holy crap - clay bar is awesome

[mtbnole]

So after 4 months of having the TE, I finally got around to using a clay bar on it and giving it a good wax.

I've never used a clay bar before this, so i was nervous at first, but once I tried it on just the hood, I was hooked. The paint is soooooooo smooth. I put 2 coats of wax on the hood and 1 on the entire rest of the truck. I'm thinking i should have gone with 2, but I will do another wax coat in a week or so.

The meguires clay bar kit is great and there is just enough quick detailer in the kit to use as lubricant on the paint. I did however, do the entire vehicle 2 times with the clay bar to be sure, so the detailer may go further for others.

I'd post pics, but i finished the waxing int he garage late sunday night and was out of town for 2 days for work. It still looks good after sitting in the rain for two days.

 

[810moto]

i will 2nd this one. meguires has some really good products even though clay is clay. I have used their products for over 10 years myself. now that you mention it, i need to clay mine. it's certainly an all day deal to wash, dry, clay, seal and wax the runner but when your paint is like glass at the end of it all........100% worth it.

 

[DocMT]

If you think it works good on your paint, try it on your glass (windshield). I was amazed at the results. Use plain water as the lubricant when using the clay bar on glass. You'll be amazed at the amount of crap you get off your windshield with a clay bar....even if you cleaned your glass before hand.

 

[mtbnole]

If you think it works good on your paint, try it on your glass (windshield). I was amazed at the results. Use plain water as the lubricant when using the clay bar on glass. You'll be amazed at the amount of crap you get off your windshield with a clay bar....even if you cleaned your glass before hand.

thanks for the tip. I did half the windsheild, but used the quick detailer. I'll try that with water this weekend, still have some stuck on bug leftovers on there

 

[DocMT]

thanks for the tip. I did half the windsheild, but used the quick detailer. I'll try that with water this weekend, still have some stuck on bug leftovers on there

Yeah, it will still work with quick detailer as the lubricant, but you are much better off using plain water because the glass will be squeaky clean and you only need to dry it when you're finished. If you use quick detailer as lube, you should still clean the glass to get it all off when you're finished.

 

[RonMAIDEN]

On a 4 month old truck I would expect the paint to still be nearly as smooth as glass but you should see/feel how big a difference a clay bar makes on a on a 12 year old truck,clay bars work awesome and I now do mine once a year and wax twice a year.

 

[DocMT]

On a 4 month old truck I would expect the paint to still be nearly as smooth as glass but you should see/feel how big a difference a clay bar makes on a on a 12 year old truck,clay bars work awesome and I now do mine once a year and wax twice a year.

You'd be surprised. Brand new cars can have tons of crap in the paint. Rail dust is probably the biggest problem on some new cars.

 

[mtbnole]

You'd be surprised. Brand new cars can have tons of crap in the paint. Rail dust is probably the biggest problem on some new cars.

yeah, i was surprised at the difference. I need to do the 04 Acura TSX this month, that will be a much bigger difference, but will need polishing as well, something else new to me!

 

[4Runner7]

New to Detailing.....

So I have a similar question. I just bought a 99 T4R and I am in love with the color. There are some swirls that I want to get rid of, and also some spots with oxy spots on there too. I am thinking that this is going to be a multi-product job? What do ya'll think?

 

[K.C.]

Isn't it great?

I loved it ever since I used it too.

I only use Mother's Clar bar, because Meguiar's give me this weird film.

Anywho...be sure to throw away the clay bar after you use it for (3) cars, because it collects contaminates.

 

[Uneek]

So I have a similar question. I just bought a 99 T4R and I am in love with the color. There are some swirls that I want to get rid of, and also some spots with oxy spots on there too. I am thinking that this is going to be a multi-product job? What do ya'll think?

You will need a dual-action buffer and polish to remove the swirls. The swirls are very fine and light scratches in the clear coat. When you polish, what you're doing is leveling the clear coat out. A clay bar just removes surface contaminants, but it will not level the clear coat.

 

[Clemsonfan15]

Can you use water as the lubricant?

Do you have to wax after you clay?

I'm looking at doing our three vehicles soon.

 

[DocMT]

Can you use water as the lubricant?

Do you have to wax after you clay?

I'm looking at doing our three vehicles soon.

