Is it necessary or helpful or even worthwhile to clay bar a brand new car?
Clay Bar a new car?
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Yes, there are a number of contaminants that get into the paint during transit to the dealer, for example, rail dust if the vehicle was shipped by train. New vehicles also spend most of their life outdoors after they leave the factory and may have experience acid rain and other harsh chemicals. It is always a good idea to clay bar and start your paint care cycle with a fresh clean surface -- Its also a good way to get that important first inspection of the surface over with and use both your eyes and fingers in the process.
id wait a month at least. yea there are contaminants from the dealer..but i would like the paint to 'break in' before claybar....most of the time its not necessary to claybar at all from the dealer....id just top off with polish and wax.
at least let the car become 'not smooth to the touch' then since that layer of sealer is gone...go for a claybar special =).
at least let the car become 'not smooth to the touch' then since that layer of sealer is gone...go for a claybar special =).
Chris B. I agree, however, many new cars are months old before they are sent to the dealer often sitting outside in the weather waiting for a buyer. Check the build date. I wouldn't use the clay bar just yet, I would however polish the car.
That may be true of a car with fresh paint from a body shop. Why would you need to wait to claybar a new car? The paint's baked at the factory. I've had many people in the industry tell me that this process fully cures the paint with no waiting.
I claybarred my new car the day after purchase despite being told by the salesperson that new cars don't need to be protected for at least a couple of years
I agree with W8lftr. Paint is baked at the factory. Plus, cars do sit around for a while before they are sold or delived. Claying is an excellent way to remove anything bad that may have settled on the paint. Industrial fallout, rail dust, etc can all be removed easily and it makes the final finsh that much better.
This might be a DUMB question...but what is the baggy test?
School me on the clay bar thing.....what exactly does that do? Had the wifes Mustang in the shop for touch up painting and they had overspray all over it. I noticed that they were using some sort of Meguiars spray bottle and some sort of clay blob. I guess they were "claying" it. Got all the overspray off, but wondered exactly how it worked. Does it get swirls off too?
From another forum: Put your hand in a very thin sandwich baggie (no Ziplocs). Spray a small area of your paint with the soap/water solution used as a lubricant for claying and lightly run your hand over the paint. Any bonded contaminants will feel like huge bumps through the baggie.
Bob, claying is is done to remove bonded contaminants from the surface of the paint. It is a valuable first step to prepare the paint for polishing and sealing. To "clay" the paint, you first wash and dry the car. One needs a couple things to clay their paint...detailing clay and a lubricant. The lubricant can be either a quick detail type spray product or simply car wash liquid diluted with water in a spray bottle. To start, take a portion of the clay and mold it in your hands to form a patty. Mist a 2 ft by 2 ft area of the paint with the lubricant and then gently slide the clay back and forth in one direction over the paint. Make sure to use plenty of lubricant to keep the clay sliding freely. A 2 ft by 2 ft section should take about 1 minute for paint in pretty good shape. Wipe the section dry with a 100% cotton or microfiber towel. To check if you are done, do the baggie test again. The paint should feel like glass.
I have clayed my 99 altima that probably never had a good coat of wax since I bought it, and the results are amazing. I used the Mothers clay system and it is really easy. The finish on my car was oxidized and felt rough like fine sandpaper. After claying the car it felt like I just had waxed it, it was so smooth. I put on a good coat of wax now and hope to get one more coat before November for the winter.
The claybar is well worth the time and money.
The claybar is well worth the time and money.
It is a little hard to explain what clay does without pictures. However, I will give it a shot. Contaminants sit on a car’s finish, generally the clear coat for newer cars. The contaminants are usually not seen, but can be felt when you put your hand in a plastic baggie. Claying removes those particles without causing any wear in the clear coat. As you let the clay glide across the paint, it picks up the particles like a magnet. It leaves behind a clean smooth surface. You can actually feel (and in some extreme cases hear) the clay working. You can actually see the clay get dirty as you use it. You need to stretch, fold over and knead the clay to expose a clean surface.
Claying will not do anything for swirl marks. Claying removes stuff on top of the paint, but since swirl marks are actually minute scratches in the clear, alternative methods need to be explored. You can use an abrasive to round down the sharp edges of swirls or to eliminate them altogether. You can also use a product heavy in oils and fillers to actually fill the defects and cover up the swirls.
Claying will not do anything for swirl marks. Claying removes stuff on top of the paint, but since swirl marks are actually minute scratches in the clear, alternative methods need to be explored. You can use an abrasive to round down the sharp edges of swirls or to eliminate them altogether. You can also use a product heavy in oils and fillers to actually fill the defects and cover up the swirls.
I also clay all exterior glass, wiper arms, headlight and taillight lenses, and chrome wheels.
