Meguairs Clay kit = Raildust begone

[Dave_The_BMXER]

For last weekends show I finally got off my ass and clay barred my car. Made a huge difference. I plan on doing a full blog review on stance but until then pictures are worth 1000 words.

Before dirty as hell

http://www.havokproductions.ca/3/frontendbefore.jpg
http://www.havokproductions.ca/3/wheelbefore.jpg
http://www.havokproductions.ca/3/hatchbefore.jpg

After basic wash
http://www.havokproductions.ca/3/frontendduring.jpg
http://www.havokproductions.ca/3/wheelduring.jpg

Hatch before clay
http://www.havokproductions.ca/3/beforeclay.jpg

Hatch After clay:
http://www.havokproductions.ca/3/afterclay1.jpg
http://www.havokproductions.ca/3/afterclay2.jpg
http://www.havokproductions.ca/3/reflection1.jpg

Side After clay:
http://www.havokproductions.ca/3/reflection2.jpg

I think I was ready to wax at this point
http://www.havokproductions.ca/3/arewedoneyet2.jpg

At the show all done! (so clean you can see the dirty spot on the lens :bang
http://www.stanceiseverything.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/turtle.jpg

I started at 2 and ended around 10 so it took a LONG time and I now know why detailing is so expensive.

This is the kit I used:
http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/product_detail.asp?T1=MEG+G1016

[kjb86]

Keep in mind, that was only a wash, clay and wax. There's no polish, no compound or anything like that hahaha

though those steps shouldn't have taken you that long to clay and wax. You could easily do all those steps within... 3 hours at most

But none the less, good work. The clay bars make a huge difference!




For last weekends show I finally got off my ass and clay barred my car. Made a huge difference. I plan on doing a full blog review on stance but until then pictures are worth 1000 words.

Before dirty as hell



I started at 2 and ended around 10 so it took a LONG time and I now know why detailing is so expensive.

This is the kit I used:
http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/product_detail.asp?T1=MEG+G1016

[chinsterr]

Keep in mind, that was only a wash, clay and wax. There's no polish, no compound or anything like that hahaha

though those steps shouldn't have taken you that long to clay and wax. You could easily do all those steps within... 3 hours at most

But none the less, good work. The clay bars make a huge difference!

I bet you can't clay bar my car in 3 hrs ! Raildust is really prominent on white cars.

GJ Dave.

[rajin929]

I agree with the OP on how long it takes....my g/f 07 M3 is white as well and it literally took us the entire afternoon to clay bar the car to get EVERY SINGLE spec of raildust off the car.

We used the Meguairs clay bar and I wish I used a bar that had a bit more bite to it as some of those rust spots simply were not giving up without a fight!

[Dave_The_BMXER]

From what I saw Kaval post before if you use Claybar to remove rail dust as bad as I had it it can take a very very long time. But if you use it to remove normal contaminants it does not take nearly as long.

If you use an ABC decontamination wash (http://www.autopia.org/forum/good-deals/105636-paint-decontamination-abc-kit-auto-international-deal.html) it comes off easier and quicker. However that involves acid and what not so...

[Cudgel]

Yup....I have a crystal white pearl as well and I can see rail rust all over the doors (especially the lower parts). I just did mine on Saturday afternoon at 4pm and gave up by 9:30pm since it was too dark. My neck, forearm and lower back was killing me. I continued Sunday morning at 9am and finished by 11:30am. I still haven't really finished (side skirts left) cause I was too tired. I will probably do them this weekend.

It's definitely hard work but the end result is really worth it!


http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/3368/clay01.jpg (http://img179.imageshack.us/i/clay01.jpg/)

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/1669/clay02.jpg (http://img179.imageshack.us/i/clay02.jpg/)

[FoXy]

I did mine not that long ago and it looked and felt awesome after... like glass. However muuuch hard to see the spots on a darker car, who knows if I even got it all, but I was at it for hours until I couldnt feel and other debris.

[Islandless]

Nice work, looks nice! I'm hopefully going to do a nice wash clay wax this weekend. I am looking forward to the finished product, not so much the work!

