what is claying?

[AdamRoutley]

only recently visited this part of the forum...as i mainly stay to the mk1 leon section...but saw a lot of features on "claying" what is it? and is it worth it?

thanks

 

[ell0070]

Claying is where you use a piece of clay to remove all those little spots on the surface of your paintwork that you cant get off with a normal wash.

You soften the clay up in a bit of warm water, spray a lubricant such as megs quik detailer on the area, and rub the clay bar over it, being careful to spray more lube on regularly. If the area is not properly lubed, you can scratch the paint.

Takes quite a bit of time to do it properly though......

 

[AdamRoutley]

iv got a few spots around my car...like the below the rear doors on my side skirts that dont feel metalically painted no more...the FEEL plastic...would this fix it?

 

[truCido]

yeah would fix that

when i clayed my car for the first time I just sprayed loads of lube on....the difference it makes is amazing and I would really recommend doing it!! feels sooooo smooth after

 

[minxycov]

if you rub your fingers over the paintwork - if it feels slightly rough you should clay it....once you've finished it should feel like running your fingers over glass....makes it uber shiny too

 

[ell0070]

Not sure whether you can use the clay on plastic, but I would think the skirts are painted the same as the rest of the car.

 

[Jace]

If its painted, you can clay it

Its also good for using on your glass & rims after you have done the body work.

This is a good reference point
http://www.autopia-carcare.com/inf-clay.html

 

[AdamRoutley]

which lube and clay combination would you guys advise? could i not just clay it when its wet from being washed?

 

[minxycov]

I use this...(well my butler does)

"Quik Clay Detailing System

Tree sap, overspray and industrial fallout are just a few of the contaminants that bond to your paint’s finish making it rough and lacklustre. Meguiar’s Quik Clay Detailing System will quickly and safely restore a smooth-as-glass finish. Polishes and waxes then apply and wipe off in half the time with dramatically improved results."

it needs the lubricant....don't do it with water :S

 

[Triple D]

I use this...(well my butler does)

"Quik Clay Detailing System

Tree sap, overspray and industrial fallout are just a few of the contaminants that bond to your paint’s finish making it rough and lacklustre. Meguiar’s Quik Clay Detailing System will quickly and safely restore a smooth-as-glass finish. Polishes and waxes then apply and wipe off in half the time with dramatically improved results."

it needs the lubricant....don't do it with water :S

Its a good job you put well my butler does darling, as id have been on here straight away pointing out that you did a piss poor job of washing your car at the weekend, but i was too polite to tell u

Also, as the other half has stated, claying makes the surface nice and super smoooth, feels wicked once its done and will give a better, longer shininess to the paint for much longer. Only takes me roughly 20-30 mins to do a car that hasnt been clayed before, but the results are worth it big time.

 

[minxycov]

Its a good job you put well my butler does darling, as id have been on here straight away pointing out that you did a piss poor job of washing your car at the weekend, but i was too polite to tell u

Also, as the other half has stated, claying makes the surface nice and super smoooth, feels wicked once its done and will give a better, longer shininess to the paint for much longer. Only takes me roughly 20-30 mins to do a car that hasnt been clayed before, but the results are worth it big time.

er...you did my car at the weekend and i did yours well bits of it anyway

 

[Triple D]

NO, u washed all of yours, and left dirt all over it, hence why i went over it again and i had to go over the bits that you had done on my car aswell. Ill teach you one day how to do it properly.

Bloody women, youd have thought they would know how to clean a car properly, afterall, you stand so close to the kitchen sink to wash up all the time

 

[777cupra]

just wondering....my cars paint is pretty smooth gt no stuck on bits like tree sap etc as I'm quite obsessed with cleaning and waxing/polishing recently! So will I still see a benefit from claying the car?

Is claying what gets rid of the swirl marks on the paint or is that a different thing all together?

 

[Triple D]

no, claying only gets all the **** bits off the surface, to remove swirls you will need a pc polished for the best results, and these dont come cheap, ie £200 + for a good un. You should notice a difference with the claying anyways matey

 

[777cupra]

£200 ouch! any ideas how much its costs to get a detailer to do it instead..so i dont have to buy the pc polisher?

 

[thebeno]

Just use some decent polish, I used AG Super Resin Polish, then AG Extra Gloss on top. Hurts the arms but worth it.

If you dont fancy doing that, or your swirls are bad then get a detailer in for £200-300.