Clay Bars
 

Well, it's that time again to start using the ole clay bar now that the weather is nice. I pulled out my Wolfgang bar from last year and it turned to mush.... I ended up chunking it. Anyone have any experience with clay bars? What is the best to get?


Needless to say, I don't think I'll be going back with the Wolfgang bar....[:o]

RE: Clay Bars
 

I used the one with the meguirs kit. I saved it by putting it in a sealable sandwich baggy.


Seemed to work .. no problem.


Tj

RE: Clay Bars
 

i have had mine for about three years now. but i only use it on teh wheels now.
btu have put it in a sandwitch bag and also i have left it in the out side shed where it was nice and cold so the first time i had to use it it was real stiff and hard to work but eventually went to normal again.

wheels look good as new now and also the rest of the car is looking ok as i havent got to it yet.
between rain drops but will shortly it needs it bad!!!!!

RE: Clay Bars
 

I had mine saved in a bag as well with a little bit of the clay bar solution. Maybe the solution idea was a bad one.

RE: Clay Bars
 

after each use i hit it on both sides with the spray and put it away i dont get crazy about it like they seem to want you to do.

RE: Clay Bars
 

Yep, I've owned Clay Magic, Mother's Clay bar and Meguiars Clay bar, neither one turned into mush and I had each one of them for well over a year. I, like others have mentioned, stored it in a sandwich bag and had sprayed it w/QD to help keep it from sticking to the bag. The only problem I had was the QD drying up and the bar sticking to the bag, but this was after about two years with the Clay Magic bar. That wolfgang bar was kinda pricey wasn't it? That kinda sucks. As soon as we stop getting rain every other day, i'm gonna detail my car and get it ready for this California summer!!!

RE: Clay Bars
 

Hey guys I had an old car (89 Mercury Cougar) so I didn't really spend much time taking good care of the outside as it was already in bad shape. But I will keep my 05 looking as nice as possible. I went to autogeek and read about claybars, but if you guys could tell me your opinions and that stuff would be awesome that way when I do clean my car I want to do whats best for it. Anything would be great thanks.

Rock Chalk

RE: Clay Bars
 

Clay bars are awesome!!

RE: Clay Bars
 

If you have a pretty clean looking paint surface now clay bars will pull out the dirt you don’t see that is slowly etching its way to the metal... I was shocked to see what was left behind after a good washing. If you have water spots or a dingy clear coat I would suggest rubbing compound and a good buffer before trying the clay bar...

I've heard others say good things about Clay Magic, any preferences Rich?

RE: Clay Bars
 

A couple things. The clay bar only pulls out surface contaminants, it does nothing for anything has or is etching. The contaminants the clay pulls out don't etch their way to the metal, they are simply embedded in the surface. Being that his car is an 05, the dingy clear coat is a non-issue but waterspots may be. No need to bring out the rubbing compound for them though, that's a bit harsh. When dealing with paint imperfections, you want to start with the least aggressive material and work your way up. So first clay, then use a nice polish, Klear Kote's Vanilla Moose comes to mind, and see how that turns out. 9 times out of 10, the VM will get the job done. If it doesn't, step up to a more aggressive polish, something like Top of the Line's Fine Cut leveler. Keep in mind, the results you will have using a machine will far surpass what you can get by hand. I would suggest a Porter Cable random action orbital and some Lake County foam pads(polishing and finishing pads should do the trick).

As for clay bar, none of the one's I've used has proven to be any easier to use or produce any drastically better results, so I'd say get whatever is readily available. And if you don't want to waste your quik detailer when claying the car, use a 50/50 mix of rubbing alcohol and water;)

RE: Clay Bars
 

to make the lube for a clay bar is realy easy you can use several thing but what i have found to work the easiest and cheapest to make for me was to use the car wash soap i normally use and then mix it 90 to 10. or i normally add about a 1/4 off the bottom of a clear spray bottel and then fill with water and shake the hell out of it.


but i walso wash my car after i clay it off and then buff it with a buffer and a good wax to seal it all back up.

RE: Clay Bars
 

True story, car wash soap is a good lube to use for claying, however considering how much it costs compared to rubbing alcohol, it's a more expensive method.

Also Jayhawk, whenever you clay, you should follow up with a polish before you wax it. Why? Because during the process of claying, you are rubbing those contaminants over the surface of your car which can cause swirls (regardless of the clay makers contending their product doesn't do that). A polish will fill in and or remove most fine imperfections in the paint and give you a brilliant, even surface upon which to wax which inturn will give the paint more depth and gloss

RE: Clay Bars
 

Rich,

Will the clay bar actually do a pretty good job of removing oxidation or as I called it a "dingy clear coat"? I tried using the clay bar on my wifes truck and it did nothing. I am going to try your other suggestions in removing water spots....

RE: Clay Bars
 

I use the clay magic with good results. For water spots, etc... this works great.....just be sure to wax afterwards.

Mequiar's Clear Coat Body Scrub Paint Cleaner:

Neglected finishes as well as newer paint finishes require the use of an effective paint cleaner like Body Scrub. This proven formula effectively cleans deep down into the paint finish to remove stubborn stains and contaminants that won't come off with normal washing and waxing. Body Scrub uses mild abrasives, chemical cleaners and paint nutrients to safely remove stains, blemishes, oxidation and other contaminants...and it's 100% safe.

RE: Clay Bars
 

Clay Magic it is...



Is this like a paste or more a liquid? I'll give it a shot, my wifes truck is still pretty bad in some areas that I just did not have the energy to finish...

RE: Clay Bars
 

It is a thick liquid. It can take some elbow grease depending on the condition of your paint but you will see and feel a difference over plain waxing.

RE: Clay Bars
 

The etching on our truck is BAD... The only thing I have found to work so far is rubbing compound and a buffer. I did half the truck right before fall last year and need to do the rest this summer. I'll play around with some suggestions posted in this thread. Thanks for your input...

RE: Clay Bars
 

If it's bad enough for rubbing compound this stuff won't work. Being clearcoat safe it is only mildly abrasive.

RE: Clay Bars
 

None of the cars I've used it on were oxidized so I can't speak from experience on that one, however, knowing that oxidation is a chemical reaction of sorts, it physically changes the makeup of the clear coat so I'm gonna have to say that a clay bar won't do anything for that. The only way to get rid of oxidation is to remove the layer which is oxidized. Do you have a random orbital? A porter cable or makita? Do you have a rotary? Personally, I wouldn't even waste my time tackling oxidation without a machine, let me know what you have and I'll give some suggestions.

RE: Clay Bars
 

Always polish after claying, when you wax over a freshly clayed surface, you're sealing an imperfect surface.

There are so many products out there that easily outperform the Body scrub. Any polish will accomplish the same task as all polishes contain abrasives, the key is to find one that's just abrasive enough to get the job done while being easy to use as well. Having used to body scrub as well as numerous other polishes, I can tell you that the body scrub should be your last choice. Vanilla Moose runs circles around the body scrub, it costs a few buck more but when you see the difference in results and ease of use, not to mention how long it lasts, you will be a believer. Not to mention it polishes at the same time, fills in swirls, and leaves a deep, glossy finish on your paint just perfect for a coat of wax!! This stuff is awesome, I can't stress it enough, I highly suggest you guys buy a bottle and see what you've been missing.

RE: Clay Bars
 

"Vanilla Moose runs circles around the body scrub"..... can you buy it a local parts stores? is that that a brand name "Meguiars" or
product name " Body Scrub"? My knowledge is only on what I have tried, but I'm up for trying something else if it's better.

RE: Clay Bars
 

i use Meguiars Clay bar or zaino z18 both are nice and to be honest 1 or 2 times is all i use per bar anymore then that your risking scratching your paint .we all know how much stuff claybars pick up off you car so for the 16.99 for the kit id rather buy a new one then risk damaging my paint.ill save the old one for my rims or something then throw them away