Clay Bar, cleaner wax, and polish + painted fenders

I really wasn't sure what to expect but man I'm really happy i did it, it came out great, i have always been a fan of a clay bar anyway.







Ryan

 

looks great mike!

 

looks good!

 

Looks great. How long did the process take?

 

Clay Bar: 15-20 min

cleaner wax: 30-45 min

Polish: 20-25 min


Scuff the fenders with 400 or above grit and sprayed with Krylon for plastic.


It just depends on how long you want to take, i suggest taking your time.



Ryan

 

Looks really nice!, I received a clay bar cleaning kit for Christmas, My truck has never been properly cleaned up yet, just pressure washed to get rid of the salt.. Tomorrow is "Clay Day" any tips? I hope it turns out as nice as yours!

 

Nice! I just want to wash the salt off my truck..

 

Very nice! Ive done the clacy once in the past couple years. And def. should do it again. It makes your paint like new again.

I like the Fenders too. I thaught about painting mine but was afraid that the paint would just start to chip and peal. Let us know how it holds up.

 

Use plenty of lube and fold your clay often. When you first start out, press your clay against the glass. This will flatten the clay to a nice flat surface.

I would sugest breaking the bar in 2 or 3 depending on the size. If the clay hits the ground, toss it.

 

just take your time, make sure you use plenty of quick detailer (supplied with the kit) to keep the surface slipper, use it just as you would wax, small circles and little pressure. then wipe dry, wipe the clay off and fold it often to avoid dirt build ups and whatever you do, make sure you have a good grip on it or you will catch a dry patch and your nice clay bar will end up on the ground


Additionally do not stop at the clay bar, that is a containment remover, you will then need to wax and polish as well to achieve a nice shine and layer of protection. To put in perspective when my wife and i walked out of a store and i headed towards my truck my wife asked why i was headed to that truck, she genuinely didn't recognize it when the paint was that clean. When your done post a pic of your job well done.



Ryan

 

looks beauty

 

Very nice, paint looks deep in the 2nd picture.

 

hey this is probaly a stupid question, but when usingthe clay bar do you do your whole truck or just rough parts? and if your usin one doesnt the dirt and crap get in there and scratch it?

 

That's a great question! I've never used a clay bar either...very interesting thread!

 

Im about to redo my fenders and I bought spray paint that is my paint code from http://www.automotivetouchup.com They have directions on how to paint so it doesn't chip.

 

not a stupid question by any means, first things first, get a GOOD wash on the truck to remove any dirt and debris (ps dish soap is not a good wash), the contaminants in the clear coat wont harm any other part of the paint, just rub your fingers over the clay from time to time to make sure there are no sizable dirt pieces as those will ruin your day and fold the clay every so often.

go over the entire painted surface, then do the windows last, and yes it will get some nasty stuff off the windows from time to time as well. Just make sure you keep whatever surface you are working on adequately wet with the detailer then dry with a clean cloth, i prefer micro fibers.

 

also...keep in mind your fenders have a rough texture from the factory and painted ones from the factory are smooth primered and painted. so you may need to start with a medium grit 600 and above, then sand your way up to at least 1000 or maybe even 1200-1500, clean, prime (with a good primer) and then spray. Take your time, do it once.Im not a painter however i have done a few things here and there over the years.


just my .02 and good luck, keep us posted


Ryan

 

Did you remove the fender flares? Did you break any of the tabs? They are expensive to replace.

 

I was going to remove them, attempted to and broke the first tab right off the bat, so i decided to save myself the headache and tape it off and use computer paper as a shield behind the tape and careful angles when spraying so overspray isnt all over everything, if you have an old sheet thats even better to be safe and use a ventilated area to reduce any over spray as well.


Ryan

 

i had one just like that,same color .........man i miss that truck