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      04-16-2017, 03:49 PM   #1
zcspec
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X3: the Guinea Pig!

Living in Seattle, it's been tough having a few days without showers/rain. This weekend though, we were rewarded with nice weather. As a result, I finally had a chance to experiment with some car care products on my wife's X3.

Today, I toyed with my new foam cannon, then pressure washed it down. While it was wet, I tried out the new claybar pad I bought. I am sold on the process I tried today. The X3's finish feels like glass, thanks to the claybar pad.

Once the weather becomes more consistently nice, I'll repeat the process. The next time though, I'll polish it, wipe it down with some Alcohol, then finish it up with a ceramic 9H coating.

Foam Cannon


End Result

Last edited by zcspec; 04-16-2017 at 05:22 PM..
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      04-16-2017, 05:07 PM   #2
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Pics dont work
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      04-16-2017, 05:24 PM   #3
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Pics dont work
Thank you...it's fixed.
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      04-16-2017, 05:33 PM   #4
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Looks really nice... clay bar pad eh? who is it made by?
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      04-16-2017, 05:40 PM   #5
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Pictures really don't do the end product justice. Only passes of the hands on the paint will offer any proof of results. There are tons of claybar pads out there; I purchased this one:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I used this with a spray while the car was still wet. Just a few passes and you could feel how smooth the surface because. With the pad, it's much faster because the surface area is larger than using a small claybar piece.
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      04-16-2017, 05:52 PM   #6
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I hear ya... you used it with a spray, what kinda spray
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      04-16-2017, 08:38 PM   #7
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I hear ya... you used it with a spray, what kinda spray
A bottle of water with a few drops of soap will work fine. The main point is, the claybar mat (or any claybar) needs to have some type of liquid to act as a lube when you're passing it back and forth over the paint. I ended up putting a drop of car wash concentration into a 16oz spray bottle and filled it with water.
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      04-17-2017, 07:57 AM   #8
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Thanks man will give it a shot!
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      04-17-2017, 11:05 AM   #9
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nicely done..
make a video with products you use..and step by step
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      04-17-2017, 04:51 PM   #10
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Just purchased one for myself - will give it a shot on 2 different vehicles... my wifes Mazda 3 will probably be a really good example of what it can do.
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      04-18-2017, 11:28 AM   #11
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Quote:
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Just purchased one for myself - will give it a shot on 2 different vehicles... my wifes Mazda 3 will probably be a really good example of what it can do.
Awesome! I kid you not, after you wash the car and make a few passes with the claybar mat, you'll be amazed.
Just make sure you spray with some lube.
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      04-18-2017, 11:29 AM   #12
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nicely done..
make a video with products you use..and step by step
I have thought about doing this and may try the next time I perform the 9H coating.
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      04-18-2017, 11:33 AM   #13
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Quote:
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I have thought about doing this and may try the next time I perform the 9H coating.
i been watching youtube videos of claying, detailing etc. i have never attempted but I like to learn. once weather gets nice i will try it
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      04-18-2017, 11:37 AM   #14
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i been watching youtube videos of claying, detailing etc. i have never attempted but I like to learn. once weather gets nice i will try it
In my humbled opinion, detailing is not difficult. It's just very time consuming and you need to have the right frame of mind, IE, being OCD.

The results though, are well worth the cost of admission. It's been 2 days and I still find myself running my hands over my wife's paint to feel how smooth the finish is. LOL.
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      04-18-2017, 12:31 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zcspec View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by nyalpine90 View Post
i been watching youtube videos of claying, detailing etc. i have never attempted but I like to learn. once weather gets nice i will try it
In my humbled opinion, detailing is not difficult. It's just very time consuming and you need to have the right frame of mind, IE, being OCD.

The results though, are well worth the cost of admission. It's been 2 days and I still find myself running my hands over my wife's paint to feel how smooth the finish is. LOL.
Had a good laugh at "my wifes paint" .. maybe this would work on her too

Thanks for your review! I had those pads on my list, now ordered them.

Thanks from Switzerland
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