gahhh it was a b!tch :/

spray spray swipe swipe swipe get towel and wipe off ... repeat then fold and kneed the clay...

gah makes me not wanna do it again...
so why should i do it again? and how long should i wait?

any tips you guys can give me for my next trip around? and is it just me or does that showtime mothers quick detail leave swirls and stuff after you wipe it off with a towel?

btw i used mothers claybar

oh and thanks in advance for the tips/advice

 

I didn't find it that hard or that big a deal. You will need to do it again when the "bonded contaminants" build up to where you can't stand seeing them. If you don't park under trees, and keep your car in a garage, this could be years. Notice that when washing the car you can sometimes see these bonded contaminants and you can pick them off with your fingernail.

Again, you avoid swirl marks by ensuring you spray lots of liguid on the car before using the clay bar. You don't press the clay bar against the car, you just glide it over the paint. Most importantly, you move fore/aft on horizontal surfaces, and up/down on vertical surfaces.

 

Maybe I'm a heretic, but I've found that for spot-cleaning, I can just rub the clay over the soaped-up spot while I'm doing my towel wash. Doesn't take more than a few seconds.

 

I have to say that I was some what of a skeptic when it comes to using a clay bar, but now I am a believer. My car has generally stayed clean, however, using the clay bar took that “clean” to a whole new level. Also cant encourage you enough to try it on your windshield. Night and Day difference! It might seem like a huge effort to put out Mike, but you just gotta do it before using any type of sealant polish or wax. Otherwise, you are certain to trap a minute quantity of dirt or dust on top of the paint.

The only tip I would say is that the lube they provide with Clay Bars is ok, but soapy water does the same trick! Try that. I would be certain to wash the car down quickly to remove any residual clay after you finish the clay bar process.

 

For claybar, I find this way to be very quick.

Get a nice fluffy towel that you would normally use to wash your car, fold the towel up into a managable size, soak the towel in a bucket of soapy water, and place the claybar in the middle of the towel. Then holding the towel and clay against the car, just claybar like normal. Make sure the towel is always soaking and you wont ever have to worry about spraying or surfaces that suddenly become dry again!

so it would be like this:

[hand]
[towel]
[clay]
[car]

 

You KNOW the claybar is working when you end up with a glass smooth finish! Zaino recommend using their car wash soap to lub the clay bar - the dillution ratio is on a sheet included with the claybars, which I have lost of course. As I recall it was twice the normal ratio - so 3 to 4 caps per gallon. I have it in a spray bottle - I recommend the Zep spray bottles sold at Home Depot. They have an offset handle and hold 32 oz.

Writing this caused me to once again READ the instructions on the clay bar container. It says NEVER claybar a hot surface (among other things).

 

Try Zymol's "HD Cleanse". It is basically a liquid clay. So you don't have to worry about a lubricant or deal with a clay bar. Or face the horror of dropping your clay bar on the ground.

 

Yeah, the claybar should be almost effortless if your doing it correctly. Its like gliding a hockey puck over ice. It should be that smooth.

Anyone who I have shown this to becomes a true believer. The results are outstanding.

 

I used Meguiar's Claybar and it was very simple to use. Picked up surface stuff easily. I'd recommend it to anyone.

 

Just used Meguiar's clay bar for the first time. My paint was feeling rough and my dad was giving me a hard time about it. I spent my day off working on my car, but it was worth it. Now I don't have to worry about some idiot with an orbital buffer messing up my car.

Just had to give it a bump

 

I hear Ice Liquid Claybar is good if you have already done a heavy duty job before.

 

I heard that also and it is easier to use. My paint was very rough, so I didn't want to take the chance. I know, I know. BAD RX8 OWNER!!! BAD!!!

 

I also used meguirs and found it pretty easy, if not tedious. especially after a thorough washing and before polishing and waxing...thats a lot of rounds over your car.

I was very impressed with the clean surface after claybarring, unfortunately, after I polished I lost some of the glassy smoothness, which didnt make sense to me? (I use Meguirs for all stages of the cleaning process)

 

I use Griot's claybar. It comes in a larger size than most clays. The trick is to keep the surface wet and do small sections at a time with drying. I follow it up with Griot's Best of Show wax and it stays very smooth, no streaking. Regardless of what brand, clay is the best and it makes any wax application go much easier.

 

I just used mother's claybar kit. I was freakin' amazed. awesome stuff. I've never claybarred before.

-Steakboy

 

In my quest to improve the appearance of my BB (paint mistreated by previous owner) I tried a claybar for the first time this weekend. I was mostly pleased with the results and anticipate using it as a quarterly or semi-annual tool. I read on autopia that the OTC clays are pretty abrasive and shouldn't be used super frequently. I am interested in getting a less abrasive clay from a detailing specialist to employ more regularly.

I had pretty decent results with OTC products and hand polishing (foam pads and microfiber towels) this weekend using:

Megs gold class car shampoo
Mothers claybar w/ megs quick detailer (I like the megs better than the mothers in terms of QD)
3M rubbing compound (forgot the specific product number but not happy with it, too much dusting etc.)
Megs scratch X (much better than the 3m, like the diminishing polish deal)
Megs ColorX
Megs NXT synth paste wax

Although I think the results with the above combo were good (excluding the 3m) the experience has prompted me to buy a PC7424, pads and sonus products. I feel that there is a lot more room to improve on OTC stuff. I suspect that a non otc clay might be a nice addition to the family of detail products too.

 

I need to claybar for the first time. The paint feels like sandpaper. Any thoughts on Meguiars with soapy water? I figure I'll buy the kit and then save the shine spray for actually making my car look nice at events.

 

I'd try it, I pretty much blew through a whole bottle of detailing spray (and $7.00) doing a through clay job on my car. Next time I clay I'll probably use a soapy water as a lubricant instead. Although, guess since claybar isn't a regular wash item, the cost isn't that big a deal.

 

Zaino suggests mixing a capful of car wash shampoo with water in a 16-oz. spray bottle. Works great, and obviously costs less than using a spray detailer.

 

Best bet for claybars OTC is the blue Claymagic bar you can buy at Autozone. It's $6-7 cheaper than Mother's, doesn't come with useless cleaner wax, and comes with dedicated spray lube and not a QD. Plus the bottle lasts about as long as you need the clay for.

I wouldn't be worried about abrasivness of OTC claybars, 2-3 times a year use should be fine, IMO. I probably induce more marring getting snow off the car every winter.

 

Be sure to dilute soap appropriately. Regular soap concentration isn't strong enough. E.g. compare dilution ratios for Zaino Z-7 for wash (2-3 capfuls per gallon) vs Zaino Z-7 for claybar (capful per 16oz).

 

I'm thinking that I'll go zaino on the shampoo and final sealant wax. I'm looking at the autopia polishing packages for the pc, pads and polishes. Now I just need to figure out how to pay for all this crap and keep at least 1 kidney.

 

eforer, pick up Menzerna Powergloss with a yellow lake coutry pad, it's supposed to be more aggressive and effective for our paint.

 

Good to know, I've heard good things about Menzerna on autopia. Where have you had good experiences buying from?

 

I got my Menzerna and yellow pads from properautocare.com. I've also had good experience with autogeek.net. Exceldetail.com was really nice to do business with when I ordered MF towels from them.