Anyone addicted to Clay?

[Kenneth]

Im sure most brands would make it, but how well they perform im not sure?? I'd say it all comes down to elbow grease!

The maguires kit is pretty good. Sells for roughly $40, but doesnt include wax. That mothers kit is a damn good buy!

mother make them

maguires make them roughly 40 dollars with a rather bigger clay bar, the wax tht came with mother is relatively small i will take a pic one day if someone wants to know :)

xp. (vroom) got some blue magic or something.. its blue so might not be the best colour to have.. (not knowing if its clean or dirty)

[XploShun]

thats it!!

im doing mine........

ps. how come i dont see your reflection???

[JJCRU23R]

This is the Mother's clay bar set.Which is abt $33(TOCA Member price)

Sets consists of:

1 x Clay Bar

1 x Mother's Carnauba Wax &

1 x Mother's Quick Detailer

for the sydneysiders, particularly those that can get to parklea markets:

i just bought this exact kit for $29!

they had the meguiars kit for $31-32?! - how much was this elsewhere? 40?! geez i think i should have bought that instead if its got more clay and only a few bucks more...

its in the paint/polish stall close to the burger joint and bistro corner of the markets.

[1rocky]

That is such agood buy i paid $35 for clay and detailer and then had to pay extra for the wax

Edited March 23, 2008 by 1rocky

[Kenneth]

This is the Mother's clay bar set.Which is abt $33(TOCA Member price)

Sets consists of:

1 x Clay Bar

1 x Mother's Carnauba Wax &

1 x Mother's Quick Detailer

for the sydneysiders, particularly those that can get to parklea markets:

i just bought this exact kit for $29!

they had the meguiars kit for $31-32?! - how much was this elsewhere? 40?! geez i think i should have bought that instead if its got more clay and only a few bucks more...

its in the paint/polish stall close to the burger joint and bistro corner of the markets.

i was told that u got to watch out for old stocks as clay can harden and it wont be as effective or maybe even useless.. but if the clay is fine then its great buy :D

[JJCRU23R]

i was concerned that the clay was too soft for my liking, considering the function of this clay... i was thinking that the clay has to be a bit firm to last getting rubbed on against something the area of a small/med. sized car.

but if you say its good then i cant wait to use it

[wil_rolla]

i just got my first mothers clay kit yesterday, can't wiat to try....

i'm clay virgin....

[wil_rolla]

does any one know how long it last???

[JJCRU23R]

according to the box of my mothers clay kit it says the clay can clean 3 average sized cars.

[DHC09]

You guys need to stop talking and get claying!!! its only $40! :P

I expect to see a bunch of shinny cars real soon B)

[SuperDave]

does any one know how long it last???

I use the Meguires one untill the bottle of lube runs out. Doesn't cost much more to buy the kit with a new clay bar than another bottle of quick detailer.

[wil_rolla]

sorry all, lol, i ment to say, how long does the finish last on the car?

how long before you have to repeat the clay and the wax?

as an every day used car...

[SuperDave]

sorry all, lol, i ment to say, how long does the finish last on the car?

how long before you have to repeat the clay and the wax?

as an every day used car...

I do it as often as I would polish*, so twice a year. Could do it more often if you wanted, a good test is when the car is clean lightly run the back of your finger along the paint and if it glides then it is fine, if it sticks and feels rough, then it could do with a clay.

*I no longer polish since the clay is so much quicker.

[Wixy]

just reminding all of yous out there

surface preparation stages are just as important as the polishing and waxing stages, so its good to know that some of u's are finally claying instead of just washing and waxing cars.

i noticed there a quite a few people here with black cars.

the pictures are fantastic! well done with the work! next time the sun is shiny, pull it out and look @ the surface of the paint to see for any swirls, cobwebs, hazes or holograms. if so, then u'll need to put more time to rid them if u want to achieve that perfect black car.

theres products out there that specifically remove them ie meguiar's scratch x. get yourself one of them and some hand application pads and youre well on your way to take your detailing job to the next level.

also, if u wanna decrease waxing periods, periodically clean your car with speed detailers, own as the maintenance stage of your detail. it prolongs your wax and gives u that "just clayed and waxed" feel of smoothness perhaps 1mths after u have waxed your car.

and its winter guys! so u'll have to wash your cars less after the rains, cuz of the superior water beading effects of the waxes. (this is generally for most waxing brands).

i use the meguiars professional series, which is just a tad more detailed and specific than the consumer range.

keep on detailing!

