Detail question....claybar

[Qualitywires.com]

I read some of you guys use claybar on your viper...

stupid question...what does Clay bar do? It sounds very time consuming...

 

[97 Viper GTS]

Most claybar applications are actually quite simple. I use Pinnacle polyclay and pre-wet the surface with a 1:4 dawn/water solution. The clay removes any impurities in the clear coat. If you claybar once or twice a year (depending on your climate), you will be amazed with the results. The paint will feel like glass again- then follow with a polish and wax for excellent results. I can claybar my whole car in about 30-45 minutes.

 

[Andrew/USPWR]

If you've never used it ab, you'll be amazed.
Just spray the lubricant ahead of you and with circular motion, rub down your finish with the clay. Turn the clay frequently to keep the clean clay doing the work. I did the SRT/10 in about 1/2 hour. I’m also a Pinnacle user, but I use there’re clay lubricant.





2005 Silver SRT/10
2000 Steel Gray GTS (sold)

 

[apun]

After you wash the car, take your hand and see if you can feel any imperfections in the paint. If you do, the clay bar can remove most of them.

However, if you already take extremely good care of the car and the paint already feels like glass, I don't think you'll notice anything.

It is very time consuming if you have to do the whole car.

Alex

 

[kcobean]

If you've never used it ab, you'll be amazed.
Just spray the lubricant ahead of you and with circular motion, rub down your finish with the clay. Turn the clay frequently to keep the clean clay doing the work. I did the SRT/10 in about 1/2 hour. I’m also a Pinnacle user, but I use there’re clay lubricant.


NOOOOOOOOO.....Never in a circular motion!!!! Always use straight lines with the clay.

 

[PhoenixGTS]

I had a body shop do a small touch up on the front of my old SUV. The idiots parked in in a place where it ended up getting very fine over-spray all over it. You could not really see it, but you could feel it if you touched it. To fix it they clay bar'd the truck and it took the overspray right off. I have also had good luck using clay to remove stubborn bug guts from the front of vehicles. It is amazing in the right situation.

 

[Danno]

I have not used it on the Viper but have used it on other vehicles. I was also amazed with it, if your paint doesnt feel like glass it will after you use the bar. I had some overspray on a black 68 Camaro (in my gallery). You could feel it all over and the clay worked like magic. Supposedly road construction crews spray some kind of stuff around a job site to keep dust suppressed and if you frequent a road construction site you might double check your finish. If your finish is smooth now it will be a waste of time for you. I didnt think it was time consuming, I'm guessing you could do a viper in about an hour. OR feel free to ship that Lambo to me and I will clay bar it for you for free!!! Might need it for a few days though!

 

[plumcrazy]

i use it a lot. it keeps the paint free of any airborne particles and very smooth.

best one i found is the one from meguires

 

[Turbo50Mike]

This link will help explain a little bit about the clay bar..

http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=Z-18&Category_Code=Zaino

 

[Andrew/USPWR]

Quote:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you've never used it ab, you'll be amazed.
Just spray the lubricant ahead of you and with circular motion, rub down your finish with the clay. Turn the clay frequently to keep the clean clay doing the work. I did the SRT/10 in about 1/2 hour. I’m also a Pinnacle user, but I use there’re clay lubricant.
_______________________________
NOOOOOOOOO.....Never in a circular motion!!!! Always use straight lines with the clay.
________________________________


I was in a rush!
OK, I wax in straight lines, but I clayed in circular motion. But your right, straight movements is better.

I feel so ashamed now:-(



2005 Silver SRT/10
2000 Steel Gray GTS (sold)

 

[VIPER BAZ UK]

i use it a lot. it keeps the paint free of any airborne particles and very smooth.

best one i found is the one from meguires

Same here followed by No 21 poish and then No 16 wax..

 

[Viper TT/10]

i use to use the claybar to remove the exhaust residue on my rear spoiler. it takes hours to remove the browish residue left over the whole rear.

anyone have a solution that is easier than the claybar?

 

[Leslie]

you would be surprised what pollutants get on your car, because when you clay bar you will see!

the whole idea is to remove EVERYTHING, wax/polish included, THEN re-polish onto a very very clean surface for the deepest shine you will ever see

 

[kcobean]

And it never hurts to wash with Dawn detergent before the clay. From what I understand, it's slightly alkaline and is good for stripping wax.

 

[Saint_Spinner]

The best way to tell whether your car needs claybar or not is to use a plastic bag.

Take a plastic bag (ziploc is even better), stick your hand in it, then run it over the surface of your car. The plastic bag trick will let you feel every single bump in the paint.

Run it over a horizontal surface (your hood or roof) then compare it to a vertical surface (door or side fender)....you'll feel a huge difference in surface slickness. The reason is that pollutants (iron dust, brake dust and etc.) settle onto your car's clearcoat....vertical surfaces are smoother because they often just fall off.

Hope that helps.

