DIY Clay Bar

PRODUCTS USED:

• Spray bottle filled with some car soap and water/ or some detailing spray
• Clay bar obviously :lol:
• A microfiber

If you can wash your car, you can clay bar it. Its not rocket science. :lol:


Typically for a car that you drive daily to clay bar it about every 5 months, but we all have our own preferences.

To check to see if your paint needs to be clayed all you need to do is..

• Wash the down
• Dry it
• Grab a plastic baggy
• Rub the bag on your paint finish

When you rub your cars paint finish and it feels like rocky you need to clay bar. Those are all the little tiny containments stuck in your cars clear coat. Many things include...

• Brake dust
• Industrial fallout
• Acid rain deposits
• Rail dust
• Stubborn sap
• Tar
• Bug remains

Like i said before clay baring is not rocket science. Basically the clay is picking up the containments off your cars paint finish. There is no wrong way to clay bar. You can pick up a clay bar kit at many stores. Target, Walmart, Auto part stores, Exc. There are instructions on the container i just kinda wanted to completely describe it to everyone to help.

• Spray the area down you don't need to COMPLETELY kill the area
• Rub the clay up and down, side to side, or even in circular pattern
• Apply light pressure just letting the clay move across the panel

What i normally do is go side to side then up and down just to make sure i covered everything.

There are many benefits to clay baring your car:

• Makes he area smooth as glass
• Helps waxing/polishing last longer
• Makes your car stand out more
• Keeps your car paint in good condition
• Gets you the ladies :naughty:

Be sure to cover the area with some wax when you are done to protect the area. We don't want those contaminants coming back too quick. Hope this DIY helped.


Feel free to ask me any questions. Either leave a comment or PM me.


Jordan

nice work! personally i dislike the clay bar to much work. id rather use 3m buffing products which = better finish, better shine an also removes scratchs but to each their own

Buffing is always good but so is the clay bar. I would always suggest throwing a nice coat of wax and after a good clay.
Even better after you clay, throw a nice glaze on with the buffer and then wax. Just buffing without claying before puts dirt and other contaminants on your pad.

rwlsvtec_03 said:

Buffing is always good but so is the clay bar. I would always suggest throwing a nice coat of wax and after a good clay.
Even better after you clay, throw a nice glaze on with the buffer and then wax. Just buffing without claying before puts dirt and other contaminants on your pad.

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i agree with what this kid said. you can always wash your wool pads in the washer :lol:

Damn... lol I've been claybarring my car every month. Too lazy to wax it after the clay bar. Both are a lot of work buyvdefijitly worth the shine.

Hmm is it necessary to clay bar indoors/shade? Or is that only when you wax..?

In the summer i love spending long afternoons to just overhaul the entire thing. Vacuum, armor all, fabric cleaner, wash and clay, wheel cleaner and tire shine. Makes a man proud of his work

sumfilipinodude said:

Hmm is it necessary to clay bar indoors/shade? Or is that only when you wax..?

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Like on the door jams? I guess you can clean it than wax it if you wanted so that later on when you are cleaning the dirt will come off easier.

DC4twokone said:

In the summer i love spending long afternoons to just overhaul the entire thing. Vacuum, armor all, fabric cleaner, wash and clay, wheel cleaner and tire shine. Makes a man proud of his work

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Im there with you Rich. :drool:

DC4twokone said:

In the summer i love spending long afternoons to just overhaul the entire thing. Vacuum, armor all, fabric cleaner, wash and clay, wheel cleaner and tire shine. Makes a man proud of his work

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X3 dude. I dunno what it is but when I'm doing all of that it puts my mind at ease and I forget everything arpund me. And its just me the car and my cleaning stuff just going at it for hours!

But ya man nice wrote up dude

Thanks man. Since i know CI needs some more right ups i figure id pitch in .The detailing section for write ups is all me.

Oh no I mean when you wanna clay your car. Like I know you could wash your car outdoors, preferably in the shade.

So my question is, for the next step (claying), do you have to clay bar the car indoors or can you do it under the shade outdoors? And the question goes the same for waxing too

sumfilipinodude said:

Oh no I mean when you wanna clay your car. Like I know you could wash your car outdoors, preferably in the shade.

So my question is, for the next step (claying), do you have to clay bar the car indoors or can you do it under the shade outdoors? And the question goes the same for waxing too

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Some company's make products that you can wax your car in the sun but i wouldn't do it. when your car is in the shade its better. The sun makes the spray dry quicker.

Ahh yeah that's what I figured..man I can't wait till it's nice out so I can clean my car!

Hey, just have a few questions about detailing, just recently bought this http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/product_detail.do?q=MEG+G1016. So just basically wash the car(does it matter where like at home and hand wash it or car wash and power wash it?), then clay it. I say meguiars had a vid showing how to but just trying to clarify it; mist with quik detail then clay?, wipe clean then wax it or polish then wax? If i had to polish it what products can i use, same thing with the wax products.
I've got DB7 daily driver, so would i do this 2-3 times a year on average?
Also i have a few rust spots on the roof of the car and by a wheel well, will that affect the clay or wax working properly?

Thanks for any input. - JD

mist with quik detail then clay?, wipe clean then wax it or polish then wax

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A good wash will remove a good majority of loose debrees on the car.

You can do either or. Clay bar is the main thing to do before you go into anything else. It leaves the surface smooth before you go into polish or wax. If you feel as if you need to polish it... go for it. Then wax it right after. You will be amazed of how your paint will feel when you are done with the clay bar and wax.