[CheekySportivo]

I def want to try out the clay procedure and hit it up with Meguiars.

So what are the best procedures for clay time?

Would it be:

1. Wash

2. Clay

3. Detailer Spray

Or would you just need to wash and clay and nothing else thereafter?

[DHC09]

I def want to try out the clay procedure and hit it up with Meguiars.

So what are the best procedures for clay time?

Would it be:

1. Wash

2. Clay

3. Detailer Spray

Or would you just need to wash and clay and nothing else thereafter?

You'll definitely need to wax after claying. When I did mine, I clayed the whole car, but forgot to wax the side mirrors and after just a few days it felt grippy and not smoooooth anymore. In the Meguiars kit you use the detailer spray with the clay; very easy to use :)

[1rocky]

the Meguairs kit is very easy to use i washed then clayed with the quick detailer then polished car looked great if it rans can use the quick detailer to get those rain dirt spots away and have a shiny car again.

[CheekySportivo]

Sounds awesome.

So does the Meguiars clay kit come with wax too or do you use a separate Meguiars wax?

Also, where is the best place to buy it from?

Places like Super Cheap Auto?

EDIT - Is this the one?

http://www.meguiars.com.au/productdetail_2...Prep&show=1

Edited April 7, 2008 by Cheeky Age

[1rocky]

yes that is the one i use. i use nxt generation for wax/pollishing

[Wixy]

mmm this what i use on the consumer product level:

Washing

HAND wash using lambswool mitt only with nxt car wash at the servos with them $1,$2 commercial hoses. try not to use those wash brushes, they will be a disaster for your paint surface. i i usually place 1/4 portion of the nxt car wash solution in2 a 1 litre bottle, and 3/4 water from home. bring it to the servos and use my solution and lambswool mitt to wash the car. only paying for the water i use.

Drying

soft buff chammy

Surface preparation

i will first evaluate the paint surface. if it feels sandy, then obviously clay is needed. so yes the clay kit

after claying, i will further see for below surface defects around the car, such as hard grime and road tar, grey stains, tree sap. to rid those from the surface, or under the surface, i'll use paint cleaner to remove the defects to a glossy clean ready to work on surface. i apply the paint cleaner with hand application pads.

then i will use a xenon torch light and shine it directly on to the car's surface. this will display the amount of swirls and cobwebs on the car. if its the first time you attempting to remove scratches, swirls and cobwebs, youre in for a long one.

i again use hand application pads to apply scratchx. this product needs to be worked on the surface over and over to smooth out and level the swirls, scratches and cobwebs. u will need numerous applications (around 3-4) to remove all the defects each section at a time. but the results are definitely worth it. this product will not be very effective on white cars (as white paint has a hard pigment setting), nor on single stage paint.

the surface prep stage is the most important. if u take short cuts here u will have a...mmm interesting looking car? haha

Polish.

you can choose whatever polish u wish. but please stay away from polishing products that claim to protect your cars paint. just do it. the sole purpose of polish is to "enhance gloss and shine" and nothing else. good brands acknowledge this. bad brands throw anything in their claims. the dictionary is a good place to start to learn what polish is. in this case one can use deep crystal polish. using a different hand applicator, apply the product to the surface and work it. its not a wax on wax on procedure. work it until the product is gone. this is the same for other brands.

Wax.

theres millions. using another hand applicator, apply the wax onto the applicator then using the applicator to apply it 2 the surface (this is the same for all other products and stages). do not place wax on2 the surface then use the applicator to spread it. that will create stains on your paint work. theres upmarket waxes to cheap waxes.

the newest wax in the australian market is the nxt generation 2.0 wax, its a great improvement over the original nxt gen wax. it MUST be one of the best waxes ive worked with to date on consumer level. just bloody brilliant. if u want something more natural, you cant go past the yellow tech wax, but more experience will be required to apply this has its in paste form.

for daily drivers, especially ones with light coloured paint like silver and white, cleaner wax is good as it removes the 2 tone paint on the car and restores the light coloured finish.

also use the swipe test to see if the wax has settled on2 the car.

in the waxing stage, 2 coats is always better than one. we are in winter now, so if u have waxed your car, u will find that everytime rain comes, your car still maintains its gloss and shine, instead of having the dust and dirt stick on2 your car. this is because of the water beading effect on your surface. water and dust just slips right off.

hope that was some what helpful.

