Frequency of claying

[fiveoh]

So I walk out to my car this morning to get in and notice a quarter size pile of bird crap with all kinds of nasty looking seeds and stuff on it. I normally walk around my car at night with detail spray and clean off stuff like this but yesterday I was in a hurry and didnt. I grab the detail spray and mf wipe it off(it comes off pretty easy). Look down and notice what looks like some still on there so try to spray and wipe again(with a clean portion of the towel of course). Nothing happens. I run my hand over the spot and its perfectly smooth. I attached a pic of what it looks like now. It almost looks like it ate thru the clear coat. I just got my adams clay a few days ago(ive never used clay before) so I was thinking when I get home I'll try to clay it and hopefully:xfingers: it will get it out. I also ordered the PC kit which the PC is supposed to be coming on Monday. I was planning on clay/swirl remove/polish/wax the whole car July 4th weekend. So is it bad to clay the car twice in such a short period of time? I'll only be claying that spot and the area around it today and then the whole car July 4th weeknd. What is the recomended frequency of claying?

 

Also does that spot look like it will come out with Clay?

[estecoca]

I have a lot of confidence that the Adams clay would fix that spot. Its amazing what the clay will remove from your finish.

 

As for the frequency question, I wouldn't be concerned as the clay doesnt really remove any of the clear coat. The only "bad" thing the clay will do is it might create some micro marring (especially if not enough DS is used). But the PC process will take care of all that. In general, the clay process wont be necessary for a vehicle that is well/garage kept. There just wont be enough gunk to remove to warrant the work.

[11chevz71]

I have a lot of confidence that the Adams clay would fix that spot. Its amazing what the clay will remove from your finish.

 

As for the frequency question, I wouldn't be concerned as the clay doesnt really remove any of the clear coat. The only "bad" thing the clay will do is it might create some micro marring (especially if not enough DS is used). But the PC process will take care of all that. In general, the clay process wont be necessary for a vehicle that is well/garage kept. There just wont be enough gunk to remove to warrant the work.

 

 

[fiveoh]

Thanks for the reply. I'll post up tommorow whether it gets it out this evening or not. One other question related to clay. Is it bad for me to say clay the car this saturday and then wait a week and SHR/Polish/wax after another wash. Basically can I split up the process of should I do it all at once clay/shr/polish/wax?

[Sundog Detailing]

it would be better to do it all at once, claying should only take 30-45 mins so it won't add that much to your process.

[Team Adam's]

Man I hate bird poop... it does some really nasty things to your finish.

 

You're safe to clay again, so no concerns there. As for spacing out the process...

 

You can do the process spaced out like that, but you'd be creating more work for yourself. By claying you are removing EVERYTHING from the finish so when complete your paint is naked and unprotected... a bird bomb like the one you posted would do far more destruction. So to prevent that you'd want to lay down some wax or sealant until you could get around to polishing.

 

Now, when you go to do your polishing routine you want to work on bare paint again... you can simply start polishing after another wash, but you'll be stripping all of the wax/sealant you layed down after your claying the previous time so that step was wasted, not to mention your pads will clog up pretty quick pulling up all that wax.

 

IMO spot clay your little problem area there and lay down some protection until you can spend the time to do the complete process.... in the long run it'll save you a lot of time and effort.

[fiveoh]

Well I went at it with the Clay(my first time I didnt do it all the way correctly I dont think) and it looks a lot better. The lighting is a little different so its hard to tell but you can see a circle or "darker spot" in the 2nd pic. I hit it with some buttery wax to seal it until next week. Im hoping it comes out all the way when I clay the whole car again and use SHR and polish with the PC later.

[Bill-V8V]

Much better :2thumbs:

[GerryC]

I had to use your first pic as reference to find it in the others. You can just barely see it in the last pic. Good job

[Devin04]

it would be better to do it all at once, claying should only take 30-45 mins so it won't add that much to your process.

 

To do the whole car? D@mn I'm slow. It takes me a good hour or two.

[Superdutytd]

To do the whole car? D@mn I'm slow. It takes me a good hour or two.

 

I clayed my whole truck with two people in half an hour. Gotta move quick

[Devin04]

I clayed my whole truck with two people in half an hour. Gotta move quick

 

I'm sure I could do my car in about an hr. But when I get people's cars that look like they are hardly washed and when you mention clay they are like "what?" it usually takes me a lot longer.

[jjwvette]

:glasses:Looks good Ryan

[Chewy]

I find even with several coats of Americana that I still get bird poop etching my paint on my G8. The paint on these cars ARE crap. I found that out the hard way... That being said... A bit of FMP will take away the bit of etching it leaves behind. You really need to look at it from the side sometime to see the etching.

 

I clayed my entire G8 yesterday in about 15 minutes but it wasn't bad. In the spring it takes me at LEAST an hour if not two to get all the contamination off of her.

 

Chris

[fiveoh]

I find even with several coats of Americana that I still get bird poop etching my paint on my G8. The paint on these cars ARE crap. I found that out the hard way... That being said... A bit of FMP will take away the bit of etching it leaves behind. You really need to look at it from the side sometime to see the etching.

 

I clayed my entire G8 yesterday in about 15 minutes but it wasn't bad. In the spring it takes me at LEAST an hour if not two to get all the contamination off of her.

 

Chris

 

Yeah dont even get me started on all the nicks on the front in the only 4 months since i've had it. The paint sucks. I think my wifes camry has less and hers is a 2007.

[Chewy]

I bought my brothers Subie for my fiance and it has 45,000 on it and the paint is in better nick than my G8 with 9000 miles on it. It's BS but true. I have the clear bra on the front that helps a ton but I have rock chips on the TOP of my trunk and spoiler...

 

SUCKS!