 

[kcobean]

The best way to tell whether your car needs claybar or not is to use a plastic bag.

Take a plastic bag (ziploc is even better), stick your hand in it, then run it over the surface of your car. The plastic bag trick will let you feel every single bump in the paint.

Run it over a horizontal surface (your hood or roof) then compare it to a vertical surface (door or side fender)....you'll feel a huge difference in surface slickness. The reason is that pollutants (iron dust, brake dust and etc.) settle onto your car's clearcoat....vertical surfaces are smoother because they often just fall off.

Hope that helps.

You know, I hadn't thought about that, but that's a great idea (assuming it doesn't scratch your paint). There are several types of nerves in the human skin. Some nerves are made for sensing "friction" (movement across the surface of the skin), and others are specific for sensing "pressure" (movement perpendicular to the surface of the skin). By putting your hand in the bag, you isolate the physical input to the pressure sensing nerves, which would pick up surface irregularities.

The things you learn on car forums.

 

[Newport Viper]

Best to wash the car first.

If you drop the bar, throw it out.

Cut it into small bites in case you do.

Do the windshield too. Wipers work better. No [******].

 

[ViperArry]

And it never hurts to wash with Dawn detergent before the clay. From what I understand, it's slightly alkaline and is good for stripping wax.

Isn´t Dawn a kitchen detergent? Anything used in the kitchen should NOT be used on a car....

The Meguiars claybar also takes off the previous layer of wax. Please don´t use household stuff on your Viper

If you want to get rid of the exhaust stuff on the backside, maybe try Bug and Tar remover from Meguiars.... I think it should help as well.

 

[Brian 95 RT]

And it never hurts to wash with Dawn detergent before the clay. From what I understand, it's slightly alkaline and is good for stripping wax.

Isn´t Dawn a kitchen detergent? Anything used in the kitchen should NOT be used on a car....

The Meguiars claybar also takes off the previous layer of wax. Please don´t use household stuff on your Viper

If you want to get rid of the exhaust stuff on the backside, maybe try Bug and Tar remover from Meguiars.... I think it should help as well.

Most of the pro's use Dawn to to strip wax off their show cars. Do some research and you'll be surprised most of the wax companies and car care places recommend Dawn. Here's one example: http://www.autopia-carcare.com/inf-perfect.html

 

[plumcrazy]

dawn is great for stripping MOST waxes.

 

[Matt M PA]

I have used Dawn (the version without hand lotions, etc) as long as I can remember BEFORE I polish the car. It helps cut grease and wax. Then again, I also put some baking soda in the water those times to help neutralize anything on the finish.

Lots of the guys that say how bad Dawn is for your car are the same ones that use Grease & Wax Remover instead. Hmmm. That makes sense (?), a detergent that is safe enough to soak your hands in isn't safe...but a solvent is. The Dawn is only on the surface a short time and rinsed away.

Many waxes, polishes, glazes, etc, leave behind an oil for shine, and it's good to get that off so you can start fresh with a new detail.

I certainly would not use Dawn each time I wash, as it will cut wax, but before a detail...there's no problem.

Back to the clay....clay is indeed an awesome thing. I ordered my 2005 Excursion and took delivery the day it came in. I clayed it the following weekend and the amount of crude that was on the truck, presumably from it's rail ride from the factory was amazing.

I keep a pump up spray bottle from Lowes with a water-car soap mixture...something like one cap of car soap to 16 ounces of water.

 

[kcobean]

The chemistry of Dawn is about how the detergents in it bond with oil and wax particles to break their "surface tension" hold on the paint so that it will come off. I did a cursory web-search on this subject, and while I ran across a few folks who argued that Dawn is for dishes not cars, none of them could site a single scientific reason behind their beliefs. I think it's a "marketing mindset" that insists you should only use car soap on cars. Sal Zaino actually recommends the use of Dawn prior to starting application of the zaino products. Several other "pro detailer" sites I ran across also recommend it as a surface preparation agent prior to polishing/waxing.

Think about it this way: You could wash your finest, most expensive set of china dishes in dawn without fear. You can soak your skin in it daily for 15-20 minutes at a time. You can trust your Teflon coated pots and pans to it.

Dawn is fine for your car.

Again, my $0.02.

 

[Cop Magnet]

How much pressure do you apply while claying? Is it dragging along the surface or like you are trying to buff something out? Also, do you fold the clay over on itself from time to time like a kneadable eraser, or play-DOH! ?

 

[kcobean]

How much pressure do you apply while claying? Is it dragging along the surface or like you are trying to buff something out? Also, do you fold the clay over on itself from time to time like a kneadable eraser, or play-DOH! ?

You don't apply much pressure at all. Basically with the lubricant on the surface of the car, you just want to apply enough pressure that the clay doesn't slide out from under your fingers (which will be covered in lubricant too). If you press too hard, you'll find the clay wanting to stick to the car too much.

And YES, you want to knead/fold/turn the clay frequently. This helps keep the contaminants away from your paint.

