spend all you money at the clay bar,clay bar

Bought some clay bar that I read so much about on this site. Felt like it was doing nothing, just rubbing a peice gunk over my paint. If I were you I would skip this part of the process altogether and just get on with polishing/waxing. I binned it!

Very thorough explanation as to your experience. Thanks for the great input.

Wow, I think the clay bar really helps. It takes off many contaminants you can;t see. The true test is to slide your hand over a piece of the paint that you used clay and anther that you didn;t. You should feel the difference. Adam

"Wow, I think the clay bar really helps. It takes off many contaminants you can;t see." Snake oil if you ask me. The emporor has no clothes on.

Dell, it's so hard to tell if you are being serious or sarcastic. I have to disagree. The claybar, if used correctly, removes a lot of contaminants that you can't see with the naked eye. Did you follow the directions on the claybar? Did you wash the car first to remove excess/loose dirt? Did you use a lubricant with the claybar? You should try it again -- maybe with a different brand of claybar.

It was my attempt at dry humor. Guess I failed on that one

"I have to disagree. The claybar, if used correctly, removes a lot of contaminants that you can't see with the naked eye. Did you follow the directions on the claybar? Did you wash the car first to remove excess/loose dirt? Did you use a lubricant with the claybar? You should try it again -- maybe with a different brand of claybar." yes yes, did that but the net value of doing it to me seemed so marginal that I would never bother being that **** about my paintwork ever again

Yeah, you have to be a bit **** to appreciate the claybar finish. It takes a bit of work too. I only do it twice a year when I fully detail the car (claybar and full Zaino treatment.)

The Clay Bar changed my life, I'm a big fan. It definitely takes off the crap that you would have just put wax on top of.

The clay bar is an overly agressive way to accomplish a simple goal. Just buy P21S gloss enhancing paintwork cleanser. Unlike clay bar, this works by chemically breaking down the stuff on your paint, not stripping it (along with a little bit of your clear coat). Clays have one purpose: removing overspray.

My opinion (as if anyone cares)...there are a number of products to prep. the paint. Each does something a little different and therefore whether they are necessary depends. One thing for certain...paint prep is the most critical step. Expensive waxes don't fix a lousy prepped car. I use clay to get the paint smooth (actually this means it is removing small particle contaminants like iron particles). There are other products that can help prep (FK1 for example) and paint cleansers, but they do not do what clay does. Heck, we don't care what you use as long as you're happy. I use clay maybe once a year when I do the main detal and then I don't have to worry about it for a long time. Plus it reminds me of playdoh when I was a kid

Clay is great! Period! You have to be patient with it and let it glide over your paint. Use lots of lubricant. I have clay'ed brand new cars and very surprised at all of the crap it picks-up.

I've used clay bars for years on my cars and it works great but remember 2 things: 1-wash the car thoroughly first in the SHADE. 2- use lots and lots and lots of detailing spray or soapy water when applying it again in the shade. Try to work on one small area at a time until you get the hang of it and you won't be dissapointed at how smooth the paint will feel afterwards. It's a great prep for whatever sealant/glaze/wax you'll use afterwards. I f the surface is hot or in the sun, you'll just melt the clay all over your finish and end up with a goopy mess.

I've never quite understood proper clay bar "technique". Is it meant to be rubbed in circular motions over a small area as when waxing? Or is it more of a vertical/horizontal 'scraping' across the surface? (after washing the car first of course) Also, what is meant by using it with 'lubrication'? Does that mean to wash the car, then clay bar it before the drying it? Then following the clay with a surface dry? I apologize if these are silly questions, just trying to learn the process...

I recommend you buy "Mother's" claybar kit. It comes with the claybar and lubricant (detailing) spray. Follow the instructions on the box. You can also use a carwash shampoo and water solution in a spray bottle for lubrication. DO NOT USE A CLAYBAR ON DRY PAINT.

Some other input...you should not use a circular motion ever (when waxing the car that is...only Frank Zappa and yellow snow). Yes, you can clay after you wash while it is still wet...still use a lubricant...detail spray or soap...never dry!

Alright, thanks guys. I appreciate the input.

I use them twice a year too. Agree it won't make a huge visual difference. However, it will help whatever wax/sealant to bond with the paint better and you can feel the paint surface is MUCH smoother. I found it very effective to remove the residual black soot covered all over our rear bumpers even after car wash. The right way to apply clay bar is to put as little pressure as possible and just glide it back and forth 3-4 times with A LOT of lubricant (car wash water would do). You just rub it to create a ball and them flat it down and palm it. I usually use my wash mit to keep dripping soap water on it. Clay bar is mixed with very mild abrasive material and the good thing is it actually picks up the dirt as opposed to smear it around to create even more maring. Just my 2 cents.. - Ahsai

jlb532 - The link below shows how to use a clay bar. I think it will answer all of your questions and then some. http://www.autogeek.net/detailing-clay-bar.html

Do any of you folks that use clay have a clear bra? Is that a factor or do you clay it too?

I would never put a clear bra on a p-car...save it for the DD and SUVs.

Statman - Good advice, but it was on when I bought it last year so I just left it in place.

this is what i used - it was awesome

well dell you dry humor attempt..is even worse than mine!!!

Thanks gota911-that site was very helpful.

My paint is old and crappy on my 951. But, the clay bar did wonderful things. I wish I had before/after pics - after a thorough washing, using the clay bar resulted in a very NASTY clay bar.