[CheekySportivo]

^

Thanks for that awesome reply Wixy.

Sounds like ur a real pro when it comes to detailing...we must be related then! LOL

There are some great hints and tips in there so thank you.

I guess you need a full weekend to complete those steps as you have mentioned above....but the results will speak for themselves.

Meguiars rocks!

[Wixy]

say, dont u have a black rolla cheeky? i would looove to have a black car. it would make my day

i detailed my friends mazda 6 sports luxury, it was the worst looking thing ever in the history of any universe. lol.

i had a team of 4 (including myself) detailing and it only took 3 hours to complete a full detail, i tell u my friend almost cried when he saw his neglected black mazda shine like no tomorrow. thats the beauty of black paint, u can see the flaws sooo easily, but u can definitely ride it with pride after a detail.

so go out there and detail your black rolla~!

btw, have u tried ultimate quick detail? its a new detailer people in the states are just absolutely crazy about. thats the only product i havent tried. pitty detailing products are so expensive in aust.

Edited April 8, 2008 by Wixy

[CheekySportivo]

I can't wait to give my black rolla a detail.

It's been a while and well overdue so I'm looking forward in getting stuck into it!

Just to get this right, after the clay procedure do you then continue on to wax or apply polish (Meguiars Step 1, 2,3) or do you just use the quick detailer to finish off?

Also. where do you usually buy your Meguiars products from Wixy?

[Wixy]

gday cheeky

in answering your question, im sure u know that when u clay, u clay with some lubricant, thus using the detailer supplied. spray liberally on2 the surface (section of the surface at a time) then move clay left to right, up and down in vertical motions. make sure u keep the surface lubricated, otherwise the dirt and grime caught in the clay will start to scratch the surface (lightly).

to save your clay, you can cut it in2 pieces and place then in for storage. 1 clay bar can be split in2 3 parts and 1/3 of a clay can easily fit 1 car. i have attached images on how to split clay.

Step 1

open the clay and spread out firmly and evenly.

Step 2

Cut the damn thing

Step 3

Get a zippo bag, glad wrap bag and spray some detailer to keep it moist.

Step 4

Wala. use the clay. unused portions obviously go back to the clay bag. Need to keep bag moist so spray 3 - 4 sprays in2 the bag, this will ensure your claybar will not harden. Store in COOL dry temp (eg garage) and u can use it whenever u wish. no expiry date.

remember, u will need to use microfibre cloths. go down to your auto retailer and get some kenco ones. they are in tradie packs, and they are almost the same as megs microfibre cloths (but alot cheap trust me). pack of 15 for 13-15 bucks, i think. same material as the expensive brands. use these cloths to wipe away the detailer you have just used for claying. also use these cloths for the waxing off when waxing. u can machine wash these cloths in cold washing temp.

because u have a black car, after claying, u have the option of polishing, then waxing. if u are unsatisfied with the gloss on your black car, then u can choose to enhance that through polishing. polishing is not a Work on Work off product. it is a work in product. therefore, u need to apply it and work it in2 the surface until the product is gone - entirely.

after that u may begin waxing. waxing after claying the car will enable the wax to set and stick to the surface more evenly and hence, your wax will last much longer than just waxing after a wash. waxing after a wash will not enable the wax to set in2 the surface, as there are will defects present. therefore, when waxing right after washing, you are removing dirt and defects whilst applying the wax, it just doesnt work out.

This is what i mean by below and above surface defects.

Above - Clay

Below - Paint cleaners, scratch and cobweb removals

i get my products from a mixture of auto chains and distro (for products in which i use alot, and i mean alot) but more consumer products i sometimes buy direct from distro, or wait for special when repco or super cheap have 20% of all detailing products. they do it quite often as detailing products in australia are pretti expensive compared to the states. i have found that autobarn's sale items are repco and super cheaps rrp, so just be careful of them....

megs australia i thik tends to support supercheap auto more. stress *i think*

hope i helped~!

[SILVABULLIT]

The majority of my detailing products come from a large cleaning products company. These guys actually manufacture cleaning products on site and have been employed by meguiars to test their products and improve the effectiveness of some their cleaning products as well. That's where i come into the picture. I have actually been involved in some Meguiars product testing and given them feedback on how well a product does or doesn't work. I also showed them how some of their products they recommend for certain uses actually work really well if used in a different way(some polishes etc used with cutting pads on buffs etc) some of the commercial grade meguiars products i have been using for the last 10 or more years have now been repackaged and re named and released to the general public.

