With reading the detailing section of our forum here, I now understand (some) about paint correction, as I am seeing what y'all describe. I can see it int the sun and I definately need it, but not right now.

Anywho... after reading sooo much about the clay bar thing, this morning I went out and got: ( I wanted Meguiar's)

Mothers California Gold Car Wash
Mothers California Clay Bar Kit ( w/2 80gram bars,QD and a decent MF towel)
A 3-pack of (basic) MF towels... Clean,Dry and Polish
A second 5-gal bucket

Now, My Issue. I am using one half of an 80gram clay bar with the QD included in the kit. I am keeping the areas wet with the clay bar kit while I do the up/down,side/side deal. However..... being wet with the QD, I am not feeling any 'drag' on the clay as I had expected. Is it because I used the NXT 2.0 about 3 weeks ago? Should I have compound polished first??

Here is my routine as of right now:
Washed truck w/said car wash
dried off with the (cheap) 3pack 'dry' MF towel
Then:
1) Clayed entire hood, a section at a time.. wiped off residue.... applied thin coat of NXT 2.0 ( no removal yet)

2) Moved on to D/S fender with same deal

3) Moved on to front part of D/S door ( NXT still on hood n fender)

Left clay residue on door... removed NXT from hood and fender. See where I am going?

Any suggestions as to why I don't feel a 'drag' with the clay bar.... and do you (that know) think I am on the right path??
I am doing my truck first... 'cause I KNOW my wife's Chrysler 300 will need the clay bar.

Any suggestion appreciated. Just for the record... YES, I did read the sticky and many post here.... hence my concerns

 

No idea sorry. I know when I first did my 06 about a year ago it had some drag at first then smoothed out. When I did it again it was smooth as silk all over.

So Far i have clayed the truck twice, once shortly after I got it (09), and again this year.

Only thing I ever done was wash-clay-wax then clean on the inside, and its just now starting to show very,very light swirl marks at night under lights on some spots of the truck, namely the roof/bonnet bumper, where most of the abuse is had.

 

Thanks. I have had the truck for just over a year now and have done everything by hand ( old school )... basically a back yard wash followed by the NXT... Rain-X the windows outside and Invisible Glass inside..... vacuum and Armor-All the dash n trim.

That was my detailing. and was proud of it. but I seek a higher power (shine. look, what'eva ) not show worthy, but better that average Joe.

I am a VIRGO..... If I see a flaw, I want to fix it (within reason ) not to the OCD point.
I see where I can improve................But am I doing it right?. with the right plan (to get better of course as cash permits)

 

You are doing it right, and with plenty of lube you may not feel any drag. To see if it did the job, dry it off and put your fingers in a sandwich bag and brush lightly against the paint - THERE is where you don't want to feel any drag. The clay WILL remove the wax.

 

glc... I was hoping you would chime in...TY... I have read maaaaaany posts to which you were there. So.. I should keep it lubed VERY WELL while claying with a 40gram half stick and keep to my routine? If I here you correctly.

I CAN see a difference. Mettallic on already done areas are ..... shall we say... MUCH better. I have a small ( 1 foot long. 4" wide area on the left fender that has clearcoat peeled away. The RED gleams more)

I am going back out. nearly done D/S and want to finish entire cab today. The bed .... another time. Thanks GLC... I can move on with a little more confidence .

 

Oh, btw first time I done mine I had a lot of brown/black stuff come off the truck on to the clay.

The hood had a lot of brown/black "stuff" and the fenders and lower body had a lot of black, my first 1/4 of a bar was used up before I was half way done with the truck.

The tail gate was (not surprising) the only part of the truck that the clay didn't pull that off.

Try turtle wax ICE wax, I really liked it, its syn wax and you don't have to worry about getting it on the plastic. I think it did better than the nxt 2.0 from megs.
Personal opinion.

