Weird Clay Bar Experience

[The Critic]

This happened about a month ago, but my mom's 2010 Altima V6 needed a wash/clay/polish/seal because the surface has felt slightly rough ever since we purchased the car new. The car is garaged nightly and spends most of the day inside a garage.

When I clayed the car, I used Pinnacle's Ultra Poly Clay, which is supposed to be a fine detailing clay. I used an overdose of Optimum No Rinse New formula as the clay lube.

After claying the car, the paint now feels silky smooth. However, the clay bar stayed clean throughout the entire process. In other words, the clay stayed clean and I never saw any debris or dark spots on the clay at any point. Even so, I still kneaded the clay 2 or 3 times to be safe.

So, why did the clay stay "clean?" The clay certainly did its job by removing the contaminants that made the paint feel rough, but then shouldn't the clay appear dirty?

What do you guys think?

[Fly bye]

Originally Posted by The Critic

After claying the car, the paint now feels silky smooth. However, the clay bar stayed clean throughout the entire process. In other words, the clay stayed clean and I never saw any debris or dark spots on the clay at any point. Even so, I still kneaded the clay 2 or 3 times to be safe.

So, why did the clay stay "clean?" The clay certainly did its job by removing the contaminants that made the paint feel rough, but then shouldn't the clay appear dirty?

Thats cause the paintwork was in relatively good shape just prior to claying.

[BobbyG]

Since the car is new, the paint is also very new and hasn't been subjected to all the airborne contaminants daily drivers see on a day to day basis.

Proper routine maintenance will keep the finish like new and lesson the amount of particles that can become embedded in the clear-coat finish.

Apply a quality sealant like Menzerna Power Lock then a good quality wax such as Collinite 845 or Pinnacle Souveran. If you'd like to stay with a 1-step product give Klasse AIO a try, it works very well.

[dougaross]

Originally Posted by BobbyG

Since the car is new, the paint is also very new and hasn't been subjected to all the airborne contaminants daily drivers see on a day to day basis.

Proper routine maintenance will keep the finish like new and lesson the amount of particles that can become embedded in the clear-coat finish.

Apply a quality sealant like Menzerna Power Lock then a good quality wax such as Collinite 845 or Pinnacle Souveran. If you'd like to stay with a 1-step product give Klasse AIO a try, it works very well.

However, if you want a 1-step with greater durability I would suggest Duragloss 501 or 105

[buddhadog]

It could also be clearcoat overspray . Go around the car very carefully and see if there was any paint work done to it.

Or it could have been very close to another vehicle getting painted.

[Fly bye]

Originally Posted by BobbyG

Since the car is new, the paint is also very new and hasn't been subjected to all the airborne contaminants daily drivers see on a day to day basis.

Proper routine maintenance will keep the finish like new and lesson the amount of particles that can become embedded in the clear-coat finish.

Spending most of the time in a garage, combined with the fact that the car is new, explains why the clay didn't pick up a lot of dirt.

Originally Posted by The Critic

The car is garaged nightly and spends most of the day inside a garage.

[Fly bye]

Originally Posted by buddhadog

It could also be clearcoat overspray . Or it could have been very close to another vehicle getting painted.

I have an S2k that I don't drive much anymore. It camps out inside of my garage 24/7. After as little as 2-3 days, I can feel tiny debris that has landed and bonded to the finish. If I let it go for 2-3 weeks or longer, it prolly feels like what the OP's moms 2010 Nissan felt like before he clayed it.

[Fly bye]

carefully, from the top, wash each panel with a...

I can do this with the top down, because a hose is not...



From the top of the doors that is

[The Critic]

Originally Posted by Fly bye

Thats cause the paintwork was in relatively good shape just prior to claying.

Understood, though the paint did feel slightly rough. Is it possible that the contaminants I was picking up with the clay were of a light color, and therefore they were not showing up as dark spots on the clay?

Originally Posted by dougaross

However, if you want a 1-step with greater durability I would suggest Duragloss 501 or 105

I did a quick polish using my Flex and a LC white pad with Meguiar's D151. Then I applied a coat of Duragloss #105. So far the paint feels very slick even after a month, hopefully apply #105 on top of D151 did not result in any bonding issues.

[Fly bye]

Originally Posted by The Critic

Understood, though the paint did feel slightly rough. Is it possible that the contaminants I was picking up with the clay were of a light color, and therefore they were not showing up as dark spots on the clay?

You prolly picked up a minute (very small) amount of dirt/debris, which is why the clay still appears relatively clean. If you parked it outside for less than a week, it'll feel rough.