Is Clay Barring worth it?

[GTU89]

Okay, so the only wax I use on my GTU is Maguires Cleaner Wax, and it looks great. But I'm always seeing clay bars at autopart stores. Has anyone done that on here and what are your thoughts on it?

And offtopic, but should I use acetone to remove spray paint? It was just the cheapo walmart stuff that I thought I would use to touch up a scratch on the fender, looks quite a bit worst when you look at it in direct sunlight because to walmart black is not the same as the black used on our cars.

[themadness]

never used a claybar but most people swear by it?

how big is the scratch and over spray area? acetone may make things worse. you could try "goof off". it removes bugs, tar, sticky stuff, and overspray with out harming the paint.

did you clear coat over the paint?

[GTU89]

Well, nevermind on the spray paint removal, I tried acetone and it comes right off (using nail polish remover), only thing it I have to wax inbetween applications to see my progress lol

I just don't understand clay bars quite, and they are somewhat expensive ($20 buck a pop) to just try for the hell of it at the moment.

[Koots]

Claybar works by rubbing it along the surface of the paint (with a soap or cleaner to lubricate) andbett picking up dirt and embedded particles in your paints surface.

The functionality of it is entirely based on how bad your paint is. If you clean your car (free of wax) and you feel lots of roughness and grit, then a claybar will make it feel like new.

I did it to my Civic and my 98 GMC Sierra and it worked wonders in how the base paint felt like. Then using a cleaner wax or a waxing system, you will get better results out of your detailing.

[snowblindburd]

I'd highly recommend using a claybar. It will get a lot of the contaminants out of your paint before you seal them in with wax. I've even used it to remove spray paint overspray and other random scuffs. I use it every time I do a full detail of my car.

[Kris GTwhat?]

claybar is 100% worth it. not to mention it lasts years if you use it correctly, so the actual cost is very little for the amount of use you get out of it

[90INDYLIN]

It's well worth it ,it makes the finish smooth as glass. Much easier to wax and maintain.

[1990BerettaGTZ2.3L]

I 100% back the clay bar also I worked at a detail shop for 3 years we would use a rough claybar which worked wonders on tar and other contaminenrs in on the paints surface, it pretty much equivalent to wet sanding with 2500-3000 grit sand paper if you look closely I didn't really like using the meguires clay bars to gentle I had to scrub and scrub to get a paint area off the fender of my chevelle from having an area of wet paint that got on me at work and then came home with it on me to work on my chevelle leaning over the fender, maybe it's because it's a softer clay and not a harder or gritier clay of you will, I prefer the rougher stuff just because IRS faster and does a better job only down fall is you have to buff it cause it kinda wedsands the surface a bit but it awesome when buffed and waxed

[3X00-Modified]

it pretty much equivalent to wet sanding with 2500-3000 grit sand paper if you look closely I didn't really like using the meguires clay bars to gentle I had to scrub and scrub to get a paint area off the fender of my chevelle from having an area of wet paint that got on me at work and then came home with it on me to work on my chevelle leaning over the fender, maybe it's because it's a softer clay and not a harder or gritier clay of you will, I prefer the rougher stuff just because IRS faster and does a better job only down fall is you have to buff it cause it kinda wedsands the surface a bit but it awesome when buffed and waxed

If that's not far from the truth I don't know what is...

Clay baring a car does NOT "wetsand" your vehicle at all... and if it does your not remolding the clay to get clean clay to clean the next surface. All the clay is doing is pulling out contaminates in the paint that washing will not remove.

http://www.detailedimage.com/Auto-Detai ... /Clay-Bar/

If your getting a "wet sanded" look to the surface after "scrubbing" with the clay bar then all I have to say is "your doing it wrong"

Background

Clay bar products are most frequently used to remove paint over spray or contamination on a car. Contamination consists of tiny metal shavings from rail dust, brake dust and industrial fallout. This contamination affects all paint finishes and can cause serious damage when left untreated. Paint contamination can be felt as a "rough or gritty" texture on the paint's surface and can lead to tiny rust spots.

There is no wax, natural or synthetic, or any chemical treatment that can prevent or protect against this contamination. Compounding with an abrasive polish may remove this contamination but it can only be performed a few times before removing too much of the top, clear coat finish.

The solution to this problem is a clay bar, which safely removes over spray, and industrial fallout by "pulling" it off the surface. What differentiates a clay bar from other abrasive polishing or compounding solutions is that it does not perform any abrasive actions.

When clay bars were brought to the United States several other usages were found for them. Clay bars were found to be effective for removing over spray, tree sap, acid rain & water spots and a variety of other surface contaminants.

Today, professional detailers and body shops use clay bars as a simple, safe way to remove over spray and surface contaminants from painted surfaces, including chrome and glass.

How to use clay bars:

The clay bars are used in conjunction with either soapy water or a spray detail product as a wetting agent for the gentle rubbing of the paint surface with the clay. This process is similar to wet sand paper procedures. Clay bars should always be used on freshly washed, clean surfaces. Dirt on the surface could cause scratches.

It is recommended you start out by working on a small area of a few square feet at a time, gliding the clay bar on the paint surface misting the paint surface with the soapy water or spray detail lubricant. At first you should feel a slight resistance on the surface when running the bar over the paint. As you go over the same area repeated times you will feel less friction until the surface glides smoothly. When the bar moves freely you are done. Wipe the surface with a clean dry towel and continue in sections until the entire vehicle is complete.

As the bar becomes soiled, simply pull, stretch and refold to expose a new, clean side. When the bar becomes totally soiled (dark colored) discard it. Typical life span of a 4 oz. bar is about 10 to 12 cars. If a bar falls on the ground immediately throw it away, and use a new bar. Failure to do so can result in scratches on your paints surface from picked up debris. Upon completion, spray the bar with lubricant and store in an airtight container or zip-lock storage bag.

If the paint is in good condition and free of scratches, proceed with your favorite wax.
Note: Clay bars will not remove scratches, swirls or dull, oxidized paint.
If working on an older vehicle with dull paint and/or surface swirls, follow the claying process with your favorite polish, then wax.

[GTU89]

Well, I went and got a Mothers Clay Bar System, and I got to say I'm a bit disappointed in it. I guess I keep the GTU too clean for it to really need it. I did on the other hand do alot of good to a spot I tested on my parents '10 Cobalt lol

Does the clay bar help repel dirt or anything like that or just make the paint smooth? Cause when I'm done waxing it and whatnot its usually smooth enough that if you sit a towel on it the towel just slides off by itself. That reminds me, I should figure out how to get pics on here and post her up.

[berettaboi]

what more do you want? that's what it does

[GTU89]

what more do you want? that's what it does

My point was that I didn't realize that my car was that clean that a claybar didn't really do anything to it. I just thought that it would have a more substantal effect on my car (since it removes surface contaminants) than it did.

[3X00-Modified]

The whole point is to have your paint smooth before waxing... It can make a huge difference on some cars and not a huge difference on others. It also helps prep and clean the surface before waxing. I would have to say thats the biggest effect of it. Its better than waxing a car and sealing in dust and dirt that does't come out with a hand wash.

I hope to be washing, baring and waxing my car to night since it needs wax badly.

I don't expect to see a huge difference from just waxing my car, but at least I know the wax job was done on a clean prepped surface.

[snowblindburd]

I need to do mine again before Bfest.

[themixer]

pics of shined up cars plz