Newly washed, clay barred 'n waxed

[GregMilner]

Just discovered what a difference using a clay bar makes before you wax. Surface comes up like glass. And that Maguiar's stuff for the leather upholstery - brilliant.

[Celtoid]

Just discovered what a difference using a clay bar makes before you wax. Surface comes up like glass. And that Maguiar's stuff for the leather upholstery - brilliant.


Noice, very noice.....:D

Mate, how do you get any work done in that garage.....its tiny ;)!!!!

[Family Traveller]

Looks great Greg, do you roll the bar over the surface or dab it?

Cheers Scott

[GregMilner]

Noice, very noice.....:D

Mate, how do you get any work done in that garage.....its tiny ;)!!!!

Ha ha...it's the warehouse behind my office. Supposedly for business-related storage solutions, but it also makes a very good cleaning station and toy storage area. It's my man-cave. Somehow it's accumulated a boat, a vast array of fishing/crabbing/crayfishing debris, various bits and pieces related to boating, a bait freezer...oh, and the odd bit of work-related stuff. (And it's only 1.4km from home:-)

[GregMilner]

Looks great Greg, do you roll the bar over the surface or dab it?

Cheers Scott

You spray the car with a lubricant that comes with the pack, then gently rub the surface with the clay bar, then dry it off and wax. I do about 1 square metre at a time.

[dswatts]

Your pic up the top near your name is upside down :D

[GregMilner]

Your pic up the top near your name is upside down :D

Klutzy of me...is that better now?

[Homestar]

What brand and where did you get the clay bar pack? I've been looking for something locally but haven't turned up much.

Oh, and that looks pretty damn sweet as well...:)

It makes me want to run out and do mine....:D

[Celtoid]

So I've got the idea I think regarding a clay bar but what does it actually do to the paint and should that be necessary on quality cars?

Cheers,

Kev.

[GregMilner]

I use the Maguiars range of cleaning products. Supercheap Auto has a vast range of the stuff. Including the clay bar detailing kit, it's about $25.

If you search 'clay bar detailing' on YouTube you'll find dozens of videos on how to do it. It's very easy.

And yes, it makes a huge, huge difference even on relatively new paint. My car's only a year old, yet when I picked it up a couple of days ago and ran my hand along the bonnet, you could feel the drag, even though it had only just been washed.

The clay bar (with the lubricant sprayed on first) collects all the debris that gets embedded in the paint, out of the air, from tree sap etc. Then you dry it off with a microfibre cloth, then apply wax (again, Maguiars) and let it haze off, then buff it down. It literally feels like glass after that treatment. Apparently, doing it that way means the wax coat lasts a lot longer.

There's a bunch of discussions about it on fullfatrr.com, the UK forum. Very useful. Made massive difference to my car, it seems to actually glow in the later afternoon light. Even though it's not a metallic finish.

[PTC]

Coming from a GQ with dint's and rust and holes through it. To a nice clean white Defender. This topic is exactly what i was looking for. I've just bought a pressure washer which i have been meaning to buy for years. And tomorrow will head out to get a good selection of cleaning and polishing products.

I hope to keep the new car nice and shiny each time i come back from a trip. Also a good coat of wax should stop some of the scratches from the trees on tight tracks.

[BigJon]

It makes me want to run out and do mine....:D

I went outside and washed mine. No claybar or wax though.

[Basil135]

I went outside and washed SWMBO's. No claybar or wax though.

Fixed it for you...

:D



:wasntme:

[BigJon]

Fixed it for you...

:D



:wasntme:

Yet in the time it has been "hers" she has not washed it, vacuumed it, put fuel in it, etc...

[superquag]

You need not spend a small fortune on tiny clay bars...

CAR Truck Magic Clean Clay BAR Auto Detailing Miracle Wash Cleaner | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/321003238462'ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649)

I use it on my glass as well. Makes a differance.:D

[harlie]

Clay bar works a treat. My D2 ended up covered in overspray drift while parked at the ship yard several years ago. I was there working on my boat and someone down the end of the yard was spraying white out in the open. Luckily my boat was uneffected (later heard serval were) but the top, front and one side of the white D2 was covered in tiny white specs, which you could only really see on the glass and black pillars, but you could feel it over the duco - only noticed it week or so later and had to think hard about where it was from.

Used a clay bar for the first time, took half a day but it removed it all, amazing difference.

[Basil135]

Yet in the time it has been "hers" she has not washed it, vacuumed it, put fuel in it, etc...

Exactly. Smart woman that one....

Thats why she married a mechanic... :cool:

[Homestar]

Yet in the time it has been "hers" she has not washed it, vacuumed it, put fuel in it, etc...

Funny how things work out like that...

Mine said she would keep 'hers' spotless if I bought it for her....

She has run it through the car wash once in 18 months. I'm the only one that cleans it. Every time I wash it she says 'I was about to do that.." :D

[Graeme]

I might wash my D4 again one day - perhaps a job for next year. IIRC bronze looks OK when clean.