 

[PDCjonny]

The chemistry of Dawn is about how the detergents in it bond with oil and wax particles to break their "surface tension" hold on the paint so that it will come off. I did a cursory web-search on this subject, and while I ran across a few folks who argued that Dawn is for dishes not cars, none of them could site a single scientific reason behind their beliefs. I think it's a "marketing mindset" that insists you should only use car soap on cars. Sal Zaino actually recommends the use of Dawn prior to starting application of the zaino products. Several other "pro detailer" sites I ran across also recommend it as a surface preparation agent prior to polishing/waxing.

Think about it this way: You could wash your finest, most expensive set of china dishes in dawn without fear. You can soak your skin in it daily for 15-20 minutes at a time. You can trust your Teflon coated pots and pans to it.

Dawn is fine for your car.

Again, my $0.02.

It's not the possible effect it has on the paint that many have concerns about, its the effect on the rubber and plastic parts like weatherstripping etc.

 

[kcobean]

The chemistry of Dawn is about how the detergents in it bond with oil and wax particles to break their "surface tension" hold on the paint so that it will come off. I did a cursory web-search on this subject, and while I ran across a few folks who argued that Dawn is for dishes not cars, none of them could site a single scientific reason behind their beliefs. I think it's a "marketing mindset" that insists you should only use car soap on cars. Sal Zaino actually recommends the use of Dawn prior to starting application of the zaino products. Several other "pro detailer" sites I ran across also recommend it as a surface preparation agent prior to polishing/waxing.

Think about it this way: You could wash your finest, most expensive set of china dishes in dawn without fear. You can soak your skin in it daily for 15-20 minutes at a time. You can trust your Teflon coated pots and pans to it.

Dawn is fine for your car.

Again, my $0.02.

It's not the possible effect it has on the paint that many have concerns about, its the effect on the rubber and plastic parts like weatherstripping etc.

My experience, and the input of a few of the websites I ran across when I was researching, don't indicate any discoloring, hardening, or deterioration of rubber seals or plastic trim pieces over time. The contact time is also so brief. If you use Dawn/claybar once a year, it's is just minutes (and remember that many pots and pans these days have plastic handles and rubber grip inserts, etc.).

I'm curious, have you ever heard of it damaging a car? If so, you'd be the first I've heard of.

 

[RoadiJeff]

I really screwed up the spoiler on my Mystique one year when I used a claybar for the first time. I don't know if I didn't have enough lubricant on the surface, pressed too hard (didn't think I did) or what. It was a Meguires product I bought from AutoZone. I plan to sand it down and repaint the spoiler one of these days.

However, I'm very hesitant to use a claybar on my shiny new black toy that I just brought home Sunday. It has some stubborn bug residue from the 300 mile drive home that I've tried to soak off with hot water and a sponge (no rubbing) but a few spots still remain.

Anyway, are there any St. Louis area Viper guys willing to let me watch over their shoulder while they run a claybar over their own car?

 

[red98RT10]

Hey roadi....try using a fabric softener dryer sheet. Wet the car and rub the bugs off with the dryer sheet! Works every time (as long as the bugs haven't actually damaged the paint)!!

 

[ViperTony]

Using a clay bar on your car serves two purposes: Removes paint contaminates that normal car washing can't remove and it creates clean, super-smooth surface in preparation for waxing. It'll actually remove wax as well. Once you're done claybaring you'll be able to assess the condition of your paint. You can move directly to waxing or decide to work on swirl marks which gets into polishing. There are plently of detailing articles in this forum on polishing. The key with clay is to keep the surface super lubricated otherwise you can create scratches and swirls. Also, constantly stretch and fold your clay as you use it. When it becomes dirty, throw it out and rip off another piece. It's pretty easy to do and it takes me less than 20 min unless the car is really dirty. I will generally do this every other year.

I recommend Griot's Garage for their Claybar and Speedshine spray for lubrication. I've used poly-clay bars but they seem to leave residue behind. Griot's are the best IMO. You'll see a lot of Claybar/Detail spray kits out there to choose from.

I just got my '01 RT/10 in March and it was never detailed. Each car wash removed layers of wax and I started to see swirls and these tiny black micro-specs in the paint I couldn't remove with car washing. So I decided to perform the Claybar/Polish/Wax rite of passage. The results are incredible. Again, the condition of your paint will dictate how far you need to go with polishing. Good luck.

 

[0260in3]

I've not had good results with using a claybar...it may be due to operator error but it wasn't because I didn't use enough detailing solution! I experimented on my black '97 Wrangler and the bar left a gummy residue everywhere I rubbed the bar. I used some kit from Autozone (maybe that was the problem) I didn't notice any difference between the before and after so I decided to just stick with my car wash soap and Zaino. In my opinion if you take care of your car you probably don't have to claybar a newer finish for quite a few years. My advice would be to experiment on your daily driver and see how you like it.