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Claying a Car's paint - READ ONLY

11 messages,  Last post on Sep 10, 2003 at 7:38 AM

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Messages Page 2 of 2

#2 of 11 I'm not sure... by daschtick

Jul 10, 2003 (5:04 am)

...but the last clay system that I bought was Meguiars, and it included a $5 (16 oz) bottle of Quik Detailer for a total cost of $10. This seemed to be a good deal, since 5 years earlier, the same clay system with a tiny (3-4 oz) bottle of Quik Detailer was $25 - now that was a scam!

#3 of 11 not a scam by bretfraz

Jul 10, 2003 (5:26 am)

Paint detailing clay has almost nothing in common with kid's clay except the name. Paint detailing clay is specifically blended to remove surface contaminents from auto paint. And its designed to remain cohesive while using the liquid lubricants required for the process.
 
Modern paint detailing clay for consumer use was invented in Japan in the 1980s but versions of this have been around since the 1930s, made for body shops to remove paint overspray without sanding or stripping fresh paint.
 
You can buy a claying kit for under $10 at most any auto parts store or even WalMart. Mothers sells a nice kit that includes a bottle of car wax for about $16. And you can order large sized bars of clay online.

#4 of 11 And.... by isellhondas

Jul 10, 2003 (1:37 pm)

The clay actually does work! I was skeptical but I tried it on my black Accord...What a difference!

#5 of 11 convenient clay by kkollwitz

Jul 18, 2003 (11:59 am)

I keep my clay in a plastic sandwich bag. I use it frequently to take off birdpoop. It only takes a minute, doesn't require actually washing all or part of the car, and I can do it in dress clothes.
 
And it doesn't scratch.

#6 of 11 clays by graphicguy

Jul 24, 2003 (9:10 am)

Nothing much new to add except I wouldn't try claying my car with "Play-Doh". Saying that all clay is alike is akin to saying that since a Corvette and a Yugo are both cars, they must be similar.
 
The theory (correctly) behind automotive clay is that there are multiple ways that crud can stick to your finish. Some say that rail dust from the trains that deliver new cars to dealers sticks to the paint of your finish before you even take delivery of your new car. I've never had much of an issue with that as most cars delivered to my area are trucked in.
 
That said, things like bug splats, dirty air fallout, tar, grit, etc. will stick to your finish. Washing gets some of it off, but not all.
 
If your finish is even and slick, then the reflectivity of your finish will be better. I clay my cars once/year. Doesn't take long (about 20-30 minutes) and gives excellent results I can see. Plus, if your finish is slick, clean and waxed, the likelihood of anything sticking to it is better. I've actually just sprayed bug carcasses off of my finish with just a hose.
 
Different chemical compounds are in automotive clay than in "reglar ole clay".

#7 of 11 Oh, and by kkollwitz

Aug 01, 2003 (10:42 am)

for small jobs like birdpoop, spit works as well as the spraystuff to lubricate the clay. But I doubt this method would be practical to clay the whole car.

#8 of 11 No, that probably wouldn't work too well.. by jocko9

Aug 01, 2003 (2:26 pm)

unless you were full of spit.

#9 of 11 a little off topic.. by 5speeder

Aug 14, 2003 (6:04 am)

"Some say that rail dust from the trains that deliver new cars to dealers sticks to the paint of your finish before you even take delivery of your new car. I've never had much of an issue with that as most cars delivered to my area are trucked in."
 
graphicguy--while cars arrive to the dealerships by truck, most of them were probably on a train when they left the assembly plant. I live near a Ford plant and see the vast majority of vehicles leave by train.
 
I've also noticed many cars arriving at dealerships come coated with white plastic. I assume it's to avoid any paint damage while in transit.

#10 of 11 5speeder by graphicguy

Aug 15, 2003 (6:07 am)

You're probably right. At some point, most cars would have to go by rail.
 
I clay for no other reason than to get my finish as smooth as possible. That, and a good wax job, goes a long way to deepening the shine and keeping the bugs from sticking to the finish.

#11 of 11 Use FRESH Clay by jona57

Sep 10, 2003 (7:38 am)

I have used clays & they can be very good at removing contaminants and overspray, however I screwed up ROYALLY recently. I decided to clay a few spots on my Chrysler & used my Meguiar's clay which had dried out a bit. Meguiar's is usually very soft, but this clay bar was clearly harder than new. The dryed clay (with good spray for lubriucation) scratched my clearcoat. I was too lazy to buy fresh clay, and now I have some work to get out those fine scratches. This has NEVER happened to me using frsh clay of any brand.
 
Jon

Messages Page 2 of 2

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