I've read about people using a clay bar on their car. What exactly does it do? How do you apply it? Like a wax? I just can't imagine how a clay bar would clean your car.
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I've read about people using a clay bar on their car. What exactly does it do? How do you apply it? Like a wax? I just can't imagine how a clay bar would clean your car.
Carl
FFR #3635 306 w/powerdyne 9lb supercharger
it basically pulls off contaminents.
you'll probably need to polish the vehicle afterwards as, unless your clear is relatively hard, it will cause some slight marring.
http://www.autogeek.net/detailing-clay-bar.html
FFR cobra
RCR Superlite
RCR 917
04 Cobra/Z06/Diablo/bunch of other junk
That link had just the information I was looking for. Thanx.
Next time I'm at an auto parts store I'll pick some up if they carry it.
Carl
FFR #3635 306 w/powerdyne 9lb supercharger
If the clear is "soft" how do you apply the clay and not streak your finish?
You don't. Any clay, even the softest, is still a form of abrassive. On a medium clear hardness (e.g., later model mustang), depending on clay type, amount of lube and pressure used, you may induce a little bit of marring here and there. On a harder clear (e.g., later model lambo) less marring or no marring. on a softer clear (e.g., toyoto or infiniti) you don't have a hope in hell of not inducing marring.
Basically anytime you clay you should anticipate following up with a polish (the type of polish - mild or aggressive) depending on the condition of the paint
FFR cobra
RCR Superlite
RCR 917
04 Cobra/Z06/Diablo/bunch of other junk
and if you drop it on the ground, pinch that area off and discard it. it will pickup dirt and you do not want to transfer to your paint.
What I usually do with the clay is break it in half. If you happen to drop it toss it. You still have the other half to work with. In the past I have used Zaino clay. I have been able to use plain old H20 to lubricate the area, some recommend using detail spray to lube the area. By area I mean you work maybe a foot and a half square or smaller at a time. A trick people use to see if they need to clay is to put a plastic bag on your hand and run it over your finish, if it doesn't feel completely smooth you should clay. I usually do this once a year in the spring, I would think it should only take a few hours to do a Cobra, pretty much the same as a Crossfire, size wise.