Seems like once you get going, you can find all kinds of stuff to clay! I know some guys who have clayed and used synthetic sealant on their toolboxes and kitchen appliances. I'm not there yet, but I also didn't think I'd become as obsessed as I am with automotive lubrication until I joined this forum. So who knows...
Seems like once you get going, you can find all kinds of stuff to clay! I know some guys who have clayed and used synthetic sealant on their toolboxes and kitchen appliances. I'm not there yet, but I also didn't think I'd become as obsessed as I am with automotive lubrication until I joined this forum. So who knows...
glass lights and plastic lights are great with the claybar. even rims!
here is a quote from mothers website "You've heard about clay bars-professional detailers, body men and your car buddies all talk about how well it works. Now use the clay bar everybody wants. Created to lift the particulate debris and contaminants that washing can't, our exclusive Paint Saving System will remove embedded grains of metal, tree sap, airborne environmental deposits and paint overspray. Better yet, our clay bar isn't hazardous to your paint-it's just firm enough to pick up the bad stuff, without being too aggressive. Use Mothers® Clay Bar to get rid of paint-fouling grime and pave the way for complete waxing."
basically if u feel ur car, and its not super smooth...this product will make it smooth as glass...
here is a quote from mothers website "You've heard about clay bars-professional detailers, body men and your car buddies all talk about how well it works. Now use the clay bar everybody wants. Created to lift the particulate debris and contaminants that washing can't, our exclusive Paint Saving System will remove embedded grains of metal, tree sap, airborne environmental deposits and paint overspray. Better yet, our clay bar isn't hazardous to your paint-it's just firm enough to pick up the bad stuff, without being too aggressive. Use Mothers® Clay Bar to get rid of paint-fouling grime and pave the way for complete waxing."
basically if u feel ur car, and its not super smooth...this product will make it smooth as glass...
Yep, that's it in a nutshell.
Clay for: embedded dirt, "grit", industrial fallout on the paint surface
Polish/Compound for: swirls/scratches, oxidation, etc.
A clay bar is used up when it's turned darker and loaded with contaminants (use it on the windows then). Personally I don't "knead" my clay and just fold it so that you're not always mixing up all the dirt. If you ever drop your clay on the ground, you're supposed to toss it, so it's smart to cut a clay bar into smaller pieces you can use.
Sometimes, particularly on softer or dark paint where it's more noticable, you can induce some minor marring or scratching during the clay process. This is why it's important to use lots of lubrication (don't let it dry out on you), and why many clay kits come with a cleaner wax, which is often just abrasive enough to correct any marring you may (or may not) cause. Typically enthusiasts would do a full detail on the paint anyway, so the little bottle of cleaner wax just gets left on the shelf.
So what exactly is claying? how is it done?
This would be the first time that I've used a clay bar on a car.....Are there any tips or pitfalls to watch out for?
Thanks for everybody's input..I appreciate it.
Thanks for everybody's input..I appreciate it.
Some things I do:
1. Use plenty of lubricant.
2. Use either Clay Magic or Zaino claybar (I prefer these to Meguiar's or others).
3. Dilute car wash soap in distilled water for claying--usually .5 capful in 16ozs. of water.
4. Stretch and fold the clay, rather than kneading, when the claying surface becomes dirty to expose clean clay.
5. Be extra careful not to drop the clay when claying vertical surfaces. The claying process is slick and claying these surfaces can be a bit tricky until you know what to expect.
[ September 24, 2003, 03:39 PM: Message edited by: W8liftr ]
1. Use plenty of lubricant.
2. Use either Clay Magic or Zaino claybar (I prefer these to Meguiar's or others).
3. Dilute car wash soap in distilled water for claying--usually .5 capful in 16ozs. of water.
4. Stretch and fold the clay, rather than kneading, when the claying surface becomes dirty to expose clean clay.
5. Be extra careful not to drop the clay when claying vertical surfaces. The claying process is slick and claying these surfaces can be a bit tricky until you know what to expect.
[ September 24, 2003, 03:39 PM: Message edited by: W8liftr ]
As far as store-bought clay goes, Mothers and Clay Magic are generally well-liked, while the Meguiar's clay has often been disliked and characterized as being too sticky or soft.
Use plenty of lube and don't let it dry out on you. Doing it in the shade is better.
Avoid the temptation to rub harder on spots that aren't coming out, as this may cause damage.
Take your time if you have to. People seem to range from taking 45 minutes to hours (and hours).... like me.
Use plenty of lube and don't let it dry out on you. Doing it in the shade is better.
Avoid the temptation to rub harder on spots that aren't coming out, as this may cause damage.
Take your time if you have to. People seem to range from taking 45 minutes to hours (and hours).... like me.
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