Well, sorta at least. I was kinda hesistant about using it, so I just clayed the front bumper and the tailgate. I used the Clay Magic kit.

Initial impressions - Wow. Now I see the big deal behind clay. Especially on the front bumper, all the little bits and stuff that showed up on the piece of clay afterwards. I didn't use the supplied spray that came with the bar, opting instead for another bucket worth of fresh wash solution. I'm not sure if I did it right or not, but it does look mighty good. I dried and went over it with a light coat of NXT afterwards. When I was rubbing the clay in, I felt like slight specs here and there in the paint and eventually the clay traveled across the paint like it was made of glass, I'm assuming because the clay picked up the little impurities and stuff I was rubbing it over. I stopped every now and then to throw some more wash water on it and rubbed it in very lightly until smooth. Another thing, I didn't notice any scratches afterwards; I've read that using the clay bar itself creates itty bitty scratches, but I didn't notice any that weren't already there. I've got a few hairline scratches on the tailgate, but I think I might let someone who's knows better than I will handle them. They aren't deep enough to feel with a fingernail, so I'm thinking some kinda polish can be used to take care of them? I only used a little bit of the clay too, a piece about the size of a small gumball maybe for the front bumper and tailgate.

If the weather keeps up like this, I'm planning a full assault next weekend, wash, polish, clay, wax, blah, blah, blah.

 

Quintin:

Glad to hear that the clay job was painless and that it went well. What you've experienced is exactly what many good detail jobs lack; a properly prepared surface. By effectively removing the stuck on contamination that was obviously present on your truck (and mine right now), you are getting the surface ready for a good polishing as well as a good waxing.

The key to a great looking detail job is surface preparation. There are oodles upon oodles of excellent products on the market out there but, if you don't do the proper surface prep including washing, claying, and polishing, odds are that your job will turn out to be another average wax job. Setting yourself apart from the rest requires some work and some know-how... you're well on your way to being set apart from the rest!

As for your question about the scractches on your tailgate, from what you've described, you should be able to deal with them on your own. Personally, I wouldn't hesitate to jump in there and give it a whirl because the majority of the consumer products that are on the market are very safe to use. Even if you do have a problem, you can always resort to plan 'B' and hire the person that you've mentioned (or bring it by my place and I'll teach you for a nominal beverage charge ).

Here's what you need:

Meguiar's Scratch-X
A cotton-terry applicator
Elbow grease
Microfiber towel or 100% cotton ultra-soft, high-pile terry towel

1. Take the scratch-X and cotton-terry applicator and apply to the affected areas. Be sure to follow the directions mentioned on the tube to the 't' and ensure that you properly work the product until it is almost dry. You see, this type of polish utilizes a diminishing microscopic abrasive device that will actually remove some of the clear coating so that the scratch will be either less noticiable or disappear. Don't worry, you're not removing clear to the point where you should have to be concerned.

2. Remove the product with the towel/mf and assess your work. If it is still there, work on it a bit more.

If the scratch is as nominal as you've described, it shouldn't be much of a problem.

Once you've removed it, reapply your NXT over the entire panel and grin.

I hope this helps! If you have a question pertaining to removing those stubborn scratches, be sure to let us know!

RP

 

Not the best picture, but...


RP, Kentucky's a pretty long haul for me. I just found out that I'll probably be headed back to Texas next weekend though, so the full assault will have to wait until the weekend after hopefully.

 

I understand... you just don't want to belly-up to the bar for free beverages! LOL!!

Seriously man, it looks like you've done an EXCELLENT job with that picture. I can even see the tread pattern in the dirt back there!

Nice job man! Let us know if you have any other questions!

RP

 

RP, after all the advice you've given and the miracles you've worked, if I'm ever in that area, you name it, I'm buying, lol

The rest of the truck still needs work; unfortunately, I don't have a lot of shade to work under, and even on a mild day like this, I had a lot of water spotting especially on the top I had to tend to. Oh well, there's always another day.

 

Water spotting is a bear for all of us man. I swear that the water here is FORTIFIED with Calcium! I have to work so incredibly hard after drying my truck to keep the white calcium dribbles from appearing on the side panels that it makes me sick.

Recently, I've been experimenting with utilizing cheap distilled water (by the gallon from Wally World) as a final rinse step in the areas where I typically experience my spotting and dribbling down the panels.

My results are varied thus far as it seems to take a large volume to keep the runs from occuring but, undoubtedly, I can tell a difference.

Maybe one of these weeks I'll get to wash my truck again and can further experiment... damn snow/rain.

RP

 

Is water spotting permanent? Like if you ignore it long enough, can it etch itself into the paint?

And what's this "snow" you speak of?

-Quintin (where it's 75 degrees and partly cloudy)

 

Seventy-Five degrees... geesh, you stink!

Water spotting can, in the right circumstances, etch paint. I've seen it more than once in pictures and also in person but, more often than not, it'll just leave a mineralized deposit behind that can be removed with a good clay application.

RP

 

I've noticed on the roof especially and on the outside C-pillars, there's like the outline impression of water spots. One more spot to clay, I guess.

 

RP,

Consider investing in a good "home" water filtering system. You'll be doing your vehicle, and more importantly, your family a big favor!

 

We were actually talking about it at dinner tonight. Any ball park clue what a system costs for a house?

What do they do when a house is built on a slab?

RP

 

RP,

You should be able to pick up a decent system for anywhere between $300 - $600. Of course, there are more expensive systems......... so shop around. You'll want to find out how much the replacement filters are, and how often you will need to replace them. Also, make sure the filter will "retain" your current water pressure.

I'm not sure on the slab thing........... as long as there is room on the main input line to install the filter, you should be ok.

Here's a good link with info/comparisons to get you started:

http://www.purityplanet.com/water-fi...=Water+Filters