Clay Bar Question

[Boyd]

Hi ya'll. I just joined the forum last week. My names Boyd from Phoenix, AZ. I've been doing a lot of reading on here the past week this looks like a heck of a great forum and I'm glad I found you.

My question, has anyone used a fast approach at doing this? I just bought a "new to me" 2012 Denali with 38k on the clock and I love it. Looks awesome but one touch to a body panel and I know it has probably never seen a clay bar or a buffer.

Rather than the old "do one spot, wipe it off, buff move on. Has anyone done it with a water hose for clay lubrication? This thing is huge!! A spot at a time is going to take forever.

I'm thinking why not just go at it? A big bucket with car wash soap and water, do nice big areas, like the hood for example, then rinse it off good and keep moving.

You thoughts? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[adventurenali92]

As a professional auto detailer, using soap or water as clay lube is not good for your paint. I’ve seen the aftermath of that and let’s just say it’s not pretty.... or an easy problem to fix. Slow and steady is what will get the finish you’re looking for to prep for wax or sealant.

 

[Fosscore]

^^This. Go slow, take your time, use lubricant and the outcome of doing the steps will be worth the reward at the end when you see that paint shining. Low miles, so that paint should pop when you are finished.

Check out the detailing section or head over to the AutoGeek site for lots of good tips. Questions like this one here will get you lots of good advice. Good luck and post up some before and after pics.

 

[Boyd]

Thank you very much for your help. It seemed like a good solution to me but I will take your advise and do it right. I'll let you all know how it turns out. Shouldn't take more than a year or so.

 

[PG01]

Thank you very much for your help. It seemed like a good solution to me but I will take your advise and do it right. I'll let you all know how it turns out. Shouldn't take more than a year or so.

Like me......just do 1 side though..

 

[chicagofan00]

As others have said, slow and steady will win the race. Never want to rush any part of detailing.

 

[Boyd]

Thanks Adam. I appreciate the advise. I'm old enough to know there are no short cuts to anything. Just thought there might be a better way. Now I know and I'm happy I asked you fine folks. Happy New Year!

 

[JTRATX]

I just got done doing my Denali a week or so ago. Did the clay bar one day and the waxing the next day. It does take a lot of hours, but it's worth it, paint is so smooth now, and my Denali was new!
You must use proper lubricant for the clay bar, no water from a hose, don't be cheap, do it right!

 

[Tahoe14]

Check advance auto parts or auto zone on line for the quick detailer lubricant as usually a coupon will pop up. You can also check pricing at Wally World which is usually the cheapest. I do one section at a time and then use polish followed by wax. Take your time.

 

[Boyd]

Thanks guy's but, I might have explained it wrong. I don't care how much lube it takes, I have tons of that.

I was just curious if anyone had used the hose to remove the clay residue by rinsing really well as you go versus the redundant dry, wipe, polish repeat with the micro fiber towels. I figure it would allow me to clay bar, (with lube) and do larger areas as I go. I planned to take it right to the car wash after.

 

[08grey]

I used clay and a spray foam windex (sprayawayglasscleaner) works fine for me. Buff and polish afterwards. Takes 6 hours to do the whole truck.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[Boyd]

OK, thanks everyone.

 

[Fosscore]

Wash, clay, wash, dry, polish, seal, wax.

Or you can try a hybrid by Mother’s Speed 2.0, which I think is what you might be after.

I used this on the Suburban back in September for something different than the usual clay bar as you can actually use it while you wash the truck or with lubricant.

No residue left behind. No needing to reshape the clay bar. It may not be traditional and some guys may poo poo it, but comparing both of my trucks using both methods, the end result was the same.

The real work comes in the polishing section of the detail. That’s where you take care of the imperfections, the swirls, etc...the seal and top coat just make it pop and the water beads off.

I finish off with a coat of Collinites 845 Insulator Wax and the water is still beading off the Suburban.

Worth a look.

https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p...VFBuBCh3ryQVhEAQYASABEgJc1vD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Danny3737]

It’s not as bad as you think. It took me about 90 minutes to Clay mine the first time. I actually enjoy detailing my cars.

 

[adventurenali92]

I can usually clay my XL in about 30 or 40 minutes too to bottom. I usually do it once a month.

 

[Boyd]

Fosscore, thank you for your great advise and especially for going the extra mile with the link for me. I'm going to try that and see how I like it and will definitely get back to you with the results.

Just for clarity to you all. My question is ONLY about clay barring in a way I never have before just because I have so little time right now. But, I'm a lifelong car lover. I had 16 different ones (mostly hooptee's) by the time I graduated High School. I can cut and buff with the best of them so I have paint care knowledge. Just wanted to run my idea by everyone about doing the clay in one continuous motion. Poor on a bunch of lube, clay a large area, like the hood, rinse it really well, and move to the next section followed by a really good wash immediately after. Then for the next 3 or 4 steps. I just don'
t have time right now to love it a few square feet at a time for the clay step. It has been over sprayed pretty badly and I want to tackle it right now. If there were more hours in the day I wouldn't hesitate doing it the way I have a million times in the past.

I'm an old dude so I've owned everything with a motor and I can restore a finish like a champ. Just thought I might have come across a better way to clay!!

Thanks everyone. I'll let you know what I end up with.

 

[Danny3737]

I can usually clay my XL in about 30 or 40 minutes too to bottom. I usually do it once a month.

That’s pretty damn quick! I’ve been doing mine twice a year. Just did a full detail before the temp took a nose dive, plus I just took a new job and will be getting a 2017 Ford F-150 Crew Cab 4X4 for a company vehicle. My baby will only be driven on weekends and vacations, which will be about 3K miles a year. My mechanic buddy said he’d be happy to take it off my hands, but there is no way in hell I would ever consider selling it.

 

[Boyd]

No kidding. I want BigBears energy. And once a month. Whoa!

 

[Danny3737]

No kidding. I want BigBears energy. And once a month. Whoa!

No kidding, his forearms must look like Popeye. I bet he puts the Karate Kid to shame

 

[adventurenali92]

No kidding. I want BigBears energy. And once a month. Whoa!

No kidding, his forearms must look like Popeye. I bet he puts the Karate Kid to shame

The problem I have is that I burn through so many calories when I detail full time that it’s hard to build muscle. But I do get those times quick because I have to be time efficient as a detailer for a business. But I also really enjoy it and that helps keep me focused. I do mine once a month through the warmer months. Right before winter I clay and seal with winter paint sealant so I don’t need to clay or wax every month when temps are below freezing which makes a big difference.