Problem with (maybe) tree sap eaten into laquer....advice required!

[joebristolgym]

Hi there, I'm not into detailing really, and never actually let my cars get into so much of a state that they need anything drastic doing to them. I normally wash my (decent) cars once a week, or maybe twice if I'm lazy/it's winter.

The new gf's mk 6 golf is black metallic and was looking absolutely terrible so I said I'd have a go at it today - was thinking I'm just wash it, then chamois dry it, then maybe wax it with the Megiars 'Cleaner wax' that I normally use on my cars.

Oh no, the car had other ideas.

I washed it twice, but you could see huge areas of 'stuff' on the paintwork. Not much on the bonnet, and not so much on the sides, but the roof was hideously bad, and the back still is.

I thought Meg's Bug and Tar cleaner might dissolve it off, but not really. 2.5 hours of working on the roof and most of the actual substance was off, but it's left residue/eaten a bit into the laquer I think.

Then had a go at it with Meg's Ultimate Compund (by hand) which has improved it further (but you can still see marks from certain angles). Done the whole right hand side of the car as well as the roof. It took some scratches on the side of the car right out which was nice. Then waxed the bits I've ultimate compounded so far. Going to do the other bits next week.

My question is - any idea what I could do to get the marks out/off further?

 

[Dave..]

Sounds like it needs claying. Nothing short of clay will get rid of tree sap off a car.

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

Claybar + lots of lube !!

Also, bin the chamois !!!! :dead:

 

[joebristolgym]

What's wrong with a chamois?

I did buy a 'drying cloth' today but haven't used it yet - is that better?

I know nothing about clay - is that going to do the job if the sap or whatever it is has eaten into the laquer?

How much is clay likely to cost/what make is best/how do you use it?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[Yellow Dave]

it is believed that a chamois will do more damage than good, best to use a drying towel. i use: http://i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/I4D_Uber_Premium_Drying_Towel_1.html

Clay kits: http://i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/detailing_clay.html
autoglym and meguiars kits can be found in halfords. They should remove 99.9% of contaminants on your paintwork

 

[joebristolgym]

Righto - so it appears I need to get a clay bar and lube for it. Ditch the chamois, but go with my new drying cloth that I haven't used yet.

Given I'm a total novice, is there any brand of clay that is easier to use then the others?

I don't want to spend pots of cash on one, as I'm still not convinced that the sap hasn't eaten into the lacquer - but I want to give it a go next weekend.

 

[joebristolgym]

I'm probably being impatient, but anyone?

Noticed there is some clay on ebay - blue stuff - think it costs about £6 delivered (ish) - is this likely to do the job?

 

[Kane.]

Meguiars quik clay kit, clay and lube in a box with instructions etc

 

[Gally]

Please don't buy cheap class!

Oh and before all this claying carry on you need to do the ground work or you'll just make things 10 times worse. Get a strong de-greaser/ APC on there before even washing it, that should remove some bonded on crap i'd use a tar remover always before using a clay bar on the paint work.

And stick with this clay... http://www.bilthamber.com/pro-introduction.php?cname=Clays, Wax :: Polish&name=auto-clay soft

You don't need a fancy clay lube just a little shampoo and water in a bottle.

Prep as much as possible before claying.

 

[joebristolgym]

Gally - thanks for the comments - I noticed on detailing world forum this morning that BH clay is recommended.

I'll have debugged/de tarred the whole car before starting with the clay with Megiars stuff - is that enough? It's not actually my car (and it's a 5 door tdi so never going to be 'pretty' when finished), although it is annoying me that it is covered with marks even after spending 6 hours cleaning the outside of it.

You should have seen the alloys - they were tinged a yellowy/brown colour. Used wheel cleaner on them and they are now the right colour, but too late to stop brake dust pitting them a little bit between the spokes. Could be worse though. My almost 10 year old/80k mile saxo paintwork/wheels are in better condition then her 57 plate golf with 30k on the clock. Shocking.

Is claying the roof/both sides/the back of a golf going to take me hours and hours?

 

[Gally]

Even my wheels without Iron cut were a little pitted, one of those things mate, sometimes claying the wheel can help but a lot extra work.

