Ok, My zed has been sat doing nothing for the last 2.5yrs. It is covered in all sorts of crap such as tree sap etc. Now i have gave it a quick wash to take the worst of it off tonight but there is still alot on there which isn't for coming off by hand. Now question is should i give it another wash then break out the clay bar? Or is there another way you would recommend??

 

Cheers in advance

MER polish on a damp cloth should do the trick,

will need a bit of elbow grease mind.

errr, not sure bout going at it straight with a cloth and polish, I'm sure it would remove most of it, but i would be worried bout damaging the paint. I would go with some iron x or traffic film remover first, then another good soapy wash. I would probably repeat the TFR and wash, then go with a clay bar. Especially if it has been sitting for 2.5 yrs, it will need more than a quick once over to bring it back to life. Be sure to then go over with some decent polish and wax etc when your done. Just my opinion of course :euro:

 

take some pics and post your progress bud :thumbup:

Out of interest what is "iron x"? Saw this mentioned the other day on here.

Go with iron x as pablito says then clay, then polish.

If you're going to do it, do it properly ;)

 

Going straight in with polish will simply induce more scratches by moving around all the particles on the paint. You need to remove them first.

Depending how bad it is and what clay you're using you may need 2 hits with the clay. Just be patient. The key to a good finish is the preparation.

 

@daffy - more about iron x here http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/acatalog/Iron_X_500ml_ECO_Pack.html

It's fast become an essential step in a good detail process

There are also a few bird lime/insect/tree sap removers on the market (Turtle Wax Platinum makes one) - you just spray it on the affected area, leave it for 10 minutes and hose down with a decent amount of pressure (assuming you don't have a hosepipe ban LOL).

 

Otherwise I'd use neat car shampoo (Autoglym is very good, as is Meguairs); daub a fair amount on the crud and let it soak for a few minutes then wash off again with some fairly hot water.

 

Once you have removed the worst of it (the hard residue) do as Pablito suggests and clay/polish the car (Tcut/Autoglym Paint renovator are good - or Autoglym Super Resin Polish if not too badly tarnished), then a good waxing to seal/protect the shine.

 

Good luck mate.....

 

Richard:flowers:

I can get the turtle wax from my work, which is handy as i was planning on trying to do a bit more tomorrow if it's dry. Main problem is i dont have a hose overat my garage and since it aint tax or tested i cant bring it to the hose. What would you suggest i use that i can wipe off?