My opinion:

Yes, you can use water, but when claying your paint, you'll get better results using a quick detailer spray as lubricant. The clay will glide more easily and you'll get less clay transfer on the paint. If you've never clayed a car before, you might not know what I'm saying....

For best results, try this: 1- wash the vehicle well using dish detergent to remove any wax on the paint. 2- clay away. 3- repair any paint defects. 4- wax the vehicle. It's a lot of work, but it's worth it in the end.

 

[JohnnyT]

Better yet...... Wash, clay, polish, SEAL, and then wax ( optional due to the great look of most sealants).

Optimum No Rinse should be in everyone's arsenal. It is a great winter wash since you don't need a hose but it also makes a fantastic slick lubricant after you dilute it for claying. Extremely versatile product that makes water slick. Read about it.

 

[Uneek]

Can you use water as the lubricant?

Do you have to wax after you clay?

I'm looking at doing our three vehicles soon.

Yes, you can. But quick detailer makes it more slick and as mentioned, less likely to leave clay chunks behind.

You should definitely apply wax, or better sealant, after claying. The clay removes contaminants and any wax or sealant from the finish. It will appear to have wax on the finish because of the quick detailer.

 

[JohnnyT]

Before you apply the sealant or wax, the surface should be as perfect as possible (thus why i suggest polishing). You should get any quick detailer you used for claying off the paint by washing afterwards. You will seriously degrade the effectiveness of the sealant or wax if you put it on top of any quick detailer.

I strongly recommend you use a sealant on top of your perfect-as-possible finish. It will last much, much longer than a wax.

 

[CookieRoe]

i will 2nd this one. meguires has some really good products even though clay is clay. I have used their products for over 10 years myself. now that you mention it, i need to clay mine. it's certainly an all day deal to wash, dry, clay, seal and wax the runner but when your paint is like glass at the end of it all........100% worth it.

Many of my friends and family tell me that my truck and car look new. ( I clay them about once or twice a year). I wax them only every 4 month or so, I really should do it more often ........ Having a mirror finish EVEN after you only wash is awesome. I only use Maguirars products! Good stuff! :thumb3:

If you think it works good on your paint, try it on your glass (windshield). I was amazed at the results. Use plain water as the lubricant when using the clay bar on glass. You'll be amazed at the amount of crap you get off your windshield with a clay bar....even if you cleaned your glass before hand.

Never thought to do this!! For the past 3 weeks I've been commuting on the highway, I'm sure there is tons of crap on the windshield. I'll give a try!

Isn't it great?
I loved it ever since I used it too.
I only use Mother's Clar bar, because Meguiar's give me this weird film.
Anywho...be sure to throw away the clay bar after you use it for (3) cars, because it collects contaminates.

I've noticed the "film" too, I just wipe with a soft terry/microfiber cloth until its gone. Yes, some people unbelievably keep their clay "glob" for a long time. A friend of mine kept his "glob" for 3 years.

 

[PaulB-2006 T4R]

Clay barring is awesome, I remember the first time used it I was pulling in the neighbors to show off my 4R. I also use Meguiars products, clay bar, NXT and top it off with #26 Hi-Tech Yellow Paste Wax. Also between waxings I use Quik Detailer but recently bought Ultimate Quik Detailer.

Side note, my #26 Hi-Tech Yellow Paste Wax is probably 15 years old, any problems with old wax? It still looks and performs the same.

 

[DevilCruz13]

So after 4 months of having the TE, I finally got around to using a clay bar on it and giving it a good wax.

I've never used a clay bar before this, so i was nervous at first, but once I tried it on just the hood, I was hooked. The paint is soooooooo smooth. I put 2 coats of wax on the hood and 1 on the entire rest of the truck. I'm thinking i should have gone with 2, but I will do another wax coat in a week or so.

The meguires clay bar kit is great and there is just enough quick detailer in the kit to use as lubricant on the paint. I did however, do the entire vehicle 2 times with the clay bar to be sure, so the detailer may go further for others.

I'd post pics, but i finished the waxing int he garage late sunday night and was out of town for 2 days for work. It still looks good after sitting in the rain for two days.

I've got some light hard water damage on my hood and grill from the sprinklers at my apt....will using the clay bar help?

 

[scoobydann]

The clay will take off whatever is sitting on top of the paint. It will not take certain waterspots that have etched into the paint. Give it a try. Depending on how bad they are it might work