Clay Question
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Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 491
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From: Hotlanta
'00 CLK430 & '08 Lexus RX 350
Clay Question
So I finally clayed the 430 this morning. Only got as far as the front of the car before I had to get ready for work. I could see the brown tint as I went back and forth removing contaminants. I was pleased. Also felt so much smoother than it had previously.
My question is this.....Following my clay treatment The finish was feeling very smooth but was very dull and had little to no lustre. Is this normal?
I was in a rush but was slightly paranoid so I did a quick wax job over the area I clayed. It improved slightly.....hoping it will shine bright and glossy after a good wax and buff?
My question is this.....Following my clay treatment The finish was feeling very smooth but was very dull and had little to no lustre. Is this normal?
I was in a rush but was slightly paranoid so I did a quick wax job over the area I clayed. It improved slightly.....hoping it will shine bright and glossy after a good wax and buff?
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 378
Likes: 15
From: Boston and SWFlorida
2025 GLC300 white, 2023 Taycan RWD black
It was a good idea to put something over the paint, otherwise it is not protected from the elements. I always use Zaino, though, and in order to get that to work, it would be necessay to remove the wax (with Dawn) first.
After all the work claying, you should use a good product, not a regular wax. The Zaino (Zainostore.com) makes my finish feel like glass. There is also an enhancer spray which they sell which brings all out the color depth.
Allow a full day to go through the process, but it will look like a showcar when you're finished. Good luck!
After all the work claying, you should use a good product, not a regular wax. The Zaino (Zainostore.com) makes my finish feel like glass. There is also an enhancer spray which they sell which brings all out the color depth.
Allow a full day to go through the process, but it will look like a showcar when you're finished. Good luck!
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 292
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From: Canton (North Metro Atlanta), Georgia
2003 E500
Isn't it cool to see the results of clay the first time? BTW, I'm from Atlanta too.
Zaino or not, what you need to do after claying is to use a good paint cleanser or polish. A wax or a spray will not improve your lustre finish much at all. Those are LSP (last step products).
A good resource to see what these are is our Forum Sponsor, Detailed Image (www.detailedimage.com). His shop can show you various tools many of us use here on the forum to achieve great results. Most of these can be used with great success by hand, or you can invest in a Porter-Cable polisher (a whole other discussion).
Best of luck to you, and it's the sponsors that help keep this forum free!
Zaino or not, what you need to do after claying is to use a good paint cleanser or polish. A wax or a spray will not improve your lustre finish much at all. Those are LSP (last step products).
A good resource to see what these are is our Forum Sponsor, Detailed Image (www.detailedimage.com). His shop can show you various tools many of us use here on the forum to achieve great results. Most of these can be used with great success by hand, or you can invest in a Porter-Cable polisher (a whole other discussion).
Best of luck to you, and it's the sponsors that help keep this forum free!
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,164
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From: NY
I think you will gain a lot of detailing knowledge if you read some of the How To's we have on our website that explain each step in the detailing process.
What clay bar essentially does is remove contamination from the surface. By removing contamination the surface will be smoother and the clear coat should be a little more clear. The top layer of your clear coat is probably slightly oxidized and has minor imperfections. This causes the light to be fragmented instead of passing directly through the clear coat. For a much deeper gloss your best bet is to use a two step polish using a nice medium cutting polish followed by a finishing polish and the Porter Cable 7424 buffer. I recommend using the Menzerna Intensive Polish and Final Polish II with the buffer and then protecting the paint with a nice sealant and/or wax. The buffer is super easy to use and will give you great results with the polishes I listed. To read more about how to best use the buffer with these polishes and why they give you such great results read about the polishes here. You can just get a different wax but they only enhance the gloss your clear coat already has, so if its currently dull it can't give you that deep gloss.
In summary here is what I recommend
Wash/Dry - Clay Bar (if needed since you just did it) - Menzerna Intensive Polish w/PC 7424 - Menzerna Final Polish II w/PC 7424 - Menzerna Full Molecular Jacket w/PC 7424 - P21S Carnauba Wax must be applied by hand (probably the best wax for silver IMO)
This process will leave your silver paint looking deep and glossy. If you need help learning how to use the PC the how to links will help or you can contact me. Let me know if you have other questions I can help you with. Thanks for posting!
Greg @ Detailed Image
What clay bar essentially does is remove contamination from the surface. By removing contamination the surface will be smoother and the clear coat should be a little more clear. The top layer of your clear coat is probably slightly oxidized and has minor imperfections. This causes the light to be fragmented instead of passing directly through the clear coat. For a much deeper gloss your best bet is to use a two step polish using a nice medium cutting polish followed by a finishing polish and the Porter Cable 7424 buffer. I recommend using the Menzerna Intensive Polish and Final Polish II with the buffer and then protecting the paint with a nice sealant and/or wax. The buffer is super easy to use and will give you great results with the polishes I listed. To read more about how to best use the buffer with these polishes and why they give you such great results read about the polishes here. You can just get a different wax but they only enhance the gloss your clear coat already has, so if its currently dull it can't give you that deep gloss.
In summary here is what I recommend
Wash/Dry - Clay Bar (if needed since you just did it) - Menzerna Intensive Polish w/PC 7424 - Menzerna Final Polish II w/PC 7424 - Menzerna Full Molecular Jacket w/PC 7424 - P21S Carnauba Wax must be applied by hand (probably the best wax for silver IMO)
This process will leave your silver paint looking deep and glossy. If you need help learning how to use the PC the how to links will help or you can contact me. Let me know if you have other questions I can help you with. Thanks for posting!
Greg @ Detailed Image
