Clay Bars

[softstor]

I have a 2000 Lincoln Navigator. Evey since I owned this car I have always waxed it 4 times per year. I used the Cleaner, followed by the Polish, followed by Gold Class. All three Meguiar products have the liquid versions and I have done them by hand.

For the past few years, the finish is not as smooth as it used to be when it was new. I tried several cleaner products without any success.

Last week I was in the auto parts store and saw a clay from Mothers. I used this clay with the spray bottle that was included. It was very easy to use and the car felt like glass again. This time I did not polish the car. I followed up the treatment with only Gold Class liquid wax.

Is this safe to do on a regular basis?

[Accident]

Yes, as far as I can tell claying is a very good addition to the routine and can be used as often as needed. I use it on my car/my girfriends car any time there is a surface contaminant.

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2409

If you read that, the 5 step care cycle, claying is in step two. It describes what exactly is happening when you clay and why it is an important part of the maintainance.

[the other pc]

Claying doesn’t remove any paint, just the gunk that’s stuck on top. It’s safe to clay as often as you like*.


PC.

*assuming you’re using a mild consumer clay like Meg’s Quik-Clay, Mothers, etc, some extra aggressive professional clays may haze a bit and require buffing.

[softstor]

I did not see any Meguiars Clay in the auto parts store. In fact Mothers was the only clay product offered.

When I used the Mother's clay, I used the liquid that was included in the box. I did not use Final Finish (which I do purchase by the gallon).

After I used the clay, I waited 24 hrs until I applied the wax. When applying the wax (Liquid Gold), it seemed a little milky when applying. Is this normal after a clay job?

I see that Meguiars offers clay too. Are there any advantages to Meguiars clay to Mother Clay (lets be honest...) ?

[gb387]

Originally posted by softstor
I see that Meguiars offers clay too. Are there any advantages to Meguiars clay to Mother Clay (lets be honest...) ?

I have used Mother Clay and Quik Clay System (not Smooth Surface™ Clay Kit ). Comparing the two they both work as advertised, both are good products. I couldn't really see a difference. I like to keep with Meguiars brand, I like to support the company that treats me the best. Hope that helps!

[softstor]

Thanks for the info.

What are differences between the two Meguiar Clay products?



I found a good use for the small sample wax that were included with the Mothers kit. Today I waxed my brass bathroom faucits and brass door knobs in my house. A good carnauba wax does great on those brass fittings. My cars get the Meguiars products though.


P.S.
Attn Admin. I am not getting the email notifications when this thread is updated.

[Accident]

From what I can tell, the Smooth Surface Clay Kit is the replacement for the Quick Clay System. I bought the Smooth Surface Kit and it was worth it. It came with two clay bars, a bottle of quick detailer, a plastic case for the clay, a small bottel of the Cleaner Wax (liquid), and a Meg's MF towel. I'm not exactly sure what the Quick Clay came with, but I don't think it was as much as the new one. Of course, the new kit is more expensive, but with all that you are getting, I think it is worth it.

[softstor]

I have a 1994 Cougar that I am planning of waxing in April. The paint is origional and still has most of the clear coat. It waxes nicely but I am unable to get it as smooth as I would like to. I may try the Smooth Surface Clay Kit.

What is the best way to store used clay to keep it fresh?

[Murr1525]

I find a zip lock baggy and a spritz of lube works fine.. they dont store forever, but I never have it last more than a year without using it all up anyway.

[roaringlion]

May i ask you people how you store your clay bars? and do they harden if not stored correctcly?

[softstor]

Originally posted by Murr1525
I find a zip lock baggy and a spritz of lube works fine.. they dont store forever, but I never have it last more than a year without using it all up anyway.

How do you use the lube?

[Murr1525]

You mean using the lube for storage?

I just use the Quick Detailer when claying, and lets say I cut my clay bar in 3 pieces, and all are pretty clean since the one piece didnt pick up much from the paint.

So I'll just give a spritz of QD, maybe a half pull onto each piece in my hand, just so it goes in the bag coated with QD, not drenched. Then just store in a cool place.

Seems to work ok for me...

[JG_Detailing]

I need to clay my car. It hasn't been clayed for along time. What is the best caly to use? Could I use other clay then Meguiar's?

[Accident]

Clay Magic worked well for me, but I didn't like the lube it came with much. Other than that it still made the surface very smooth. I don't remember who posted this, but I read somewhere that using the cellophane (spelling??) from the outside of a pack of cigarettes will help to ensure that the surface is smooth. What you do is you put your fingers in the cellophane and rub it against your paint. I just used a ziplock bag and it worked as well. Using this, you can feel a lot more of the surface contaminants than you can by hand.

[CivicEM205]

Yes, they do harden, especially the more that you use it. I store my bars inside my house so it stays at a room temperature. If you leave it in a shed or a garage they temperature change makes them harden and probably not as effective.