I just bought a clay bar kit... we'll see how this goes this weekend.

 

Update on my last post... it's unbelievable how big of a difference the clay bar made. Like a previous post of mine said, I have an Evo IX that I bought brand new in 2006. Since I've had it for 6-7 years, I knew that the paint probably would've improved but still have sustained some level of damage (plus I lived at the beach for four years), but after using the clay bar, it seriously feels like a brand new car and is incredibly smooth. I recommend that everyone do this, if you haven't already. I was tempted to clay bar all of the other cars in my family's household (since I did it at my parents' place since my house doesn't have a garage).

 

Replaced the front stairs at my house several weeks ago and reattached the rails (metal). My wife spray painted them white needless to say it was windy and a dusting cover her black Camry. Tried washing waxing it did not remove it even on the windshield. So last weekend I figure I would try claying it based on this thread. Took awhile but after doing this the car looks great remove almost all the particulars. Will do this again to remove the rest. Surface feels smooth agin almost new like, maybe I will do my Fit next time.

 

An excellent companion product to claying is the use of product like Iron-X or Iron-Cut. They remove the ferrous metal particles that claying leaves behind and leaves your paint extremely clean/prepped for polish or waxing. These even work well on wheels as well.

Iron X Iron Remover, CQuartz IronX, Paint Cleaner, paint decontamination

 

Damn it! What turned into a normal wash freakin took me 6 hours!!! Grabbed the clay bar to go over my hood real quick and it literally peeled away layers of dirt that I never noticed and unearthed a beautiful taffeta white color underneath. Did another panel and the same result.

Couldn't stop there so I hit every panel and then went and jacked some heavy duty wax From my friend that has a detail shop and went to work. Polished up that sumbitch like a diamond on a rich white lady's ring finger. Paint is smoother then a new born baby's bottom. To test it I busted a Dukes of Hazard and slid right off the damn hood, didn't even make it to the other side.

Might add another coat in the morning for good measure. Can't wait to see it in the sun. I would suggest for anyone planning to do this to actually plan it and make a day of it to do it right. Results are worth it

 

Yeah, you'd be surprised at what it pulls out, especially when you look at the clay bar itself. I expected it to just have black or dark gray crud like I usually see in people's pictures of their how-to threads, but mine had a lot of brown... which may have been sand or something, since I did live on the beach for a number of years. The color of my car (graphite grey) actually looked a little bit darker too than before. Not sure if it was just the placebo effect, but my dad thought the same thing without me asking him.

 

Make sure you don't buy an orbital buffer, this will happen again as soon as you do!

 

Iron remover?!? UGH... I feel like I'm pushing insanity just by claying, and I joked with a friend that I'm cutting myself off at claying, just in case there is more i can do than clay.

Now I have to look into this iron remover, LOL

 

if you get the coarse clay it is abrasive. most off-the-shelf ones are non-abrasive.

your paint should feel like glass if maintained. im not that picky on my dd's so i only use the one-step polish and remove as much contaminants as i remove swirls, as i seal it. yes, lazy.

 

We bought my daughter a 97 accord (high school car) Brought it home spent a few hours clay barring it change the paints look and feel. Tedious? yes worth it? absolutely.