Chaz 01

This past saturday, here in the pacific N.W.we had a semi dry day, so my girlfriend and I went to visit both my 95 and 01 babies that are in storage. I've wanted to "clay bar" my vette but was very concern'd that this could ruin my paint. I couldn't be more suprised. I would recommend though having 2 people do it. We used Meguire's product, Ann was spraying the liquid and I was going over the fiberglass in small areas w/the bar. I kept working the puddy like substance and kind of neading it as I went over the body of the car. I didn't realize it but this product is outstanding, my 95 Dark Purple Metallic coupe never look'd better. The next time we have a day that it dosen't rain, we're going to work on the 2001. I was so scared that this "clay bar" would do irreversible damage to the finish. I couldn't be more wrong.

Just wanted to share - the key is truly to keep the bar lubricated.

Thankx Meguires

Triple Black 88

Yep, I don't know how it works, but it does...

65Z01

It really does an amazing job; if you don't have a coat of polish & wax on yet, wait till you do and run your hand over the surface.

After I clayed my '88 and had the polish on I would swear that the finish was not only snoother than glass but actually felt "warm" as my hand glided over it.

SLOWRIDE

LT1CORVETTE

Clay is a great invention. I have done so many different cars over the years and am still so impressed with the finish that is left after claying.

scofolo

i'm gonna have to order some. i keep putting it off until I run out of my current stuff.

Justardnck

What does the clay do? My vette is already smooth, does it bring out the color better or something? Or does it remove orange peel?

Da Mail Man

GREEETINGS,

YOU SAID "Thankx Meguires" .....YOU MEAN THEY MAKE THE "CLAY-BAR"?......I HAVE BEEN CHECKING AROUND LOCALLY HERE IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA AND CAN'T SEEM TO FIND IT ANYWHERE. ARE THERE ANY LOCAL/NATIONAL "CHAINS" THAT CARRY IT?

Justardnck

I have seen it in Pepboys made by Meguires

Da Mail Man

I WILL LOOK TODAY.........DO YOU REMEMBER THE NAME ON PACKAGE OR APPROX. COST?

Justardnck

I think it was $20 or $25 but I didn't buy it cause I don't know how to use it and am unsure what it's purpose really is.

F1Fan

It basically grabs onto the contaminates embedded in the paint and pulls them out as you slide it over the paint.

Justardnck

So if you don't have acid rain marks or other probs then its not really worth doing? I don't see many imperfections in the paint now, but if it fixes hidden stuff that I don't really see then maybe I will give it a shot. Allthough my 2003 GMC has acid rain marks maybe I will try it on that.

MinnesotaWhite

Here in MN it's $8 for the Meguiars kit...Mothers also has a kit for $15. Both are excellent kits and do a fine job...

lensvet

You should put new wax on the surface right after
you clay as the clay also takes off all the old wax.

aeronautica86

what I want to know is why you thought a detailing product that has been sold for years would hurt your paint....seems counterintuitive

rocco16

It will not repair damaged paint. Clay just removes invisible surface gunk. It makes the paint super-smooth, that's all.

Larry

StingraySam

Thanks for the post. Went out during lunch today and picked up a Clay bar kit and Zymol at the local Auto Zone. Hope I am as successful as you were.

rubyred93

There seems to be a bit of confusion as to the purpose and correct use of a quality clay bar. The clay bar was first developed for body shops as a tool for removing overspray, and there are different types of clay available. Some are more aggressive than others, but those that you'll find in such places as AutoZone are very safe/effective when used properly.

Mother's makes an outstanding claybar and so does Clay Magic. A clay bar does not really take care of what you see on the surface (as suggested earlier: acid rain), what is does address is what you DO NOT see: industrial fallout, pollutants, rail dust, etc. Even a brand new car freshly delivered to the dealership could stand to be clayed based on it's in-transit exposures.

Many fear that a claybar will scratch their paint - not so if used correctly. It is imperative that the surface be very well lubricated when using the bar. Without enough lubricant (i.e. - detail spray) the bar will drag vs. glide. The bar should always glide smoothly across the paint, and not drag.

Another helpful tip is to not use the bar in it's entirety when working with it. By that I mean to break off small pieces (about the size of silver dollar pancakes) and use those vs. the entire bar. The reasoning is two fold: if you happen to drop the clay bar while working with it, it's garbage; and I was never fond of the idea of kneading contaminates back into 1 piece of clay and then reusing it. If you have the smaller pieces that I've described, you'll continuously have fresh pieces to work with. Proper claying will make your finish extremely smooth and is considered correct prep work prior to polishing/waxing.

Well, don't mean to ramble, just some food for thought.

eptaylor

So which one of you is going to come over and do my car so I am sure it won't be a waste of money if I buy a bar? This would be much appreciated.