Some good info there Wixy and pretty much how I would do most of my work. I wash/polish/ wax my car in this sequence...

1. Wash.

Bowdens body wash gel. Using a high pressure cleaner to firstly remove all grime/grit and majority of contaminents off the paint surface. Wash car from roof,windows bonnet and boot first, then do the sides and front. Once i have washed the car entirely then I do the wheels so as not to get grime etc in water and psread all over the car. I also use a micro fibre mit(Bowdens brand) to wash the car then a different sponge to do wheels. Keep car wet at all times till ready to chamois off.

2.Clay Bar

Remove surface contaminents using clay bar as most of you have read about already. Ensure the car's paintwork is totally cool and has not heat what so ever in it. I tend to do about a square foot at a time. I find the Meguiars clay bar kit is better than the Mothers kit. Lasts longer too. Of the Meguiars kit i find I can do roughly 6 cars out of the block of clay. I cut a peice of clay then knead into a size as big as the palm of your hand. Ensure you lubricate the paint surface well and also spray some on your hand as well to stop clay sticking to your hand!!!(especially in hotter temps!!) Remember to turn the clay regularly and you can spray the clay and actually clean it as you go. If it gets really dirty then replace it with another piece. Buff excess quick detailer?final inspection off using a soft micrfibre terry cloth.

3. Scratch removal/surface defects

Depending on the condition of the car depends on what I use next. Some are pretty bad and I attack them with some body shop compound and a lambswool pad to remove BAD scratches and defects.(If I do this then I add extra steps of a medium grade then fine grade cutting compound to remove all swirls) but most cars I use either a fine grade cutting compound, swirl remover or the like to achieve the results. You don't have to use a machine and I actually do a lot by hand as it is less clean up as the buff can be a bit messy!! All of these if I do use the buff is done at low speed(my buff has 8 speed settings) using the meguiars foam cutting pads. Turn your buff off cloth regulary to stop build up on one area of the cloth!!

4. Polish

Meguiars wet look, deep crystal etc are all good. I often use the Meguiars colour boost as it has a very fine cutting agent in it as well as colours enhancers which boost up colour brightness and clarity. I use the foam applicator pads doing about a square foot at a time then go back once it has hazed off and buffing off with micro fibre polishing cloths. (I use Bowdens polishing cloths and applicators as they are softer than the Meguiars ones) Be sure to only apply a small amount to the applicator and not drown it in polish. Always polish up to edges and not over them as most people do. That way you avoid getting polish residue stuck in nooks and cranny's which looks aweful. Keep polish away from plastics and some rubbers as once it's on there it will be very hard to remove and goes white. I personally do not polish in a circular motion but rather in straight line movements of about a square foot as I mentioned. Eliminates the possibility of getting swirls or picking up some grit and and scratching the surface in that round motion. Remember to turn your cloth regularly to stop build up of polish residue. Also give cloth a good shake as well away from car to loosen and remove residue dust.

5. Wax

I use the Meguiars hi tech yellow Carnauba wax in the paste. Again the car's surface must be dry and cool to do all the steps I have listed. I apply wax in square foot sections with foam applicator then remove with micro fibre cloth. I don't apply in a circular motion but moreso in straight lines. Turn your buff off cloth regularly to avoid build up. Once the wax is complete I will look over the car and decide whether or not to run the buff over it with a waffle pad to even out the wax applied and this gives you even gloss and will also remove any wax that may have been left during hand buffing step. Then with another clean microfibre lint cloth/dust magnet wipe over whole car to remove any static dust off the paint surface.

Remember to use a clean cloth and foam applicator for every step and not cross contaminate your cloths and pads.

These are the step I use in preparing customers cars for shows(paintwork prep) as well as what I do on my own cars. My workmanship speaks for itself and also in the amount of cars I have detailed that have won trophies in shows whether it be for paint/best presented/engine bay/underbody etc etc. I have done quite a few QLD members cars over the last few years and everyone has been extremely happy with the outcome.

I am not the cheapest around but my saying is "you get what you pay for".

Hope this helps and if you have any questions then PM me and I'll see if I can help you out.

cheers SB