JimE430

Like many of you I do what I can to keep up my paint job. Over time though, residue builds up and you can feel it even after waxing. I picked up "Mothers California Gold Clay Bar Paint Saving System" I did my whole car in about 3 hours (you dont have to press hard) and it looks GREAT! Smooth as glass! and I still have to apply the wax (supplied) This is a wonderful product, and easy to use.

stemags

Sounds like a commercial!!! Seriously tho,I have a Meguiars clay system,and the results are great.I was told by some body shop fella,that you can only do a clay job 3 times before you start to wear off the clearcoat.But when you think about it,if you use a RA buffer and light abrasive polish like menzerna,you are taking scratches and clearcoat off anyhow. Just some FYI.

lexrex

I'm glad someone else has discovered the wonders of the clay bar! I don't know if you have a regular detailing system, but here's what I do...

Even though this may seem like a giant plug for Meguiar's, I have no affiliation with them whatsoever.

Step 1 - Clay Bar. The Mother's clay bar is the best "consumer" clay bar packages out there, and it's available just about anywhere car wax is sold. I'm generally a Meguiar's fan, but I think Mother's clay bar is better. (Stemags, the clay bar removing clearcoat comment isn't true. If properly used, a detailing clay bar does not remove ANY clearcoat. There are body shop clay bars that could remove clear, but the Mother's and Meguiar's clays are not strong enough.)


Step 2 - Meguiar's ColorX (cleaner, polisher, wax). Generally all-in-one paint care products are not as good as multi-step systems, but ColorX is amazing. The cleaning abilities of ColorX (which is what I use it for), are better than Meguiar's Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner. If I could only have one detailing product, this would be it. Use plenty of ColorX -- The more you use, the better it cleans. A cloth applicator works better with ColorX than a foam one. You have to work it into the finish for best results. It's not a "spread & wipe" product.



Step 3 - Meguiar's #7 Show Car Glaze. This pure polish (i.e. polishing oils only, no abrasives) is helpful for dark colored cars and adds just an extra bit of shine. It's hard to use, expensive, and you probably wouldn't see the difference on a silver car.



Step 4a- Meguiar's NXT Tech Wax. Polymer-based, comes in liquid or paste. This stuff is incredibly easy to work with, looks great, and lasts a long time. A lot of people compare it to Zaino. Just spread a very thin layer, let it dry for 10-15 minutes, and wipe off. It shines best about 24 hours later. I sometimes add a second, thin coat the next day after the first layer has cured to make sure it's evenly applied over the entire car. NXT doesn't have any cleaners, so you have to prep the finish with a cleaner (such as ColorX) if needed.



Step 4b - Meguiar's Gold Class Wax. This looks best on dark cars. I use it sometimes instead of (or on top of) NXT Tech Wax. It is less glossy than NXT, but has deeper reflections



Whatever system you use, just make sure you do it often! The only way to have that freshly waxed look is to...have fresh wax!

f-rod

I also use Mother's clay bar and 3-step system. Works great for me.

There is a product by Zaino Brothers that used to get a lot of attention, but it is pricier and I'm not so sure it is any better.

C43AMG

I've used Mothers , and Meguiars....then I tried Zaino's.......I gave the Mother's and Meguiars products away.You gotta try Zaino's - you get what you pay for.

CE750

How often should you clay a car... especially if it's new and had high quality wax (synth polymer) applied with in days of delivery?

C43AMG

I do mine every 6 months, normally April and October.But that can vary depending upon miles driven and wether you keep it in a garage or not.

lexrex

Brand new cars need claying at delivery. Remember that after a car leaves the factory, it oftens sit outside exposed to the elements & even railroad dust.

I clay my car about every 3 months. As C43AMG said, how often to clay depends on a number of factors. Instead of claying at set time intervals, just feel the surface of your paint after you wash it. If you feel bumps or roughness, your paint needs to be clayed.

E55AMG99

Clay is an abrasive and some bars are more so than others. However, the typical consumer bar available outside of detail and body shops are the least abrasive of all. Using a quality lubricant istead of water or soap will also lessen the abrasiveness.

Compared to polishing a car, clay is many times less damaging. Clay lifts the micro debris off the paint and suspends it in the bar. That is why it is important to kneed the bar often and toss the piece after it has been used on a few panels. In contrast, polishing wears the micro debris down until it is completely removed. The bad part of this process is that the surrounding paint is also worn down.

I clay as much as 3-4 times per year on my cars. My 99 has been done at least 20 times and the paint is still factory fresh. If you clay and wax often, you should never need to polish.

stemags

Hey Lex,that car of yours looks very familiar.Thats what I drove home in the day I bought mine,except its a 320.Do you have any mods at all in her?Any complaints?1st time I saw a member with same model and color.

Alexbenz

no pics of the results?

vraa

Moving to Detailing forum.

Get pictures ASAP

lexrex

I love the black on parchment combo on the W210.

No mods other than the AMG 17" Style III rims, which I deliberated over at length in this thread.

Plan to get a wood & leather steering wheel sometime soon. Perhaps chrome headlight rings. I don't want to deviate too far from stock appearance.

I expect to replace plenty more window regulators in the future

CE750

Well, I'm sold... can someone give me a link to a good clay bar source/brand?

CE750

Just got that today.. actually less expensive than I thought.. $700 installed.. vs $1000 for all leather.

TOGWT

There are only a couple manufactures of clay and patents protect the technology, with some subtle difference
(Elastic and Poly) in consistency and firmness, a recent court hearing found components of the “elastic clay” to be a patent infringement and the judge ordered sale of the product to be halted. (In the United States, AWC sells Clay Magic®, the original surface preparation bar. Auto Wax owns six patents relating to clay products and provides private label clay to many of the detail industry’s leading companies)

As a result, all of the Polybutene (Polyisobutylene) or plastic clay being manufactured now comes from the same factory in Japan, which as the only patent holder has a monopoly on the market. Meguiars, Mothers, Sonus, Zaino, et al get their clay either from Japan or from a US licensed manufacturer. The only differences between each re-seller are colour, abrasiveness, plasticity, etc).

Clay is not a replacement for decontamination, polish or a compound; it is a mildly abrasive surface preparation, with an average particle size of 1- micron of Kaolin abrasives that polish and exfoliate contaminants by shearing and / or encapsulation, to abrade embedded pollutants and debris from the paint film surface leaving behind an ultra-smooth surface that will make your paint protection adhere better and improve its durability. The chances of ‘abrading away a clear coat with a 1-micrn abrasive are slim to none.
JonM

CE750

Very impressive... worthy of a sticky!

E55AMG99

Very good info and advice, Jon! Clay is absolutely not a replacement for polish or compound but if used often and correctly, the need for the heavy cleaning of a polish is almost completely diminshed.

MDCLS

Ditto!

Have been claying the cars since '99 when someone on another board showed me the light. Would also like to add that it works on wheels as well. Just DONOT use the same bar on your paint.

We just got rid of an '02 530i that had to be color sanded just after delivery (actually a silcone based contaminant in the clear coat) . Now that removes clearcoat.

Brunelleschi

At a very quick glance, I thought the title of this thread os Gay Bar RULES! and I was a little concerned as to what I was going to find inside....thank God I was mistaken!

E55AMG99

Yeah and glass, stainless/chrome (still need to polish after), I even use it on my marble counter tops in the kitchen!

RobertG

:p

TOGWT

Mallable, sticky, picks up stuff , I can see the similarities