AaronM Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Hey! I just started the Zaino Spring cleaning process on the STS. The only thing I have done so far is the claybar. I didn't have any time to put wax on, so it is staying out of the sun and in the garage until I get back from Florida in two weeks. I should have used a tripod to put my camera on. They are not as sharp as they usually are. It was 70 degrees out today! And yes...that is snow in the background. It felt sort of weird having snow on the ground and washing my car with no shirt on and in flip-flops, haha. I hope you like them! 18 Year Old Male Black 1992 STS 4.9L 90,XXX Miles Flowmaster 80 series muffler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yenko Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Looks good! What does the claybar do exactly? And how do you apply it? I have never used that method! I just used cleaner, polish and wax up to this point... IMPORT CRUSHER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaronM Posted March 30, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 The claybar gets rid of all surface contaminants. Like, bird poop residue, brake dust, sap spots, and all that nasty stuff that gets stuck on there. I believe it also strips all the way, but don't quote me on that. Basically, it is like starting a clean canvas for all the layers of wax to layer on. The claybar looks and feels just like a piece of clay. I am guess that that is what is is, haha. You take a cap-full of the zaino car soad and mix it with water in a squirt bottle. Then you constantly squirt the water/soap solution onto the pain and rub on the paint with the claybar with medium pressure. The soap/water solution lubricates the surface of the paint so the claybar glides on it. The claybar process takes the longest. I think it took me about two hours to do the whole thing, but it is worth it! Have a great day! Aaron 18 Year Old Male Black 1992 STS 4.9L 90,XXX Miles Flowmaster 80 series muffler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yenko Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Thanks! I think I am gonna try that next time I wash and wax my car. Probably this weekend...... IMPORT CRUSHER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaronM Posted March 30, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Cool! Just make sure you keep stretching out the calybar and folding it over to expose a fresh surface. And, most importantly, do not drop it, haha. If junk gets stuck in the claybar and you rub it on the paint, you can scratch it up. I think you can buy claybars in the cleaning section at most major automotive stores. Goodluck! Just make sure you put a coat of wax on right after you claybar unless you do not plan on driving the car and are storing it in a garage. 18 Year Old Male Black 1992 STS 4.9L 90,XXX Miles Flowmaster 80 series muffler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STS Scott Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Lookin' stellar Aaron! I have never used Zanio products, but you sure utillise them to impressive results! How do you feel, now that you have 'er all cleaned up for the first time in a long time? It sure is satisfying, eh? Let alone the fantastic condition of your 2002 STS those wheels look really choice. The car looks like a new STS, only better! I'm partial to our body style though...it's a really timeless design in my opinion. Also, to add some input to the whole Clay Bar thing... Yenko, you will be blown away by how much crud you pull out of your paint! I detail cars as a side job/hobby, and ALWAYS clay customers cars because the paint usually is in deplorable condition, and needs all the junk pulled out of it before it can be worked with. It was just this last summer that I decided to clay the STS, as I always assumed it did not need it. That is, I had polished it and waxed it enough since I got it 3 years prior, that the paint already felt like glass. After I clayed the car, I could not believe how much crap it pulled out...from paint that I THOUGHT was already crud-free. Good luck, and Aaron...Gosh! Freakin' SWEET! " ...'took my Cobra down t' the track, hitched to the back o' my Cadillac..." - Jan & Dean, 'hey little cobra' Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyG Posted March 31, 2005 Report Share Posted March 31, 2005 Mothers also makes a clay bar, which works very well. They include a bottle of spray wax that you use to lubricate the bar during use. The amount of black gunk that it takes off is amazing. The kit also includes a small bottle of finish wax to start the waxing process. I don't know what "real" clay feels like, having never been a sculptor, but to me, the stuff is more like "grey Duct Seal"; that impossibly sticky stuff that sucks your fingerprints into it making it hard to let go of. No worries though, your paint comes up nice and smooth, and free of high spots, sap droplets, grit, etc. Never underestimate the amount of a persons