Help! Care cleaning newbie

[Shift_]

Hellllo everyone.. this is my first offical post on the fourm. I'm not gonna lie to yas, I'm a car cleaning newbie...

In preparation for the summer I went out today and bought some new cleaning supplies. I picked up

A Tube of Meguiars Scratch X
A tub of Meguiars Gold Class Wax
A Meguiars Quik Clay detailing system..

My car (2002 Nissan Altima 3.5 SE ) Is in dier need of a Wash and a Wax. So I've begun the process of getting it all done. I've taken my wheels off (17" factory powdercoated wheels) stripped them of their tires and washed the hell out of them. I plan to do the rest of the cleaning in a few days.

So now my question is.... What do I do first.. do I Scratch X then Quik Clay tehn wax? or in which order? we'll use my wheels as the trial run.

Also for useage of the products...
Do I apply the Scratch X like a wax? rub in with a circular motion, rub off with a terry cloth?

As for the Quik Clay, I've heard this can be a nightmare or a dream to do. The directions on the packaging is bad, so can anyone shed some light on it...
From what I've read I Apply the liquid spray first, then use a piece of the bar (cut a chunk off and heat with hands making it large) then light apply to paint in one motion (not swirlign/spinning matter)

The wax isnt a hard thing...
It is no doubt the last step...

Apply thin coat of wax with applicator then allow to dry (15-20 min) rub off in the same circular motion that it was applied with...?

Sorry for all these questions, I kinda feel like a jerk..

[jfelbab]

Let me be the first to welcome you.

The most often used sequence is;
1. Wash
2. Clay
3. Clean
4. Polish
5. Wax

Of course a lot of people use a cleaner/wax to save time. You can't expect the same deep gloss results but for some it is good enough.

You didn't tell us much about your ride. What color is it and what condition is the paint in.

What are you objectives? Long lasting protection, deepest gloss?

How much time and effort are you prepared to supply to detail and maintain your ride?

Do you garage your ride?

You got the clay part right. Just be sure to use plenty of lube and don't apply too much pressure. Fold the clay and re-flatten as it gets dirty.

Given the products you mentioned, I'd wash, clay, ScratchX then Gold Class Wax it. Be sure to use a clean wash mitt and clean soft towels throughout the process. Don't skimp on these items.

Welcome and hope you get all your questions answered. This is the right place. It's loaded with "Car Crazy" people.

Jim

[Shift_]

Thanks for the friendly hello

My baby is Pewter.. Seen here

Its was an excellent color choice and has been nothing but a dream for me. The paint is in excellent condition.. except for a few decent little surface scratches.. the car had been keyed a while back, but I had it fixed. There is a paint problem on the hood, only tiny. It feels rougher then the rest of the paint, almost as if there was no clear coat there.

My goal with my up comming cleaning is to get a super retarded shine and have good protection. I dont have any machines and will be doing this all by hand.

When I purchased my stuff, I figured I would use hte Scratch X on my the car to clear up the scratchs and minor discrepincies (sp? is definatly wrong).

I knew that the clar bar woudl strip wax , and the car has been waxed a few times before so I figured it would be a good thing to do.

and Ive only ever used the meguairs on the car nothing but the best.

Time is not an issue, I have a day or two of cooled garage usage (my neighbor place) and Ive got nothing but dedication when I get started. THe car itself is not garaged, and sits outside 365 days a year.

My big fear about of this cleaning im about to embark on is Ive heard that if your too strong when applying the clay bar you will damage your paint and make it look dull. So is the technique basically skimming it over the car?

I look forward to anything anyone can add. I'm here to learn.

[jfelbab]

When I clay I use Quick Detailer and rub my fingers over the finish feeling for bits of dirt that is bonded to the paint. I rub the clay over the area lightly and feel for the dirt to be sure it was removed. The clay should slide very easily over the surface with the Quick Detailer as a lubricant. When the area is free of the bonded contaminants it feels smooth like glass.

I don't use clay to remove existing wax. The cleaner will remove wax. You can wash you car with Dawn if you want to remove all wax first.

I use slightly different products than you purchased and as such my steps are slightly different.

If your car sits out 365 you might want to consider a different wax. Meguiar's Medallion Premium Paint Protection is a more durable wax/polymer than Gold Class IMHO. Perhaps NXT Tech wax may be as well. Mike might be able to answer that. My experience with Gold Class wax is that it doesn't last very long but is easy to use and has an excellent shine. Another great durable wax is the #16 Professional Paste Wax. If my ride was to be out 365 I'd probably use NXT Tech Wax and top that with #16 for added durability.

Perhaps some others want to chime in here and give your advice.

[Somedevil]

I'm new to this stuff too...well, new to going beyond a wash and a wax at least.

My first experience with the clay was that it took a few minutes to get used to and find the right amount of pressure to apply... I hadn't heard anythng about clay ruining paint finish and was told that it's safe to use.

My other main piece of advice with claying is to cut your clay bar in half in case you drop it so you have fresh clay to work with...Toss the dropped half and don't even think about using it.

Good luck!

SD

[Black_Cat]

like you I had never used a clay bar before, in fact never even heard of the stuff but I asure you I will continue using it.

I recently used it for the first time and it took a little while to get use to, if there is not enough quik detailer misted on the car, the clay doesnt glide and may stick a bit and smudge. it then takes a bit of rubbing to remove the smudge. however within no time at all I got the hang of it and the clay was just gliding across the car, you dont need to apply much pressure at all. the end result was extremely smooth.

remember to knead the clay after each panel. and a tip i picked up from here is to cut the bar in half just in case you drop half and have to throw it.

[crazeyGT]

Hi, another newbie with all this stuff, dont want to high jack the thrad, but can I use just this or am I missing something?

*clay bar
*the proffesional show car glaze #7
*the professional HI-Tech yellow wax #26

Thnx

[rusty bumper]

Originally posted by crazeyGT
Hi, another newbie with all this stuff, dont want to high jack the thrad, but can I use just this or am I missing something?

*clay bar
*the proffesional show car glaze #7
*the professional HI-Tech yellow wax #26

Thnx

You might want to use a light cleaner before #7....Such as #82, or #9.

[Cam]

Originally posted by crazeyGT
Hi, another newbie with all this stuff, dont want to high jack the thrad, but can I use just this or am I missing something?

*clay bar
*the proffesional show car glaze #7
*the professional HI-Tech yellow wax #26

Thnx

From one newb to another, you might also consider #81 Hand Polish instead of #7 - just used it for the first time and it's very easy to use and gave great results.

[Shift_]

So...

Wash..
Clay
Scratch X
Wax?

That ordeR?

[rusty bumper]

Originally posted by Shift_
So...

Wash..
Clay
Scratch X
Wax?

That ordeR?

Yes, but you can add a polish after ScratchX, but that's optional.

When washing your car, use 1 bucket for soap, and 1 bucket for clear water...The reason for this is to help keep dirty water off of the paint. After soaping down a section on your car, dunk the wash mitt into the clear water & wring out before returning for more soap.

Also, do a final rinse on the car with a gentle stream of water...Starting at the top and working down to sheet off the little beads of water in order to reduce drying time.

[gauchoy2k]

Depending on the "minor scratches" you might be able to do with out the scratchx and sub it from #7.
I have a tahoe in the same color and what works for me is,
wash with a good car wash soap( i dont like using dish washing stuff).
Clay
cleaner wax
Polish with #7
wax
then a another coat of light wax.
i do this all by hand and it takes me a whole day. Just washing the truck could take me an hour and a half.
I keep the clean look by using a good detail spray after washes.