I need some advice. I have a yellow TT that needs to be detailed. I have done a complete detailed wash and dry. I have some small specks of tar near the wheel openings and was wondering do I remove the tar with tar remover or just let the clay bar and spray pull it off?

Any tips on what to do before wax with the clay bar would be much appreciated! Also how often do I need to clay bar? This is my first try with this cleaning method.

 

I'm not sure that the claybar will remove the tar, but you can try. Also, I'm not sure that I would want the tar in the claybar as you clay the rest of the car. I think that you might have to try a polishing compound or the tar remover. You will be amazed at what your paint is like after you use the clay. It will feel like glass. And by the way, do the glass on your car also. Make sure you keep the paint well lubricated, but it is easy to do. Don't worry about being neat, as you are going to have to wash the car after the clay process, and all the wax will be off the car. Lastly, if you run out of the lubricant spray, you can always use a spray bottle of water with a little dish detergent. The lubricant is just creating a slippery surface for the clay to glide over. Good luck....

 

Use the tar remover and a microfiber cloth to get the tar off. The stubborn specs can be removed with the claybar. Basically, you need to wash your car thoroughly before using the claybar. You can use it as often as needed, whenever the surface does not feel slick like glass. Be sure when using the claybar to keep the surface very wet and do not apply much pressure on it. They work excellent.

 

As stated above...if you run your hand over the car, and it doesn't feel glassy smooth, you should probably clay. My only recommendation is to knead and turn the clay fairly often to keep the contaminants off the outer surface. If you clay, you should follow with polish and wax or just wax. You probably remove some of the layers of wax from your previous application during the claying process.

 

There are many different grades of clay. Clay Magic blue is moderate aggressiveness, while others such as Mothers yellow, Sonus green, and Pinnacle poly are mild. Then you also have others such as Clay Magic red which is very aggressive. How many contaminants are embedded in the paint determines which grade of clay you should use. From my experiences, most need Clay Magic blue or equivalent.

It would be best to use a tar remover instead of clay. Use your clay after the car is washed, and after you use a tar & bug remover/ degreaser as needed. Basically, the cleaner you get the paint prior to claying the better.

While claying, its important to use a good amount of lube, not too much pressure, and always keep the clay as clean as possible. For lube, you can use a quick detailer, make your own, or use soap and water. Kneed/ flip your clay after every panel or half panel and inspect it frequently for embedded contaminants. Rub it back and forth, not in circles, and if you drop it then throw it away.

Keep in mind clay IS an abrasive and the paint should be polished after. It is also a good idea to wash the car after claying to remove any contaminants floating on the surface.

Feel free to shoot me a PM if you have anymore questions. I live in NOVA as well.

 

Clay should do a good job of removing the isolated tar spots. If there was a lot of tar, then a tar remover would be fine. I always try and recommend as few products to effectively get the job done...this way you're not overwhelmed.

There are many brands of clay out there and don't be afraid to use clay in general. A mild clay like clay magic blue can be found at any auto part store like kragens or pep boys. As for lube, use whatever the manufacturer recommends. Using soap and water will break down the plasticizers in clay since soap is an alkaline substance.

Give you car a proper wash and then dry. Make sure to be indoors. Spray lots of lube in a small area, half or quarter of a hood. With light pressure, begin rubbing the clay back and forth in a linear motion. You should FEEL and HEAR the clay working. Once the surface has become smooth and quiet, move on to another section. Repeat this step until the whole car has been properly clayed. Take your time as this is an important step. Once finished, you can either rinse the whole car down or simply wipe down the paint surface with the same towel you used to dry the car. Your drying cloth should still be damp from drying the car after washing.

Once you clay, you MUST polish, then wax. A mild polish should do the trick and a simple wax will be sufficient. If you don't have a polish/wax you're using right now, you can keep things simple by using a good product like einszett glanz and paint polish. Swissvax makes a good clay as well. Here's a simple kit to get you started as well that includes all the products at a discounted price

http://www.glisteningperfectionstore...Wax-Kit/Detail

Hope this helps.

 

Lots of great advice already given in this post, just wanted to share 2 clay bar articles that may help too:

http://www.detailedimage.com/Auto-De...uide/Clay-Bar/
http://www.detailedimage.com/Pro-Det...ar-Proper-Use/

Cheers,

George

 

I forgot to mention....anytime I polish and wax, I'll clay as well. It's a great insurance policy no matter what condition your paint is in. If it needed to be clayed, you covered your bases. If it didn't, then it only tool about 15 minutes of your time.

 

Thanks for all the great comments and links. I'm glad I asked before I went for it.

Hopefully I will have some pictures to post of my clean TT.

 

This is some great information.

 

With light coloured paint (Yellow, White, Silver, etc) road dirt and debris tend to 'dull' the paint, so its a good idea to periodically clean the paint, useing a d-limonene (citrus) based cleaner (P21S Total Auto Wash) along with a mild grade of detailer's clay bar will keep the colour shining clean

 

clay bars will remove tar

 

Great info! Thanks.

Quick question. I just bought Clay Magic and it's blue clay. Should I use the provided lubricant or make my own using Optimum No Rinse (2 oz + gal of water?)

 

I would use the lubricant that comes with the Clay if at all possible. It was designed specifically to work with that particular Clay, so you really can't go wrong with that at all, in fact that is the best possible solution.

The mix of ONR and water is an OK replacement, but it shouldn't ever be considered the go to if the specifically directed Clay Lubricant is available.

 

My product of choice in terms of waxing is Zaino

After the car is clayed, can Zaino wax finish the car up? Or must a polish be applied and then Zaino?