1st Time with Claybar 
1st Time with Claybar
The clay bar works great for starters. Makes the finish nice and smooth. Now, get the Porter Cable 7424, and from the looks of your hood, you'll need at least 3M 39002 Medium Cut Compound w/yellow pad, about 10 hrs of grinding, then some polish, and definitely a sealer/glaze for the dark color and then 2 layers of wax of your choice. After all this, you will want to make love to your car 
Originally Posted by WADDISME
The clay bar works great for starters. Makes the finish nice and smooth. Now, get the Porter Cable 7424, and from the looks of your hood, you'll need at least 3M 39002 Medium Cut Compound w/yellow pad, about 10 hrs of grinding, then some polish, and definitely a sealer/glaze for the dark color and then 2 layers of wax of your choice. After all this, you will want to make love to your car
I'm new to this stuff, so really don't know what all the products mean. Porter Cable 7424...that's a buffer I take it and the accessories for it. Where do you buy all of this at...Napa/Autozone?
Um, listen. The claybar is the starting point for a detail. The purpose is to take any contaminants out of your paint and in the process will strip any wax you had there. So, if you're not going to get into buffing - at least re-wax it so you have some protectant.
If you try and go to the two stores you mentioned, you'll find nothing except for cheap crap or adapters for a drill. Don't get that crap. Not to mention, they'd be extremely short on polishes and I'll be damned if they had compound if that's the level you need to go to. I prefer an online store properautocare.com In fact, I just put in a 250 dollar order there a few days ago and should be getting my junk pretty soon. I got new pads and Menzera IP/FP and glaze. Looking forward to really getting into it.
What WADD is referring to is all of the scratches you've got on your car that stick out in the hood shot. Myself, I have a newer car and I'm even worried to use the IP but I know I wouldn't go compounding on my car for the first try. In the end, it may be worth more to get it done professionally and I am not referring to a car wash center with "wax boys."
If you try and go to the two stores you mentioned, you'll find nothing except for cheap crap or adapters for a drill. Don't get that crap. Not to mention, they'd be extremely short on polishes and I'll be damned if they had compound if that's the level you need to go to. I prefer an online store properautocare.com In fact, I just put in a 250 dollar order there a few days ago and should be getting my junk pretty soon. I got new pads and Menzera IP/FP and glaze. Looking forward to really getting into it.
What WADD is referring to is all of the scratches you've got on your car that stick out in the hood shot. Myself, I have a newer car and I'm even worried to use the IP but I know I wouldn't go compounding on my car for the first try. In the end, it may be worth more to get it done professionally and I am not referring to a car wash center with "wax boys."
Ok that didn't really help, but thanks. And my car does have polish and wax (1 coat) on it. It's a step up by far from what it was before. (i used Meguire's 3 step)
This car is garage kept now so I can go into a lot of detail on it, so advice is welcome.
This car is garage kept now so I can go into a lot of detail on it, so advice is welcome.
Do a search for the 7424, it is a random orbital buffer. Very hard to mess up your car with this type. You can get kits that come with compounds, polishes, pads. I did my red '02 TA, and had to get pretty aggresive with the pad and compound to get the deep swirls and scratches out, even though it was fairly new. It takes a lot of time, it is truly a labor of love, but when you are done, you will not believe how your car looks and feels! Here are a couple of links from where I bought stuff: www.properautocare.com and http://www.autogeek.net/. The 3M stuff can be bought at NAPA, but you will have to go on-line to get the pads. But there are plenty out there. From the looks of the one pic, you will need to be pretty aggresive with your stuff. There are a couple of expert detailers who will chime in later a give you more info. It is a lot of work, but well worth it. Red, black and NMB really show the scratches and swirls so you will have to work extra hard. The sealer/glaze really helps these cars. Good luck 
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,419
Likes: 1
From: Holland Twp/Milford, New Jersey
Originally Posted by WADDISME
Ok, one more chance to pimp a pic of my car - here it is after about 30 hrs of practicing (on my Fiero), compounding, polishing, sealing, and waxing:
but i'm sure it looks good up close
Teching In
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
From: Illinois
Originally Posted by sdm1234
this picture is too far away, and you can't see any details whether you buffed it or not.
but i'm sure it looks good up close
but i'm sure it looks good up close
He does have a point there, about the picture that is.
I've used the clay bar several times and I use my 20 yr yellow waxer. Don't even remember the brand. I know they dont sell it anymore and it is a pain to find pads for. First I will apply some light polishing compound, then two coats of wax and finish with a glaze. Then I will glaze it every month. Always looks great.
Originally Posted by PERFECT Z28
Anyone want to do my car?
He said do his car! eh ehe hehe.
I couldnt believe how smooth one of my cars came out after the clay bar. Like running your fingers through glass. These guys are right though, at least put some protectant on your paint since you've already removed some of that "dead skin".
Clay bars seem to have left the scene, gone out of style or something because I havent seen it heavily advertised as before (10 years ago). What happened?
Teching In
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: Chicago, Illinois
Porter Cable 7424 With the Porter Cable 7424, what kinds of polishes and what not do u guys use??? Better yet, if I were to buy the porter cable, what components should i get to go along with it???
