To Clay Bar Or Not?

[budder06]

Car is clean. I have little bitty bumps I can feel on the hood of the car.

Question: What do you recommend I do to get rid of these annoying bumps on the Hood?
Question 2: What do you recommend I need that will make the rims Bling the most??

For Paint: If Clay bar, How do you use? Never used before.

In the garage, I have :

Meg'rs Spray Way
3 bottles of Carnuba Meg'rs Wax
1 Bottle of Crystal Painter Cleaner Meg'rs
A buffn Wheel
Gold Class Meg'rs Wax
Nano Spray Wax
NXT gen Meg'rs Wax
Diaper SOft Towels
Mother's Chrome Wax

Out of these products, which do you like? I think the Gold Class has great protection. Typically, I'l use the Spray Wax (Nano) every other Wash.

Since the Armadillo carshow is this sunday, I would like to make the paint look better than brand new.

Any suggestions would be Awesome!!!!!

Thanks

Budder:wax:

[lowriderman3]

I am wondering the same. :popcorn:

[boggart]

Claybar first, then mcguires 3 step wax job. I love the NXT wax.

Claybar doesn't get more simple, spray with detail spray, rub clay over that area, feels smooth. Don't drop.

[budder06]

Thanks

[PHANTZM]

Most retailers here carry the clay bars in kit form only , meaning they come with some sort of spray lube. Work in small areas (generally 2-3' sq.) antil the car is done. If you drop the bar , throw it away. Or do like most and use only half of the bar just in case. So if you drop the first half you got backup.

You can also use it on your windshield to remove sap and bug innerds. Just wash it (the car) when finished to remove any residue , then do your wax to finish up.

[lowriderman3]

Thanks for that info!

[UnderTaker]

i use claybar alot... you have to make sure that the surface is nice and wet - i just keep the hose going while i wipe the surface down - you'll be suprised to see some of the junk that comes off the car.

[RobAGD]

How To Clay Paint (http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7400)

How to locate Meguiar’s Professional & Detailer products in your hometown (http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1504)

As to the buffer is it a rotory tool or is it a Random Dual Action Polisher/Sander ?

As to cleaning I like the Pro Line #80 for light work, the #83 for more sever work and then #21 Sealant or NXT. For the winter I used 2 layers of #16.

I will be trying #26, Gold Class and a few others to see how they loo on my car.

btw - get MF towels vs the diapers

-Robert

[lowriderman3]

I know this has most likely been answered 100 times already, but since this is a thread on clay bars......It will remove water spots correct?

[STAGE 3 R/T]

Claybar doesn't get more simple, spray with detail spray, rub clay over that area, feels smooth. Don't drop.


IF YOU DROP YOUR CLAYBAR IT IS TRASH!

[budder06]

How To Clay Paint (http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7400)

How to locate Meguiar’s Professional & Detailer products in your hometown (http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1504)

As to the buffer is it a rotory tool or is it a Random Dual Action Polisher/Sander ?

As to cleaning I like the Pro Line #80 for light work, the #83 for more sever work and then #21 Sealant or NXT. For the winter I used 2 layers of #16.

I will be trying #26, Gold Class and a few others to see how they loo on my car.

btw - get MF towels vs the diapers

-Robert
Great articles rob!

The buffer is for polishing only.

[charginscott]

great timing Budder - gotta get em right before we head up

Scott

[BuckeyeRT]

Clay!
NXT is an awesome choice.:thumbs_u:

[charginscott]

Never used a clay bar but I do use NXT and love it.


Scott

[CcDubya]

i use claybar alot... you have to make sure that the surface is nice and wet - i just keep the hose going while i wipe the surface down - you'll be suprised to see some of the junk that comes off the car.

Not meaning to dispute this at all -- just looking for clarification from others more knowledgeable than myself. I've heard that you should NEVER use water as a lube for a clay bar. Anyone else heard this, or is it just a ploy to make us buy more of the detail spray?

[Batman]

Claybar with detail spray. in a pinch water will do (distilled please). 4 hours of work you will never regret.

[Invader]

Clay it in sun or shade like wax?

[RobAGD]

water with some car shampoo will be ok, I just get big bottles of detail spray (1 gal) so I typically have enough around.

Shade, sun will cause teh lube to dry out too fast and cause teh bar to drag making icky marks on the finish


-Robert

[budder06]

I went with the Megr's Speed Glaze on order from amazon. $16
Will Polish, Buff'n wheel, NXT wax, Buff'n whell, MF towel rub to get in cracks.

After looking at the paint, the paint shop people said it wasn't worth clay baring, (not that bad) and recommended Speed Glaze.

Thanks Rob for the Suggestion of products.

[RobAGD]

I would still suggest the claybar as a first step. The back end and front end of teh car will have a good ammount of bonded contaminate.

As when you are refering to "buffiung" wheel is it a rotory tool ? or a DA Orbital ? I would NOT suggest using a rotory unless you have a really bad finish with a lot of defects. Use a DA with an 8006 pad with the #80 for minor defects and polishing.

-Robert

[BuckeyeRT]

water with some car shampoo will be ok
-Robert
This is all I use. I would never just use water.

[HEMI~C~]

I used clay (meguiars 2xclay bar and detailing spray kit) for the first time a month ago and can't believe I waited so long. There is no down side to using clay first... It removed all the little specs of dirt you could see/feel in the front and especially in the rear that imbed in the clear from the road. The paint feels like new and it only took a couple hours.

I plan on claying the car at least twice a year to keep it smooth as a babies bottom.

[budder06]

I would still suggest the claybar as a first step. The back end and front end of teh car will have a good ammount of bonded contaminate.

