Hi all

I'm pretty new to FULL detailing, i've only ever done the standard washes and polishes. I don't have a huge amount of time and cash, but the swirl marks are looking bad now. I'm dubious about using a clay bar as i've never used one before and i'm frightened i'll do more damage than good!

Will using the clay bar just get rid of the surface contaminants and will i need to use a seperate tar remover for the big lumps on the bonnet and roof?

Whats the best way to get the swirls out on a budget?

Thanks

Lou

Hi Lou,

Welcome to the Cleaning & Detailing section

In answer to your questions:-

Yes a mild clay will get rid of any surface contaminants, good practice would be to use it like you would go about the wash process, i.e start at the top and work your way down.

If you have larger tar spots I'd target those with a dedicated tar remover as spending ages rubbing away with a clay bar will only result in marring that bit of paint.

There's no quick or cheap way of removing the swirls - a hugely time consuming process by hand which leaves so-so results IMO or the more expensive option of paying someone to machine polish the car.

What you're better off doing is to use something like Autoglym Super Resin Polish which is very slightly abrasive & also contains fillers which go a fair way to hiding the swirls, then topping this with Autoglym Extra Gloss Protection to offer the protection element.

Both the above readily available from Halfords & they should also stock a couple of clay kits which include the clay and lubricant...Meguiars & Autoglym.

Enjoy

I don't think the clay bar will have any effect on the swirl marks, they'll need to be machine polished out really.

Using something like AG Intensive Tar Remover will get rid of some contaminants but the clay bar will do the best job. Just remember to keep the surface well lubricated and turn the bar to a clean part so you're not dragging the contaminants over your paintwork and take a bit of time to do it. The finish you can achieve is excellent, almost like glass! Oh and then you've got to wax it to seal all your hard work!

HTH

P.S. Baker21 is the daddy when it comes to detailing, hopefully he'll see your thread and post up some advice!

I would use White spirit ...sprayed on and left for a while before just wiping off

Then Clay the car with Bilt Hamber Clay..it uses water as a lubricant

Follow this with a good polishing to remove swirls..By machine is preferable, but you can get pretty good results with Meguiars Scratch X or wit Autoglym Super Resin Polish

Then seal the paint with a good sealer...I use Poorboys EX-P Sealer

Follow this with a coat or two of wax..I use AG High Def Wax in the summer and Collinite 917 in the winter

Of course there are many products out there...I hope you get the idea

Look here for ultimate advice:

http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/seek-advice.html

Good luck

Don't be afraid of claying mate, as long as you keep it well lubricated you'll be fine

The Megs clay kits you can get from Halfords are a good starter kit, read the guides on here on on www.detailingworld.com

When I do mine (2 or 3 times a year) I wash the car, rinse it then clay it while it's still wet but still using some QD as a lube. Then when I've finished claying I wash it again, rinse, dry and apply some sealant as protection.

As has previously been said the only way to get rid of the swirls is with a machine polish; though you can mask them slightly using AG SRP followed by some sealer/wax, just don't expect brilliant results.

You'll be impressed with how smooth your paintwork is once you've clayed it, then you'll be on the slippery slope into detailing; spending an awful lot of time, and a lot of money if you're not sensible on keeping the car looking good.

Many thanks for the help guys, hoping to get some work done next weekend, weather permitting. If I manage to get it clayed i will post some pics. :yes: