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.

 

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

 

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....

 

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.

 

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...

 

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.

 

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...

 

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

 

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.

 

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.