 | Home > Maintenance & Modifications > Its easy to Clay your Defender, so do it! |
 
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| RRUK Site Supporter Member Since: 31 Mar 2010 Location: Leicestershire Posts: 2021  
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Gone are the days that claying your car was for specialists, everyone can and should do it, it makes a fantastic difference to the car and makes the effort of applying compounds, polishes and waxes much more meaningful, and it lasts longer as a result.
For those who have not heard about it, using the clay bar method on your car picks out all the unseen rubbish that stick in your paint you can't see, traffic film, tar, insect poo, sap etc etc. This is what an old school piece of clay would look like before and after doing a panel. 
You can guarantee yours needs doing, and if you want to check, get a thin sandwich bag (the very thin translucent type not thick clear ones) and put it on your hand, now rub your finger tips over your paint. you'll feel all the tiny bumps. There's a fantastic product now by G3 available in Halfords in the form of a Clay Mitt, and you can combine claying with the wash process. Clay needs a lubricant otherwise it sticks and catches on the paint, but you don't need to buy the fancy lube spray. if you are using decent suds like Meguiars, just wash each panel starting from the roof down, while the suds are on the panel, dunk the mitt in the bucket and wipe all over the wet soapy panel. You can hear and feel it working, and will become smooth and quiet once all the rubbish is lifted. http://www.halfords.com/motoring/car-clean...-clay-mitt Then just rinse and dry as normal. Then, it's best to follow up with a decent paint treatment. I use Meguiars Ultimate Compound, Polish glaze and liquid wax. A 3 step process, easy as pie and it makes the car look like wet glass. I shall be doing the Defender ASAP, but here's a picture or two of my Range Rover, compared to my Dad's, which is the same age and colour and his has done 40,000 miles LESS than mine, but he has his car washed by the local Albanians, who use use harsh chemicals and sponges full of other people's car's rubbish. His is dull and lifeless, mine looks like a black mirror. and the finish lasts for WAY longer if you have done the prep. Your paint will love you for it. Just coz it's a Defender doesn't mean it can't look amazing and be protected from the elements as much as possible before you get it mucky. It also makes washing it MUCH easier! Photos in next post.... 2016 D4 HSE 1998 110 TUM HS FFR Hard Top XD WOLF 1982 Series 3 SWB Petrol Last edited by RRUK on 11th Sep 2015 12:54pm. Edited 1 time in total |
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11th Sep 2015 12:48pm |
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| BuckBlu110 Member Since: 19 Apr 2014 Location: in the pub Posts: 711 
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 the difference is striking!! I'm going to have to do this before the winter! |
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11th Sep 2015 12:58pm |
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| Mr Fox Member Since: 10 Sep 2011 Location: green & pleasant land Posts: 1037 
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Good post.
I've used clay before (not on the Defender) and found the result excellent but the process tedious. That clay mitt looks like a good alternative and I'll definitely give it a try before doing the pre-winter wax. Cheers  |
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11th Sep 2015 1:14pm |
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| Rosco Member Since: 03 Dec 2010 Location: Burntwood Posts: 1832 
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Wow!
That is a massive difference.
Would any clay work or does it have to be a specific sort? 2007 - Stornoway Grey 90 XS SW - Gone 2002 - Black Discovery II - Gone 2014 - Montalcino Red 110 XS SW |
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11th Sep 2015 1:17pm |
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| SimonDavies Member Since: 15 Mar 2012 Location: Swansea Posts: 244  
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I use bilt hamber clay bar. You can buy it on eBay for about £13. No special lubricant required either. I tend to use a garden squirty can with water so I can do an area at a time.
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11th Sep 2015 1:36pm |
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| Venomator Member Since: 25 Aug 2014 Location: Peterborough Posts: 2087
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Totally in agreement with @RRUK on this...
I use Meguiars and cannot recommend it highly enough, as said, the finish is absolutely astounding and does make future washing and waxing so much easier (for my valeter!)... 
And it only really needs doing once, maybe twice a year too...  Rog...
The GREEN One... MY2016 Urban Truck Build Thread - http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic40548....al[/color] |
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11th Sep 2015 2:51pm |
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| SailingTom Member Since: 19 Nov 2013 Location: ESSEX Posts: 1717
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Great Post
I always do mine and people seem shocked when I say I do it, like RR says its so easy now and the results really do show. Even my white defender shines |
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11th Sep 2015 3:19pm |
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| jimbob7 Member Since: 06 Jul 2013 Location: uk Posts: 2055 |
I have the 3m clay MITT,but pretty sure would prefer the Bilt Humber clay bar...Medium. Pov.spec,ftw. 2006, 110,TD5.
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11th Sep 2015 4:15pm |
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| discomog Member Since: 09 May 2015 Location: Notts/Lincs Border Posts: 2525 
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I clay barred my new Defender just two days after taking delivery and you wouldn't believe the amount of debris that came off of it. I did the exactly same with my wife's BMW and even more rubbish came off of that, presumably it had travelled a lot more miles from Germany via road and rail. Even if your vehicle is new don't think it's not worthwhile.
As stated above if you haven't ventured down the clay bar route then try it, you'll be amazed. Don't be afraid as long as you use plenty of lubricant you'll not damage the paintwork. Also as stated make sure you use a medium or fine clay if you're a claying virgin, not an aggressive one for your first attempt. I suggest you practise on your partner's car first (if you have a partner and they have a car), then a quick polish and wax. Just think how many brownie points that would earn you! |
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11th Sep 2015 4:41pm |
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| ARC99 Member Since: 19 Feb 2013 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 1831 
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I thought this thread was about an off road adventure
 Don't make old people mad.
We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to  us off.
Richard |
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11th Sep 2015 4:45pm |
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| RRUK Site Supporter Member Since: 31 Mar 2010 Location: Leicestershire Posts: 2021
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You can also do your glass, windscreen and rear screen are best done and then use Rain X. Brilliant at clearing glass in wet weather. 2016 D4 HSE
1998 110 TUM HS FFR Hard Top XD WOLF 1982 Series 3 SWB Petrol |
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11th Sep 2015 5:04pm |
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| MuddyChris300tdi Member Since: 02 Mar 2014 Location: Derby Posts: 224 
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Good right up but I think your pictures are a little miss leading. Your rr sport looks spot on but that not just from claying it. If you took pictures of it from just claying it it wouldn't look much different to your dad's. Its the surface prep and wax that gives the deep gloss look.
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11th Sep 2015 5:05pm |
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| RRUK Site Supporter Member Since: 31 Mar 2010 Location: Leicestershire Posts: 2021
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I see your point and yes, when I clay the cars they get the full treatment, otherwise it seems a bit pointless.
It's a bit like my brother who T-Cuts his red car, then leaves it, and wonders why its gone dull again in a few weeks! The point to the post is that the clay process is easy and makes a HUGE difference to the END result. And BTW, It's a Range Rover, not a Sport.
(Although my mum's Supercharged Sport is in the background - my parents are NOT beige!  ) 2016 D4 HSE
1998 110 TUM HS FFR Hard Top XD WOLF 1982 Series 3 SWB Petrol |
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11th Sep 2015 5:44pm |
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| Roy5695 Member Since: 15 Feb 2014 Location: Cornwall Posts: 1123 
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Yup it's very easy. I'm gonna do it again after winter to remove any bonded on contaminants. Can also help remove tree sap or tar but there are also specific product for this.
[URL=] Click image to enlarge[/URL] Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated |
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11th Sep 2015 5:55pm |
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