There are many ways to restore the paint on your car. The one I recommend is using clay bar system. It has been used by car care product companies for about a decade but only hit consumer markets approximately 5 years ago. While it does remove contaminants from your car, it does not take the place of scratch removal, polishing or color sanding.



Depending on the age of your car and how contaminated it is will prove to be how long the clay bar system will take. If it is a newer car that you are restoring the paint on, it may take only a few hours. If you are working on restoring an older car, it could take several hours and possibly even a day or so to complete. The older the car paint and oxidation of the paint, the more contaminants it will have on it to be removed.

You must begin, of course, with washing and waxing your car. Make sure to use a cleaner that has been formulated automotive finishes. When these are completed, you will begin the refinishing. With the clay bar system, you receive the bar along with lubricant. Begin by putting some lubricant on about a two or three foot portion of the vehicle. Do not use water in place of the lubricant as it cannot protect against paint damage. Continue by rubbing the clay bar over the section with light pressure. Go back and forth over the lubricated section making sure to overlap each stroke as you go. It may sound rough at first as it begins to remove the contaminants but as you continue, it will get smoother. If necessary, reapply the lubricant as the area needs to be saturated as you rub with the clay bar.

Your horizontal areas will take more time as they collect the largest amounts of the contaminants. When you have finished using the clay bar on an area, be sure to dry the area with a clean, soft terry cloth. Now that you have finished removing the contaminants and making your paint take on that soft-to-the-touch feel, you must apply a protective coat of sealer of wax. Some kits include their own preferred wax but you can use whatever product you prefer.

Spray texture is a way to help protect your vehicle from the contaminants that attach themselves and create that rough feel. It's a sealer that is most often used on the high contaminant problem areas such as the hood, fenders and bumper. It protects against bugs, rocks, weather and everyday road debris. It is not something quite as easy as the clay bar system.

The sealer has to be prepared and used in such a way that it blends in with your paint. There is a special gun to be used with it and you should practice with the sealer on other surfaces before you take it to your vehicle. It must be done just right in order to adhere properly to the vehicle as well as flow seamlessly with your paint giving you the perfect finish you desire.