So, I got this bug in my ass to really cleanup my car this past weekend. I got so into it, I even took the wheels off to clean them on the inside. I washed the car, dried it, and decided to try my hand at a claybar. Keep in mind, I've never done it before. So, I bought a McGuires kit. After I finished, I didn't notice any appreciable difference....maybe I did it wrong?? I keep hearing about claybarring being the greatest thing since sliced bread, but I didn't notice anything special....It didn't even get off the road grime I thought it would....
I thought the same thing as you until i saw someone do it properly.... Do you have like Mothers or McGuires near you?...they usually do the "how to" sessions dont they?... also....theres different types of ClayBars I believe so i was actually about to start a thread right now asking about the differences in bars!!
run your hand over the paint where you clayed. it should be smooth to the touch, our cars get seriously fucked up from the salt in sd and the surrounding areas. if youve never done this before, i would guess your paint is really messed.
Clay does work. In my experience all clay isn't created equal. There are different "grits" so to speak. I'd go to a body shop store/detail supply & get something. If the clay showed dirt/soil, then it was working. You may need a more aggressive clay. Also make sure to have extra detail spray/lube, so you don't rub it dry. Oh, that sounds bad.
^ haha yeah i go with the detailing spray from zaino and their bars. it comes with two clay bars in a tub and mine have been going for some time now. i have to replace them next time i clay. check with steve at tropicare, see what he recommends for you. i know that my cars all really had issues with the salt air down there in sd.
MOTHERS CLAY BAR FTW, plus its available locally at Wal-Mart, Autozone etc... If you have washed the car and then clay bared and do not feel a smooth surface you did it wrong. You must ball up the clay when moving to a new area for it to work correctly and move the debrit you pulled off to the inside of the clay and to keep it from scratching the car. Just do a 2'x2' section at a time, spray a good amount of the detail spray and rub the clay in that area, then take a microfiber cloth and dry that area, run you hand over that area and compare it to an area that has not been clayed if its done right you will know.
Somethings up. I've had mine done twice and it looks like a new ride when it's done. And considering how much wear and tear she gets........that's saying a lot.
YES- IT'S WORTH IT! I was skeptical at first too. Check this out (sorry for the large pics; I want to show detail): I claybar'd the entire truck, except for a center 'stripe' down the hood: After I peeled the tape off: There's some visual results for ya. Now how about some video? :grin: There you can HEAR the difference. Here's the how-to video from Meguiar's: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfEfLGL59GI (sorry- the forum software auto-centers YouTube videos....) It'll take a while (4+ hours for me to do the truck), but it's SOOOOOOOO worth it.
Just so you don't give the wrong impression to those who have never used clay. There are some differences in clay. But clay (done properly) never touches the paint surface. You glide it over a film of detailer spray or car wash soap and water. Detail spray is expensive so I use a little stronger mix of car wash soap and water than I use to wash the car in a spray bottle. (Zaino car wash is pretty slippery). The idea is that the contaminants stuck into the paint and sticking up from the paint are snagged by the clay and pulled out of the paint. So some clay may be better at doing that than others. Note: that since the clay only pulls particulate contaminants out of the paint it does not do anything for spider webs, polishing, etc., and it does not remove water spots (which are actually pitting in the paint surface). Try the baggie test. put your hand in a plastic lunch bag. The thinner the bag the more noticeable the effect. Then try to slowly glide your hand over the paint (completely clean and dry of course) with extremely light pressure. If the baggie sort of snags or doesn't glide with no resistance at all, then you could benefit from clay barring. If you use any kind of wax or polish that has any buildup to it at all you should "strip" the car first -- wash it using liquid dawn dish soap instead of your car wash soap.
i dont use a baggie, but a clean hand. one huge way to tell the car is badass is when you set your towel on the paint and it slides right off...haha.
That works. It can be a pain in the butt if you are used to dropping your towel on the car while applying to the next section. "dammit, yet another towel..."
haha for sure....especially if its microfiber. i dont even bother trying to wash that thing out after it hits dirt. i just finished up my zaino polish though, need to order some new stuff. was thinking of tropicare.
My car needs clayed again soooo bad. I was waiting for Momo to get his detailing business (cheap manual labor only requiring minimal constant supervision) going. I figured he could ship himself up here in a box for the job. Now I've waited way too long and the car is in bad shape.
Here goes I am going to be the bad guy. I think it takes too long, too much time. After washing and waxing boats, motorcycles, cars, airplane and other toys I found myself obsessing about the detail. After spending three days waxing my boat one time the warden (wife) came out and wanted to know what the F. was I doing. Oh the boat looked great BUT. I have since adopted the 10 foot rule. If I can't see any difference from ten feet then everything is just fine. enjoy your life instead. Maybe I am just getting old. BTW I now use Meguairs nano 2,wax on wax off. Sam
I clayed my 300c for the first time a few months ago. I wasn't expecting much difference because the car is parked indoors and is washed and waxed frequently. Boy was I wrong. Huge difference. I used meguiar's kit that comes with the detail spray and 2 small clay bars. It only took 1/2 hour so I can't imagine what some of you are doing to take so long. And the results are WOW.
for it to take me days to clay a boat, it would have to be considered a yacht. our cars take a half hour to an hour to get perfect and i take my sweet ass time.
I never said clay should ever be used dry. It should always be well lubed. That's my point be careful, & use lots of detail spray/lube. I don't think buying an extra 320z container is that expensive(or go bulk & save). The one small container suppled w/Mothers just isn't quite enough for the Jeep, IMO.
Well, yes. The actual clay process could take about that long. Takes me longer 'cause I'm old and slow and just stand around for a bit of beer frequently inbetween sections and I do all the knooks and crannies where you have to be really careful holding the clay bar to not drop it. But you do have to wash the car immediately before and you usually want to wax or polish it right after. So I guess the clay adds 1/2 hour (or more in my case). That would be one advantage of using detailing spray instead of car wash soap. You don't have to wash the car again after you're done.
