Clay bar, Clay bar, Clay bar, Clay bar...
10/4/06, 11:58 PM
#1
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Clay bar, Clay bar, Clay bar, Clay bar...
Not to be redundant
but if you haven't yet clay barred your new Mustang - break out the wallet and spend the $16.99 for the kit (I used Mothers Clay Bar Kit from Pep Boys) there are others - but get those surface contaminants out of your clear coat....I purchased a new clay bar just for my new GT/CS and it was amazing how fast it turned black....you just can't imagine how much debris is stuck in your clear coat and it doesn't damge you paint at all. Well worth the 3 hours to wash, clay bar then wax.....looks better than it has since I picked it up....OK off rant now but seriously - try this it will make your paint feel as smooth as silk
After washing/drying your car - run your hand across the hood or spoiler, etc and feel the resistance...that's debris sticking in your clear coat that waxing will not remove...then clay bar just a small spot and run your hand across it - you will not be able to believe the difference!!
PS I am in no way affiliated with Mothers Clay Bar or any other clay bar manufacturer just helping out my fellow Mustang fanatics (who have not yet tried this "miracle bar")
but if you haven't yet clay barred your new Mustang - break out the wallet and spend the $16.99 for the kit (I used Mothers Clay Bar Kit from Pep Boys) there are others - but get those surface contaminants out of your clear coat....I purchased a new clay bar just for my new GT/CS and it was amazing how fast it turned black....you just can't imagine how much debris is stuck in your clear coat and it doesn't damge you paint at all. Well worth the 3 hours to wash, clay bar then wax.....looks better than it has since I picked it up....OK off rant now but seriously - try this it will make your paint feel as smooth as silk After washing/drying your car - run your hand across the hood or spoiler, etc and feel the resistance...that's debris sticking in your clear coat that waxing will not remove...then clay bar just a small spot and run your hand across it - you will not be able to believe the difference!!
PS I am in no way affiliated with Mothers Clay Bar or any other clay bar manufacturer
just helping out my fellow Mustang fanatics (who have not yet tried this "miracle bar")
10/5/06, 07:07 AM
#2
Yes I've already done mine but I live about 150 miles from the Factory so I didn't have nearly the crap on my clear coat as a car there was been on the Railroad. I work on a small RR inside a Steel Mill and see the rail dust get kicked up ever time I make a move in the yard.
dly
dly
10/6/06, 10:30 AM
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Some of you guys must have gotten paint with contaminents in it. I have an 05 and the paint was always as smooth as glass from the start. I'm very picky and the car's finish looks and feels like a mirror. I wash and wax it regularly and if it feels smooth with no roughness, why clay bar? Don't get me wrong, if you can feel any paint roughness, then I think using the clay bar is a great idea. Otherwise, aren't you just making more work for yourself? Whats to improve on a perfectly smooth shiny, surface?
10/6/06, 10:56 AM
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10/6/06, 10:59 AM
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Some of you guys must have gotten paint with contaminents in it. I have an 05 and the paint was always as smooth as glass from the start. I'm very picky and the car's finish looks and feels like a mirror. I wash and wax it regularly and if it feels smooth with no roughness, why clay bar? Don't get me wrong, if you can feel any paint roughness, then I think using the clay bar is a great idea. Otherwise, aren't you just making more work for yourself? Whats to improve on a perfectly smooth shiny, surface?
You'd be surprised how much smoother that finish can feel as the clear coat is fairly soft and will pick up contaminants just through normal use. I only use a clay bar once every six months or so - so it really doesn't add too much work - although it all depends if your Mustang is sheltered or parked in a harsh environment - you may want to use it more often.
10/6/06, 11:31 AM
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This was posted in another topic... Info on clay bar. Really good read.
http://www.autopia-carcare.com/inf-clay.html
http://www.autopia-carcare.com/inf-clay.html
10/6/06, 11:33 AM
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I used it on my black GT and i found no problems with scratching... its a daily driver that i dont always have time to clean like i should 
but when i had the time the claybar really did help... it removes old waterspots... only bad part i noticed was that i found some rock chips in my paint that i didnt notice before due to the old waterspots but those were already there so its not the claybars fault
but when i had the time the claybar really did help... it removes old waterspots... only bad part i noticed was that i found some rock chips in my paint that i didnt notice before due to the old waterspots but those were already there so its not the claybars fault
10/7/06, 04:41 PM
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The one thing i like about it is that it leaves the car nice and smooth. Then after that when you wax it, its super shinny. do you use the clay bar on your whole car or just a couple spots?
