WOW!! Clay Bar is Amazing
- Thread starter judoant
- Start date
Justin727
New member
I have used both on my supra. Does real well but IMHO the liquid wax/polish didnt hold up long. The black looked damn deep. I used mothers clay and ice liquid on my black 4runner and to me it didnt seem to be as deep/dark as it use to be..
I like meguires gold class wax. Holds up a little better and has the paint look deeper. Considering I did buff out water etching and fine scratches with 3m compounds the truck looks almost new now aside from the small dings.
MikesToy
Banned
This weekend would be a perfect time to do it.
bak3rme
Senior Member
i spent about 3 hours yesterday washing my car and waxing it, i was going to buy a clay bar and use it. The results were good, but im guessing since u've used the clay bar it turned out really good for you. I have a black truck and i dont think its ever been clayed. can u tell me how to use it, what the tips are and how much the bar cost?
BROOKLYN
New member
did all that saturday and then it rained all day:happens:
In my experience Auto Magic seems to be the most readily availible brand. Some places sell just the bar in a plastic storage bin, others sell the kit with the attached spray bottle of "lube".
Me personally I use the blue AM bar. The red one is a bit more abrasive, but also harder to come by. For the lube, I use Meguiar's Quick Detail spray. There are other products as well.
Goes like this:
1) Wash car with strong soap. You want to remove any wax that might still be on the paint. For this occasion only, I use Dawn dish soap. It'll be squeaky clean when dry.
2) Tear off about 1/4 to 1/5 of the bar. Mold it a bit to sort of resemble a small burger patty. Light to moderate spray of the lube onto the painted surface. Within that sprayed area rub with LIGHT pressure. Enough pressure to move the clay across the paint will be sufficient. Keep working the area until the clay slides almost effortlessly across the surface.
3) If the clay starts streaking or skidding on the paint and out of your hand, you need more lube. You don't want contaminents in the clay to scratch the paint. Check the clay OFTEN, you'll be suprised at how much and how fast the clay gets dirty. When that happens knead the clay such that you can get clean clay back onto the surface. If you can't "make a clean spot" toss that wad, and grab another off the bar.
4) You know you're done when you can't feel ANY imperfections in the paint. No stubble, bumps, snags, etc. After completed the paint might look a bit nasty with the dried lube. No problem. Just rewash, or wipe down with water and a microfiber rag, or your quick detail spray. Your vehicle is now wax and contaminent free, and ready for polishing and waxing.
One full bar of clay will usually do 3-5 vehicles, depending on the condition of your paint. YMMV. Good Luck!
PS, My bad on brand name. It's Clay Magic, and apparently they no longer offer the red clay. Their website shows you everything. I'm not intending to promote this brand over say, Mother's or Meguiars, just sharing my experience.
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This clay bar product......would it remove rust spots from running boards?
I just noticed on my 2010 T4R that the running boards have little rust spots on them. The dealership people told me it's probably rail dust.
The weather is cold and snowy here though, so I'd probably have to wait until spring to be able to do a complete detail on the exterior.
I just noticed on my 2010 T4R that the running boards have little rust spots on them. The dealership people told me it's probably rail dust.
The weather is cold and snowy here though, so I'd probably have to wait until spring to be able to do a complete detail on the exterior.
J.A.
Senior Member
Yes and no. One of the original uses for the automotive clay bar was to remove rail dust. The idea was to remove the iron particles when the vehicle is new BEFORE the rust occurs and harms the paint. I would definitely try it.
Uneek
Super Moderator
Go ahead and try it. You have nothing to lose--claybars are one of the least aggressive ways to clean finishes. I would use a small piece on the running boards and throw it out when done, since there are probably other contaminents on the running board that you probably wouldn't on upper parts of the paint.
laureena23
New member
I can't wait for the weather to break so I can try a clay bar! I made a post the other day about my white '99 having little orange spots all over the rear hatch, also a few rust spots along the rear windows.
I love the white but I hate how dingy it looks even after washing and waxing.
I love the white but I hate how dingy it looks even after washing and waxing.
TheeMikeB
New member
When I had my 00 Tundra I did the whole claybar and Zaino Bros treatment pretty religiously. I did the clay at least once a year and the complete polish/wax rebuild after. It kept the body in AMAZING shape. I had that truck for 9 years and it looked awesome.
One thing to realize on the clay bar is how much of the contaminants it removes and how EASY it is to polish and wax a smooth surface. It takes a while to do but the subsequent washing/waxing is much easier to accomplish.
One thing to realize on the clay bar is how much of the contaminants it removes and how EASY it is to polish and wax a smooth surface. It takes a while to do but the subsequent washing/waxing is much easier to accomplish.
bulldogtaxi
New member
3m has a clay lube that you can use too. i have used that followed by a 3m paste wax and get a super smooth clear coat afterwards:biggrin2:
If the clay bar doesn't do the trick, you might need an ABC wash. You can buy the stuff and do it yourself, or have a good detailer do it for you.
spongerx
Member
Just got done using a clay bar for the first time. I went with Turtle wax Ice clay bar kit. The results are amazing. It took me a few hours because I used the liquid clay first then the bar. I was really concerned about all the crap that ends up on the paint during the winter - road salts etc. Not any more. It took care of all the super small rust spots too. Amazing product. I'm waiting till after the semester ends then I'll clay bar again and through on some wax. :naughty:
Uneek
Super Moderator
Unless it is significantly cheaper, and you're going to test it on an inconspicuous spot or a beater (or mule vehicle), I would stick with the major brands like Mother's, Meguiar's, Griot's Garage, etc.
810moto
New member
saving money now might just cost you in the long run. stick to the brands you know and trust. I clay about 2-3 times a year and makes my 4R smooth as a babies butt.
