03/07

With show season just around the corner I thought it was time to try out the new polishing and waxing items I had acquired during the winter. Based upon a friend’s recommendation I had ordered a complete “kit” from Griot’s (pronounced Gree’-Ohs) Garage that included cleaning clay, polishing compound, wax, a liquid called Speed Shine, and an electric random orbit polisher with a couple different foam pads. Oh yes, there’s also a really good short CD that shows how to use all the goodies and a manual for those who like to read. I had also ordered two additional polishing compounds, one finer than the one in the kit, the other more aggressive, as well as a couple mini (hand) wax and polish pads and a couple extra machine pads. The objective is to have a pad for each compound you might use on each car.

I decided to do my driver, the Triumph TR3, first and evaluate the results before doing my show car, the ’73 MG Midget. After finishing the TR I’m planning to do the Midget this coming week, then the Bugeye, then my truck and car trailer.

My British Racing Green (BRG) TR3 was painted about 12 years before I acquired it. The paint was dead, faded, and hadn't been touched since the respray. The car mostly sat for the past 8 years, at most being turned over every 3-4 months and maybe run a bit. There was a LOT of dust and grime accumulated on the body since it was sitting in the corner of an active shop, not to mention LOTS of cat and dog scratches. After getting the mechanicals to a point where I felt safe driving it I decided to try bringing the paint back. These are the steps I went through and a few photos of the results.

Before Polishing

To start, wash the entire car by hand and dry; you don’t have to be quite as conscious of water spots as the next step will remove them.

Now comes the cleaning clay. Well I’m new to this and was thinking that twenty bucks of half a pound of clay was crazy, BUT, in the past I have skipped a recommended part of a procedure or mixed components from different vendors and the results were, more often than not, less than hoped for. So, as the CD and manual suggested, I started with the clay. You’re probably asking like I did “What in the world is this clay stuff supposed to do?” Within two minutes of starting I had the answer. To start you pull or cut off a chunk of clay; I used about one-third of the total amount. You knead the clay and it quickly softens up and becomes pliable; you keep folding it over on itself and then flattening it out. To use it make a square of about 3 inches; that would give a thickness of about 3/8ths inch. Moisten the clay, an 18 inch by 18 inch portion of the car (I started on the bonnet), and your hands with Speed Shine. I wore latex gloves because it’s easier to hold the clay and keeps away the dreaded raisin fingers. Lay the clay on the painted surface and move it horizontally making an 18 inch pass; move down and go back across to where you started. Continue until you’ve covered the 18 inch square, and then do the same thing again but using vertical strokes. On the first pass you’ll feel the clay dragging across the paint; on the vertical passes there is very little resistance. Knead the clay again; you’ll notice a little discoloration, that’s the impurities that were on/in the paint. Add a little more Speed Shine and repeat the process. After the third or fourth pass the clay will glide across the paint; the paint is now clean. Wipe off the area with a clean micro fiber cloth. Continue until you’ve covered the entire car; the process will take longer than a hand wash but less than a hand wax.

The next step is polishing and this will be the first time you use the electric machine. The pad attaches with Velcro; make sure it is close to centered. You put enough polish on the pad to cover about 50% of the pad’s surface, but lightly, you don’t want the polish to puddle up; the rounded applicator top on the product bottle makes it easy. With the machine set just under half speed (#4) put the pad on the car and turn the switch on. Again you do the horizontal then vertical bit covering about the same space each time as you did with the clay. Much of the polish will disappear and the remainder can be wiped off with a clean micro fiber cloth; moisten with a little Speed Shine if necessary and follow up with a dry micro fiber cloth. You can see that you’ll need a good supply of the cloths to do this right. I used a small hand pad for polishing in the hard to get to areas, such as under the luggage rack. I used the #3 polish as per the instructional CD and with good results. On one section of the front apron the previous owner’s dog had tried to climb onto the car and scratched the clear coat. I went back over this section with the #2 polish, after changing polish pads, then the #3 again. Always start with the finer polish and work back to the coarser if you must; there’s no reason to remove more finish than necessary by starting with coarser grit. Using this technique, complete the car polishing. The polishing phase will take about the same time a hand wax. After the clay and polish the car looks great and there is temptation to leave it, BUT, the paint is totally unprotected at this point and needs to be finished off with wax.

The wax goes on much like the polish; of course you use a different pad for applying it. The red color makes it easy to visually keep the wax pad separate from the polish pads; I had previously labeled the polish pads with the car name (TR3) and grit (#2, #3). Again you work on a small area at the time. I also used a small hand pad for applying wax to the nooks and crannies where the larger machine pad doesn’t fit easily; the TR3 has more curves than your eighth grade English teacher. I could see good results in short order. You apply the wax with the machine and buff it off with a clean micro fiber cloth; you’ll probably need a couple cloths to complete the entire car. When you finish waxing it’s time to go back and check every panel again. After giving the car a good going over you’ll find some spots that you didn’t buff down enough that have glazed again. A quick buff and you’re done. The entire wax process takes a little less time as a hand wax, since you’re using the machine for application, but the results are far superior, as the photos attest.

Clean up is easy; I did mine in the kitchen sink. I used warm water to soak all the pads and cloths then rinsed and air dried them and stored them in zip top plastic bags. Griot's has a liquid you can add to your clothes washer if you want to machine wash. All of the products I used were water soluble.

The results were spectacular! I was initially a bit concerned about the cost but can see now that I got what I paid for. I’m not even considering a repaint for the TR3 in the foreseeable future. Startup costs for the machine, pads, and cloths will not be repeated for years as long as the components are taken care of. Quality pads and cloths are a must, regardless of the product line, so the only real additional cost was the clay and machine. Ongoing costs will be minimal, an occasional bottle of the various polishes (primarily #3), wax, and rarely a tub of clay (two-thirds of the original clay lump remains unused). I was pleasantly surprised to find that after re-kneading the clay it’s good for at least one more cleaning of the TR; my guess is that claying and polishing will become a once-every-spring ritual. I plan to wax in the spring and mid-summer, since I wash much more frequently during the summer months.

Everything considered, this system is probably one of the best bang for the buck purchases I’ve made with regard to my car hobby.

After Polishing

E-mail Ray at ray@raysmg.com about MG interests you may share.