After reading the many posts on detailing here at the .org, I went out and picked up a clay-bar kit.

HOLY CRAP! This stuff is awesome. Wonder why I never heard of it before. This thing looks better than when I drove it off the showroom floor.

I would like to build a recipe to make my own......I'll fill you guys in if I stumble across something.

 

just wondering, what brand? my car needs a wash BAD! but its monsoon season here and raining with dust storms like ever 2days so im not bothering. but im gonna really pamper it once all this crap is over.

 

and all I have to say is DAYUM!!!! It is definitely alot of work but definitely worth every bit of work. I got my Z1, Z2 from zaino today so I'll try to finish the job tomorrow.

My paint looks better than the day I brought my six home and smoooooth but now I can see all the chips on the hood as plain as day . This guy walking by asked if the car was new. I used the mother's clay kit.

turbo dreams
woosh

 

Can't believe I can't find a homemade version of detailing clay. This stuff feels just like silly putty. Almost identical. Wouldn't that be ironic if it were the same?

Accept they charge 8 bucks and ounce for it! I used a mothers kit.

 

Just from your description I new you were from the Phoenix/Tucson area. I checked your sig and sure enough.

 

wow, clay bars are that good?

Would my max benefit from a clay bar too?
I've had my car for 4 years now, and its been washed every week, no kidding, and its been waxed 2 times. Althought the car's been washed everyweek, I dont know, I think it doesnt look as "brand new" anymore..

 

Somebody correct me if I am wrong: Is this the process for the clay bar?

1. Wash Car
2. Use Clay bar Kit
3. Wax car(or polish)
4. Enjoy

I want to know it this is the correct sequence of events?

 

ive clayed my car twice... both times i was kinda like, whats the big deal?

perhaps i wash my car too often and it doesnt get dirty enough for the effects of the claybar to be noticed??

 

I just clay bared (Mother's) my car for the first time 2 weeks ago...and let me tell you, it is definitely worth all the elbow grease put into it!! It looks and feels 10x better than when I drove it off the lot...but I can see all the paint imperfections now too. It still feels smooth up to today!!

 

Excellent post on clay bars here

 

Sounds pretty accurate except you may want to wash again after you clay to remove any residue left from the clay before you wax.

 

yeah lucky us huh. this weather really sucks. i still havent washed my car in like 3weeks now. its getting on my nerves.

 

See, i tried the clay bar stuff and was very un-impressed, it didn't pick up that much stuff, and the clay bar would get stuck (even with a lot of spraying) and leave residue on m paint. I find that meguiars clear coat body scrub works 1000x better.

 

Mmmmm... clay bar... I love the results, and it smells like cinnamon!
See the shiny pics in my sig.

 

As a person who has used 3 different brands of clay bars, there is a difference in usability and in cleaning power. Personally, I have become more of a fan of the Clay Magic because it provides the pliability of the Meguiar's and has the effectiveness of the Mothers. Also, you can get the Clay Magic for $9.99 at AutoZone as opposed to $17 for the Mothers.

In my case, I never have to rinse my car off a second time because I make sure that the area I am claying has enough lubricant and I have the towel handy. If you are having a lot of residue from claying, chances are that you are rubbing in an area that is not adequately lubricated. But to get rid of the residue, use the clay lube and a towel. Then you don't have to worry about rinsing.

But truth be told, make sure you work in a 2'x2' area so that you don't leave any residue.

 

But wont the "lubricant" need to be removed before waxing for better bonding?

I try to remove all oils, wax, and other product residue before I wax so I end up with the best possible bond between the paint and wax.

 

The "lubricant" in the Mother's clay bar kit is their Showtime quick-detailing spray. I don't think it hinders the bonding of the wax, but I could be wrong.

 

i have read about this mothers clay barstuff, and i am going to try iton my 90 max, i just dont know what it is meant to do, i have like {and its hard to explain} like marks or water spot marks or something along the side of my door and it looks horible in the sunlight, but u cant see it at night.. i just dont know what it is, i wax it and it seems to goa way for like a day, can this mother stuff get it off or what? should i just try and see for muself? i just dont know what to do

 

The best description for a clay bar is a paint conditioner. it conditions your paint it will remove the contaminates like bugs, sand, dirt and oxidation. You can wash your car every day but there will still be contaminates there that you may not see nor feel with your bare hands. The best way to test the condition of your paint is to get a plastic bag and put it over your hands and rub your paint. you will be surprised by how grain like it feels.

Try the plastic bag test before and after you wash your car. Next try the test after you clay the car. For those who don't see what the big deal is with the clay bar this test will open your eyes and make you believe.

Another thing the clay bar will not remove swirls or scratches but make them more visable so you will need to wax with something like Z5 or 3m-swirl remover to get those out and start waxing away!!!