Clay your new cars!

therealm3 · 12-04-2006, 04:05 PM

I just wanted to share my experience with you guys in hopes of increasing the number of clean BMW’s out there. This weekend I set out to do the first major detail job on my new 335. My plan was to wash, detail the interior with 303, do a light polish on the paint (Menzerna FP), and then seal it with FMJ. Well while drying the car I noticed a lot of little yellow and orange spots on the paint. The car is white, so from like 3-4 feet you can’t tell and the car looks great. Shinny and new as it should. After seeing all the spots, I decided to clay first. Man, am I happy I did. There was so much crap on the paint. A lot of it looked like comoline. It took over 2 hours just to clay. Normally it takes me half that.

Anyhow, the moral of the story is the dealer “clean and detail” leaves a lot to be desired. Please check your paint closely and clay those new cars before wax or sealant.

picus · 12-04-2006, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by therealm3

I just wanted to share my experience with you guys in hopes of increasing the number of clean BMW’s out there. This weekend I set out to do the first major detail job on my new 335. My plan was to wash, detail the interior with 303, do a light polish on the paint (Menzerna FP), and then seal it with FMJ. Well while drying the car I noticed a lot of little yellow and orange spots on the paint. The car is white, so from like 3-4 feet you can’t tell and the car looks great. Shinny and new as it should. After seeing all the spots, I decided to clay first. Man, am I happy I did. There was so much crap on the paint. A lot of it looked like comoline. It took over 2 hours just to clay. Normally it takes me half that.

Anyhow, the moral of the story is the dealer “clean and detail” leaves a lot to be desired. Please check your paint closely and clay those new cars before wax or sealant.

Very good advice. Between Cosmoline, rail dust, and just being in transport in some cases for 6 weeks, the car gets covered in contamination. It's a great idea to clay a new car.

Ninjaneer · 12-04-2006, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by therealm3

It took over 2 hours just to clay. Normally it takes me half that.

It took me awhile to clay too, first time, but I was being super careful and re-reading instructions back and forth lol

I'm glad I clayed too... I had some brown stuff on my hood, either tree sap or bug guts, and I couldn't get it out while washing but the clay took it off effortlessly

Now it's Zaino'd

Danforz · 12-05-2006, 03:38 AM

I was going to do this soon, but somewhat half heartedly since my car isn't even 2 mo old yet. After reading this though I'll be sure to be thorough

thanks!

F32Fleet · 12-05-2006, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by therealm3

I just wanted to share my experience with you guys in hopes of increasing the number of clean BMW’s out there. This weekend I set out to do the first major detail job on my new 335. My plan was to wash, detail the interior with 303, do a light polish on the paint (Menzerna FP), and then seal it with FMJ. Well while drying the car I noticed a lot of little yellow and orange spots on the paint. The car is white, so from like 3-4 feet you can’t tell and the car looks great. Shinny and new as it should. After seeing all the spots, I decided to clay first. Man, am I happy I did. There was so much crap on the paint. A lot of it looked like comoline. It took over 2 hours just to clay. Normally it takes me half that.

Anyhow, the moral of the story is the dealer “clean and detail” leaves a lot to be desired. Please check your paint closely and clay those new cars before wax or sealant.

IMO..nothing keeps a paint job looking great with minimial care than detailing the car as soon as you possibly can after taking delivery.

RAG · 12-05-2006, 09:29 AM

Good advice. Probably 75% of "new" cars customers bring me need to be clayed before a sealant should be applied (but I live near the ocean where bonded rust particles (usually rotor particles) is an insane problem). One word of caution - though clay itself doesn't marr paint if used properly, removing bonded contaminents can/does marr paint. Fortunately, clay-induced marring is usually less deep than the usual wash-induced marring; nevertheless, I always recommend machine polishing after claying, especially on darker colored paint.

RAG · 12-05-2006, 09:32 AM

BTW, on light colored cars, those little orange specs are almost always ferrous particles that are oxidizing into the paint (metal particles flash rusting). On dark colored vehicles, you will not see the orange spec, however you will notice the white "oxidation ring" that surrounds the rust particles...basically a white spec about the size of a grain of salt. In San Diego, rust contamination is a HUGE issue, probably 10X worse than where I moved from in Northern California - I almost never see cars without rust.

12-04-2006, 04:05 PM	#1
therealm3 Lieutenant Colonel 651 Rep 1,659 Posts Drives: F30 340 MSport Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: CA, USA iTrader: (7)	Clay your new cars! I just wanted to share my experience with you guys in hopes of increasing the number of clean BMW’s out there. This weekend I set out to do the first major detail job on my new 335. My plan was to wash, detail the interior with 303, do a light polish on the paint (Menzerna FP), and then seal it with FMJ. Well while drying the car I noticed a lot of little yellow and orange spots on the paint. The car is white, so from like 3-4 feet you can’t tell and the car looks great. Shinny and new as it should. After seeing all the spots, I decided to clay first. Man, am I happy I did. There was so much crap on the paint. A lot of it looked like comoline. It took over 2 hours just to clay. Normally it takes me half that. Anyhow, the moral of the story is the dealer “clean and detail” leaves a lot to be desired. Please check your paint closely and clay those new cars before wax or sealant.
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12-05-2006, 03:38 AM	#4
Danforz BMW Enthusiast 20 Rep 161 Posts Drives: 328i '07 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: LA iTrader: (0)	I was going to do this soon, but somewhat half heartedly since my car isn't even 2 mo old yet. After reading this though I'll be sure to be thorough thanks!
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12-05-2006, 09:29 AM	#6
RAG New Member 2 Rep 12 Posts Drives: All Kinds Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: San Diego, CA iTrader: (0)	Good advice. Probably 75% of "new" cars customers bring me need to be clayed before a sealant should be applied (but I live near the ocean where bonded rust particles (usually rotor particles) is an insane problem). One word of caution - though clay itself doesn't marr paint if used properly, removing bonded contaminents can/does marr paint. Fortunately, clay-induced marring is usually less deep than the usual wash-induced marring; nevertheless, I always recommend machine polishing after claying, especially on darker colored paint.
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12-05-2006, 09:32 AM	#7
RAG New Member 2 Rep 12 Posts Drives: All Kinds Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: San Diego, CA iTrader: (0)	BTW, on light colored cars, those little orange specs are almost always ferrous particles that are oxidizing into the paint (metal particles flash rusting). On dark colored vehicles, you will not see the orange spec, however you will notice the white "oxidation ring" that surrounds the rust particles...basically a white spec about the size of a grain of salt. In San Diego, rust contamination is a HUGE issue, probably 10X worse than where I moved from in Northern California - I almost never see cars without rust.
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