As when you are refering to "buffiung" wheel is it a rotory tool ? or a DA Orbital ? I would NOT suggest using a rotory unless you have a really bad finish with a lot of defects. Use a DA with an 8006 pad with the #80 for minor defects and polishing.

-Robert
The Speed Glaze will get the bonded contaminates out.

The buffer is not a rotary. Ill pick the pads up tomorrow.

[boggart]

After looking at the paint, the paint shop people said it wasn't worth clay baring, (not that bad) and recommended Speed Glaze.


Please don't take offense at this, but they are wrong, and not used to doing anything by hand. Always looking for the easy way out, not the best. Use the clay bar.

[momsrockinride]

Claybar with detail spray. in a pinch water will do (distilled please). 4 hours of work you will never regret. Truth... clay bar with detail spray leaves you with a paint job smooth as a baby's bottom.

Clay it in sun or shade like wax? done it in both and doesnt make much difference. The clay is simply catching all the minerals left behind that the soap couldn't clean off. DONT drop your clay bar...if you do, chuck it in the trash or you'll scratch your paint.

[lowriderman3]

I am still debating on using the clay bar, but went by a detail shop that is well know in town today at lunch..He did a spot on my car with something called "Spot-Not" and that sucker took off all the water spots and such, and left a shine better than the Black Ice wax I had just put on there. It was a liquid. Takes water spots off windows too....So there is other products out that will work as well as the clay bar.

[QwykSilver8]

I have used the clay bar on my car twice, works great. I made a mistake, though, and used it to get tree sap off one spot on the hood, and it actually cut the clear coat. I guess I was a little too vigorous with the clay.
Would you classify this as "minor"? I'm not well-versed on paint care. The spot is small and still pretty smooth, but it's definitely cloudy. I'm not sure what to do to fix it. Only hand-waxed the Magnum before and only own an orbital buffer.

Suggestions?

Thx,

Joe



I would still suggest the claybar as a first step. The back end and front end of teh car will have a good ammount of bonded contaminate.

As when you are refering to "buffiung" wheel is it a rotory tool ? or a DA Orbital ? I would NOT suggest using a rotory unless you have a really bad finish with a lot of defects. Use a DA with an 8006 pad with the #80 for minor defects and polishing.

-Robert

[Aikidoka]

i couldnt believe how well my car came out after the first time I clayed it. It was like glass. DO IT!!!

[budder06]

I see, you guys really wanna get the clay bar going...

IF the SPEED GLAZE and a BUFFER do not get the bonded stuff off, THEN I will go to Clay Bar.

Process of Elimination. Ill keep you posted as to how well #80 pared.

[charginscott]

Today I used the Mothers clay bar kit for the first time, comes with clay detail spray and a cleaner/wax.
I used the clay cautiously , first timer , then used the cleaner wax and finalized with NXT.
Loox nice if I do say so myself.

[Dutch]

I have a couple thoughts to share:

If you run out of the spray detailer, don't just use plain water. You need to add a bit of soap to it to reduce its surface tension.

I always wash my cars with Dawn dish washing detergent before I clay bar them. This removes all of the old wax. I'm not sure it's entirely necessary, but I figure I'm washing it anyway, might as well use that and potentially prolong the effective life of my clay bars (not gunked up with old wax).

The clay bar even works great on old paint. I clay barred my '66 Chrysler before I sold it. The paint was quite dead - it was 15 years old and only cost me $500 to have it painted at the time. The clay bar brought the shine back to how it looked freshly painted.

I do my cars once a year, sometimes I'll do the horizontal surfaces a second time on my driver, but not on the wife's. The Taurus is a huge PITA to wax with the plastic rails on the roof.

[HemiDreamin']

Do you Daytona owners out there clay the decals, spoiler, et al? Thanks.

[Youngz1]

I see, you guys really wanna get the clay bar going...

IF the SPEED GLAZE and a BUFFER do not get the bonded stuff off, THEN I will go to Clay Bar.

Process of Elimination. Ill keep you posted as to how well #80 pared.

Always remember the less is best approach. Start with the least aggresive process first, and if that doesn't do anything, go to the next step up. Claying should be done after you wash the car and BEFORE you polish and apply your last step product. I just don't want you to mess up your paint.

[XeenoMorph]

I see we ( LXforums ) had a group class at Meguiar's place in Irvine, Ca. back in March. I wasn't a member back then, but would like to attend a class. I see they reserve weekend classes for groups only. If you're not in a group, you have to go "standby" and there aren't many openings available. Any chance the group could arrange another class soon ? Was it worth it ? I bet there's plenty of people interested.. I think....

Xeeno...:)

[themightye]

Clayed my car today. Used Mother's all-in-one box of clay bar, detailer spray, and wax. What a difference it made. Both the front and rear of the car had a lot of stuff on it.

Smooth as a baby's bottom? You bet! I put the wax on the car after claying, and it was easy to put on. I'm good until the spring!

[daoist]

If you run out of the spray detailer, don't just use plain water. You need to add a bit of soap to it to reduce its surface tension.

Actually I think you're wasting your money by using a detailer spray. Since you have to wash the car again after claying it, you're going to just wash most of the benefit of the detailer spray off immediately.

I just bought an empty spray bottle and use extra-diluted carwash with great results.

[BuckeyeRT]

I just bought an empty spray bottle and use extra-diluted carwash with great results.
That is what I do:thumbs_u:

[89grand]

Claybar's FTMFW!

There is absolutely no down side to using one, and only many positives.

[daoist]

Actually there is one downside.

I clayed my car a couple weeks ago. I almost rear-ended someone because as I was driving I couldn't help but notice how beautiful the sky was reflected on my hood. Eyes up!