Clay bar, I was a bit sceptical at first.
 

I put the clay bar to the Z yesterday and I can't believe what a difference it makes to the finish. First I gave it a good wash with the two bucket system with Adams car wash shampoo. Gave it a good rinse then used the slow flow method to get rid of the major water beads. Then blot dried a few remaining water beads with the waffle weave and got the crevices etc with the Metro Blaster Sidekick. I was amazed at how much extra water came out of the nooks and crannies. I kind of had buyers remorse when I bought the Sidekick but it's a wonderful tool and will be used often. The clay bar and Adams detail spray really cleaned up the finish. Even after washing and appearing spotless I was amazed at how much junk came off with the clay. My Z only sees the occasional cruise, no winter and is garaged at all times unless I take it out for a drive. After claying, I gave it the baggie test and it was as smooth as glass. Anyone wanting to improve the finish before paint correction, waxing etc I would highly recommend claying. Just thought I'd add my 2 cents, just stoked that it made such a difference.:ughdance:

I 2nd that. I clayed my Z a couple of weeks ago. I also clayed, paint corrected, and waxed the wife's Jeep this morning. I love Adam's products.

I do mine at least once a year. There's no denying the difference it makes in the overall depth of your finish. I'm a believer. :)

Great stuff. I still can't figure out why all that crud that gets trapped in the clay doesn't scratch the *** out of the paint.

^^ it can, if you're not careful. knead it often and toss dirty areas frequently. :)

I guess I've just been lucky. I'll keep a closer eye on how dirty the clay is from now on. Thanks.

yeah, you have to make sure you fold the clay once one side gets heavily soiled. Also, make sure you maintain your car with a good coat of wax on a regular basis. Doing so, at least in my experience, will cut back on the ammount of clay bar that you will need to use the next time you treat your car. The first time I clayed bar my Z it was heavily soiled, so I picked up a lot from the clay bar. The second time around, when I decided it was time for a clay bar, the paint already seemed really smooth. There was only a few spots here and there, which needed some attention.

( I use my car mostly on weekends, so that could be another reason why on the second time around not much cotaminents were picked up)

Why not the nanoskin autoscrub? Save time better result?

Actually, this is my experience exactly even with the Z as my DD. I got a the Meguiar's Clay kit which comes with two clay bars. The first time I ever clayed, I used almost an entire bar. But the remaining bar and leftovers from the first bar lasted about a year and a half and at least 5 more sessions of clay. Having a nice coat of quality wax makes your car wash much more effective, which in turn keeps the clay cleaner.

I didn't see it and wanted to make something a little clear...you must wax after clay baring since you will have zero protection left besides the clear coat. and you don't want to wax later because then you'll need to clay bar again or you'll be waxing over things stuck in the clear coat.

Amen. I've been a fan of the claybar since my first Z in '04 got some asphalt overspray. I still claybar every 6 months. I wax immediately though.

Yes, after a clay bar waxing is a must. Clay bar will lift all the nasty stuff off the paint. Laying a coat of wax, will give your paint the protection it needs from the elements.

Glad you've "seen the light!"

Claying is a MUST, even on a brand new car.

My gf just got me one of these for my birthday. I'm looking forward to using it.

Nice!

I first learned about it from a post here (detailing a black RX7)....saw the pic of the guy using a buffer on a wet car, I was like wtf?

Hope to try this in the future

I love the feeling of clean paint after a good clay.

Got that covered. It's inside my garage under a super plush Sparco indoor cover until this weekend when I'll put some Machine Super Sealant, Glaze then top off with Americana wax. My garage is very good with particulate and with the cover it should be fine.:ughdance:

I know, I was just amazed at how much smoother it made the surface. Even after a real good washing there is just some gunk you can't remove. I was super careful to knead the clay often. :tup:

Never heard of it but since you mentioned it I went and did a bit of research on it and decided to buy the 6" Fine pad and 2 bottles of the Glide stuff. General consensus is it is a good product. A bit pricey so I hope it is all that. I'll practice on my 08 Mazda 3 to perfect technique.:tup: Thanks