by "Jcarr" (jcarr)
Published 09/04/2017 at 17:42
by "Jcarr" (jcarr)
Published 09/04/2017 at 17:42
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STARS: 3
After buying our gently used 2016 Camry last fall, I’ve been quite a bit more diligent about keeping it clean than I was with the MkV Jetta that preceded it. With that in mind, I decided I’d better go a bit farther than just regularly washing it and do a clay bar and wax treatment a few times a year.
With fall on our doorsteps and winter quick to follow, I figured now was the time. In the past I’ve used traditional clay bar systems and while they are quite effective, they also take a good bit of time. I don’t have nearly as much time for that now that I’m a big boy with a wife and son and a litany of “to-dos”, so I looked for a more time-efficient alternative.
Enter Speed Clay 2.0 by Mothers. According to Mothers’ website, Speed Clay 2.0 replaces the traditional lump of putty-like clay with a “patented, rubber polymer technology quickly shears off and removes both surface and embedded contaminants including paint overspray, water spots, fresh tree sap, rail dust, bird droppings, light oxidation and brake dust.”
The advantage it claims to hold over traditional clay is that it can be used during the wash cycle or after a wash with a lubricant, can be rinsed off if dropped, and is reusable up to 20 uses.
I read a number of reviews, which were mostly positive, and decided to give it a try.
Price: 10/10
I ordered mine on Amazon for about $16, but I’ve seen it advertised anywhere from $12-20. At that price it is more than competitive with a traditional clay bar kit and has the added bonus of being reusable.
Ease of Use: 9/10
As I mentioned before, Speed Clay can be used either during the wash cycle or after with a lubricant such as spray wax. I chose to use it during the wash cycle and was very pleased with how easy it was. The directions state to wash a section of the vehicle with your regular soap and sponge/mitt combo, rinse, then dip the clay bar in soapy water and go over the recently-washed section in linear motions. I used two buckets, both filled with water and Meguiar’s Gold Class soap. I had my sponge in one bucket and used the other bucket for the clay bar. It obviously took me longer than just a regular wash would have, but I was able to wash and clay the Camry in under 2 hours.
My only nitpick was how rigid the bar was, which made it a little difficult to use on curved surfaces.
Effectiveness: 7/10
To be fair, I went into this with tempered expectations, having used a traditional clay bar in the past. Despite the mainly positive reviews, I still expected there to be a trade-off between convenience and effectiveness, and there was. The Speed Clay 2.0 did a very good job of removing the vast majority of surface contaminants, but it struggled to completely remove rail dust spots and the surface of the paint wasn’t absolutely smooth afterwards. Overall, it did a great job given the ease of use and relatively small amount of time and effort required.
Final Score: 26/30
I’m more than pleased with my purchase of Speed Clay 2.0 by Mothers and would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who wants to take good care of their paint, but may not have enough time to devote to traditional clay. It removes the vast majority of surface junk without breaking your back, wallet, or eating up a whole afternoon.
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Bonus Review — Meguiar’s Fast Finish
Naturally, after doing a clay treatment, I wanted to apply some kind of sealing coat to protect the finish I had just spent time cleaning. I chose Meguiar’s Fast Finish for much the same reason as choosing Speed Clay—it’s fast and easy to use.
First and foremost, let me mention that Fast Finish isn’t a traditional wax. It’s more of a sealant, meaning that it won’t fill in scratches and swirls and make the paint look super shiny. It’s main purpose is to provide a hydrophobic layer on top of the paint to help sheet water off and prevent contaminants from sticking. It can be used either by itself, or on top of a traditional wax.
Having said that, this stuff is great. It is startlingly easy to use and super fast. For ~$15 you get an aerosol can and a nice big microfiber cloth. After the car has been thoroughly dried, just fold the cloth into eighths, spray a small (3-4 quick strokes) amount of Fast Finish onto it, and wipe it onto a section of the car. You can do half a hood or a whole door at a time. After applying, flip the cloth over to the dry side and do one final wipe and that’s it. I literally did the whole car in under 15 minutes.
