This works better than a Claybar for detailing a car

darpar

So a while back I did some repair work on the rear fender on my wife's Outback.
In the process of painting the fender/bumper area I got some clearcoat overspray on most of
the rest of the car.
Tonite I finally got around to removing it (been too hot all summer to screw with it).
Anyway this is what I used and it worked like a champ with very little effort.
It's a pad that is similar to a claybar, but it goes on my D/A buffer and does twice the area
in half the time as a real clay claybar would do.

This is basically all you need to get a super smooth finish on just about any vehicle, a D/A buffer,claybar pad, hand pad for some hard to get to places, lube solution and some Ceramic wax finish when your done.....

rsvman2

I loves me some Griot's Garage products. Been using them for years.

sdandrea1

rsvman2 I loves me some Griot's Garage products. Been using them for years.

Griots rules!

bogeypro

I've used clay bars for initial surface prep for years. Even after cutting the clay in half it was always disappointing to drop the clay bar & have to toss it. I converted to using a Speed Master Clay Mitt and Clay Towel & couldn't be more pleased with the results.

darpar

bogeypro disappointing to drop the clay bar & have to toss it.

The downside of using clay!

Tcafla

How does that wax work without clay bar? Thanks

darpar

Tcafla
It'll work as long as the surface is clean, BUT a claybar will help get any contaminants out that
washing won't and you simply get a better/smoother finish if you take the time to go through all the steps first.

pike51

The majority of products you find on the shelf at Wal Mart or an auto store are watered down junk. This includes Chemical Guys, Turtle Wax, Meguiar's, and similar. Adams is "okay" but they are overpriced. Griot's is also overpriced for what it is.

If you want the best products, you need to purchase from the same places the pros do. PDP, Pro Car Beauty, and Kleen Rite are the places I get my stuff. I've also seen Suds Lab on the shelf at Wal Mart recently and they make great products. I just don't know if it's a watered down version or the real deal.

bogeypro

pike51 Agree with your assessment of Wal-Mart products, I'm not familiar with pro products you listed but I usually get my detailing supplies from Autogeek or Autopia. I've had great success using the Duragloss line of products, and Collinite wax #476 is my go-to winter protection product.

People on detailing sites argue about their favorite products products like people here argue about forged vs cast, component vs OEM. Personally, I think people should use what they think makes there car look great ..... and use it often.

pike51

bogeypro What's worse is some of the stuff they sell can be extremely damaging to people's vehicles. Wheel cleaners and bug.tar removers are especially troublesome for someone who doesn't know what they are doing. I've seen guys in our club destroy $5000 sets of wheels because they used the wrong wheel cleaner. And you can't trust the labels on most products... you really need to review the MSDS sheets before using anything you are unfamiliar with.

Also, I know most here don't really care but those automatic washes are the absolute worst thing you can do for your vehicle if you care about the finish.

bogeypro

pike51 I would never take a car through an automated car wash, I don't care if it's "touchless" or not but the detergents will probably be harsh. I do use the wand washes in the winter, we use way too much salt on the roads here in Western NY, so rinsing (not washing/sudsing) the ice & salt off regularly is the norm

bogeypro

darpar Yup, only happened once or twice but it's a harsh lesson learned.

Walterjn

bogeypro I'm working on finding a good car shampoo that works with a foam cannon and pressure washer...

darpar

bogeypro
The thing is the lube solution gets slippery and if you're not careful like on a vertical surface,
there goes to the floor...and then the trash.
That's why I like the D/A pad even if it somehow touches the floor it can be cleaned off and reused.
And WAY faster than clay.