 

More personal opinions: https://www.f150online.com/forums/ca...t-use-ice.html




MGD

 

Thanks for your words of OPINION Titan, but I have used the ICE. Matter of fact, As I was searching for some Carnuba wax I thought I had ... I seen the near empty bottle of ICE. I used it on an '04 Caravan we had gotten. Made the trim look sweeeet....... for 2 weeks. Then fade to H**L. Never again... but thanks

As for your brown/black stuff in the clay.. I have had NOTTA until I hit a piece of window rubber.

My first 40(ish) gram half bar just went to hell. And because of the forums....... If It Falls Apart... It's done.. So on to the next 40(ish) half bar . . But it ain't gonna be a .. done in ONE DAY job!! I started @ 9am... with a few interruptions, breaks from the heat........... then the beer can was empty .

That Said....... I like the results so far!! Just wondering.. (and I have read to buy BULK clay bars) ...if my half bar (40ish gram) is enough for this.............. or should I use the whole 80, since I have 2??

No Matter... when I am FINALLY done all I can.......... I am sure I will be able to point out the differences to my wife to justify the (least amount for basics) money for this ..... and hers NEXT.... project!!

 

So far (twice) once a year I spend 6-8 hours in one day on my truck, last time I got up at 4Am and got ready, and was working on my truck at first light about 5:50 and stopped at 12:30.

Idk about the color, like I said my I got some brown/black junk on my bar. YMMV.

the megs smooth surface kit lasted me two clays, but I did buy a aextra bottle of QD.

I like the ICE syn paste, I though it did a great job, but i also used it along side the megs QD like the directions said I could.

Something like apply paste let set and spray with QD and wipe off? i don't recall exactly.

I bought it blind at advance when I got purple power and simple green. P.P is great but smells harsh, S.G does the same job AFAIK and smells better and less harsh to breath.

I do like megs car wash, it smells good and suds up really good. I should have dried my truck last time I washed it, but i didn't and now its water spotted. lazy me didn't even clean the glass this time, but i did scrub the wheel wells and tires real good.

But everyone like their own brand i guess. I love it and will keep using it till its gone like i did with my megs 2.0, i got about 5-6 waxes out of it before i ran out.

 

Titan357.................. never used ICE Paste.... mine was liquid.And from MY experience on the vehicle (04 Caravan)... it didn't last. Not to diss you . As far as anything else.......... I could care less what it smells like, as long as it does what I paid the $$$ for!.

A new leather smelling shampoo may "smell' nice...... but a true 'arm pit' detailer that works 3 times better...

What would I work up to??? ............ the best of the best . .....
Again....... not an OCD'r......... but a Virgo Perfectionist.

 

Update... only got my cab/forward done before I ran out of QD. With only that much finished, I have already been asked at work if I had it painted. My wife's 300 has had black spots in the cream colored paint ever since we bought it last year. Tried everything I could think of to get the spots out with no luck. Early Thursday morning I set out to get more material and started on her car.

I washed and dried... then began the clay work on the hood. Wouldn't ya know it... the clay was removing the black spots . I finished the hood (and got it NXT'd) , started the roof.... then got called into work for a three day trip.

Anyway, I am know a true believer in the clay bar and the effort it takes to achieve a better paint

Thanks guys for all the help and former posts to influence my decision. Hopefully it won't rain on Sunday so I can get back at it

 

Red congratulations on the clay. Like you I blindly jumped into it and was very pleased with the results.

But like they warn you on here it is a slippery slope! ha ha

BTW I did mine first too, wifies expedition is next.

 

...

 

Alright guys,check this out.... I woke up this morning @ 7am (after getting home at midnight), It was raining so I thought the day was a bust. Woke up again @ 10... no rain. So chanced it and set out to get back to it. I got the whole left side clayed n NXT'd before the threat of rain again. Wife's 300 is looking sweet!

The big deal is.... I have shown her some of the posts about this. Now she carries a sandwich bag to show n promote the clay detail. The left side is smooooth as silk, while the right side is like a sandpaper wool. Will finish the rest of her 300 tomorrow (weather permitting) then get back to finishing my truck .

 

You know - you can clay in the rain. It'll reduce your lube use too.