Time will tell how well Fast Finish holds up to the elements. Meguiar’s claims it lasts up to a year, but I have my doubts about that. Even if it doesn’t, I won’t mind because it’s so cheap and easy to apply. I’d estimate that I can get 7-10 applications out of the aerosol can.
Just like Speed Clay, I’d highly recommend this stuff to someone who is short on time.
"E90M3" (e90m3)
09/04/2017 at 17:45, STARS: 0
Want to come wash the E90 or E92?
"Jcarr" (jcarr)
09/04/2017 at 17:46, STARS: 0
Sure, $450/hr.
"E90M3" (e90m3)
09/04/2017 at 17:47, STARS: 0
I had free.99 in mind.
"Jcarr" (jcarr)
09/04/2017 at 17:51, STARS: 1
Fine, I do it for about tree-fiddy.
"E92M3" (E46M3)
09/04/2017 at 17:57, STARS: 0
No before and after pics?
"Jcarr" (jcarr)
09/04/2017 at 18:06, STARS: 0
No, I had a million things to do Friday so I didn’t stop to take pics. Not sure how well you would have been able to see a difference anyway since it’s a silver car.
"vicali" (vicali)
09/04/2017 at 18:49, STARS: 0
Clay is one of those thing I don’t mind doing - vertical panels are quick, hood and roof take longer but the results are great. The best part is that if you pick up any dirt of junk in the clay you fold it to a fresh part or throw it away and get a new piece.
Using the same ‘pad’ 20 times over the while car gives me the heebi-jeebies.
Detailing takes time and effort- 90% of the population don’t care, 8% are in a rush- the other 2% have very nice clean cars.
I used to be the 2%, and have spent a whole weekend detailing the car. Now my time is better spent with my wife and kids- but I won’t give up the claybar.
"Urambo Tauro" (urambotauro)
09/04/2017 at 18:54, STARS: 1
My only nitpick was how rigid the bar was, which made it a little difficult to use on curved surfaces.
Hm. I don’t like the sound of that. One of my favorite things about clay bars is how easily they contour to the surface as you go along.
That handle also looks like it might get in the way when trying to do tight spaces (I’m thinking about my Mustang’s wing and side scoops).
"Svend" (svend)
09/04/2017 at 19:17, STARS: 1
Clay blocks like these are great but if you have a car with more rounded surfaces, try the clay mitt, there are also clay towels.
The new clay blocks/towels/pads/mitts are so much better than the traditional clay. They can be used with care so many times and as you say, being dropped doesn’t mean you put it in the bin.
"merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc" (merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc)
09/04/2017 at 20:14, STARS: 1
I normally clay with the wash water with dawn in it. I figure if I’m claying I want to strip any protectants on the paint, but you could do the same with car wash soap if you desire.
Typically two bucket wash, then rinse, then clay with wash water as lubricant, then rinse and dry to prepare for paint correction/protection.
Sounds like the clay 2.0 isn’t any better, except for not pitching it if it hits the ground.
Thanks for the review though. It’s good to hear a real user instead of some YouTuber shilling for views or sponsorship.
"random001" (random001)
09/05/2017 at 06:40, STARS: 1
Can confirm that these things work. I have the nanoskin, the original version of this, and the Griot’s garage version, before the mother’s version got here.
Nanoskin comes in multiple grades, fine, medium, etc. That helps with some things left behind, switching to a more aggressive grade.
The griot’s garage version is really nice, though, because it goes on my orbital. Talk about nothing left behind!
I agree with this review. I think you would have had better results using a post wash step using a clay bar lubricant (Griot’s speed shine is my go to) instead of just soapy water.
"random001" (random001)
09/05/2017 at 06:41, STARS: 0
I charge rum.
"Leonard" (leonard98)
02/18/2018 at 04:41, STARS: 0
Is this better than the normal clay bar?
which one gives you a smoother surface?
"Jcarr" (jcarr)
02/18/2018 at 18:16, STARS: 0
Regular clay works better, but this is far simpler and gives a pretty solid result.