Like the title says. I finally clay barred my car! I've had it for about 18 months and had never done it and it was really starting to show. So today I broke down and clayed it then polished and finished with 3 coats of wax. Stuff really makes a difference!!

But it leads me to a question. When I did it today it took me about 5 hours to complete. Is there anything I can do to speed up the process? Any waxes that are easier to put on and polish off. Stuff like that. Tips and tricks of the trade basically.

 

5 hours is pretty good, Took me over 8 hours

No such thing as a good quick job. Do a quick job or a good job

 

Pics or it didn't happen...lol and 5 hours is damn good!!!

 

Kind of a bad picture. I took it in my garage as soon as I was done. After all the work I was afraid a bird would sh*t on it. Haha

 

Yea lets see pics...I wish I could do my car but well I live in Ohio and weather isn't good enough yet

 

I'll take some better ones tomorrow in the sun and away from the trees that line my driveway. Haha

 

Looks good

 

5 hours is about as quick as you can make it. i clay bar'ed mine here last summer and it took like like 6 1/2 hours NOT including waxing/polishing afterwards lol you cant rush an important step like this

 

Last time i did a complete clay/polish/wax on my car it took about 12 hours. However that was a WHILE ago, think I'll just take it to a profession this time, I dont have the patience for another 12 hours. So 5 is actually quick.

 

I will be taking my car to the guy that details cars at my step dads shop. He had his dodge ram done last summer and that thing looked better than brand new and the paint was so smooth. He quoted me like $80 for a full detail but the weather just didn't work out while I was there so now that I am moving back I will be getting this done.

 

i clay barred, washed, buffed (2 stages, one cutting compound, one polishing compound), then waxed my car this last october.. with me and a buddy it took 7 hours! so yea, it takes a while to get things done right

 

always wanted to clay bar my car but never did. what is involved in doing so?

 

07- i'd say go get the Mother's or Meguiars Clay Bar kit, its like 17/18 bucks at any auto store and it has 2 bars, a towel, and detail spray. when i do mine (probably come april up here in PA) i fully wash my car as good as i can, dry it the best i can, pull it in the garage and bar it certain sections at a time (roof, then hood, then truck, etc.) what i do is spray the detailer and then work the bar around and finally use the towel to take that off. then i use Mequiars detailer wax and do a hand wax on everything.. in total it usually takes me about 7/8 hours. looks good there OP, you know you did a nice job when it shines like glass... and that's tough to do on black

 

I did mine yesterday. Took me 5 and a half hours with no breaks, many water and restroom breaks only. But finish product looked amazing. yours looks good too

 

Haha. Thanks guys! It was tedious as hell but oh so worth it. My routine went like this:
Wash
Dry
Clay bar
Wash
Dry
Polish
Buff
Wax (two coats)
Spray wax
Final buff
Wheel polish
Tire shine

Then I did my interior today. I love having a clean car!!

 

clean for a week at the most of daily driven then its back to it again the following weekend lol but i only clay bar twice a year

 

Oh yeah, when I drive a lot during the summer it gets washed every weekend and spray waxed.

 

When I detail it takes me 14hrs roughly then I have to let the sealant cure for 12hrs then go over with my wax the next day

Wash
Claybar
Machine Polish with a porter cable (3 step process) Severe Swirl, Swirl&Haze, Fine Machine Polish (I use Adam's Polishes.. )
Machine Sealant
Brilliant Glaze
Americana Wax

Then the wheels and the other nonsense. I try and split it up into 3 days
Wheels,Engine, Interior, Wash, Clay day 1
Buffing/Polishing/Sealant day 2
Glaze, Wax day 3

 

I also use Adam's Polishes. You might have needed to use the Severe Swirl Remover the first time you polished but after that I'm pretty sure your vehicle is in good enough condition where the Swirl & Haze Remover and the Fine Machine Polish would have sufficed. Just throwing that out there because you definitely don't want to take more clear off than you need to.

 

Yeah I forgot to put that. Thanks! I have only had to use sever swirl a few times. Usually once in the spring and once in the fall. I have the bad habit of using rags to knock dust off in the summer and scratch it all up lol. Then the winter takes it toll on the paint so I bring it out again for summer. I think I machine polish every 3 months and if its not bad I just go straight to glaze/americana

 

Oh ok good deal I was hoping you weren't using SSR every time. I've heard lots of great things about the Americana wax but I can't get myself to pay $70 for it lol.

 

I stocked up this year. I think I got 600 or 700 $ worth of products ha ha. Gonna try and detail some cars on the weekend for some spare cash. Americana is pretty amazing. I havent got to use it after machine polishing yet but with hand waxing it goes on so nice and makes the paint look wet. My list for this year includes.


Adam's Grit Guard Car Wash Bucket X2
Adam's Professional Car Wash Pad-9" x 9"
Adam's Microfiber Detailing Towel Bundle
Adam's Double Soft Microfiber Towel (1)
Adam's Americana Wax
Adam's Brilliant Glaze
Adam's Microfiber Waterless Wash Waffle Towels-2 Pack
Adam's Green Wheel Cleaner-36 oz
Adam's In and Out Spray
Adam's Waterless Car Wash-16 oz , 36 oz, 1 gallon
Adam's Detailing Clay Bar
Adam's Detailing Spray 16 oz X 2, 36 oz, 1 gallon
Adam's Buttery Car Wax 16oz
Adam's YELLOW Hex-Grip Car Wax Applicator
Adam's Super VRT 16 oz X 2
Adam's Hex-Grip Pro Tire Dressing Applicator (2)
Adam's VRT Super Block Dressing Applicators (4)
Adam's Car Wash Shampoo 16 oz, 36 oz, 1 gallon
Adam's All Purpose Cleaner 16oz X 2, 36 oz, 1 gallon
Adam's Perfect Vision Glass Cleaner & Sealant Combo
Adam's EZ-Fill Threaded Funnel

 

That's a helluva grocery list you got there lol. Good luck with everything and keep that ride looking like new.

 

I like the Adam's products, they seem to work well all the time.

 

I took me 6 hours to wash, dry, clay bar, rise, wax (hand polish). I cleaned up the trim and the wheels/tires yesterday. The inside is today. In total 8 to 10 hours. No biggie.