I work in an industrial area near Chicago, and we're constantly bombarded by what we believe to be acid rain -- possibly pricipitate from a nearby cement manufacturing plant. Two of the local detail shops recommend claybar to remove the crud from the finish.

My question is this -- given that I have an LS with clear-coat metallic (Mystic Beige), is the claybar a process that can be used a couple of times a year without removing the clear-coat, or is this a one-time last-chance to remove the junk before considering a repaint?

I would appreciate any opinions or experiences members would share.

Thanks

SteveE

 

You can clay bar anytime as long as it's done properly (lots of lubricant). Go to zainobros.com for good explanation of why (and also for a list of excellent products that many on this forum, including myself, swear by).

And considering what you've got coming out of the air up there, I think that your detail guy's recs are good ones.

 

mooretorque -- Thanks so much for the advice and the moral support. My heart almost stopped when I couldn't wash or wax the junk off the LS -- it's way too new to have a sandpaper finish and I would really hate to have to repaint it.

Picked it up from the detail shop yesterday after work and I almost cried tears of joy! My car's finish looks better than new! This particular shop uses Meguiar's products, so they used Meguiar's clay, then glaze #3, then wax #26 and last the finishing spray. Cost a few rubles, but the result was worth every penny.

Now all I have to do is keep my patience putting the cover on the car at work until the EPA finds out what's in the air.

Thanks Again!

SteveE
Shiny '01 LS430 in Mystic Beige w/"fat" tires. . .