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I want to "clay bar" my car but on my roof I was told that the paint is "crow footing". It looks like small slashes in the clearcoat or paint. It is all over my roof and I just noticed it on the upper end of the left rear quater panel. My question is #1 what do I do to fix the problem #2 will the "clay baring" cause it to get better or worse? thanks Danny
Posted by: Detailed Image
I'm not sure about your first question, so I can't help you there. As for the second part I can provide some insight. If the paint or clear coat is potentially coming off the clay bar can potentially pull/peel some of it off. Clay bar is tacky and designed to grab and collect loose contaminates on the surface. Therefore it could easily grab loose or flaking paint. You can still clay the areas around the crow's feet and the rest of the panels no problem. Same goes for waxing/sealing the paint. I'd recommend protecting all the other areas but not the crows feet. Hope this helps and good luck!
Greg @ Detailed Image
Posted by: gt95coupe
Thanks for the reponse! On the first question I didnt know if the crows feet could be wet sanded or buffed out or somthing b/c I know litte to nothing about the crows feet problem. but thanks Ill probably "clay it" next weekend. Also one more question after Im done with the clay I still need to wax the car right?
Posted by: Detailed Image
Correct. Clay bar is basically helping clean the paint. It's especially good at getting out some stubborn surface contaminates that get stuck in the micro-ridges of the clear coat. Waxing or sealing the paint afterwards will help protect the clear coat and enhance the shine. For extended protection you may want to consider using a sealant instead of a wax. Sealants are made in labs to replicate what waxes do, but better. In general sealants give you a longer lasting shine and better protection than natural waxes. This is done by taking the molecular composition of wax and removing elements that don't add to greater shine, durability, ease of use, etc. For best results make sure you have taken all the necessary preparation steps to clean and smooth out the clear coat. The cleaner and smoother the clear coat is, the better the sealant will bond to it. The very high melting point of sealants makes them more durable and resistant to nature’s elements, abrasions and harmful contaminates. Contaminates have a more difficult time bonding to the clear coat, through the sealant, therefore its easier to remove contaminates during the washing process. Sealants typically give you full protection for 3 – 9 months depending on the sealant you select, number of coats and the prep work. Sealants give off a great reflective shine that lasts for months too. Let me know if you'd like more information about sealants or any part of the detailing process.
