Anyone tried claying??
 

I decided to wash and wax my wife's Tahoe since it looked pretty sad all dirty next to the new mustang. So I went over to Autozone to pick up a few detailing supplies. Stumbled across this "clay bar" which is supposed to remove anything that is still on the paint after you wash it. It was only $10 so I figured what the heck.

This stuff is amazing!! It comes with a spray on lubricant and it is basically a sticky bar of clay, a little more dense than play-doh. You lightly rub the thing over a sprayed painted surface and you can feel and hear it removing the deposits. After a few swipes the surface feels baby smooth. There were several spots I thought were etched into the paint that the clay bar took right off. I followed it with a nice wax and the car really looks sharp.

Anyone else tried this stuff?

Yes, same results. I make sure the car is as clean as possible first, and always follow up with a good wax.

Yep. It really does work.

I tried the Meguire's bar, wasn't too happy with it...found it would ball up, stick to the paint, even using their lube. So, what brand did you use? Maybe they aren't all the same? (edit) maybe it's my 34 year old acrylic enamel compared to to today's water based clear coat paints? Any thoughts?

I used one called Clay Magic and it worked great. I passed on the Meguiars one because it was almost twice the price.

Another interesting thing, I had some of Meguiars three step clean/polish/wax and used their wax on the hood. It shined up ok but left some streaks that wouldn't buff out very well. I switched over to my old trusty Turtle Wax paste and got much better results. Wierd. Of course the bad news is that now that the car is sparkling clean all the chips and door dings are painfully obvious.

The Meguire's clay bar sucks -- it's too soft. I bought one from Zaino that worked really well.

For lube, just add a drop or two of car wash to a spray bottle with water. Works like a charm.

does zaino last??? i know it gives a really wet look,

Yea, Zaino is really durable. It's kind of a hassle to get on, but its a nice shine and it lasts.

I bought the Mothers set of waxes and paint cleaners and their clay bar which is used whith their showtime spray to lubricate the surface. I finally got around to using the stuff last week. It was fun and easy and the paint looks and feels really smooth and shiny. My car is dark brown and now looks like melted shiny chocolate!

Or maybe glistening wet dog poo?

Sorry. . .

Thanks for the input guys. It may have been that I selected the wrong brand. Maybe I'll try again. I've had good results with Mother's paste wax, and it seems to be a widly available brand name in this neck of the woods...might try their clay bar.

Uh Oh ... maybe it was the Mother's I didn't like ... now I'm confused. Just get one that's not too soft.

An article from www.carcareonline.com

I have been using Zaino for a few years now and LOVE their stuff. All clays can still get sticky and break down if you use too much solution.

This stuff is magical:
http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/shopcart/CARE/POR_CARE_admpol_pg6.htm

It's what a lot of Pebble Beach concours participants use. And it comes with a money back guarantee. Add one to your next order. You'll like it.

Clay bars kick mucho buttocks

After trying just about every clay bar out there, I've found that the one sold by Griot's garage lasts the longest and works the best for me (and I have 7 vehicles that I use it on, "love you long time"...;)

Claying works great to get the small accumulations off the car like tar and road film that make it feel rough and not "show room new". I use it a lot on cars that I don't get to wax very often, like my X5. After washing, it lube it up and can clay the whole vehicle in a half hour. Then follow up with some wax. What it won't do is work on removing fine scratches, swirl marks, or blemishes in the clearcoat. It will actually make them more apparent. For this you need some type of compound/cleaner to remove, and then follow up with a wax. Most cars that are kept very clean don't need claying.

Clay is awesome. It really makes a difference. Once a year, I clay and polish besides just washing and waxing. Takes the major portion of a day depending on the car, but it is worth the time.
Mike

you guys clean your cars??? i just wait till it rains

but the clay idea, ok , i'll try it .. i'll wait till it rains, then i'll look for some mud to run through...