I finally got around to claying my MINI this weekend, and I have a couple of questions:

1. It didn't seem like I was doing much of anything. I sprayed on some QD and rubbed the clay around. It got a little dirty, but not much. I wasn't sure what to expect, so I just kept going. The clay never got really dirty, athough I did keep kneading it and flipping it over. The whole car took maybe 30 minutes. Is it supposed to be that easy? Did I do something wrong? Too much lube?

2. I divided the claybar into three pieces, and promptly dropped one of them on the ground. Threw out that piece. Did half my car, then dropped that piece. Threw it out. Started on the last piece, was almost done, then dropped that piece on the ground. My questions is this: am I just incredibly clumsy or does everybody else drop their clay too? Do you keep a spare bar on hand just in case? What would you do if you ran out of clay after doing only half the car?

Thanks

 

I am not one of the acclaimed detail geeks but when I clayed my Mini it was pretty effortless, quick, & the clay didn't get that dirty looking. Did you feel the finish across your paint before & after claying? When I did it my hand felt a slight drag (with an occassional bump) when running it along the Mini before claying & then afterwards it felt like I was running my hand across satin

I did drop pieces of clay too so don't feel bad. To me one clay bar should be more than enough to do one Mini. I just tore off small pieces of clay off the big bar then when one seemed too dirty (or I dropped it ) I just tore another piece off.

 

Yep! Sounds like you did it right! Even dropping the clay. I'm a bit butterfingers myself...

 

If you can still get to the dropped clay, check it for obvious grit or gravel, pick anything large out, then pop it in a zip-lock bag with a few squirts of detail spray. Afterwards, when your clay gets so grimy that you can no longer find any clean material, put all the used-up clay in that bag. Label the bag "GLASS & RIMS ONLY"

Used-up clay is GREAT for cleaning window glass and powder-coated rims. Glass is hard enough that nothing except actual chunks of grit should damage it and powder-coat rims are much tougher than your clear-coat paint. Clayed windows bead water as if they've been treated with Rain-X for several weeks.

 

BRILLIANT!

 

I got the same impression, but the one place I really noticed a difference was on the boot hatch, which seems to act like a grit magnet. The clay job really smoothed it out

 

+1

 

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only goof dropping clay. It just gets so slippery.... Oh, and it takes me about 30 min to clay a MINI also. (I think)

 

The DetailersParadise clay seemed alittle stickier than some other clays I've used in the past.

 

I'm assuming you'all have seen the clay attachment for your PC at the Groit's Garage. There is no way that thing could work.
When I clay I use only about a 50 cent sized piece of clay. I smush it real thin and wrap one side around my finger - no way that thing is falling off no matter how slick it gets.

 

For a minute I thought you were saying you clayed with one finger. I was thinking sheesh it must take you 4 hours to finish your Mini but then I reread you post

 

When I clayed for the first time, SCurves had me take off the rear license plate frame... GOOD CALL - it was fugly behind there, and that was with like 800 miles on the car.

 

ah, but you've never seen my finger - it's the size of a softball mitt.
No really, I use three fingers.

 

Sounds like you did everything correctly. If you want to add some sensitivity to you fingers, put them in a plastic bag, like ziploc or something. This for some reason, I am sure it has to do with physics or something...maybe static, allows you to feel the contaminates on the paint much better.

And yes, as ImagoX said, make sure to take the plate off I would say at least once a year. Tons of build up back there.

 

GOOD idea - I have never done that...

 

Me either & after 2 years I am kinda scared too
Ya know like... have you ever pulled the refrigerator out & seen what gets under there

 

Thanks everybody. Sounds like maybe I could use smaller pieces of clay, so I have more of them. Either that or superglue them to my fingers.

I suppose I have to get some more clay, so I can do behind the license plate. A few months ago, if you had told me I was going to be using a little piece of clay to clean behind my license plate, I wouldn't have believed it.

 

Yeah, well wait till you get the toothbrush out to get wax out of your cracks.
ooo ... that sounded mildly erotic.

 

Shhh, dont give it away yet...he has lots more to learn.

 

Yeah... wait till he learns about THIS:

 

again, mildly erotic.

 

Matt, we dont want to scare him off too soon.

 

"Mildly"?

(( Hangs head in shame ))...

 

ahem...I'm a "her", not a "him". I think you boys are very naughty. But if you want to run around in bunny suits, just pretend it's Easter and deliver me a basket full of Monster Fluffies!!

 

My appologies. *bows*

I was just being general. I had to work very had in retail, I used to always say, how are you guys doing...even if it was a group of girls. Slow on the uptake some times.