Clay bar

[30-9]

Any issue using clay bar on 35 year old laquer paint

[cmbrucew]

Makes 77 year old arms ache.


Bruce

[Angledrive]

Wash car throughly, keep bar wet and clean, do not drop on ground.

[tubman]

Age aside, I have found that a "clay bar" treatment can be very valuable on a car that has not been properly maintained.

[uncle buck]

Anyone tried this as a substitute?

[uncle buck]

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Priests wash mitt

[VeryTangled]

Hi Everyone. Agree with Angledrive above. But I guess I have to expand. I actually have some recent experience here... I recognize this is long. Feel free to skip to the next post.

On May 22nd, I ordered Meguiar's Detailing Clay, Aggressive & Mild. They recommend using either along with their M34 Final Inspection spray (which I've used in the past, so getting some more wasn't a big issue, I splurged for a gallon - OVERBUY on my part).

I also bought rubbing compound and micro-fiber towels, and a can of wax that exploded en route. A quick click of the mouse and Amazon calls me, says to keep the can here's your money back! I'll use the wax, it was just a mess in that baggie that some intelligent person thought was good packaging!

First I washed the whole car. Then I washed the driver/left rear fender again. Then I went to work on the area below the gas filler with the Aggressive bar. Sadly there have been some fuel getting on the fender. I guess I spent about 20 minutes on the fender.

The Aggressive Clay with the Final Inspection spray to wet the surface made that gunk disappear, as in never there to begin with! After waxing I was impressed. This fender has never looked this good in the three years I've owned the car! I will admit my rubbing hand hurt later, and after doing the other rear fender the next day, but it wasn't only the clay I was using, I was waxing and washing too.

With scissors, I cut about 1/5 of the bar, leaving the rest in the original wrapper, then put it back into the storage plastic jar.

I took a piece from what I cut off, and the unused stuff I balled like a marble and put back in the can. Then I squished the smaller piece into a flat that was sorta business card size and pretty thin, later I used some smaller but thicker pieces for corners.

They recommend tossing it if you drop it so I tried to work with smaller pieces to reduce waste, never ended up dropping any, knock wood. I think they say to use back-and-forth strokes (check their website for helpful hints). Every few seconds, I'd pick it up and look underneath. Sometimes I'd see debris. Then I'd take the clay and fold it several times to get a fresh section, and repeat the spraying, rubbing, inspecting, folding...

Haven't broken out the Mild so no report on it. OVERBUY #2.

I did the other rear fender with the clay and it came out really nice. Did a part of the body (the trunk lid of my Fordor Touring) and the clay really didn't make that area perk-up the first try so I went back to fenders. Full disclosure, previous owner pained the fenders black and the body green. Who knows what kind of paint but I bet they are different!

I also ordered some No7 White Polishing Compound in the same purchase. I did the two front fenders with the compound then wax. (On on a '35 there is A LOT more real-estate, awkward spots, horns/headlights, to polish on the fronts.) I found it easier to work with the No7, honestly, for condition of finish I was starting with. I can't tell the difference in the final product yet.

I did use the clay in the top of the front fender area under the hood sides where the contour made it hard to use the compound all the way into the corners. Also around the light stands, underneath the headlights, and horns got the clay treatment. All the dirtier spots.

I also went through a stack of micro-fiber towels and some Meguiar's Cleaner Wax.

A few days later I used a piece of clay on a spare tire cover, the flat, not the ring. I was getting a lot more debris into the clay, which I guess was good. The paint was black, and the clay was getting a lot of black in it. It was cool, I just broke out some more. It looks better. But it was pretty far gone when I started. It will take a few more sessions. The clay seemed to 'wear out' quicker on this rougher condition surface.

I've used about 1/4 - 1/5 of the bar, after two rear fenders, and the spare tire cover.

I took the part/area and washed it frequently. I don't like the idea that I might get a chunk in the bar, not know it, and rub in some imperfection that wasn't there to begin with. So start with a clean surface was my thinking.
Example, the the fender, it's easy to just hit it with soap & water, towel dry, and continue. Much less drama than washing the whole car. Same with the tire cover, I washed it about three times along the way.

So that's my story, hope it helps. Pic was last summer.

[countrysquire]

Originally Posted by uncle buck

Anyone tried this as a substitute?

Yes, I use both the Nanoskin wash mitt and their sponges, which are essentially the same thing and definitely prefer them to clay bars.

Neither clay, nor the synthetic alternative will harm the 35 year old lacquer paint. That said, it will induce some marring to the paint, but a very light polishing should remove it before putting a wax or sealant on it.