Clay conversion
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,593
Likes: 0
From: Mobile AL
St. Jude Donor '05
Clay conversion
My wife was out of town Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and I'd finished the "honey-do" list by Friday night. Got up Saturday morning, wondering what do do, and absently ran my hand down the side of my '96 CE. Felt like paint overspray (as it has since I bought it). All the threads about "claying the car" came back, so I went to O'Reilly's, bought Meguiar's clay, wash and wax products. Washed the car using Dawn (to remove wax), clayed it, then waxed it. What a difference! If anyone is on the fence on whether to clay or not, get off it!
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 24,652
Likes: 298
From: NJ
St. Jude Donor '05-'08
Yeah I was weary at first too.
I recently was selling my Porsche and the hood was like Pink instead of Red. I decided it would be a good car to see if the clay bar worked. It was easy to use and at the end the car looked new again (it was a 1987).
Now I have enough confidence to use it on the Vette...
I recently was selling my Porsche and the hood was like Pink instead of Red. I decided it would be a good car to see if the clay bar worked. It was easy to use and at the end the car looked new again (it was a 1987).
Now I have enough confidence to use it on the Vette...
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 11,043
Likes: 3
From: San Jose Pat Tillman - American Hero
People don't always strip their cars (of wax) before claying... I don't think it'll hurt anything if you don't - the clay just won't work as well. Think of the contaminants as being stuck in/on your paint. On top of that is a layer of wax. Like icebergs in the ocean, some contaminants may stick up above the wax, others might not. Stripping the wax gives the clay the opportunity to get a better "grab" at those particles...
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,108
Likes: 0
From: San Jose CA
Clay is the way to go. I've used it on many of my cars. I used it to take off the overspray from when i painted the engine compartment of my camaro black and got it a little on the red paint. I was freakin'!! The clay took it right off. It'll take out bird sh*t stains also, to a certain degree. It works on glass too.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,593
Likes: 0
From: Mobile AL
St. Jude Donor '05
Originally Posted by F1Fan
How well does it take off overspray?
And does the car need to be stripped of wax to do this?
And does the car need to be stripped of wax to do this?
Does not have to be stripped, but should be freshly washed. I think the clay takes some of the wax off, too.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 2,619
Likes: 1
From: Whidbey Island Washington
Originally Posted by gvajgrt
so I went to O'Reilly's, bought Meguiar's clay, wash and wax products. Washed the car using Dawn (to remove wax), clayed it, then waxed it. What a difference! If anyone is on the fence on whether to clay or not, get off it!
Especially the part about washing with Dawn dishwashing liquid. Dawn is one of the few prodducts that cuts waxes and other polishes...a must, IMHO, before clay and polishing!
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!
Joe Kucinski
5 MOST and 5 LEAST Popular Corvette Model Years in History!
Joe Kucinski
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 2,469
Likes: 6
From: Winchester Ontario
I did the clay bar thing. I washed with dish soap, shammied it dry and then I clayed my car and afterwards it felt so smooth, like it already had a coat of wax on it with no wax at all on the car.
Do it once, you'll make yourself a believer.
Do it once, you'll make yourself a believer.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 2,619
Likes: 1
From: Whidbey Island Washington
Originally Posted by jabez
Think I may have to try the clay. One question. After washing with Dawn,then claying car, do you wipe off clay or leave it on, before you apply wax?? 
Last edited by ZRWON; Aug 3, 2004 at 10:54 AM.
