OK, I've been reading posts here about claybars and all. So I bought a Mother's kit a Walmart and decided to try it on my wife's 2 year old yellow metallic Mazda 3, which hadn't been waxed since we got it. I wash it with Dawn, dry, then claybar it using the enclosed lube spray like it said. It seemed like I was gliding the bar over an oily surface and I didn't see much (if any) stuff on the yellow clay as I did it. Afterwards the paint had a residue from the spray (which I wiped off as it said), I rinsed, dried and waxed with the enclosed carnauba. Looks great. But what the heck did the clay do? The instructions said I would hear the residue being wiped off as I covered the paint. Heck, I have trouble hearing the phone ring when I'm watching TV! I had a hard time believing I'd hear anything like that. I guess I'm asking whether you just do it because it removes some invisible stuff, or if you should see a differece after you clay. Maybe her car's paint wasn't that bad after all. Did I waste my time?

 

You don't necessarily *see* a difference, but you should *feel* one. Now that you've done it it's too late, hehe, but sometime in the future before you clay again, take a plastic bag (either a sandwich baggie or a plastic grocery bag work), and feel your (clean) paint through the plastic. You'll feel little bits of grit and fine bumpiness. Those are surface contaminants bonded to the surface of your paint. The clay bar shears them off in teeny increments and creates a perfectly slick-smooth surface for polishes and waxes to work with.

Even though your MINI is very new, try the bag test on it - the trip across the water and by rail/truck can get contaminants on the paint. I clayed my MINI when it was brand new and was sort of grossed out at what came off of it!

As far as what you should see - the clay should get dirty looking after awhile. Other than that, you won't notice really much change in the paint other than that it feels super smooth.

 

Gotcha there. The feel thing I will try. But you're not gonna hear the bar removing the bits, right? (I thought that was stupid) Any why not feel the paint with your fingers instead of through plastic. Does that make any sense? Thanks for your response ML.

 

The plastic sheath does increase your sensitivity. These are micro-bumps, not something drastic like sandpaper. I think it's the resistance on the slilppery bag that helps you feel them <do not insert any dirty thoughts about plastic sheaths and sensitivty here. don't go there!>

 

I would NEVER do such a thing.

 

Did you take the back of your hand accross the finish before and then after the clay bar was worked over the paint? If so that was you indication of what the clay bar did. It will make the paint feel like a baby's butt, I doubt the two year old paint had no contaminants.

It removes the invisible stuff and the not so invisible stuff. There had to be indications of this in the bar itself by the end of the job. You are not going to see big chunks of crAAp in the bar.

Clay bars are the best tool I was ever introduced to when it comes to detailing. I usually clay our truck and car twice a year....and each time there are indications that the clay actually removes the bad stuff. DO not give up on clay

Rick

ps. throw away the Dawn.

 

Actually Dawn should be used if you want to remove your old coat of wax. I dunno if "just claying" will remove "all" your old wax. Now if you plan to use polishes in addition to clay then there is no need to Dawn as the polishes will definitely remove all of your old coat of wax

& Newt, I am a carnauba wax fan also but if that is your only protection be prepared to rewax at least every month as carnauba does not last long. I use Klasse AIO & Sealant Glaze under my carnauba so I can get longer lasting protection. I still re-carnauba every month just because it looks purdy

 

I used Dawn for that reason. Rats, I was afraid the carnauba wouldn't last long. I don't want to rewax that often. What would I use next instead? I know you don't use Hydro with carnauba. I plan on getting some of that for the Mini and can use it on the Mazda too.

 

The clay will remove the above surface contaminents that will slightly alter the way the light reflects off your polished surface. The wax will always make it look shiny but a perfectly prepared surface will look that much better. And it makes people go ooh ahh when they touch it.....if you let them

 

True for most carnaubas. However, I have found Malms to last a very long time (as carnaubas go). Easily 4 - 6 months. But, its hard to buff off.

 

griot's Best of Show easily lasted 4 months on my daily driver... and that's a liquid carnauba.

 

Yeah I agree, Best of Show lasted pretty well on my old car, maybe 3 months or so. But if you're looking for true durability I'd switch to a synthetic sealant/wax. You can always top w/carnauba as your time permits if you really like the carnauba glow. At least then if it wears off you still have the synthetic still protecting the finish.

 

i hear griot's sealant lasts a very long time. anyone tried it? might
be like a NuFinish undercover..

i dont use carnauba on my daily drivers any more as it shifts too easily
when washed in warm weather.

 

You know honestly I don't know if your silver color would really show much difference because you use carnauba. Carnauba really adds an incredible depth to reds, yellows & other dark colors. If I had silver or another lighter metallic color I would probably just use Epic, a synthetic wax, sold at Detailer's Paradise. That way you could only wax 2X a year & do super easy breezy touch ups using Hydro as you dry (ken just gasm'd ).

That said, right now If I feel like a quick touch up without waxing I have been using Sonus Carnauba Spritz QD but I rarely do that since adding a whole new coat of my P21S carnauba is really quick & easy

 

^^ (hydro)

if you have the time and patience, you can use griot's SprayOn wax over
the carnauba to get a very nice deep shine even over silvers. my G is
silver and gets app'ed every other QD sessions. very incredible shine,
just doesnt' last long.

 

You are correct about using dawn to remove old wax. I read the orginal post as there was not wax on the Mazda to begin with and that was their soap of choice. I guess it was a misunderstanding.

 

i just realized matsuda wanted to sound like ma"z"erati and named
themselves mazada's.

 

Opps

 

claybars work like wonders. i have yet to still do a 100% job on mine. i do a sloppy job of about 75%. still feels smooth as glass

 

This raises a question for me, what type of pressure should you put on the clay bar as you are working it over the surface? Should you go just one direction or back and forth?(I've heard both recomended).

I've got a clay bar coming from DP and plan to clay my cars soon so I need to know how is the best way to clay the car.

 

I use about 5-10lbs of pressure as I work with the clay. I use a front/back motion, but no matter what motion you use it will be ok, clay dosn't cause scratches so its all good.

 

OK I have just got to ask... how in the hail can you measure LBS of pressure by hand. I would never be able to tell that Do you have a pressurometer that attaches to your wrist I rub about as hard as I do when I am buffing off wax or QD. It seems to have worked thus far. I hope that = 5-10LBS

 

Just as long as you do not drop the bar. You drop it...You chuck it. This way it will never scratch that paint of yours.

 

I have found clay is about the only way to get the boot clean, heck the whole rear end of the car clean. It just accumulates junk so fast.

 

Do you have a bathroom scale? Just press down on it until it reads 5-10lb, then you know what kind of pressure you need to exert to creat 5-10lbs of force. Then try to duplicate it with the clay and your MINI.