Clay then clean, or clean then clay? Porsche

S

sws1

New member
I'm going to be doing the full detail on my 911 this weekend. When I last detailed the car, it was new.



I used JW Prime to clean, followed by JW Acrylic Jett, then covered with P21S.



I want to clay this time. SOOOOooo,



After I wash, should I clay, then use JW Prime cleaner, or the other way around? If there is still some Acrylic Jett on the car, won't the clay bar not actually clean the paint? It'll be cleaning the acrylic coating, right?



Then again, I don't think I just use an orbiter with JW Prime if I haven't yet gotten the dirt out of the paint yet, since I may scratch things.



Thoughts?
 
Wash then clay is your best bet. The clay bar will remove anything that has bonded to the paint even with the AJ on. AJ is good stuff but contaminants are still going to be getting though and sticking to the paint.
 
sws1 said:
After I wash, should I clay, then use JW Prime cleaner, or the other way around? If there is still some Acrylic Jett on the car, won't the clay bar not actually clean the paint? It'll be cleaning the acrylic coating, right?
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Claying over existing acrylic should be OK. I would assume the contaminants are on top of the existing sealant. However, if it makes you more comfortable to clay after the existing sealant has been stripped, after washing the car, you can wipe it down with a 50/50 mix of water and alcohol or use a citris degreaser then clay. P21S has an outstanding degreaser.





sws1 said:
Then again, I don't think I just use an orbiter with JW Prime if I haven't yet gotten the dirt out of the paint yet, since I may scratch things.



Thoughts?
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Not sure I understand your question here.
 
Depending on which clay you use, it won't remove or hurt your LSP/finish. I've spot clayed tons of cars that I did overspray removal on. Sometimes it's impossible to see every little spec, so it requires spot claying. Never did it disturb/remove the finish/protection. As to your question, it's best to clay prior to working on the finish. It makes for a cleaner, workable finish with much less chance for swirling. Just don't freak out if you come across an area that feels rough after finishing.
 
David Fermani said:
Depending on which clay you use, it won't remove or hurt your LSP/finish. I've spot clayed tons of cars that I did overspray removal on. Sometimes it's impossible to see every little spec, so it requires spot claying. Never did it disturb/remove the finish/protection. As to your question, it's best to clay prior to working on the finish. It makes for a cleaner, workable finish with much less chance for swirling. Just don't freak out if you come across an area that feels rough after finishing.
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How could you tell if it removed waxes or not? Just because it looks or feels smooth doesn't mean there's any protection?



Just curious how you could tell?
 
JoshVette said:
How could you tell if it removed waxes or not? Just because it looks or feels smooth doesn't mean there's any protection?



Just curious how you could tell?
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I just bought a black metallic Town & Country van for my wife. The paint feels like sandpaper and it's from paint overspray. I waxed the complete hood with a carnuba paste about a week before these pictures. After waxing, I extensively clayed (blue Clay Magic) 1 1/2 of the hood. Can you tell which side?



05TC004.jpg




05TC002.jpg








BTW: I've inspected the finish under natural, florescent and incandescent and there is no appearance difference and no marring.
 
David Fermani said:
I just bought a black metallic Town & Country van for my wife. The paint feels like sandpaper and it's from paint overspray. I waxed the complete hood with a carnuba paste about a week before these pictures. After waxing, I extensively clayed (blue Clay Magic) 1 1/2 of the hood. Can you tell which side?



05TC004.jpg




05TC002.jpg








BTW: I've inspected the finish under natural, florescent and incandescent and there is no appearance difference and no marring.
Click to expand...



The left 2/3's of the hood :)
 
From my experience clay does not seem to remove any carnauba wax but now that i have switched to strictly acrylic sealant (Klasse twins) on my car i have noticed when i clay over the acrylic seal it tends to seriously mess up the uniform of the beads and losses a lot of it slickness. has anyone else noticed this with acrylic?



edit: i was also using clay magic at the time
 
Guys, don't make the mistake of thinking that "beading" equals protection.



Beading is simply due to surface tension. The less "tension" or contamination you have the more the water will collect to itself forming a bead. The more tension the more the water will collect to the contamination causing less beading and more of a sheeting look.



Have you ever washed a brand new vehicle straight from the factory (I have many times) and it beads like crazy?? Why, cause there's little to no surface tension.



Wax helps elivate surface tension by creating a barrier between the water and the contamination thus causing the beading not to mention the agents in the wax that are designed to bead water. Some chemicals can bead water and some chemicals like in Dawn soaps cause water to sheet.



Josh
 
So how can I tell if there is a sealant protecting the paint? Or, put another way, how do I know when to reapply?
 
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