clay bar? does it work?

[TDHJSilver06]

Wondering if anyone has tried any of the clay bars on the market? Have only waxed my 2006 with Eagle1 spray wax. You can feel some reminants on a few panels.

 

[mach1]

Wondering if anyone has tried any of the clay bars on the market? Have only waxed my 2006 with Eagle1 spray wax. You can feel some reminants on a few panels.

yep just did a friends Jetta. came out softer than baby's ass

 

[AlloyGT07]

Oh yes! First time I ever used a clay bar, I used the Meguiar's Smooth Surface Clay Kit. The car went from feeling like an old and rough newspaper to a smooth smartphone screen . I spent a lot of time and a lot of the detailing liquid in the process though. It took some time but definitely noticed a huge difference. I also purchased a few clay bars from amazon and those also did an awesome job. Make sure to first wash your car really well and then clay bar.

 

[TDHJSilver06]

Thanks for info. Was looking toward Meguires, Amazon has a few kits remember names of what you used. Thinking of doing this this fall when I'm getting ready for winter storage. Then would have ready for spring!

 

[Calypso]

I clay bar mine after every wash... Black is a pain in the ass... Have to keep it waxed all the time

 

[onlycodered]

Clay bars most definitely work. They will remove most of the contaminants that regular washing won't remove. You really only need to clay bar once or twice a year unless you're going mudding in your Mustang. You will want to apply wax directly after using a clay bar. I recommend getting liquid or paste wax instead of spray stuff as that doesn't tend to last very long.

 

[Mike96GT]

I used the Mothers kit and worked great. Process was wash, clay bar, then wax. I applied wax by hand as was told heat from hand helps the wax. Well it was messy but I must say car looked best it has and it's a 2006. Then of course a week later I clipped the corner of my garage! Lol

 

[Noterminator]

Mothers, Meguiers, and Turtlewax are probably the 3 most popular. And of course the best in quality. I like Meguiers clay bars best myself, and they definitely work. As OC said, get a paste wax. It takes longer to apply, but lasts longer. If your car is black, I find Turtlewax black to be amazing for that mirror shine finish we all love and want. For engine bay cleaning just get some simple green and a bottle of F21. The simple green worked wonders for cleaning away the grime and old grease stains out. F21 will make the plastics shine. And for the tire shine get that new turtlewax stuff. It seems to last several weeks versus a day or 2 like most of the others.

 

[TDHJSilver06]

Figure's that old school paste wax seems to be best overall. Been awhile since I had to play "Karate Kid". Wax on wax off. Will have to get some new wax not sure if I have any left in the garage. Any one ever get wax on vinyl? Have vinyl racing stripes on my silver 2006. Would possibly be safer to use blue painters tape to cover vinyl stripes.
Will have my to set a day & just do it. Thanks everyone for info.

 

[Noterminator]

I waxed over the vinyl stripes on my 2011 5.0 all the time. Doesn't hurt it.

 

[mach1]

WORD OF CAUTION. If you use the same clay bar too much, it begins to get hard. It will scratch the paint. trust me. I made that mistake. It began to fall apart after over using it. Was my DD so no biggie.

btw this is great stuff

http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/zoom.do?edp=84719

 

[Replayman]

Also...when you clay a car, your stripping away any protection. Whether it's wax or sealant.
Blwn04Vert...if you clay your car after every car wash, you need to re-apply wax or sealant every time as well.
Clay bars are part of the detailing process, not a daily cleaner.

 

[Noterminator]

Also...when you clay a car, you stripping away any protection. Whether it's wax or sealant.
Blwn04Vert...if you clay your car after every car wash, you need to re-apply wax or sealant every time as well.
Clay bars are part of the detailing process, not a daily cleaner.

+1

Definitely don't overuse the clay bar. That is a big detailing no no. Even the boxes usually place that warning on the package.

 

[superbender]

I use clay once a year,make a huge differance,even a spaz like me can do it.

 

[jricky917]

I buy the mother's kits, I think they still come with 2 bars...

extra soap to wash it, clay, then I do polish, glaze, sometimes sealer, wax when I'm ambitious. my car takes me 5 hours every spring to get ready for the year lol

 

[Calypso]

Also...when you clay a car, your stripping away any protection. Whether it's wax or sealant.
Blwn04Vert...if you clay your car after every car wash, you need to re-apply wax or sealant every time as well.
Clay bars are part of the detailing process, not a daily cleaner.

i should have stated that i have only drive my car around 1k miles a year and it has been washed only a few times... and i do wax my car after i wash it but like i said my car doesnt see the streets as much as i would like due to work schedule... so as stated by others who im sure drive more then me dont clay bar after every wash...

 

[revoultion9]

If your interested, here is a link to a site with a ton of information on clay baring.

Auto detailing clay, detail clay bar, clay lubricant, Pinnacle Poly Clay, Wolfgang, auto detail clay, meguiar's detailing clay, auto clay bar

I use the baggie test described on this page to determine if I need to clay bar it or not.