[Iceman_F1]

For me before the show, it was start the wash around 7:15am...finished everything by 7:15pm. Mind you I didn't do everything all at once. I had breaks in between. But did wash, clay, wax.

[kjb86]

Fair enough, I guess it's different for a White car.. i'll shush next time :bang

but when you do it.. the results are stunning.. and then you find yourself always peeking at your car to see how clean and good it looks lol



I bet you can't clay bar my car in 3 hrs ! Raildust is really prominent on white cars.

GJ Dave.


I agree with the OP on how long it takes....my g/f 07 M3 is white as well and it literally took us the entire afternoon to clay bar the car to get EVERY SINGLE spec of raildust off the car.

We used the Meguairs clay bar and I wish I used a bar that had a bit more bite to it as some of those rust spots simply were not giving up without a fight!

[aris]

Car looks good dave

[mazdabetty]

Very niiiice!!!

Question, for the clay kit you used, did you have to rinse after doing each section? Or did you just clay the whole car at once?

And what wax did you use?

[mzkaye729]

Very niiiice!!!

Question, for the clay kit you used, did you have to rinse after doing each section? Or did you just clay the whole car at once?

And what wax did you use?

I would like to know the answer to these questions as well as I have a Riccardo yellow claybar waiting to be used but I dunno how the hell to use it properly lol !

[S.F.W.]

I would like to know the answer to these questions as well as I have a Riccardo yellow claybar waiting to be used but I dunno how the hell to use it properly lol !
I clay bar my entire car at once. If I am pausing in between sections, I rinse the completed section.
As for how to:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfEfLGL59GI

[mzkaye729]

I clay bar my entire car at once. If I am pausing in between sections, I rinse the completed section.
As for how to:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfEfLGL59GI

Thanks for the how-to, Ami ! Since I don't have any lubricating liquid thing for the claybar, I'm gonna assume a mixture of water and dish soap in a spray bottle would be ok ?

And Dave, awesome job ! I had NO idea that's what raildust looked like. Just took a look at my car outside and it's got a few on it ! So thank you for the before and after pictures. Now I can use it for reference when I work on my car.

[mazdabetty]

Hmmmm ok...

Tried TW liquid clay and having to rinse off each section and wipe off the streaks took way too much effort haha... so this is good to know... I think I'll try this kit next!

[kjb86]

Very niiiice!!!

Question, for the clay kit you used, did you have to rinse after doing each section? Or did you just clay the whole car at once?

And what wax did you use?


I would like to know the answer to these questions as well as I have a Riccardo yellow claybar waiting to be used but I dunno how the hell to use it properly lol !

not to butt into the question, but you don't need to rinse after each section. It's spray on, clay, then wipe off with a microfibre towel (in the meguiars kit, it comes with one). Do one section at a time, as if you were to do the entire car the solution would dry and u don't want that to happen.

mzkaye, see this video on how to apply a clay bar. You're using a different clay kit, but application should be the same.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfEfLGL59GI

[kjb86]

not to butt into the question, but you don't need to rinse after each section. It's spray on, clay, then wipe off with a microfibre towel (in the meguiars kit, it comes with one). Do one section at a time, as if you were to do the entire car the solution would dry and u don't want that to happen.

mzkaye, see this video on how to apply a clay bar. You're using a different clay kit, but application should be the same.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfEfLGL59GI

ok n/m the question was already answered as I was typing the reply.

hope the claying works out for you guys!

[Iceman_F1]

When I did mine, I did it in sections as well. Made it easier to handle and seemed less of a task.

Still, results were awesome!

[Dave_The_BMXER]

Most of this has been answered but:

My procedure was in sections, starting with the harder areas first and leaving the ones that were not as affected for last. I didn't rinse after just spritzed with quick detailer and wiped down. Also if you look in the picture before waxing you will see a bottle of scrub free on the ground. That was actually water I would use as lubricant for really tough areas that I didn't want to waste to much quick detailer.

I went pretty liberal with the lubricant as I didn't want to mess up somehow. Next time I can probably go a little lighter.

Oh and I'm glad everyone found this useful. It's a huge downside to owning a white car I did not know about.

