tonyg

I have seen audiworlders mention the use of a "clay bar" in the finishing of their cars. What are they? (As I assume they are a polishing product) Are they effective? Thanks.

tg

A4_THOR

yup , it looks like a soap bar , made of clay and other stuff

it is very effective for finishing off a car cleaning , but you need to be careful , you need to make sure the car is very clean before using clay bar on it or you can actually rub in resuidue and cause swirl marks

ex-quattro PETE

It's a bar made of clay?

tonyg

Just had my car detailed and it is black, so, yup, lots of swirl marks and the car is already dirty after a day and a half. Can the clay bar be bought at any car store and is it worth the trouble? Thanks.

tg

moribundman

Mr. Miyagi knows little about car care.

A clay bar is used for removing stubborn pollutants from the paint's surface. A clay bar will not remove swirl marks.

'Bahn Burner

Clay Bar - also known as Overspray Clay, Clay Bar is a plasticine matrix with an abrasive intermixed throughout. It is used to remove spots of paint overspray on the surface of your cars paint/clear coat. Most recently Clay Bar has been used as a detailng tool for removing foreign particles & contaminants from your car's paint/clearcoat. Must be used with a water based lubricant to avoid damaging paint/clearcoat(usually comes with the Clay Bar).

velo

My car is only 2yrs old and have been using 3M IHG and Meguiars #26(i think) wax.

Is something suited for older cars or cars that stay outside vs a garage?

I have been lurking in the Detailing forum and got some good info there, but what do you think?

Thanks

Twister

I clay my car once a year, after winter.

A4_THOR

i did not say that the claybar can remove swirlmarks , i said it can CAUSE swirlmarks if not used properly.

It can be bought at local auto stores

SameerP

Really only needed once if you properly maintain your paint, otherwise once a year (all depends on a variety of conditions such as if your car is parked outdoors, etc...)

So in an ideal world you would clay bar your car, then hand glaze it, then wax it, then get blinded by the brillance of the finish

I glaze my car once a year, and wax every couple months. In the winter i can't really wax so that is why the glaze/wax gets done in the spring after winter.

Cheers,
Sameer