Clay bar - WOW.....

[Dsprint2000]

OK..... probably a tad late to the party, but OMG! Just used clay bar for the first time on my daily driver '94 Ranger. WOW...... why did I wait so long to use this stuff? This stuff is magic...... I got back my smooth shine, finally. And so easy to use.....

David

[Itoldyouso]

I've never tried it but my Kids have and swear by it. They say the amount of trash it picks up from the surface is surprising.

Don

[pat mccarthy]

yep use it on my chevy every year it works very good before the bar i foamed wheeled it every year. its a black paint job. i keep the car cover on it. i still get alot a trash on it .the bar works far better then hanging a buffer out in front of you for hours at a time

[IC2]

Any time one of you want to do another, I have a black F350 Super Crew 4x4 that needs it done again. I'll even provide the ladder to do the hood and top.

I did it ~2 years ago and what a wad of crud came off that time. All I need to do is find a couple of "free days" to do it again.

[pat mccarthy]

the big deal with the bar is spray the hell out of the panel to keep the clay from sticking then it hit the floor. i try to hang on it like i was wet sanding .hold the side of it with your thumb . need the bar alot so if you pick up some nasty trash your not rubbing it in to the paint . i wheeled out big stuff and a lot of black stuff as well IC2 if your were in town i have a crew that i could round up that could help you out but your on your own on that one . like i use to say to my paint helpers i would rather paint black then wheel black to do it right it is not hard to spend 2 hours on one panel. then if sanding them and wheeling your looking at 4+ hours a body panel

[Shelby1]

This one was clayed every time that I washed it...the stuff is awesome,even tho it looked clean I was amazed at the stuff that came off into the bar.
Kenny

[rumrumm]

It is a great way to get a painted surface to feel like glass. Outstanding product.

[MRJB1929]

So when do you throw away a clay bar - if ever. I have some bars that don't look yellow anymore but gray. I'm thinking that it has collected all of the crud out of the paint and I don't want to rub any of it back in (somehow).

[oldbuick]

I just painted my car and the clear has some dust nibs in it. Would clay bar remove those?

[IC2]

I just painted my car and the clear has some dust nibs in it. Would clay bar remove those?

Probably not. You probably need to use some 1000/1500/2000/3000 wet 'n' dry grit paper (wet of course) and sand them out especially if it's BC/CC. Then carefully buff with some very fine liquid like Presta 1500 and then their swirl remover. Others like Meguire's make good products for that final polish too.

[Rickomatic]

OK, here is my dumb question. What is a clay bar?

[rumrumm]

A clay bar is a hunk of very soft material that looks and needs like modeling clay. It removes contaminants from the surface of your paint when you rub it over the wet surface of your paint. You can get it at most good auto supply stores. Mother's and Meguiars both sell them.

http://www.acehardware.com/product/i...LAID=109331291

[Rickomatic]

Thanks. My 52 was in storage for almost 10 years and the paint is a little dull. Would this help it pop again?

[rumrumm]

No, it wouldn't help that. You would need to buff it to bring out the shine.

[RestoRod]

I haven't used a clay bar, but I am wondering; if it removes the contaminants from the paint and absorbs them, does it eventually become "filled" with contaminants to the point where it starts scratching the paint surface? How do you know when it is time to replace the bar or is there a method of cleaning it to extend it's life.