[lightingwhite32008.5]

very nice and clean, now i know how to use it sweet !!!

[crystal8484]

My mission this weekend is to get rid of my rail dust. Informative post though Dave! Mine isn't as bad, but it'll be enough to give my arms a run for their money.

Looks sexy though when it's done. Good work!

[Dave_The_BMXER]

Crystal do you have nails? If so they will be gone by the end. :)

[AkoSiGloc9]

weird i was looking for some thread like this, but ended up making a new one. Anyways is this the right way to do it?


hand wash > dry > clay bar > wax > polish and do i have to wash it after?

[Default User]

I can't wait until I have the time to hand wash my car....it feels faster when it's clean

[BMWWW]

I remember claying DimaRus's 5 last spring.. PITA

I'd defintely recommend stepping up to the plate with the strong Riccardo Blue for all you white cars. I was using yellow at the time, and it took the both of us ~2 hours.

As well, you can just use a higher ratio of your normal car wash soap and water,a s a substitute for the ungodly expensive clay lube. `

Best regards,
-G

[taz4432]

Thanks for the how-to, Ami ! Since I don't have any lubricating liquid thing for the claybar, I'm gonna assume a mixture of water and dish soap in a spray bottle would be ok ?

And Dave, awesome job ! I had NO idea that's what raildust looked like. Just took a look at my car outside and it's got a few on it ! So thank you for the before and after pictures. Now I can use it for reference when I work on my car.

Don't use dish-soap if you can avoid it, use your carwash soap if you're not going to use clay lube. Dish soap WILL strip all the wax off your car not to mention dish and/or car soap will dry out your clay faster.


The long weekend I Washed, Dried and Polished Wheels-->Washed Car-->Dried-->Clayed-->Washed-->Dried-->Klassen All-In-Oned-->Buffed-->Waxed-->Buffed my car and also cleaned the interior. It took a long-ass time but it was definitely worth it. That was basically my Friday (it took longer since it was my first time using a bunch of this stuff).
The next day (Saturday) I washed-->dried-->clay barred my '69 Malibu (30 year old paint job, probably never 'detailed'...sat in a barn for 20 years until about 5 years ago?) and then the next morning washed-->dried-->Klassen All-In-Oned-->Buffed-->Klassen All-In-Oned-->Buffed-->Waxed--Buffed. I didn't do much interior cleaning for this one since it has no carpet at the moment and the seats aren't in perfect condition. Just a quick vacuum of all the dust/sand/etc. and cleaned the windows and that was it. The Klassen*2 took a good while but if you want results you gotta work for them, right? I sweat pretty good cleaning those cars.

I use(d) Riccardo Blue Clay w. the Riccardo Clay Lube. Was able to do BOTH my cars with one piece of clay (it was on it's way out by the time I finished the Malibu but it wasn't too, too bad) and it didn't use up all that much lube. There is A LOT of surface to clay on that car (Malibu). I definitely noticed the most difference using the clay with the white racing stripes.

I wasn't overly pleased with the Klassen All-In-One but I guess my expectations for the Malibu were a little over the top. None the less my 3 looks/ed amazing and my Malibu shone brighter than it ever has since I've owned it.

[Dave_The_BMXER]

hand wash > dry > clay bar > wax > polish and do i have to wash it after?

That's the order I did.. I have to do it again soon lol.

[cwp_sedan]

That's the order I did.. I have to do it again soon lol.

+1 here. I didn't do mine last summer so it's really bad now. :(

[BMWWW]

hand wash > dry > clay bar > wax > polish and do i have to wash it after?

Wrong order.

polish before wax. Otherwise, polish will remove the wax. --assuming of course, you are correctly identifying the products that you have.

[AkoSiGloc9]

Wrong order.

polish before wax. Otherwise, polish will remove the wax. --assuming of course, you are correctly identifying the products that you have.

my bad i thought it would be in that order. thanks

[PearlM3]

I bought the paint protection from the dealership, think it was like $400. My car is going in this morning, and they are going to deal with the rail dust, screw clay barring for 3-4 hrs lol. They can do it!

[Dave_The_BMXER]

Oh ya that's right I polished before wax as the kit came with free polish lol