SmootHHR

Hit some various chunk of road gator this evening on the way home. Sounded like I hit a dead body...claimed yet another front license plate cover. I'll take the $8 cover vs something spensive!

American & Proud

I have a Black Panel and I have used the Meguiars clay bar kit.

No fancy just for Black Cars, I think it's just a Marketing Gimmick.
So is Clay barring, all these companies including Meguiars have to sell Product and come up with all kinds of silly stuff and Charge us plenty of cash for the supposedly latest and greatest next Best thing.

Now don't get me wrong, clay barring does remove "surface contaminents", but so does an old fashioned Buffer.
I have done Both clay bar and buffing. honestly, I can run one of my buffers over my Panel just about as fast, except I'll use 3 different compounds so 3X's as long.
But then there really are no shortcuts you can take to get a true Show Car Finish.

But if I only wanted to remove so called "surface contaminents" I would just use a Swirl remover once around and be done. Then a fresh Wax Job. Gonna want to Wax it after you use the Clay Kit anyways so not saving any time there.

Clay barring actually seems to be alot more physical work over just running one of my buffers over the car.

I Mainly use 3M (Pro body Shop stuff) and Meguiars, Different products for different needs.

Clay bars are mainly meant for guys who are afraid/intimidated of power buffing their cars.
In the wrong hands thay can burn through paint on hard body lines pretty Quick, but with Experience you cant beat a Good Buffing job.

A Good buffer to start out with and ALOT safer in the hands of a novice user is a Porter - Cable DA (Dual Action) Buffer. I have the 7424XP 6-inch Variable Speed Polisher.
I use 7 inch pads and bought the counter weight for using the 7 inch pads.
I have the old body shop standard Milwaukee 1750 rpm Buffer as well.

I use whatever is Needed at the time I am working on my cars to get the finish I am after.

These pics were just after I clay bared (is it Barred or Bared? Or?)
But beforhand maybe a few weeks or so, I had Maintained my cars finish, I HATE swirl marks and fine scratches showing on a Black car.










This last pic you can see some swirls in the flash, I buffed the car after these pics, these were from an earlier post about just using the clay bar kit. Clay will only help remove stuff surface stuck to the paint that just washing won't remove.
It does not remove any scratches or swirls.

Nice to use if you don't want to drag the buffer out and just want to Wash, Clay and Wax the car.

I hit mine with a buffer before waxing to remove the stuff waxing or claying can't.

Silver and White cars Hide them the most just by them being a light color. But lack the Depth of a dark cars finish.

But, Nothing beats the looks/depth of a well maintained Black Cars Finish.


And on Topic here. I got the correct Right Side Velvac HHR Mirror being sent out after they sent me 2 Lefts.
Was 54 degrees here in Chicago so I took Morticia out for a little joy ride this afternoon.

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Thanks for the advice. I do have some Turtle rubbing compound in addition to a couple different brands of wax, one of which is a Meguire's.
This time, though, I'll probably use my Washwax All, and do a real nice deep cleaning and real wax by Spring.
The local VFD evidently holds a car show every year, so I want to get Herman and Earl (my '86 Silverado) ready for the next one, maybe even do a little underhood detailing.

Uma

Do you have anything in the lower grille opening to stop road debris? A guy on the Facebook HHR forum just lost his ac condensor and raditor due to something flying through there. Todd (Uma)

SmootHHR

I saw that same post on FB and that was my first thought when I heard it hit. No, I don't have anything for the bottom opening and fortunately, it didn't do any damage besides the cover. It's definitely got me thinking about putting some kinda mesh, at minimum, in that opening. The last thing I need right now is some road junk spearing my radiator

American & Proud

Keep in mind thats just my opinion and some of my routine to maintaining my cars Black finish.
I was a body and fender man and an auto painter for a dozen or so years before I switched Trades.
After I switched I did alot of restoration work in my home garage for several years in my current home. I slowed down a few years ago not taking in any sidejobs and just work on my own stuff these days.

Do alot of research on different car sites and try different things, what works for me, may not work best for you.

I still try different things but I usually go back to my routine as I still have not found any Miracle in a Bottle cure all easy to use Show Car Shine in 10 minute treatment that actually works. As most products like to claim.

When you hand wash your car, use 2 - 5 gallon buckets and put Grit Guards in the bottom of them.

Start a thread or do a Search, you'll find many to get you a good base to start with.
Maybe the Black Only car products do a better job, ask around at your local car shows and local cruise nites on what routine the car owners are using.

I have seen a Black '56 Chevy here at some shows, his paint is PERFECT, I mean not a single flaw or swirl. He has won alot of awards just for his paint and he aint talkin on his exact methods of keeping it that way.
Little by little as I see and talk to him at the local shows, I'll piece together what he's using/doing, just a matter of time.

On Topic here-
Took Morticia out for a Coffee run this morning. Gonna be 60 here in Chicago and mid 40's the rest of the week.

SmootHHR

Woohoo! Bought me a new license plate cover at lunch today. Some kind of excitement right there...$8! I remember when you could get them for half that

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A&P,
I wonder if his secret is something especially prosaic, like McDonald's french fries or the like. Back in my teen years, I used 'em on the dash in my '74 K10, and it never cracked. That's saying a bit in arid New Mexico.

2manyvans

I agree with A&P , black is a challenge to keep clean and scratch & swirl free. Then you pull it in a garage with a bunch of fluorescent lights. You'll see scratches you never know you had.

I got my black 08 panel last spring. Since then I've learned alot about polishing. I used a waffle pad with 3m finess-it and perfect -it. once i got ALL the swirls and fine spider web looking lines out I tried something new to me. Zaino ! Some people don't care for it (my body &paint guy), most that use it swear by it. Paint refinishers swear at it !

It's a polymer rather than a wax. I 've had good luck so far. Really smooth, Drag your hand across it with no resistance. It doesn't attract dust as much as wax.

Anyway black is a ***** to keep clean, but nothing looks better than clean black. Even the towels that you wipe it with might make fine scratchs. Utube has a lot on polishing.

Have fun with it ...John

843de

Truly the pinnacle of excitement today, hit the hobby shop in Spencer, bought two new boxcars, then I gave the Paddy-Wagon a tankful of Ultra Premium for his monthly "treat".

Thanks the to recent spike in gas prices here, it took $60.24 worth of "Rocket Fuel" to feed the silver critter. They are saying $5 a gallon come Memorial Day, here we go again kids.