greed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted March 31, 2005 Report Share Posted March 31, 2005 The clay bar made by both Maguires and Mothers is amazing, I recommend them both, JUST make sure you use plenty of lubricating spray that they provide with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted March 31, 2005 Report Share Posted March 31, 2005 Clay bar is a chunk of abrasive clay, and is used to "clean" paint. Removing ground-in environmental pollutants, sap, road tar, bugs, leaf stains, hard water stains, etc. It will also remove oxidized paint on the surface (where you most of the new-found shine comes from) Yeah even on your clear coat. But it definitely is an abrasive. it has a "grit" (like sandpaper) and is available (at least professionally) in several levels of coarse-ness, depending on the severity of the surface defect you are trying to correct. As several people have mentioned, it is often bundled with a "shine /wax" spray. make sure to soak the area of the surface you are working, these sprays are to act as a lubricant to prevent, scratching of the paint or even "burn through" (actually rubbing though the clear to the color coat) which would be pretty difficult to do, but possible. In my shop we usually just use a mixture of water and car wash soap in a spray bottle (just mix 'til it feels slippery between your fingers). If you've never tried it, you can get some surprising results with a clay bar, We use them as a quick spot-cleaner for taking care of minor problems on small area of an otherwise good finish. Saves a bunch of time over wet sanding and having to breakout the buffer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
67coupedeville Posted March 31, 2005 Report Share Posted March 31, 2005 Thanks guys for the info on the clay bar. I'm going to pick one up for sure. Spence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STS Scott Posted March 31, 2005 Report Share Posted March 31, 2005 Oh, by the way Aaron, Your STS looks particularily Stellar in that third 3/4 angle shot. " ...'took my Cobra down t' the track, hitched to the back o' my Cadillac..." - Jan & Dean, 'hey little cobra' Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
67coupedeville Posted March 31, 2005 Report Share Posted March 31, 2005 Oh, by the way Aaron, Your STS looks particularily Stellar in that third 3/4 angle shot. Absolutely, looks like a picture from a STS brochere . Spence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chriskoc1 Posted March 31, 2005 Report Share Posted March 31, 2005 Oh, by the way Aaron, Your STS looks particularily Stellar in that third 3/4 angle shot. Absolutely, looks like a picture from a STS brochere . Spence You need to photoshop in a scenic background like a beach or a winding road in a vacant grassland. Just beautiful... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaronM Posted March 31, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2005 Thanks! I love my car! I am going to miss it. I am leaving for Florida tonight for a week. 18 Year Old Male Black 1992 STS 4.9L 90,XXX Miles Flowmaster 80 series muffler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruzajc1 Posted March 31, 2005 Report Share Posted March 31, 2005 How can i post pics, i have a few of my 96 STS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruzajc1 Posted March 31, 2005 Report Share Posted March 31, 2005 Duh I know how to post pics now, but how the hell can I get pics to be under 64KB? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted March 31, 2005 Report Share Posted March 31, 2005 Very Nice Machine . Good luck with it. Great info on the clay bar too!! For editing photos I use the Microsoft Photo Editor. I did not even know I had it but I found it by looking in my Start menue / Programs and saw it there. Once in there I open the file I want and then go to Immage / Resize and then change it to Pixels and make the size 300 by 400 and then save it to a new name so I can keep the original and then I put it in my posts. Good Luck to you.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STS Scott Posted March 31, 2005 Report Share Posted March 31, 2005 To resize photos, what I do is simply go to My Pictures, right click and select "edit". Then highlight the "image" bar at the top and select Stretch/Skew. You can then adjust the pics to the percentage you want them. I generaly knock my digital photos back to 25% to get them around 64KB. I am a computer dummy, but that was the method I conjured up! good luck " ...'took my Cobra down t' the track, hitched to the back o' my Cadillac..." - Jan & Dean, 'hey little cobra' Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadillac_caddy_sts Posted March 31, 2005 Report Share Posted March 31, 2005 I usually put them on my cars webpage which automaticly makes them smaller! Defending Northstar perf a qtr mile at a time!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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