Detailing clay

[JDP]

I become quite a fan of detailing clay to prep the paint for a polish and wax. Sid's nearly new paint had a rough feel from contamination from sitting in a garage for a few years, maybe some over spray. Polish helped, but you could still feel some roughness in the finish from embedded junk. A rub down with the detailing clay (lubricated with detailing spray) left a smooth as glass finish ready for polish and wax. Much less aggressive then wet sanding or compounding.

JDP/Maryland
63 R2 SuperHawk (Caesar)
spent to date $54664,75
64 R2 GT (Sid)
spent to date $62,439.30
63 Lark 2 door
51 Commander
39 Coupe express
39 Coupe express (rod)

[Michidan]

No kidding? Hmmm.
My 10 year project had very nice base coat/ clear coat done 2 years back. But as there is a lot left to do, it's in the garage, usually with a simple car cover. The top surfaces are like you describe, no where near that silky smooth new paint feel. I might try this.

Dan
52 hardtop

https://www.studebakerhardtop.com

[JDP]

Here's a bit of a how to:

http://www.mobileworks.com/auto_detailing_clay.html

and don't use the clay made for over spray, use the stuff for detailing.

JDP/Maryland
63 R2 SuperHawk (Caesar)
spent to date $54664,75
64 R2 GT (Sid)
spent to date $62,439.30
63 Lark 2 door
51 Commander
39 Coupe express
39 Coupe express (rod)

[S2DSteve]

I too am a big fan of detailing clay. It's amazing how it picks up stuff you can't even see and leaves a smooth surface. I also found it a real lifesaver when we ended up with a bunch of tree sap on the car after an outdoor show. Pulled it off like magic.


Steve Hudson
The Dalles, Oregon
1937 Dictator Flatback sedan (for sale)
1949 "GMOBaker" 1-T Dually (workhorse)
1953 Commander Convertible (show & go)
1953 Champion Starliner (custom/rod project)
1954 Champion Coupe (daily driver)
1960 Hawk (future project?)

[fpstude]

I've recently learned about detailing clay and have had great success. Rubbing something relatively solid on paint (even if lubricated with detailing spray)goes against everyting I thought I knew about cleaning paint. But it really works. It is not easy to find in stores, mostly they have only a single box along with the spray. At Hershey I purchased a couple bars of clay and the vendor told me to mix my own spray. A couple drops of Ivory dish soap in a spray bottle of water. Much more ecomomical than what is sold. I have not tried this yet, but will soon.

Perry
'23 Special Six,
'50 Business Champ,
'50 Starlight Champ,
'60 Lark droptop,
'63 GT R1

[Chris Pile]

quote:Originally posted by fpstude A couple drops of Ivory dish soap in a spray bottle of water.

Most folks use way too much soap for cleaning stuff, especially car paint. You need just enough to help the stuff you remove to float free of the surface - hence the name:
surfactant, or SURFace ACTing AgenT.

Chris Pile
The Studebaker Special
Midway Chapter SDC

[wpsrea]

I have used the "clay" for a few years now. It has made a world of difference in the feel of the finish. Mothers has a good starter kit for it. About $15-16 down here.

[52hawk]

We used to make some good money in the body shop for estimates of wet sanding and buffing vehicles due to accidental overspray[like bridge or water tower painting,for instance]Do the job in 1/5th the estimate time with clay...'Till the insurance companys heard about the clay!!
On some finishes,water with a few drops of dish soap works better than the detail spray.

LaSalle,Il
61Hawk

[Andy R.]

I just "clayed" the Hawk last month with outstanding results. The surface was badly water-stained, with the feel of dry skin. Cost was around $30 for a soap bar sized block of Clay Magic at the auto paint shop. http://www.claymagic.net/ Followed by paint cleaner, polish and ultra-thin coat of wax, the surface is rich, glossy and so slippery nothing will sit on it without sliding off.

I've done three cars with with great results each. You can use it indefinitely, as long as you don't drop it. One grain of grit is one too many.



"Obsolete" is a highly subjective term.

[60Lark]

I purchased my Detailing Clay from Meguiars website.


Studebaker Fever
60 Lark
56 Power Hawk
Phil
Arnold, Missouri

[JDP]

OK, here's a sort of how-to on my claying experience on Sid. I found the best clay by far comes from:

http://www.griotsgarage.com/index.jsp

It much easier to use than others and seems to work great. After washing the car, break off a quarter of the clay and knead into a hamburger sized patty. I sprayed a 2-4 square foot area with detail spray and sprayed some on the patty. Rub lightly back and forth on the paint. You'll hear a slight scraping sounds as it picks up embedded crap, then will slide smoothly. While still wet, wipe down with a cotton towel, knead the clay to expose clean clay and move on. I did the entire car with the one quarter portion and the clay was getting pretty black by the finish. Put the used clay back in the sealed container after spraying with a bit of detail spray to keep it damp.
I now have a clean, smooth surface to polish and wax. I even popped for a random orbit buffer to use with Groit's polishes. I bought all 3 levels of polish, but it lots like the finest (#3) will remove all the tiny towels scratches, but the heavier stuff will come in handy on older paint.

JDP/Maryland
63 R2 SuperHawk (Caesar)
spent to date $54664,75
64 R2 GT (Sid)
spent to date $62,439.30
63 Lark 2 door
51 Commander
39 Coupe express
39 Coupe express (rod)

[avantilover]

His products look good, but appear to be US?Canada only.

John Clements
Avantilover, your South Australian Studebaker lover!!!
Lockleys South Australia

[JDP]

I think that's just for their free catalog, I'd bet they ship world wide.

JDP/Maryland
63 R2 SuperHawk (Caesar)
spent to date $54664,75
64 R2 GT (Sid)
spent to date $62,439.30
63 Lark 2 door
51 Commander
39 Coupe express
39 Coupe express (rod)