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Clay bar

D

DarthMuppet

CEG'er
Joined
Jul 20, 2005
Messages
64
Location
Visalia, CA
So I decided to go all out and clay bar my entire car. I couldn't BELIEVE how much dirt and crap was on the car even when it looked spotless. It took forever to finish but it was completely worth it in the end. I wanted to post some pics but it started to get dark out and they wouldnt have come out good but I'll post some tomorrow or the day after. I just wanted to say how amazed I was at how much dirt was on the car, it was disgusting.
 
Clay bar is the most important step in achieving a great finish! If you start off w/ a crappy surface, you end up with, well, a crappy surface! Start off with a "smooth as glass" surface and you end up with a finish that looks great and will last longer than a non-clayed surface.
 
Dr. Cross said:
Clay bar is the most important step in achieving a great finish! If you start off w/ a crappy surface, you end up with, well, a crappy surface! Start off with a "smooth as glass" surface and you end up with a finish that looks great and will last longer than a non-clayed surface.
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I don't entirely agree with that statement. Not using a clay bar and using a good polish and buffer can get you equal or better results as just clay barring. This is espcially the case on extremely swirled/hazed paint where the polish is at it's best and does what a clay bar can't do. I like to look at it as - Clay bar is an integral part of the process.

Clay bar alone - good
Polish alone - good
Clay bar + polish = really good
Clay bar + polish + sealant = great

Just my .02 cents.

It would be impossible to get from this:
picture.JPG


To this:
picture.JPG


By only using a clay bar. Of course the surface would not be as smooth, but visually it is possible to achieve those results without using a clay bar and only using a polish and a buffer.
 
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Here's a pic of my first and last experience with a claybar. I intend to sand down and repaint it when the weather gets warmer but I've been saying that for two years now.

claybar.jpg
 
^ I've detailed several hundred cars and times and never seen that before. Look at my pics of the 95 Mystique - outdoor car, daily-driver that had never been waxed in 11 years. Claybar worked fine.

Looks like the claybar removed what was a poor coat of paint.
 
GTO Pete said:
^ I've detailed several hundred cars and times and never seen that before. Look at my pics of the 95 Mystique - outdoor car, daily-driver that had never been waxed in 11 years. Claybar worked fine.

Looks like the claybar removed what was a poor coat of paint.
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I'd have to agree with Pete on this one, Looks like someone clearcoated it with some very shotty clear coat in a can....
 
Well, I'm the original owner so it must have come from the Kansas City assembly plant with that cheap paint.

It doesn't really bother me having it that way or I would have sanded, primed and painted it a long time ago. The car has been demoted to my driveway to face whatever Mother Nature throws at it until we part ways in a few more years.

However, the experience has sworn me off ever using a claybar again. I received a Porter Cable polisher for Christmas and I'm anxiously waiting for warmer weather to try it out. Maybe I'll fine-tune my technique on the Mystique first.
 
GTO Pete said:
^ I've detailed several hundred cars and times and never seen that before. Look at my pics of the 95 Mystique - outdoor car, daily-driver that had never been waxed in 11 years. Claybar worked fine.

Looks like the claybar removed what was a poor coat of paint.
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If I may Pete, lemme give it a shot...
I did a 94 Audi A4 ( I think a 94) that looked EXACTLY like that all the way around it. I couldnt seem to get anything to work on it. The clay did nothing. My dad came out and said Hey try this stuff...It was turtle wax polishing compound...and by golly it worked wonders. Took all the white stuff outa the paint and brought back the red color of the car. Might wanna give it a shot..its only a few bucks at AZ.
Bill
 
Sounds like your Audi was a SS paint. I believe all contours are BC/CC (correct???). Looks like some sort of defect from the factory if that was infact the original paint.
 
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RoadiJeff said:
Well, I'm the original owner so it must have come from the Kansas City assembly plant with that cheap paint.

It doesn't really bother me having it that way or I would have sanded, primed and painted it a long time ago. The car has been demoted to my driveway to face whatever Mother Nature throws at it until we part ways in a few more years.

However, the experience has sworn me off ever using a claybar again. I received a Porter Cable polisher for Christmas and I'm anxiously waiting for warmer weather to try it out. Maybe I'll fine-tune my technique on the Mystique first.
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Don't blame the clay bar for what is obviously badly oxidized paint. The clay just helped to accelerate something that was on the verge of happening by itself anyway.
 
TBoomer said:
Possibly a dealer-installed spoiler? Cheap/quick paint job at a dealership? Just a thought.
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No, I custom ordered it with the spoiler and had to wait 4-5 weeks for the plant in KC to build it and ship it to St. Louis. Since I'm going to repaint that before I sell it some year I guess I should go ahead and do it this spring so I can enjoy the improved looks.
 
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