Clay bars

[Ghoste]

How many are using clay bars as a maintenance tool?  How long do those things typically last?

[Bob T]

I only used it once on my old 68 , I took about 4- 5 hours to do the full once over and polish and the bar look fairly used after that, and had arms that felt but didnt look like Popeyes ones. Used all the detailer spray liquid in one go as well.

But in saying that, the car hadnt been done before and I got a lot of result with it as well. And after ripping it up and folding it some more, the bar looked useable again. Wrapped it in gladwrap clingfilm and more than 9 months later it would still be useable.
Still got the other cellophane sealed bar to use on the next car.

Throughly impressed with the finish though and would recommend it, made my tired old paint leap into life again with depth and colour enhancement. It just felt like smooth smooth glass afterwards as opposed to running your fingertips across the driveway and the reflection was just great.
It was the Meguires clay bar

[tan top]

  use 3m cleaner clay  at work !
rail dust  industrial fall out over spray etc etc ,  for how long it lasts , depends how many times its used on & depending on what type of stuff your trying to remove !!  if your doing a car with rail dust all over it , it might be only good for one job ,  as the iron particles actually stick in the clay ,  just  depends but , if you have that much rail dust , you really need to give the car an acid wash !! you can buy the stuff specifically  for this !!  , i'm getting a bit off track now , but if your not using cleaner clay rail dust  , will last a long time , just make sure its dry before storing in back in its pot its supplied in !

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

I use them religiously on my daily drivers.  The bars last as long as they are still "working" (removing contaminants from the paint)  After a while they get loaded up with gunk & you will see that they are not working anymore...........
......or until you drop it on the ground.

Never use a whole bar at once....always break off a manageable small piece to work with.   This is because if you drop the piece on the ground its contaminated with gunk that could have the potential to scratch the crap out of your paint & not even realize it till its too late.

[440]

I use them all the time as well... Shouldn't take longer then 30 mins or so to clay a car unless it is heavily contaminated, and the paintwork feels like glass afterward. As bob mentioned it also ads clarity and depth to the paint. You can even go one step further and use a paint cleaner/polish to further enhance the clarity/depth of paint but it isn't necessary.

They last as long as the clay remains moist and the bar isn't too heavily contaminated. Usually the horizontal surfaces collect the majority of contaminates so the vertical surfaces require very little effort. Using a good wax also prolongs the "maintenance" side of things.

Rub your fingers/palm over your paint and feel how smooth it is? Is it rough, or smooth like a glass table?      

[resq302]

My charger gets one clay barring a year usually at the beginning of the season and then followed up with a polish and wax.  I try to get my daily drivers done every year prior to winter setting in to give it a little extra protection.  As for the time it takes, mine usually is about an hour for my charger as it is not that bad.  I also take my time and do not rush so maybe a half hour is entirely possible if you bust your ass doing it.  Either way, it gives the car a nicer shine as the paint is now perfectly smooth as glass.  Also, with a smoother finish, I have found it makes polishing and waxing quicker and easier for application and removal.

[440]

Not having to do the vinyl top on a charger saves half an hour in itself    I'd say 45 - 60 mins is probably the average for a well kept car, waxing takes longer    Most often the sides rarely need much claying so that speeds things up.     

[TexasStroker]

I do...huge difference!  I work near a train track, grain elevator, and open fields...if it is summer we have sw winds blowing grain...if it is winter there is a cold front blowing dirt...it is pretty sad to see what it does to a black paint job.

I have the Zaino clay still waiting for when I do the Mopar 10 prior to Chryslers in the Canyon.

The only one I've used and really liked is the Turtle Wax Ice Clay Bar Kit.  It runs $15-20, comes with a pre-wash, and then a generous container of lubricant so you don't have to mix soap etc. 

I would probably can a claybar after one vehicle, unless it was clean and didn't pick much up. 

I clayed the Charger after the "white paint" incident on New Year's Day...it still looks good.  I did the truck for the first time two weeks ago and it made a huge difference...wash it off and follow with a polish and you'll be impressed. 

I probably shouldn't have, but the Duster is covered in overspray thanks to previous owners and some of my own outdoor work prior to having it in a garage and I re-used the clay from the truck...made a mess at first, but it kind of "washed" out if that makes sense...went from dirty back to new looking...probably took 2-3x as long as if I'd started with a new bar, but oh well...live and learn.  I will treat the Duster to it again as this was primarily just to get the black overspray off.  It is a basic paint job, but it sure looked better. 

I shot an unboxing video Saturday night...it isn't great, but I can post it up on LSM when I get a chance and put it here...I would start with one of the generic brands and see how you like it.  But as mentioned, I think once a year would be good...you'll never pull as much off as the first time (unless the car has been through a lot), but it is well worth it and pretty easy.

Best way to tell if you need to clay is to put your hand in a plastic bag (sandwich style) and slide it across the hood (seems to be the worst).  If you feel small rises or resistance, doing a claying the car will take care of it.  And as mentioned, it is great for getting light overspray off your car!