The biggest contaminate on our cars from new is the metal deposits that land on the paint while on the train from the factory to the boat.
The train's brakes and friction from the wheels touching the tracks causes millions of tiny metal shavings into the air and they land on everything along the way, including our new cars. Unfortuantely, MB does very little wrapping from the factories and much of the body is exposed to the elements along the journey.
I've witnessed these little buggers on every car I've owned from new, even domestics that are transported by train (and open trucks on the highway also pick up brake deposits from cars and trucks along the way).
Especially visible on light colored cars, AW, IS, etc.
They actually will appear rusty up close and/or under magnification.
A heavy polish will remove them without claying first, but a heavy polish will also remove some clear coat (very minor and exageratted unless you're going crazy).
I do not use heavy polishes (unless I'm trying to remove a scuff) and agree that claying first is best, followed up by multiple light polishes.
Nothing good comes easy and a properly detailed car WILL look much better than your run of the mill jobber--you get what you put into anything and detailing is no different!
One great trick when claying is putting your hand in a sandwich bag and running along the body work (spray the body panel with a soapy water/detailing spray first)
For some reason the baggie helps magnify the texture of the debris and can be felt easier than a bare hand
Just thought I'd share--yes I am mildly obsessed with detailing, but it's not a chore for me, I quite enjoy it, only on my own car though, so don't ask
The biggest contaminate on our cars from new is the metal deposits that land on the paint while on the train from the factory to the boat.
The train's brakes and friction from the wheels touching the tracks causes millions of tiny metal shavings into the air and they land on everything along the way, including our new cars. Unfortuantely, MB does very little wrapping from the factories and much of the body is exposed to the elements along the journey.
I've witnessed these little buggers on every car I've owned from new, even domestics that are transported by train (and open trucks on the highway also pick up brake deposits from cars and trucks along the way).
Especially visible on light colored cars, AW, IS, etc.
They actually will appear rusty up close and/or under magnification.
A heavy polish will remove them without claying first, but a heavy polish will also remove some clear coat (very minor and exageratted unless you're going crazy).
I do not use heavy polishes (unless I'm trying to remove a scuff) and agree that claying first is best, followed up by multiple light polishes.
Nothing good comes easy and a properly detailed car WILL look much better than your run of the mill jobber--you get what you put into anything and detailing is no different!
One great trick when claying is putting your hand in a sandwich bag and running along the body work (spray the body panel with a soapy water/detailing spray first)
For some reason the baggie helps magnify the texture of the debris and can be felt easier than a bare hand
Just thought I'd share--yes I am mildly obsessed with detailing, but it's not a chore for me, I quite enjoy it, only on my own car though, so don't ask
Last edited by black-clk500; 02-15-2011 at 03:40 PM.
02-15-2011, 03:43 PM
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'14 911S (garage queen) '13 X3 (family hauler)
I love the red C63s, but I think the cops just wouldn't leave me alone the way I like to drive
and I'm not even Black, go figure (just a little racial joke and sadly true around here)
