Mother's Clay Bar, Anyone use it? Options

[MoveQik]

Any word how well it works? Any warnings before I take the thing to my paint? Any tips on using it?

[Phoenix-MN]

I used a clay bar last year on my truck and it did a great job on cleaning the paint and removing water spots. Just use plenty of the liquid lube that comes with it and keep the bar clean (don't drop it) or you will get grit in it and it will scratch the paint. Results were very worth the effort.

[MBowman325]

I've used the Meguires Clay bar, and it did some amazing things as far as getting stuff off and making that surface smooth again. This was on my Impala, which has good paint. Clay bars are great at getting stuff off, but you still have to have a decent paint job to start with.

There were no scratches or swirls that were introduced as a result of the clay bar. I'll continue to use them on paint jobs that are worth the time.

The only Mother's product I've ever used was the Aluminum polish, which really worked very well on every application I've seen or used it on.

Something that some car buffs (Monte and B-Body guys) have raved about is the Zano (Zanio?) Brother's products. It's a little pricey, but the people who have used them have been highly impressed.

I'm poor so I'll stick with the cheaper stuff (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[jasons]

Yeah I use one. They work good. Be careful where you set it down when not in use. It could pick up rocks and such. One other thing I am not sure people understand about clay bars. They strip contaminents off the paint including wax. The clay bar should be a first step in detailing your paint. After you clay bar, you should wax the car to re-introduce that protective layer.

[Flat VW]

Our white car was at a local shop that shall go nameless--- KARL'S CUSTOM VW -- (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clown.gif) and was oversprayed black, badly.

It was 'clay barred' by a detail shop, -- it came out tip-top.

A fella from Moe Allen's body shop on 16th Street demonstrated for me how to do it.

He had a spray bottle in one hand and the clay bar in the other.

He would spray, what he said was tap water, from the spray bottle and then lightly buff with the clay bar.

He would, after a few strokes, take his thumb and 'roll' the surface of the clay bar to expose fresh clay.

He said the trick was to always 'wet sand' with the clay and to 'roll' the clay regularly as to not abraid the paint with particulate that the clay will pick up, probably this was more of an issue due to the black overspray.


John

P.S. Any paint shop in town will have clay bars, you already have water, don't you? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/alfred.gif)

[jasons]

Our white car was at a local shop that shall go nameless--- CARL'S CUSTOM VW -- (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clown.gif) and was oversprayed black, badly.

It got oversprayed while at Karls?

[Flat VW]

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John

P.S. I like the fellas there they just have goofed me up one too many times.

The head re-built WITH the hole in the combustion chamber was the FINAL straw, for me.

P.P.S. C... K..... it's all the same thing! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[jasons]

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John

P.S. I like the fellas there they just have goofed me up one too many times.

The head re-built WITH the hole in the combustion chamber was the FINAL straw, for me.

P.P.S. C... K..... it's all the same thing! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Yeah, I don't blame you for feeling that way. What did you ever do with that head? I had another core head I offered Jim but I never heard back from him.

BTW sorry to hijack your thread MW...

[aircooledboy]

I agree 100% with everybody's thumbs up. I had several really bad spots on my car when I got it. Weird stains and flaking clear coat. I didn't expect much, but the spots were bad enough I had nothing to lose. I was blown away by what an improvement the clay bar made. Every spot I used it on made a dramatic improvement. Even in the spots where the clear coat went hinky it did an incredible job of removing the flakey edges and making the spots much harder to see.

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[MoveQik]

Ok....if I have time, I'll hit the car with it before WCC.

[Ferg]

Do you even have to ask if i've used it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

It's easy just follow the directions and don't drop it like I did the first time, then you go get to go and buy more clay (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

I would do it as part of a entire paint polish system. Start by washing car, and usually dish soap is a big no no but since your starting from scratch and going to be waxing after the clay bar I don't see the harm, I like to use it since it will strip old wax and is much better at removing road grime, ect the the car was soaps. Then clay, then whatever your favorite wax or wax and polish is.

Ferg

[MoveQik]

Do you even have to ask if i've used it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Ferg

You mean it was able to clear off all the dust from sitting in the garage? I like your system...push car out of garage, wash, clay bar, wax. Push car back back in garage. Repeat monthly as needed. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/poke.gif)

[Ferg]

Do you even have to ask if i've used it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Ferg

You mean it was able to clear off all the dust from sitting in the garage? I like your system...push car out of garage, wash, clay bar, wax. Push car back back in garage. Repeat monthly as needed. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/poke.gif)

That's the old Ferg. I'm a new man now. I even took my dog for a ride and after 30min with her heat out the window the side of the car was all covered in drool. Didn't even bother me! I didn't even put a towel on the seat for her to sit on!

Ferg (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)