Anyone have good clay bar and waxing tips?

"03mach1 - Now has a Fiesta ST" (03mach1)
04/30/2015 at 09:46 • Filed to: None

My dad and I are entering our Mustangs in a car show for our second time. This time I want to wax and clay bar my car and this will be the first time I’ve done it.

I have done my own research online but I learn so much here I figured I would ask here. My Dad waxed his car last year and it came out amazing. I have never seen the paint look that good. We will be using Meguiars clay bar kit and Turtle Ice Wax. It will be sunny out and around 75-80 degrees when we do this.

Just a quick question, I’m worried about my stripes. I’ve heard it’s ok to wax over them but you have to be careful because it’ll leave residue on the sides. How do you prevent that? Thanks for any help! I actually took Friday off from work to do this. And because of that, I’m working every day until then so I won’t see these responses immediately.

DISCUSSION (18)

E92M3 > 03mach1 - Now has a Fiesta ST
04/30/2015 at 09:54

It will leave wax on the edge of the stripes. You just need to run your rag down that edge to remove the buildup.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > 03mach1 - Now has a Fiesta ST
04/30/2015 at 09:55

Do not wax the stripes, use painters tape to mask them and any other matt finished parts off.

CalzoneGolem > 03mach1 - Now has a Fiesta ST
04/30/2015 at 09:56

Hotrod garage had a mustang episode recently where they showed off some cleaning products you should check that out.

03mach1 - Now has a Fiesta ST > E92M3
04/30/2015 at 10:01

Simple enough, thanks!

03mach1 - Now has a Fiesta ST > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
04/30/2015 at 10:03

On forums dedicated to the Mach everyone says it's ok to do that. Are you sure?

03mach1 - Now has a Fiesta ST > CalzoneGolem
04/30/2015 at 10:03

I forgot about that. I should check it out again.

nermal > 03mach1 - Now has a Fiesta ST
04/30/2015 at 10:06

I use the Meguiar’s kit as well, works great!

Besides the clay bar kit, you’ll also need an extra bottle of the Quick Detailer (I use a ton of it), the wax of your choice (I use their Quick Wax because it’s easy), and a pile of microfiber towels.

Start by giving the car a good wash and rinse. Dry it with the microfiber towels and make sure it’s completely dry.

Then get to the clay barring. Pull off a chunk of clay and knead it a bit. Fold in half, squish it flat into a square, repeat a few times. I found that keeping it about 2 inches square is managable.

On the car, you want to work in smaller square sections. Spritz on some of the detailer onto a section, then gently rub the clay over it. If you feel resistance, make sure it is well spritzed and continue until the clay moves smoothly. Then use a microfiber towell and dry off the square you just rubbed. Knead the clay once or twice until you have a clean surface and repeat.

Knead, spritz, rub, wipe. Repeat until you go over the entire car.

After that, apply the wax of your choice. Also admire how shiny it is.

CalzoneGolem > 03mach1 - Now has a Fiesta ST
04/30/2015 at 10:08

That clay mitt looked super easy.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > 03mach1 - Now has a Fiesta ST
04/30/2015 at 10:10

Positive, it looks ok for a day, but then you will always see the wax haze on the matt finishes.

03mach1 - Now has a Fiesta ST > nermal
04/30/2015 at 10:18

Awesome, thanks! That really helps.

03mach1 - Now has a Fiesta ST > CalzoneGolem
04/30/2015 at 10:19

If I hadn't invested so much in to detailing products already I would have considered other things!

03mach1 - Now has a Fiesta ST > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
04/30/2015 at 10:20

Good point, glad I still have painters tape lying around.

blacktruck18 > 03mach1 - Now has a Fiesta ST
04/30/2015 at 10:34

Since you are going to be using a clay bay on the car I would recommend using a strong soap. I prefer blue Dawn. You don’t need or want any fancy smell stuff or anything like that, just plain old blue Dawn or green Palmolive. They are much stronger than most car soaps and since you are trying to strip everything off the car they will make it a little easier once you start using the clay bar. This is the only time you should use this kind of soap because it will strip wax or any protectants you put on the car. It also works pretty well for brake dust if you have any on your wheels.

If you are going to be waxing it in direct sunlight the paint will heat up, which will make the wax dry really quick. Before you apply wax to any areas touch the paint to see how hot it is. If it feels hot spray some of the quick detailer onto the paint and wipe it off to cool the paint down. I would work in very small area’s just to keep the wax from drying onto the paint. It is a pain in the ass to get off once that happens. If possible I would move the car around so that the area you are working on isn’t getting hit diretly by the sun.

Also if you have any water spots on your windows spray them with a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and bottled water (I know I am venturing into OCD land here) then wipe the windows down with the clay. If will get almost all of them off.

03mach1 - Now has a Fiesta ST > blacktruck18
04/30/2015 at 10:43

Thanks. When we wax the cars we can just put them in the garage for that.

theuserformerlyknownasaluminumfoil > 03mach1 - Now has a Fiesta ST
04/30/2015 at 14:58

If you can - try to get a clay mitt - makes the whole process so much quicker . Honestly. I bought one and I will never go back to that clay again.
I bought one from Chemical Guys and the Mr. Pink soap works wonders.. Those are the only two product’s I’ll ever buy from them again.

03mach1 - Now has a Fiesta ST > theuserformerlyknownasaluminumfoil
04/30/2015 at 19:12

I'd love to get one, but it's too late now as I need to get this done tomorrow for the show! But I will definitely look in to that. It looks so much easier.

theuserformerlyknownasaluminumfoil > 03mach1 - Now has a Fiesta ST
05/01/2015 at 08:28

Oh jesus sorry man, I didn’t realize it was for the day after - but I mean you can do this for next time! How did it go btw?

03mach1 - Now has a Fiesta ST > theuserformerlyknownasaluminumfoil
05/01/2015 at 08:33

That's alright! And I actually meant starting it today so I can get it done by tomorrow. So I hope all goes well!