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Gray Wolf

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Ordered Zaino and it should arrive sometime this week for a weekend application. Claying a 3 week old dark blue BMW. This is my first time ever using a clay bar (Zaino's). Can someone provide directions or a link.



Thanks.
 
Do a search for "claying instructions" and you will find this post among others to get more info than you could believe.

The basic procedure is pretty much spelled-out on the Zaino site:

www.zainobros.com

Z-18 CLAYBAR INSTRUCTIONS

Are you sure you want to clay a 3 week old car? I know the Zaino instructions say to do this, but unless you know what you are doing, you can scratch your paint. I did that last year using a Meguairs claybar. I was sooo pissed. Got an older car surface you could practice on?

Otherwise, there is a chemical way to clean your paint. Supposed to be better as overall paint prep than clay and might eliminate any need to clay at all. Especially since the car is so new. Called the ABC system. Do a search and see for yourself. Some think it is great.

Somehow, I think you will get many opinions on this subject....
 
I think in this case doing the whole ABC process is unnecessary - stick with a claybar. It's easier than you think, just make sure your car is extra clean, maybe wash it twice.

Use just enough lubricant to make it possible to move the bar without much pressure. Do not press it down! You will actually hear that clicking sound of bar doing it's job.

Check David's e-book for detailed instructions.

If you are still worried try claying your windows first - much harder to make a scratch.

Good luck!
 
Claying is perfectly safe for all cars, including ones fresh off the delivery truck, if done properly. In fact, most new cars are already contaminated due to rail dust during transport, and claying is a good idea to properly prep the surface. Zaino clay is very easy to use and works wonderfully! I use my wash bucket filled with Z7 suds as my clay lube. I thoroughly wet and lube a small area then begin claying until the whole car is done. Never let the area you're working on dry out! With proper technique claying is perfectly safe for new cars and trucks.

This site has very good instructions on how to use clay: http://www.erazer.com/prod01.htm
 
As long as you follow common sense procedures, there's little risk involved in claying your car. I clayed my cars when they were new because they didn't have a perfectly contaminant free surface. I think the instructions in the link MetallicM provided are pretty sound.



Another option (instead of stretching and folding to expose a soil-free portion of clay) would be to tear off little pieces of the clay and just discard them after doing a panel.
 
I have clayed cars that were brand new! I mean just took off the plastic wrap and dawn wash then clay. Do a search on the forum and I am sure that you will find more than you want to read... Clay is safe, just a with any other product, use it wrong and there could be problems:);)
 
Clay is fine as long as you have the car spotless, use lots of lubricant and only do small sections at a time with literally no pressure. However, the process is abrasive and you can run into problems if any grit is present on the clay or if you drop it the clay is toast. That is why I switched to the ABC system it dissolves the ferrous particles rather than shearing them off and the whole process is non-abrasive. As you already have the Zaino clay I'm sure you won't consider ABC you might wnt to consider it for the future.
 
Actually he was saying he was going to clay a 3 wk old Bimmer having never used clay before. That I think would fall under new car prep which ABC designed for. Just offering the alternative point of view as I think the poster is a novice if he has never used clay before:nixweiss
 
Right on, pal. Wish I would have known about the ABC system before I went and clayed my new car and put lots of scratches in it.



I admit, my technique was probably to blame more than anything, but I would have saved time and scratches. Claying is not something for a novice to attempt on a brand new car in my book.



Better to test on an old finish or a panel from junkyard.
 
Intermezzo, I am not defending ABC, it is an alternative to a procedure that in the wrong hands can be very abrasive. I assume the guy wants the best for a $30K car it is my opinion that claying it may not result in the best results :rolleyes:
 
Hey, hey, hey now. $30K?! Hell, find me someone who's willing to sell me a 2002 M3 for 30K. I'd plunk down the money in two seconds.



Of course you're not defending it ELD. How silly of me to think you were. :cool:



Grey Wolf, don't mind us.:cool:
 
Where can I find info on the ABC system? Is there a website? I know everyone says do a search on here for ABC. Well, I did the search, and several postings turned up. However each one of them said "just do a search on ABC." So it was like a dog chasing its tail.

Thanks.
 
Rob,

Do a search under "ABC" again, except this time click the 'search titles only' option. That should narrow down your search results quite a bit and yield some good info. You can also go to www.autoint.com for information. They're the ones that make it.
 
I think that pretty much covers the ABC topic. The search button is your friend. :cool: Let's not have this thread go the same way the other ones go when we start these ABC debates.
 
Personally, I'd be more afraid to use any product that claims to "dissolve" contaminants than using a clay bar. If it can dissolve metal particles and the like, what else is it possibly dissolving? I'm not knocking ABC, I know others have used it with success, but it's my opinion that claying is safer and easier than chemically treating your paint, which may not be 100% effective.



Claying is very simple, there are two basic rules to keep anyone trouble free: 1. Use plenty of lube, never use clay on a dry surface and 2. Always work with clean clay, either by tearing off pieces or folding/kneading. That's it, very simple IMHO.
 
I would rather have a product dissovle and completely remove any particulates completely safely as endorsed by all of the major paint companies.



To drag particles pulled from the paint surface across a brand new paint job lubricant or not is creating micro marring in the clear like it or not. With experience it is minimal with lack of experience it could be a horror story:scared
 
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