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Mike Phillips
10-14-2015, 05:15 PM
1969 Corvette Stingray - Cobra Clay Mitt Review (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/new-car-care-products/95956-1969-corvette-stingray-cobra-clay-mitt-review.html)


A while back I had this old 2-door Chevy to detail. Nick gave me the new Cobra Clay Mitt to test out. As a professional best practice I don't wash muscle cars, classics or antiques using the traditional wash method of using a bucket and water hose.

The reason why is I don't introduce water to places where rust can be an issue. Instead I use a waterless wash for most of my detail work.

Couldn't use the Cobra Wash Mitt the way most people would use it but that's not a problem I'll just use it with some clay lube.


1969 Corvette
This Corvette has a long history as a race car but the current owner tamed it down and now just cruises it to car shows.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=100918



Problem was... the dreaded holograms...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=100919

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=100920

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=100921

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=100922



Bonded Contaminants
Besides horrible holograms after doing the Baggie Test I found the paint was also contaminated. Due to the amount of contaminants my guess is there was clear overspray paint plus who know what else. I used some detailing clay to gauge how bad the contamination was.

The contamination you see below was collected off the paint after claying only one half of the deck lid.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=100923



The Cobra Clay Mitt
Here's the Cobra Clay Mitt. One size has a polymerized rubber face. This is the side you use to decontaminate paint.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=100924



The other side is soft plush microfiber with a short nap.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=100925



Cobra Clay Mitt Review
The Cobra Clay Mitt worked superb for removing all the contaminants off the paint, glass and chrome trim on this 1969 Corvette. I didn't place my hand inside the mitt but instead simply gripped the wash mitt from the microfiber side and then rubbed it over the surface using a generous amount of clay lube.

It was fast and effective. It was as easy to use and unlike clay if you drop it on the ground you can rinse it off and continue using it.

I'll definitely use it again.



Results
No pictures of the process for doing all the correction, polishing and sealing from this project as I started at 6:30pm and had to hustle to get her done before midnight.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=100926

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=100927

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=100928



On Autogeek.com

Cobra Clay Mitt (http://www.autogeek.net/cobra-clay-mitt.html)



:)

Joe@NextLevelDetail
10-14-2015, 06:09 PM
Amazing results for 5 and a half hours mike.

Great job, was it single stage or base coat clear coat ?

Did you have help or you did it all by your self, what percentage correction wise would you rate it.

And what machines did you use.

Amazing job 👍

Hoytman
10-14-2015, 06:15 PM
Wow that looks great!

I don't think I could make it look like that in that amount of time, Mike. Not with moving a DA polisher around 1" a second...even if I used my rotary for the compounding step. I might be able to do the two steps with my rotary and a final with a DA, but that's probably 1 more step than you did. I'm not concerned with getting that fast...but ding dang as you say...I would like to speed up things a little bit. Compounding with my DA takes generations it seems. I'm not afraid to use the rotary for that first compounding step and maybe I should.

Klasse Act
10-14-2015, 08:17 PM
Mike, you did an outstanding job on the Corvette:props:

You stated it was a race car and the owner tamed it down a bit, was it a Baja racer?

whavens
10-14-2015, 08:38 PM
Looks great Mike, doesn't even look like the same car.

Sent from my KFSOWI using Tapatalk

BrianMcLeod
10-14-2015, 09:05 PM
Looks good! Does your same principle about washing classics with a waterless wash apply to restored classic/muscle cars?

Mike@DedicatedPerfection
10-15-2015, 12:36 AM
Beautiful work Mike! That classic black Corvette looks incredible!

Question, where would this Mitt fall in terms of clay classification? Fine grade, medium grade, aggressive grade?

Craig Parker
10-15-2015, 02:26 AM
Excellent work Mike! The car looks awesome, how would you compare the Cobra Clay Mitt to the Nanoskin Autoscrub?

Mike Phillips
10-15-2015, 05:27 AM
Amazing results for 5 and a half hours mike.

Great job, was it single stage or base coat clear coat ?



Basecoat/clearcoat.

This Corvette actually has a different paint on it from different stages of it's life but all of it is basecoat/clearcoat.

I met the owner at our local Tuesday night car show. He watched me demonstrate how to use detailing clay and asked me to look at his Corvette. He told me the paint felt rough and that he had tried clay but to no avail.

I felt the paint and then showed him the baggie test but the baggie test wasn't needed as the paint felt like #40 grit sandpaper. The problem was years of contamination and overspray paint from multiple paint jobs.

Somewhere I have an article that explains the MOST common place to get overspray paint on a car is at a body shop. They are always spraying paint and not always inside the paint booth so it's pretty easy to get air-borne overspray paint on your car while it's at a body shop. In fact real common.





Did you have help or you did it all by your self, what percentage correction wise would you rate it.



Knocked it out by myself. I'd say about 95 percent correction.





And what machines did you use.




Flex 3401

I used all the same techniques I teach in my 3-day Competition Ready Training Academy classes. Next class in in January.

