I am refering to those who are like me ... nervous about using a clay bar on your Porsche!

Anyway, I could feel a some girt, bug reside, etc on the front bumper, side mirrors and decided I wanted to do something about it. So I did a little research, went and bought a Clay Magic Perfect Finish kit and got to work.

IMPRESSIONS / LEARNINGS:
========================
1) It is very easy to use! You simply apply the lubicant to the clay and car and it's very easy to tell when you need to add some more!
2) The car's paint is definitely much, much smoother now and looks much better.
3) The clay is simple to use (recurring theme warning). As it gets a little dirty, just roll it into a ball again and flatten and start the cleaning process over again.
4) Found it interesting that Autopia was using their old clay to clean windows and rims ... which my service manager mentioned as well.
5) I will only use the supplied lubricant when I am doing small / quick jobs. Autopia (and now I) recommend using a bucket of clean, soapy water for larger jobs ... definitely would be faster and easier!

Only two drawbacks I could identify:
a) I noticed a few more nicks in the paint on the front bumper ** AND **
b) NOW my Wife wants me to clay her car as well!!

And while I am definitely NOT an expert after one time, here are some of the watchouts I identified through my research: (others please add to the list)

Watchouts:
==========
1) Before claying, thoroughly wash and dry your car.
2) Don't clay in direct sunlight and it's best if the car is in a relatively cool area so the lubricant doesn't evaporate too quickly.
3) Use with light to medium pressure and as the lubricant drys ... use more.
4) Rub until the contamination is gone (fairly obvious)
5) Work in small areas and clean off with a clean microfiber towel when finished.
6) Read the manufacturer's suggestions for the number of uses of their clay (basically don't overuse)
7) Don't use on headlight lenses (or any clear plastic)

And the piece of advice that I personally found the most interesting was it wasn't necessary to clay your car more than once or twice a year!

Other comments??

Anyway, I hope this "clay bar testimony" helps others to go out and give it a try (assuming I'm not the ONLY one who hadn't prior to this post).

 

Clay barring your car make such a differance....... Everyone should do it.


Eric

 

Russ,

Thanks for your detailed clay bar experience, much appreciated...

 

Thanks for the writeup, I'm looking to do this shortly - makes me feel a little more comfortable

2 more questions for anyone....

Do you wax after claying?
Should you polish before or after claying?

TIA

 

You don't want to do anything before you clay. The idea is get get all the crap off your paint. After you are done, that's when you wax, etc.
Two other items:
If you drop the bar, cut off the piece that hit the ground. It is now contaminated with stuff that you don't want to rub into your paint
If you run out of the lubricant (use a lot) you can use water with a little (good quality) car wash soap.

 

Claying is very easy and take it from me (I have my own detailing business) when I tell you that the Clay Magic is about the best clay I have used. It's the cheapest and readily available at most local car places....Auto Zone, Pep Boys, Wal-Mart, etc.

Also a tip for those of you "afraid" of claying your car. Don't be. Use plenty of lubricant, do one section at a time and don't rub hard. You'll actually "hear" when the panel you are working on is clean. It will no longer sound like sandpaper.

Another tip... you can use a diluted mixture (50/50) of any detail spray and distilled water instead of wasting your money on detailing spray. I typically let one bottle of detail spray get down to 40%-50% empty and then use that sprayer for my claying.

 

Nick,

Thanks for the tip ... I will definitely use it.