Autopia car care has some decent info on how to use their products. One thing I noticed in reading was that they warned about using claybar more than 2x a year. They mentioned that the different strengths of claybar can mar/scuff your paint. That makes sense as Pro claybar has cut in it.

Now, I have been using Griot's claybar. I have claybarred about .... 5x within a year for various reasons. I would do it prior to waxing. It made the car beautifully smooth and the paint had a nice glow afterwards. The wax then would sit on it and buff to a glass hardness and smoothness.

That is the way I liked it.

Is this bad to do? I would hate to be scratching my clearcoat. Any tips? Autopia recommends its super fine detailing clay for monthly use. I wonder how my griot's compares to it. Any other stuff people recommend?

Also, I have been using Speedshine as a qd for claybarring. I switched to Epic and hydro for wax. I havent used speedshine since I did. I am wondering if the natural wax in the speedshine and/or the extra shining components would effect Epic if I had to claybar a spot of road gunk? Would it effect bonding of Epic? Would it weaken a successive, on the top, application of Hydro?

hm.

 

I don't know that it's bad for it, as long as you do it properly...BUT if you can't feel contaminants on the paint with the "baggie test", it's probably a waste of both time and expensive clay! I clay before I Epic, which is 2-3 times per year.

 

Epic will only last as long as what is under it. Epic with Amigo is the best combination since they are designed to work together for maximum durability. If you apply Epic over natural wax it will only last as long as the natural wax. If Speedshine is Carnauba based, I would not want it under my Epic. If you want/need to clay and want to use Epic, then use soapy water or Slick as your clay lube.

 

need more info.

bump.

 

Prima is coming out with their own clay lube called Glide.
Can you clay too much?
Only if you are doing it wrong. If done right, clay never actually touches the paint since there is always a layer of lube between the paint and the clay. If done wrong, you can get scuffs and marring or if your clay is gritty - scratches. So my answer would be no, you can't clay too much if done properly. Do you need to clay as often as you do? That answer is between you and your MINI.

 

Can you claybar too often?

Have you asked this question on a detailing forum? I would imagine the people who do this for a living might be able to answer that.

 

I would naturally answer that yes, you can claybar too often. I don't have any quantitiative evidence for that, though. Claybar is an abrasive and, as with any abrasive, you are grinding down the surface of your clearcoat every time you use it.

The next question you are probably thinking of is "Fine... I'm grinding down the surface. By how much?" and I'll admit that I've got no answer for you. I've heard of an informal study where someone paintwork cleansed with a PCDA the hood of an old car in his backyard every day for a month and never detected any decrease in paint thickness with an electronic meter. I've also worn through clear-coat with an agressive rubbing compound in a few minutes of hand polishing. The abrasiveness of claybar is somewhere between those two... probably closer to the paintwork cleanser, I'd be willing to bet, but I just don't know for sure.

I've found that 2 times a year is a lot for me, but I live in a pretty tame environment and have the car garaged in the evenings. If you are always outdoors, near the salt air or in a contaminant-rich environment, you might need clay more often, but 5 times a year sounds like a bit of a waste of time to me.

Who the heck am I, though, to say you are wasting your time. If you enjoy the process, have the time and like the result, go for it!

If you feel like claying a car and you are in the Dallas area, send me a PM!

 

griot's mud (clay) is very soft. i doubt it will do any damage if you use it
properly like ML mentioned.

i only clay where i feel contaminants.

 

thanks for info

yes, good to know that griot's is the soft kind. i never had any besides Griot's.

I need a clay lube now

I noticed autopia has generic clay lube. that could be good. DP is making one someone said, I dont know when though and I need to use it soon.

 

I've always used the cheap Megs QD in the marroon spray bottle. I ran out while I was doing my wifes MDX and went to Slick/water but I think I like the Megs QD better for this application.

 

i use meguiar's cheepo QD (maroon bottle) for claylube. no need to
buy a 'dedicated' lube. just use the cheap stuff.

 

dang, carfael and i said the same thing in stereo mode.

 

I'll "ditto" the ban on clay lube. It's a waste, IMHO. A good auto shampoo at twice the normal strength does a great job!

1. Wash the car - don't bother drying
2. Rinse your bucket and wash mit well
3. Mix a fresh batch of wash water w/ a good auto shampoo - at 2 times the normal strength.
4. Swab a body panel with the 2x wash water and clay.
5. Wash the panel to remove the clay bar bits
6. rinse the panel
7. repeat on next panel until done.
8. rinse entire car
9. dry car

 

If you feel that you have to use clay lube, your detailing spray (in Zaino's case, Z6) will do just fine.

 

I stopped by DP today and got some of their new clay lube - Glide. Smells very good and is only about $8 for a regular size (Slick / Hydro) bottle. Oh and they have packaged their new leather stuff too - Nourish.

 

Well, I will tell you about clay lube. If it adds NOTHING to shine, and just lubes, it is worth it over buying QD sprays in general. It ensures a clean stick and longevity of any wax. I would hate to add stuff to a pre-wax job. Things wear off so easily as it is where I live. If epic doesnt last in mid winter, I would switch to Klasse Twins without hesitation, even though it wouldnt look as good to use SealantGlaze from Klasse.

Hopefully, I will epic often enough or close enough to bad winter that it will hold. I will be using hydro every couple of weeks as well to keep things going.