Compound = BLACKFIRE SRC Compound with LC 6.5" Orange Hybrid Cutting Pad
Polish = BLACKFIRE SRC Finishing Polish with LC 6.5" White Hybrid Polishing Pad
Wax = BLACKFIRE All Paint Protection machine applied using LC 6.5" Red Hybrid Waxing Pad






Amazing job




Thank you. Appreciate the compliment and this was a fun project.

The night before I knocked out this old car, did it in 5.5 hours too... I don't take breaks when I detail except for a drink of water.


3D HD Adapt and Poxy Review - 1940 Packard Streetrod detailed by Mike Phillips (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-mike-phillips-your-detailing-questions/94683-3d-hd-adapt-poxy-review-1940-packard-streetrod-detailed-mike-phillips.html)

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=99323

:xyxthumbs:

damaged442
10-15-2015, 06:01 AM
That Vette turned out amazing! Would love to know what's going on under that hood! LOL

parshooter
10-15-2015, 06:26 AM
That Vette looks fantastic!!! Great job Mike. How much of an area do you swipe with the mitt?

Mike Phillips
10-15-2015, 06:45 AM
That Vette turned out amazing! Would love to know what's going on under that hood! LOL




I have a picture of the engine, I don't remember it being all dolled up out of the normal but when he start her up you can tell she's healthy.


:)

Mike Phillips
10-15-2015, 09:57 AM
Wow that looks great!

I don't think I could make it look like that in that amount of time, Mike. Not with moving a DA polisher around 1" a second...even if I used my rotary for the compounding step. I might be able to do the two steps with my rotary and a final with a DA, but that's probably 1 more step than you did. I'm not concerned with getting that fast...but ding dang as you say...

I would like to speed up things a little bit.



Flex 3401 on speed setting 6

Couldn't use a rotary buffer on this Corvette, too risky on the raised body lines due to others that have buffed before me.





Compounding with my DA takes generations it seems. I'm not afraid to use the rotary for that first compounding step and maybe I should.



Flex 3401 on speed setting 6






Mike, you did an outstanding job on the Corvette:props:

You stated it was a race car and the owner tamed it down a bit, was it a Baja racer?


Don't have the details about the racing history in front of me but the owner has a large poster board he displays by the car at car shows, next time I see him I'll take a picture of it.





Looks great Mike, doesn't even look like the same car.



Thanks Walter...





Looks good! Does your same principle about washing classics with a waterless wash apply to restored classic/muscle cars?



Yes. Of course. Here's my article on this topic...

How To Wash a Classic Muscle Car (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/66215-how-wash-classic-muscle-car.html)


By the way, this Plymouth Fury was COVERED IN OVERSPRAY after a visit to.... a body shop. Like I say, the most common place to get paint overspray is when your car is at a BODY SHOP.






Excellent work Mike! The car looks awesome, how would you compare the Cobra Clay Mitt to the Nanoskin Autoscrub?



Similar product, does the same thing.





That Vette looks fantastic!!! Great job Mike.

How much of an area do you swipe with the mitt?



Moving the mitt back and forth in straight lines about the length of 2 feet or so, kind of depends upon the size and shape of the body panel. I don't think about it much just get and get working.


Thank you for the questions and comments...


:)

eaglefan
10-15-2015, 10:24 AM
When clay gets "Dirty" you kneel it to get a "Clean" area and continue.What is the process for cleaning the mitt after a section or two?

Mike Phillips
10-15-2015, 10:49 AM
Beautiful work Mike! That classic black Corvette looks incredible!



Thanks Mike.






Question, where would this Mitt fall in terms of clay classification? Fine grade, medium grade, aggressive grade?



I'll have to check. It's not aggressive for sure so probably in the fine/medium range.

Different grades are really about speed and time. The more aggressive you get the fewer passes you need to make to do the same work. The less aggressive you get the more passes you need to make assuming all other factors remain the same.

This Corvette was BAD. REALLY BAD. And this mitt worked great.






When clay gets "Dirty" you kneel it to get a "Clean" area and continue.

What is the process for cleaning the mitt after a section or two?




Good questions.

If you're washing the car using a traditional wash method, that is you have a hose and running water then dunk it in your wash bucket of car wash soap and rub your hand over it with some soapy water and then rinse the face off with water.

If like me you're using it after a waterless wash then what I did was walk into the nearest sink to wash it off. I sprayed some BLACKFIRE Clay Cleaner & Extender onto it and the lightly agitated using a nylon detailing brush, (like a toothbrush), then rinsed in the sink. Then back to work. I think I did this about 4-5 times as the overspray paint was building up on the face of the mitt.

I should have taken pictures but I buffed this car out AFTER having worked a full day and I wanted to get home, take a shower and get to bed before 1:00am

I'm usually really good about taking pictures but it's time consuming. Not just taking the pictures but the cropping, resizing, uploading and inserting.

I have more projects coming up so next time I'll try to take a few pics to share...


:)