Sounds like the paint is ready for claying, the megs stuff is fine with the lube provided, don't use a lot of pressure though mate, nice even pressure and keep it lubricated you'll be fine then it'll need polished with something. Even SRP by hand will do then wax.

 

[joebristolgym]

You're speaking to someone who knows nothing about detailing here.....what's SRP?

I'm going to order some of that BH soft stuff - found a 200gram bar for £10.99 online plus postage - and they'll send it 1st class recorded which I don't think is that pricey/is easier to collect for me. Hope this works to get the stuff off. If there are still marks after that then guessing a machine polish might be the way forward?

I'll be waxing it after with the Megiars 'cleaner wax' I've got. Made my S2000 come up nicely so that'll have to do. Apparently her dad was already miffed that her golf had come up shinier then his 1 year old Mazda 6 he just bought when she popped round to theirs yesterday.

Hopefully by the time I've finished it'll be even better as it's bugging me everytime I see it at the moment.

 

[JackJack]

SRP= Autoglym super resin polish.

 

[joebristolgym]

Ah, I see.

Just ordered some BH soft clay, and bought a water sprayer bottle in my lunch hour.

Weather allowing I may have a pop at it this Sunday.

 

[Gally]

Pop a tiny amount of shampoo any kind will do and then add water to the bottle.

You need to polish after claying, always always polish after claying mate. Pick up some cheap SRP from halfords or somewhere.

Claying will no doubt inflict some very light marring unless you are very very good at it. Even the pros would never clay and not polish. Even by hand with SRP will be better than nothing.

 

[Louism]

Put a soaked cloth with Acetone on it.

 

[joebristolgym]

What's the acetone comment in relation to?

What kind of cloth do I use to put polish on/buff it up?

At the moment I've got some small foam applicators for debug/tar stuff which I've then got an old buffing cloth for removing. Then another foam applicator for wax, with 2 buffing clothes for doing the wax (one is a bit clogged with wax which I use first, then another to shine it up).

This could get expensive for not my car....she better be suitably 'grateful' lol

 

[Gally]

Lols SRP is cheap and you can use it on your own car.

Use the foam app and work it into the paint, mind the black trim, it stains. Then remove with a CLEAN mf!

 

[Louism]

What's the acetone comment in relation to?

What kind of cloth do I use to put polish on/buff it up?

At the moment I've got some small foam applicators for debug/tar stuff which I've then got an old buffing cloth for removing. Then another foam applicator for wax, with 2 buffing clothes for doing the wax (one is a bit clogged with wax which I use first, then another to shine it up).

This could get expensive for not my car....she better be suitably 'grateful' lol

Sap is a natural resin, acetone removes resin and would stop it from taking a pit of the paint with it. I have always used this and it has never caused me any issues. WD40 also removes any tar better than anything that I have used also.

 

[joebristolgym]

Isn't Acetone quite harsh on paintwork though?

I best get some SRP then - although my Saxo isn't getting that much TLC - it's just my runaround. Not worth doing the Tiger - it has very little bodywork anyway, and a lot of it is just bare carbon fibre anyway (which has gone 'milky' in a few spots). Def not concours condition!

 

[joebristolgym]

Can I get away with this polish?

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...uctId_718051_langId_-1_categoryId_165527#dtab

And yes, I am tight when it comes to car cleaning products.....

 

[Louism]

Isn't Acetone quite harsh on paintwork though?

I best get some SRP then - although my Saxo isn't getting that much TLC - it's just my runaround. Not worth doing the Tiger - it has very little bodywork anyway, and a lot of it is just bare carbon fibre anyway (which has gone 'milky' in a few spots). Def not concours condition!

I have never had a problem with acetone and WD40

 

[Gally]

Louise why would you ever use acetone or WD40 on your paintwork?

Joe that stuff will be fine! Go for it!

 

[joebristolgym]

I'm glad it's not just me that found the idea of Acetone on paintwork a strange one, and I know nothing.

Jobs a good 'un then, I'll go get some of that stuff. Hope this sorts the paintwork out - maybe I ought to take before/after photos as that seems like the done thing (although it'll be 5mp phone camera ones).

Weird - I'll happily spend £50 on a night out literally p*ssing money away on alcohol, but won't spend a tenner easily on car polish.