I've decided to get back into my old ways and being fanatical about cleaning the RR. Today I washed it twice, and started the clay bar process, which I will finish tomorrow, then its out with the American Porter Cable power polisher and the Meguiars 3 stage paint process.

I'll post some shots after its all done, the poor old beast was in need of some TLC, look forward to having a stunning gleaming car again.

(Always amazed at how much cr@p comes off the paint with the clay bar )

This is how it started the day....

Click image to enlarge

RRUK
Whats the clay bar process?

Yeah - what he said!

Interested...

nbunney wrote:

Whats the clay bar process?

Looks like a 'detailing' thread in the making.......

This should answer some questions:

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/imag...eGuide.pdf

Check out the detailing world forum where you can spend days reading about sad barstewards lovely cleanophiles who wash and polish their cars too often........  The older I get, the more I realise that people confuse wrinkles for wisdom

The clay bar process involves 2 items, a soft putty like clay and a lubricating spray.

You spray a small part of the body panel with the lube spray and then glide the clay over the surface back and forth, then across back and forth. It's the easiest thing to do ever.

What happens is that your paintwork gets contaminants bonded in the paint surface that washing and polishing cannot remove, such as tree sap, insect residue, traffic film, tar etc. You can't generally see it, but trust me, its there. While the contaminants are there, your paint is never truly clean and your polishing and waxing is flawed. The clay picks it up off the surface.

When you look at the clay afterwards you can see it all. If you put a small sandwich bag on your finger and run it over the freshly washed paint you will feel tiny bumps, its these that the clay removes. You can also use it on glass and your alloys.

Once the car is clayed you can then set to work with cleaning the paint, polishing (to bring out the colour depth and 'moisturise', then wax. (Hence the Meguiars 3 stage process.

Once the car has had all 4 stages done, the paint will look and feel like wet glass, an amazing finish, and you can achieve amazing results with older paint, especially ones that have never been detailed so much.

Here is my BMW M5 after the process on a dull overcast day, you can see the depth of the shine on the bonnet.

Click image to enlarge

Right, it's done, and I am knackered!

Here is what the clay looks like when new



Here is what it looks like when it has pulled all the invisible dirt out of your paint!



And here are the results, a really deep gloss shine, it looks awesome, the pictures don't do it justice at all.
Open these full size.

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

It looks amazing! Congratulations. 08 FFRR
Java Black/Sand

How long did it take?

Looks absolutely fantastic, also looks like you have worked hard on the inside too

Top job allround You have actually got me motivated to have a go at mine

Where do we buy the materials and how much? Also how long should we allow to start and finish the Job?

Is the power polisher essential and does it not leave minute scratches on the paintwork?

Is that a real Hand Holding the Clay , looks like you have two pinky's ...........

Looks Stunning , done yourself proud young man .....

Although I don’t subscribe to the Claybar method as our cars are cleaned and mopped to a professional standard using chemicals and machines that are not generally available / viable to the retail environment.

The Claybar is certainly a good substitute but very labour intensive way of doing it the results are great if you invest the time, although all of you guys will waste your time if you then go to the “Polish” type car wash, the chemicals they use at best are caustic, Look at your brake callipers & black rubbers (notice the rainbow effect on the latter). If you have a Lifeshine style paint protection you had it its gone.

Our sister site “Disco3” has a site sponsor “JKP” who specialises in retail/semi pro (Sorry Jon) detailing products pop over he’ll will give a discount to forum members

I'll do a Sticky Detailing thread with all the links for the kit I have and the costs.

It IS labour intensive, the whole thing probably took me about 8 hours work, but I reckon my paint is in the best condition its ever been in. You can even do this to brand new cars, you'd be surprised how badly finished some cars paint can be.

I never take my car to car washes of a any kind, in my view they are all bad for your paint.

Please never put your RR through a normal car wash or use that jet wash brush on garage forecourts, the brush is full of everyone elses dirt and grit and is always on the floor...then you rub it all over your car! It makes me cry to think about it!  Discovery 4 HSE
1998 110 TUM HS FFR Hard Top XD WOLF
1982 Series 3 Hard Top

*Gone:L462 D5 HSE LUX, L663 Defender 110 HSE, Discovery 3 HSE, 2014MY Range Rover Sport 5.0 Supercharged AB Dynamic; L405 Exec Vogue SE 4.4, 5.0 Supercharged Autobiography, Defender TDCi XS CSW, Defender TD5 HT, Vogue SE TDV8, Vogue TD6, RRSport SC 4.2V8, Classic 3.9 Vogue Auto, Land Rover Series 3 SWB

Last edited by RRUK on 18th Mar 2009 10:16am. Edited 1 time in total

Fancy doing mine, now you've practised on yours?

The finish that you have achieved I

You have defo done yourself credit.

I just wish I had the patience.

Now going to find a valet spot round Preston and get mine done, before posting some pics, now that the mods are nearly done.

The sun popped out today so couldn't resist a couple more photos while its still clean.

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

RRUK, i assume the broken hand is now ok following all that cleaning effort!

Now its clean you could get your forum sticker on the back to finish it off