Clay Bar Question

[ragingfish]

Bought me a Mother's Clay Bar today...used it, definitely pulled stuff off the car. Then I followed up wtih mother's cleaner wax, per the box instructions. The pic below is a shot of the resulting shine. I have to say I'm really -- disappointed.I want a shine like this: But all I could get was this: How do I get that kinda shine on this car? I'm getting VERY frustrated! Thanks guys...

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[Geo]

Well, I will say that there is hardly ANYTHING out there that shines up as nice as a black car.Also, after the wax, try Zaino or Speed Shine or some other shining agent - it should bring you up a notch or two so you can start blinding other drivers on a sunny day! ;D

[ragingfish]

quote:Well, I will say that there is hardly ANYTHING out there that shines up as nice as a black car.I had a hunch that black shines up better than other colors, but I couldn't confirm it...quote:Also, after the wax, try Zaino or Speed Shine or some other shining agent - it should bring you up a notch or two so you can start blinding other drivers on a sunny day! ;DInteresting...I'll have to look into that. You talking about those spray on / wipe off shiners?

[Cubanpete]

You made a mistake!! I have made several posts as well as some pics online, My shine was excellent, that I can confirm 100%1) Clay bar2)Sealer Polish........Not cleaner wax!3)Carnauba wax

[ragingfish]

quote:You made a mistake!! I have made several posts as well as some pics online, My shine was excellent, that I can confirm 100%1) Clay bar2)Sealer Polish........Not cleaner wax!3)Carnauba waxI bought a kit. It was mother's california shine clay bar kit. Came with the clay bar, a shiner/lubricant for the clay bar, and a cleaner wax, which it said to use after the clay bar.What's a good sealer polish, and can I still use it even though I used the cleaner wax? I haven't put on a final wax coat yet, so...

[Cubanpete]

fish.......look, the wax cleaner will not shine the car, its good for the indie of the doors or hatch for added protection. the 3 step method from Mothers is what I use. Check the results here....http://forums.genvibe.com/zerofile/775/ ... 6.jpgPhase 1 Clay barPhase 2 Sealer and GlazePhase 3 Carnuba Wax pastehttp://www.mothers.com/products/Look in paint care

[ragingfish]

Is there a serious difference between the liquid and paste wax? The paste seems like it would be ridiculously difficult to apply and work with...

[Cubanpete]

Paste will last longer then the liquid!

[Cubanpete]

No silver my car shine is still shiny to this day, after that initial treatment, However protection wise, With the hot weather carnuba last max 40-50 days.....the heat kills the carnuba layer quickly, Acrylic wax or non carnuba last for 6 months regardless of weather change but gives you a duller shine!

[ragingfish]

quote:The sun is really beating down on your Vibe in that picture. Raging's pic looks like it was overcast. Might be a difference there also. Not overcast. Just dusk. I spent crazy hours on the car...Anyway, how hard is the paste to work with?

[Cubanpete]

I found the paste, not hard at all, just that the 3 phase sytem is a big job, and should be done 1time a year, except for the occasional carnuba coats 40 60 days!

[dmitri]

1. That black car was not stock paint. Who knows how many coats of lacquer he has on it?2. You have a silver car, its never gonna shine like that.3. Pontiac uses cheap (removed) paint on our cars, its garbage.

[GT_03]

quote:3. Pontiac uses cheap (removed) paint on our cars, its garbage.Couldn't agree more.

[yank dini]

takes a lot of work but you'll get it right..... try a different coat of wax.I use Dura Gloss after the MG Clay Bar.Click on "Detroit's Finest" and take a look. I did a application that very day.

[Stang2Vibe]

Cubanpete has it all exactly correct here. Black will generally shine the best (dark colored cars also shine better than lighter colored ones). And he is right again that you need to use a sealer/glaze to make the shine deeper and brighter. You have almost the recipe for success. The clay bar is fine, and is an excellent product to use for step one, which is to deep clean the surface and remove all contamination. But you skipped step two which is the application of the sealer/glaze which gives you most of the brilliant shine. And then for step 3, use a non-cleaner wax (because you already deep-cleaned in step one). Using a cleaner wax after applying a sealer/glaze will just strip it back off again. Use a pure carnuba wax without the cleaner in it. Then when you are all done, buff the car lightly by hand with diapercloth cloths. That will be about the best shine you are going to acheive doing it yourself by hand. And like was already said before, don't expect your car too look just as shiny as that black one because it will never happen. Silver and white cars hide marks well, but will never look as shiny as dark cars even if their finishes are of equal quality and were detailed equally well.As far as paste waxes go, they are all that I use now because I find them to be the easiest to use and give the best finish. The trick is to get a foam applicator pad, preferrably the ones that have a terrycloth covering on them, and completely wet it before using it by holding it under tap water while squeezing it so it fills up with water. Then wring the pad out well and use it to apply the paste. After waxing a few body panels, I usually go back to the laundry tub and drip a few drops of water into the wax can in the middle of the wax and swirl it around with the applicator pad. Keeping the pad wet will keep the wax a bit softer and smoother which makes it glide along the car's surface easier like a liquid wax does. This way, you get the benefits of the paste wax while getting the ease of application of the liquid waxes. Don't over do it with the water, though, or it will thin out too much and not offer much protection. Also, wash out the pad well when you are done waxing so it is fresh, clean, and ready for the next time you wax the car. Don't let the wax dry on the pad or it will be much harder to clean out.

[Craigmri]

That Black car probably shines so brilliantly because it's:1) probably not a factory finish2) most likely wet sanded then professionally buffed.

[P POPPR]

Fish, That pic was TAafterzaino.jpg Many enthusiasts swear by Zaino. It builds layers over the paint. The more layers the better the reflective quality. You ought to see a corvette mag red with a few applications of Zaino. But you will never get that fron silver. You must have a dark good quality finish to begin with. I'm not messing with Zaino on the Abyss Vibe. It's not worth the time and cost. Stick with a clay bar "Mothers", then polish and end with Carnuba wax. That's as dood as it gets.