E30 Zone

Are these clay kits really any good? And how do they work?

If you have never used clay, you will be pretty amazed by the results.

Think I might just have to give it a go then. Can anybody recommenf the best one to try?

Ok cheers. I'll google it and have a butchers.

the of the shelf kits from Autoglym and Meguires (available in halfords) are also very good. they are mild so you will not do any damage

Can the other kits do damage then?

Another vote for Bilthamber, makes a world of difference.

Furry muff. Just have to use a bit of savvy then.

Just been looking at those Bilthamber ones you mentioned, they're a lot cheaper than I expected. I shall take your advice and give it a try. Not sure whether soft or medium would be best for my paintwork though. It's Alpine White.

Soft or medium would depend on the condition of your paintwork. Try soft first maybe.

Top tip with clay: put a sheet down where you are working so if you drop the clay it isn't ruined by hitting the ground. If it hits the ground it will pick up grit from the ground and would then damage your paintwork if you continued using it.

I've used Autoglym and it gave really good results. It's only one process in several to get good paint though as you probably know. There's some info in the wiki http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... ning_Guide

That's great, cheers. I'll have a look when I get 5 mins. Yeah I'm sure it'll take more than just a clay kit 2 get the paintwork really good again, after all, it does have 24 years of worth of exposure to the elements!

Cheers for the tip, sounds like a good idea.

good tip that !!

also, you should only use a 3rd or a quater of a clay bar to do the car, just break off a 50p sized piece , keep kneeding it as you go, clay is only 1 stage, that just gets it all smooth , go real slow each area say 6x6 inches at a time , before moving on

you know each areas is done, when the clay glides smoothly and it feels like glass , keep using the liquid

Another vote for clay bars here. I've used the Meguires kit a few times and i'm always pleased with the result.

I did my daily turd shortly after i got it and couldn't believe what came off it. Makes a world of difference to the finish when polished afterwards.

Additionally the quick detailer supplied in the kit is great for giving it a quick spruce up after a wash.

diable wrote:The clay bar won't damage the car, it's the neanderthal holding the clay bar that will do the damage.

They can mar the paint, that's the more aggressive types of clay and if they are not lubed up properly

With the off the shelf kits, i agree that only a Neanderthal can cause damage

Eddie25 wrote: Additionally the quick detailer supplied in the kit is great for giving it a quick spruce up after a wash.

i didnt have much left, gotta keep the clay and area well lubed when doing it

but, demon shine is the stuff for that ! look out in asda they sometimes do the 2L ones for £2 in a sale (7.99 for a spray gun full in halfrauds)

the stuff is excellent, when a car is well detailed and waxed, give it a quick wash and rinse ,then use demon shine and microfibre cloths when still wet, to dry it , the demon shine gets rid of any water marks and a nice shine, its also nice to keep some in the boot if you have to drive somewhere to a show or take some photos etc and the car is clean but maybe its rained etc, a quick spray and wipe takes 5 minutes