Hello Gang,
Like many of you I have just purchased a clay bar system for my 05 V6 and the stepsons 04 GT Anniversary. Although I haven’t yet had the pleasure of using it, I have just read the instructions and ALL OF THE shiny box it came in.
I don’t think its fair to name which one I purchased, but I’m not sure who are the biggest mugs, the detailing companies for selling the next best thing since sliced bread, or us, the consumer for buying the new sliced bread. Let me explain...
The Clay Bar Box says “regardless of where you live your cars finish is exposed to a variety of potential damaging contaminants, paint over spray, acid rain, tree sap, airborne metal particles, bird droppings and brake dust all present a danger to the integrity of your paint……………………Clay Bar system removes these and many other contaminants before they become deeply embedded in your paint”, [/i]etc etc but I think you get the way the rest of the write up goes.
Whats my point with this? Maybe they should point out PREVIOUS neglected, unloved or unpolished paint. Otherwise they are trying to say the previous few hundred dollars that we spent over the years ON their protection polish, waxes and other new tricks didn’t actually work in protecting our paint in the first place, and now to fix it, we need to buy the clay bar system?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure the system will work well. But then again our cars are 2 & 3 years old respectfully, and I’m sure they didn’t get the attention to detail they get now so I’m hoping to see good results.
However are they trying to say “if” we still had given the cars the love from brand new and driving off the showroom floor their products still wouldn’t have protected like the other shiny wrappers had promised, and the clay bar system is now the only fix to their previous NEW HOT OFF THE SHELVES downfalls?
Just curious to know the forums opinion… The floor is now yours forum.

 

I wax my car. Heck I over wax my car. I will spend an entire saturday, washing, polishing and waxing my car. I only use meguires as I have had great luck with them over the years. That said, birds still poo-poo on my hood. Bugs still hit me at 85mph on the highways. Industrial America still spits chemicals into the air to collect in the clouds and eventually fall as acid rain where? Yep on my car. every couple months Ill wash my car with dish soap to strip the wax off, then clay bar it. I am always amazed at what a difference there is after I claybar one half my hood. I couldnt imagine what some peoples cars are like who never wash or wax them. or even the people who take thier cars to the automated places that blast the car with 150psi+ water, and beat the tar outta it with the same rolers that have hit every other car for the last 4 years and then spray with that spray on teflon wax... My neighbor does that, or rather did that. his wife stole his keys on weekend while he was away and I went through his car. wash and strip, claybar, glaze, polish, wax, wax, wax. he went out and grabed the handleopened the door and stepped back... "What the..." He asked me to go with him the next day and buy what he needed to so he could maintain his car at that level.

My point? WellI had a point before I started rambling...

Oh yea, yes it seems like with all these other products you buy that you shouldnt need to Clay Bar a car, but wax only does so much against impacts, adn nasty chemicals sitting onthe car. you still need to remove these for a realy good finish.

 

no waxes or sealants will protect 100% and they dont advertise that on their products

but, they dont want to put something like this on the label: "a couple of months after using this wax, you will need to buy a claybar and clay the car then rewax it for maximum protection"..they dont want to do that because they simply wont sell, the customer will put the product down and move onto the next product




but i do see what you're saying though

 

I used a claybar last weekend and that thing is the most amazing thing I have every used. My cars paint feels like it just came from the dealer. Believe me the claybar is no joke.Best thing I every invested in.

 

Satch,
Its kinda like a vaccine. Just because you have the vaccine, you can still get it. Clay bars will suprise the heck out of you no matter how well you take care of your car. I agree with you though. It seems kinda funny that we spend all this time and money on protection and then whip out a clay bar and wonder if it was really worth the price. Its almost like hand gel- kills 99.9% of all germs. Well, what the heck is the 0.1% that it doesnt kill and if this stuff doesnt kill it, I sure dont want it. Kinda like polish/glaze/wax protects your car 99.9% of the time and the industrial fall out/rail dust/ acid rain make up the 0.1% that is immune to it. If life gives you lemons, make lemonaide.Happy detailing!!!

Heath

 

Morning Guys,
Lots of healthy discussion and valid points made in the above posts. I used the clay bar system this weekend on the Yellow 04 GT, and I have to say it worked extremely well, very impressive. My reasoning for starting this post wasn’t to underrate the claybar system as I knew it would be good, but more to mention the tact, or lack of tact in the way the manufacturer decided to advertise it on the box and almost disrespect any other product they have previously created.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m also no gullible mug myself. In fact as you have probable realized I’m a pretty big skeptic. The polishes that promise “One application for all year round protection”, and then you have the “Polish your car in 5 minutes flat” always make my eyes roll. And as for the new “Waterless Car Wash System” that’s on the shelves in Walmart right now, I cant help but wonder what a state your car would look like if you actually used it. Using a roll of paper towels, funky spray on foam and zero water cant be healthy for your paint. Ray Charles could see that.
My point is there is no tact or decorum in the way the advertising was done for this system. Almost Shock & Scare the crud out of you, rather then explaining no matter how good a job you do, how much care you take, what great products you have previously used, the elements will always win. The way they have “attacked” this, in my opinion still undermines the effectiveness of any other previous product that this company has already created. Which means in the future, how long will it be before the new cool Claybar system will be underrated.
Then again, maybe I didn’t make such a valid point after all :O)

 

Clay bars work...I understand your trying to make a point about what the label says and about what other products are supposed to do, but thats really comparing apples to oranges. Waxes/Polishes/Cleaners/Washes/Quick Detailers/Trim Detailers/Dressings interior and out are all different products and do different things. Claying your car happens to be the most effective way of removing hard stuck on contaminates of all kinds. Now if you are really good about keeping your car washed and waxed the clay bar wont have much to take off....but as mentioned above, birds crap and bugs die.