10/8/06, 10:10 AM
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), trunk lid bumper fascia's, spoiler that contaminants tend to stick on. About every third time I'll do the entire car.
10/8/06, 04:39 PM
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Some of you guys must have gotten paint with contaminents in it. I have an 05 and the paint was always as smooth as glass from the start. I'm very picky and the car's finish looks and feels like a mirror. I wash and wax it regularly and if it feels smooth with no roughness, why clay bar? Don't get me wrong, if you can feel any paint roughness, then I think using the clay bar is a great idea. Otherwise, aren't you just making more work for yourself? Whats to improve on a perfectly smooth shiny, surface?
Cleaning with Clay
Every car finish shares a common enemy: pollution. It relentlessly pursues your car from the second it leaves the factory until your car meets its ultimate demise. It's in the air we breathe, it's on the roads we drive, and it attaches to your car's paint, where it bonds and begins a process of oxidation.
When contaminants get a solid grip on your car's paint, washing alone may not be enough to remove them. Pre-wax cleaners also may not be able to exfoliate large particles. In this case, you have two choices: use a polishing compound, which removes a lot of paint material, or use Z-18 ClayBar. Clay isn't a polish or a compound, it is a surface preparation bar that smoothes the paint and exfoliates contaminants.
USES FOR CLAY
Clay is not a cure-all or a replacement for polishing. It's a tool for removing surface contamination. One of the many reasons for using clay is the removal of brake dust. Brake dust contamination, which attaches to painted rear bumpers and adjoining surfaces, is a metallic surface contaminant that can be removed safely and effectively by using clay.
Clay is also very effective on paint over-spray. If the over-spray is particularly heavy, you may want to seek the assistance of a professional. Tree sap and tar specks can also be safely removed with a clay bar. Recently, I have also started using clay on my windows (exterior) to remove heavy road film, bug deposits and water spots. It works very well, and seems to outperform even the best window cleaners.
EVALUATING YOUR PAINT FOR CLAY
How do you know if you need to use Z-18 ClayBar? After thoroughly hand washing and drying your car, stretch a piece of saran wrap over your hand extending past your fingertips. Gently slide the saran wrap across the finish of your vehicle. Does the surface feel bumpy or gritty? These bumps are contaminants attacking the finish of your car. Removing these surface contaminants (rail dust, road tar, bug residue, paint over-spray, brake pad dust, hard water spots, etc.) will improve both the look and health of your car's paint.
No matter how well you hand-wash your car, many of the contaminants that have worked their way into your car's paint finish will remain. Have you ever looked at your applicator pad after applying a coat of polish? What do you think that black stuff is? It's dirt, and you're sealing it in.
USING THE Z-18 CLAYBAR
Before using a Z-18 ClayBar on your car, you must thoroughly clean and dry your car to remove any loose dirt. Direct sunlight should not fall on your car's surface, and it's best if the work area is relatively cool to prevent rapid evaporation of the clay lubricant.
To use the clay bar, you spray a water-based lubricant (1/2 a cap of Z-7 Show Car Wash with 16 ounces of water) on a small area of your car and rub the bar back and forth with light to medium pressure. Z-18 ClayBar should glide across your paint like a hockey puck on ice. If the lubricant begins to dry, and the Z-18 ClayBar begins to drag, you'll need to spray more lubricant. Clay is fairly sticky, and cannot be used dry.
After a few passes with the ClayBar, rub your hand over the area to feel if the surface contamination was removed. Keep rubbing until all contamination bumps are gone. Finally, wipe the clay residue off with a soft terrycloth towel, and buff to a nice luster. Just like waxing, work in small areas.
Check your Z-18 ClayBar frequently for hard particles. When found, pick them off. Make it a habit to occasionally knead and reform the bar so that a fresh portion of the bar contacts your car's paint. If you drop your bar of clay on the ground, it's history. Toss it out. Don't take any chances, discard the clay bar if it becomes impregnated with grit. Read the manufacturers' directions for the number of uses of their clay bar. Do not overuse a clay bar.
When you're finished claying your car, you should wash it with Z-7 Show Car Wash to remove the lubricant film. Finally, polish and seal your freshly cleaned paint with your choice of Z-2 Show Car Polish for Clear Coated Car Finishes, Z-3 Show Car Polish for Non-clear Coated Paint, or Z-5 Show Car Polish for Swirl Marks and Fine Scratches enabled with ZFXâ„¢ Flash Cure Accelerator Additive.
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Ok this was going to be a link, but.....
this explains a lot when it comes to clay baring, mostly rail dust on a new car, and brake dust on older cars, along with other natural debris.
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