Clay Barring

[Steve M Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve M]

Seen as I was so bored today (wife at work so have to look after 4 year old) and what a beautiful day or should I say weekend, I thought I would try this stuff I found advertised on special (good price to) at Repco called Mothers Clay Bar, comes as a kit and you get a free wax with it as well. Well I thought my prado was clean and shiney prior to this stuff, Man this stuff is awesome, very little elbow grease required and it just lifts crap out of the paintwork like its nothing. That bloody sap you get from certain trees that painstakingly requires you to use your finger nail on every brown dot, gooone in a couple of swipes of the bar. Now I have nothing to do with this company or any of that crap, just a brilliant product and the prado now feels like my 4 year olds skin, super smoooth and the paint is gleaming white. Ah well back to it, have rear door and bumper to go........Cheers Steve
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[Ozpat Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ozpat]

If you're still bored Steve, you know where I live if you've any left. lol

Jim

[D4D Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D]

Make sure you apply a polish and wax after using the clay bar as it strips it all off. The paint does feel good nice and smooth. Should add 5hp now it is more aerodynamic

[Ozpat Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ozpat]

Just wondering about the log term use of these 'paint restorer' products great though they are. Are you actually removing a microscopic layer of the top oxydised layer at every use? What colour is the cloth when you are finished? If similar to your paint I'd be worried about long term damage.

Cheers. Jim

[D4D Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D]

Claybar is a very mild abrasive, you spray a soapy solution on before you wipe with the claybar and you only wipe lightly. It actually smooths out the surface of the paint taking the impurities like tar etc off. Typically no colour on the claybar, I used to do it every 6 months. Haven't bothered on the Prado.

[Steve M Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve M]

Yeah Jim as D4D has said you use it how he has described. I didnt see any colour what so ever on the clay bar and its pretty much the same bright yellow it was when I removed it from the plastic wrapper (bit dirty). I just ran over the wifes car with it and man it is looking like new again, this is one product that really does what it says and with out damage what so ever to paint work and its safe for clear finishes as well which is what the wifes car is. Now I havnt polished either of them or added the stage 3 Carnauba Wax that was part of the deal and when I do I reckon its gunna add another 10hp to the prado and wifes car with less wind drag lol, but seriously this is awesome stuff and has cleaned both cars up brilliantly. As I said even using it on the prado (and its highly polished anyway) you can rub your hand over it and it just slides along (prado Im talking about, get your mind out the gutter Jim) hanging to add the two final coats to both cars........Cheers Steve

[Steve M Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve M]

Na not bored, about to go out for tea now, reckon the wifes owes me a nice chinese feed for cleaning her car as well and the 4 year old is at grandma's........and Jim any time you want to drop by and try it out by all means your welcome lol..........Cheers Steve

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

How long did it take to clay bar a Prado? I did my car today (not the 120, that is the wife's problem) and after a wash, de-tar, clay bar, re-wash, RO polish (2500 and 4000), another wash and then ran out of time to wax it. About 5 hours. The wheels are still dirty and the waxing to be done. Just another couple of hours tomorrow and it will be done...... I guess this isn't the right place to suggest that it's a waste of time to do the Prado (oops).

[D4D Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D]

I used to take a whole weekend to do my Audi, but I was single and no kids then and it was my midlife crisis

[Steve M Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve M]

Hi there mjrandom, I washed both cars yesterday so saved a fair amount of time today. The wifes car had heaps of tar and crap on the sills and bits flicked up on the bottom of the doors, normally I would use some kero to remove that but just hit it with the clay bar (was running short if time) and it just removed the lot of it no problems. Probably would be better to remove first to keep clay bar cleaner I suppose ?? It says on the box to use the cloth to remove the residue but was quicker just to rewash it. Even the wife said wow when she come out and had a look at her car, she couldnt believe how great it looked mind you Im very slack with the wifes car, it gets serviced well but not polished to often. Both cars under cover at night so reckon that helps alot. I reckon theres another few hours to polish and wax both of them. So time wise I would say a full day for both not including pre wash. I use to be anal with our commodore, bough it new and use to jack it up and take the wheels off it to clean the brake dust from behind the mags, toothbrush around the valves, wash under neath etc that was before our 4 year old come along lol, still wash beind the alloys on the prado but dont remove them to clean like I have done in the past on both 90's lol, what a waste of time that was now I look back at what I use to do, and dont ask me how far I use to go when we had our HSV statesman, wife use to just say to me on a friday night ""see you sunday night"" lol Cheers Steve

[james_hbay Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close james_hbay]

if you run out of the liquid they give you, you can use a diluted solution of car wash and water, and you dont need to use the whole bar either, you can save some for the next time just wrap the remaining bar (that you broke off before you used it) in glad wrap for next time, just a money saving tip to look at for next time

[Madkore Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Madkore]

Reading all the above I'm a little lost - at what stage is the Clay Bar used, and is it any different to using say 'Meguirs Paint Cleaner' or 'Scratch X'?

[D4D Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D]

Claybar is used first, typically after a good wash with dish washing liquid to remove existing wax/polish.

[Steve M Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve M]

I think that stage 3 liquid must have some sort of polish or some thing in it as the wifes car was beading all over after I used the clay bar, and as I said prior, I was slack with the polishing of her car and prior to useing the clay bar even after giving it a wash first the paint was flat no beading at all, so what ever is in that stage 3 bottle must be some sort of polish or some thing. Will read the back of it tonight and see what it says and post on here...Cheers Steve

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

Be careful using dishwashing liquid, some if not all are very caustic and can damage paint. Better to use truck wash if you want to strip off all existing waxes. Just to put all this into perspective, this is the sort of result you can get from a good shampoo, clay barring, polishing and waxing.