clay bar cleaning
 

I'm looking to do a clay bar cleaning on my 99. I see a Mequires kit at Advance Auto Parts for about $22.00. Does anyone know if it's a good kit? Is there a difference in the clay itself, from one kit to another? This includes 2 bars, cleaning cloths and spray cleaner.

I've been reading how great the paint looks when it's done, I'ld like to give it a try this weekend.

Ray Z

Hard to go wrong with Meguires on any of their products but Mothers and others also make good clay bar kits. The important thing is to be sure to follow directions, strip the wax off the car first, and be sure to use plenty of lubricant with the clay bar. Take your time and do one section at a time. There are good YouTube videos that show this process as well. Good Luck.

Yes there are different brands of clay, but are there differences, if you listing to the suppliers they will tell you there is a difference, and most likely there are some.
Will the paint look good after you clay it that depends on a few things. First off is the paint in good condition to start with. If the paint has swirls, scratches and hazing, then no it will still look like that.
What clay does is it removes the contaminates that are stuck in the paint. It does not shine the paint or protect it, it is just one of the steps in a good detail. You should clay the car when ever it fails what most call the baggy test. Thai after you wash and dry the car, get a thin plastic bags and put your hand in the bag and lightly run your fingers over the cars surface. If you feel bumps and grit, it needs to be clayed.
I used the kit you are talking about when I first got my "01 a little over 6 years ago and it did a good job. But what you need to remember, is after you are finished with the clay you will need to correct the paint, which can be as easy as a good polish followed by wax. It could also me a lot more involved and again that will depend on the condition of the paint.
One last comment, when you clay the car make sure you have the area you are ding well lubricated with the spray they supply and if you drop the clay on the ground, just throw it away and start with a fresh piece.

The Meguiar's kit is the one I used. It had more than enough clay and spray for 12 hours of rubbing and scrubbing.

want to save some money? go to menards in the electrical dept. they
have clay bars that are used for plugging up holes in walls. they come
in a pack of 4 and look like sticks of butter. buy a spray bottle of
detailer to keep clay lubricated and have at it. this clay works excellent. 1/2 bar per car is all you need, just keep kneading the clay
to keep it clean. almost forgot. menards price is about $3 for clay.

Well coming from someone that owns a detailing business i say that its decent.id use.clay magic.that's what i use on my vettes and my customers love it.but like previously posted strip the wax first.

Stripping the wax was one item I forgot to mention. I have been told that the clay will remove to old wax, but I like to strip it before I clay.

Use dawn

Give it a Dawn washing before & after to remove wax & clay residue.

I use alot of Megs stuff,but for clay I prefer Mothers.

\db2
carolina

The few times I've done this I decided that the front of the car (fascia, hood, top of fenders) really are the worst part. I got very little if any goodies in the clay from other surfaces. Lot of work for little/no upside on the other surfaces.

I have used them both and seem to find that the Mother's product is more easily found. Get LOTS of quick detailer, never can have too much

Clay magic has the different grades of clay.i love em

I am one of the weirdos on here that gets almost as much enjoyment out of detailing my car as driving it. I am by no means as knowledgable as some on the forum. I lost my clay bar virginity about two years ago not long after I purchased my C5. I love it. I am not too into anything that is aggresive on the paint due to my lack of experience on a buffer. I wash, clay, wash, maybe a swirl remover, then a good coat of wax. I havent jumped into the Zaino world yet but I have a feeling that may be next in line to feed my addiction!

Take your time. Its a good Saturday project with a few choice beverages.

I like.Blackfire and Adams and pinnacle.i do it for a living so its second nature for.me

CARDINAL RULE of CLAYBAR:

If you drop it, throw it away and start with a new one !!!!!!!!!

Nothing wrong with Meguires Clay, dawn first and good to go:rock:

If you're set on the Meguiars kit you can save about 4-5 bucks on it at Wal-Mart.
I did mine yesterday for the first time and the Meguiars kit was what I used.
The areas of the car where I got most in terms of contaminants in the clay were the lower fenders and doors and rocker panels, and the rear bumper.

Actually if you clay the car do a good polish and follow that with a good coat of wax you will see a difference. The shine in the paint comes from it depth and how the light reflex off of it. If the paint has a lot of contaminates on it that will tend to defuse the light reflection so you won't have the real high gloss and deep look.

I would not worry to much about harming the paint finish as the clear coat on Corvette's is pretty hard. Now if you use a rotary style buffer, then yes you can harm the paint even with the hard clear coat, but a top of the line random orbital buffer like the Porta Cable is perfect for the average do it yourself detailer.

I have used the Adam's Clay Bar on my AE and it worked great. The car was a garage queen from the previous owner, but it really made the paint pop after I put a few coats of Liquid Glass on it.

Don't forget to do the glass too!:cheers:

I've used meguiars, mothers, and 3M claybars. The 3M is without doubt in my mind the best one of those three. It's more pricey and doesn't come in a kit but it works!