sleeper

cariapat- Welcome & Congrats on the new ride !!!

-20* I'm freezing up just thinking about those temps...

87silver

I have a 2008 HHR SS in black. IMO, it's the best color when clean; the worst color when dirty.

I decided to try the advice of the group and see how the clay bar application works. I researched some cheaper "EZ Clay" clay bars on Amazon; reviews were marginal. I bit the bullet and tried the Meguiar's system. I haven't been so impressed with an automotive paint treatment as this for many years. The black paint is practically radiant.

I put a coating of mirror glaze paint sealant over the top.

I'm not sure if I paid too much for Meguiars (just under $20 w/ tax) or if I should have went with the cheap stuff. Would anyone know if it makes a difference?

Regardless I'm happy with the results

doogal123

Even though all clay in the US is made by one manufacturer, the consistency supplied varies from vendor to vendor. I like the clay I get from Adam's Polishes - 200 gm bar, break it into thirds, and it lasts a long time and really cleans the finish. Have heard that some clays are very soft and sometimes have problems sticking to the surface, but never had that issue. Claying is great, gets the finish ready for machine polishing (machine polishing removes all those spider web lines you see). Since I have solid black paint, it shows everything, so I do machine polishing (beginner machine, Porter Cable 7424XP - safe safe safe).

hyperv6

The clay used in the cleaner bars is a special clay from Japan or used to be only from Japan. Each company uses the same but the fillers in the bars can be different. It is like brake pads. They all can say ceramic but few will say how much cheap fillers are used. The price often tells of the cheap fillers.

The price of the good clays are cheap. If you think $20K is a lot then you have never used quality products.

Many high grade polishes and waxes can go that much or more. The one polish I uses is nearly $40 a quart. I am lucky to get it at cost.

87silver

With all due respect, is price relative to quality? I have 2 vehicles that are approaching 25 years of original ownership and while I have not spent $40 a quart for polish, I tend to look for commercially known "off the shelf" products. Mainly due to time allocation and availability. Maybe they might look better if I spent more money, but still I'm happy with the result of my care in 25 years of ownership... FYI, the paint on the one made in Flint Michigan was smoother from the factory than the one that came over on the boat from "Nippon".

SS fan

I certainly hope so, both of them look new, great job, I know what it takes. Here is my old one. This car has the best paint I ever sawed, but it was 69,702.00 when new.

hyperv6

The fact is generally in life you often get what you pay for but there are no absolutes.

I show and have won car shows not the local VFW shows but national events since the 80's and I have found that if you want the best results they do not come out of a bottle from a Walmarts shelf. My needs are a little greater than trying to make a little Suzuki have a little shine. When you show a black car in a field of 600 plus cars at a national even and you do not trailer it takes the right products and the right prep.

Some folks can get on fine on Corn Flakes but some have a need that the flakes just can't support.

Note I will agree there are some expensive products that are no better than the cheap walmart stuff.

87silver

Well put. I have no problem spending more on a product that produces better results, especially owning a black SS. Any suggestions of products that would produce the best results for black paint would sincerely be appreciated.

FYI, my HHR SS will now be joining the ranks of my 87 Silverado and 87 Samurai, so this is applicable. I purchased the SS for business with the intent of keeping it for life like the former two mentioned. I ordered a Ford Fusion to kick around as a transitory vehicle for business, so going forward, the SS will now get its "velvet ropes" in the car corral and will only be utilized in the best of weather.

Thanks for the insight...

hyperv6

The 3M Finess Polish for dark paint is the best general polish I have used for black. It is easy to use and really cleans up paint. I follow it sometimes with 3M hand Glaze. In fact I did this just last night. Both are for clear coats.

It is not cheap but a quart bottle last a long time. It is material that body shops use. I find much of the better polishes and levels of polish are normally the more professional lines. You can tune you polish to the job. In other words use more cutting where you need it or just go with the milder if deep cleaning is not needed.

Too often the off the sheld stuff is for people just looking for a general shine and paint protection. This is why there are things like Cleander waxes that do cleaning and wax in one step. That is fine for the general driver but in my case I am a geat head and I show black cars. I can not afford to have any stray marks in the paint on a sunny day as my paint will not hide flaws like silver or red.

As for expense my polish for the amount you get and how long it last is not bad. While it may cost near $40 a bottle you get a lot more than some get whey they pay $15 for less than half.

the bottom line is what kind of finish are you looking for. While someone here could clean a HHR us from a very dirty condition to a clean fresh looking finish to where they are happy I could take the same thing to the next level. With my cars often my starting point is already cleaner than the point many Finish too. We all have different acceptable levels of detail. In my case the level of detail is very high. For one I am almost OCD about my cars and second when I show the finish and detail are points. If I leave even one point on the table it could be the difference of placing or not. With over 100 Pluse awards and some from some very big meets I need to present the best I can. It is my hobby and that is just what I do. It is not for everyone but many of the products I use and the methoeds I have learned can help the average normal guy get better results and oftern do it with less work.

When detailing I look for results but I also work smart. Often people think I was my cars are washed daily they are not. I watch the weather and many of the product I use and how I use them preserve a clean appearance much longer. Also once you get a car to a high level of clean it is easy to keep it there vs trying to bring it back from a lower level of detail.

Some people garden I detail. I have learned a lot over the years from trial and error or someone showing me what to do. The key is to work smart as the easy way out is seldom the best path but that does not mean you need to work yourself to death either.

aspence5

hobby lobby, or michales hobby, something like that