Product review: Meguiar’s clay bar kit/ Quick wax

[Mailman]

I have an eight year old Fiat 500, that used to have the most beautiful paint job. Smooth as glass , great shine. A few months ago I noticed white spots appearing on my hood that wouldn’t wash off, so I broke out the Turtle Wax and my power buffer and got the spots off, but the paint still felt very rough even when freshly washed and waxed. So I bought a clay bar kit, it comes with three bars of clay, a spray bottle of Detailer spray and a micro fiber towel.

You start with a freshly washed and dried car. Knead one of the clay bars out to a small disc, then spray a small area with the detailer spray to act as a lubricant and just start rubbing the bar on it. At first the bar drags as it is picks out the imbedded dirt and grit, then you can feel it just suddenly feels slick. Wipe the area off with a micro fiber towel land move to the next section.
When I was done with that, the car already has lost that rough feeling. I went over the whole car with Quick Spray Wax and buffed it off with a clean micro fiber towel and I’m absolutely amazed at the transformation.
It looks just like new, and it didn’t take long either!

I just though I’d pass this along to anyone that might find it useful. I think these are some great products.

 

[jetmechmarty]

I use the Quick Wax to remove bugs and clean face-shields and Plexiglas windscreens. It works as well or better than anything else.

 

[Mikey]

I use the Quick Wax to remove bugs and clean face-shields and Plexiglas windscreens. It works as well or better than anything else.

Any suggestions on how to remove scratches from a visor
Novus plastic restorer?

 

[MaxPete]

I have an eight year old Fiat 500, that used to have the most beautiful paint job. Smooth as glass , great shine. A few months ago I noticed white spots appearing on my hood that wouldn’t wash off, so I broke out the Turtle Wax and my power buffer and got the spots off, but the paint still felt very rough even when freshly washed and waxed. So I bought a clay bar kit, it comes with three bars of clay, a spray bottle of Detailer spray and a micro fiber towel.
View attachment 158869
You start with a freshly washed and dried car. Knead one of the clay bars out to a small disc, then spray a small area with the detailer spray to act as a lubricant and just start rubbing the bar on it. At first the bar drags as it is picks out the imbedded dirt and grit, then you can feel it just suddenly feels slick. Wipe the area off with a micro fiber towel land move to the next section.
When I was done with that, the car already has lost that rough feeling. I went over the whole car with Quick Spray Wax and buffed it off with a clean micro fiber towel and I’m absolutely amazed at the transformation.
It looks just like new, and it didn’t take long either!
View attachment 158872

I just though I’d pass this along to anyone that might find it useful. I think these are some great products.

Looks great Mailman - wanna sell it?

 

[Mailman]

Looks great Mailman - wanna sell it?

It takes a certain kind of masochistic to own a Fiat. Are you sure you’re up to it?
No joke, I would really like to own one of the old original rear engine, two cylinder, air cooled 500’s. The 98 H.P. In my current Fiat is almost too much to handle!

 

[Mailman]

Any suggestions on how to remove scratches from a visor
Novus plastic restorer?

I have never tried to remove scratches from a face shield, but I have done several headlights and all the plastic lenses on my XS2 with this product, available at Walmart for under $12. It works phenomenally well.

And I use this on my windshields, puts a nice shine and makes them easy to clean.

 

[azman857]

LOL! My Dad owned one of those old, air-cooled Fiats. It was his work car. I recall he was always taking the starter out and cleaning it. He also Heliarced the heater. It had a cloth sunroof that often had 4 kids heads sticking out of it. Bugeye headlights

 

[Mailman]

I think they’re a great old car, they are the XS650 of the automotive world. Simple design, easy to work on, and you can find some nicely restored examples out there for under $15,000
Often with freshly rebuild motors. And of course that Italian charm!

 

[jetmechmarty]

Any suggestions on how to remove scratches from a visor
Novus plastic restorer?

I took deep scratches out of my goggles with sandpaper, then working my way to polishing compound.

 

[MaxPete]

I have an eight year old Fiat 500, that used to have the most beautiful paint job. Smooth as glass , great shine. A few months ago I noticed white spots appearing on my hood that wouldn’t wash off, so I broke out the Turtle Wax and my power buffer and got the spots off, but the paint still felt very rough even when freshly washed and waxed. So I bought a clay bar kit, it comes with three bars of clay, a spray bottle of Detailer spray and a micro fiber towel.
View attachment 158869
You start with a freshly washed and dried car. Knead one of the clay bars out to a small disc, then spray a small area with the detailer spray to act as a lubricant and just start rubbing the bar on it. At first the bar drags as it is picks out the imbedded dirt and grit, then you can feel it just suddenly feels slick. Wipe the area off with a micro fiber towel land move to the next section.
When I was done with that, the car already has lost that rough feeling. I went over the whole car with Quick Spray Wax and buffed it off with a clean micro fiber towel and I’m absolutely amazed at the transformation.
It looks just like new, and it didn’t take long either!
View attachment 158872

I just though I’d pass this along to anyone that might find it useful. I think these are some great products.

OK - all seriousness aside, I do have a question about the clay bar (which I have heard of, but never used).

Once the bar "goes smooth" (i.e. I take it that means that it has cleaned off the grit etc. from the surface) do you rinse it off or just squish it around in your hand to try to get a new "virgin" surface in the bar with which to rub-down a new area of the car?

Also - did you need to use all three pieces of clay-bar on your Fiat or would the material be sufficient for several treatments?

 

[Mikey]

I took deep scratches out of my goggles with sandpaper, then working my way to polishing compound.

I've got an old visor to practice on
I will try sanding with progressively finer sandpaper and the maybe a polishing compound then the Plexis cleaner
I just hate to throw out a visor because of a few scratches
Time will tell
Thanks guys

 

[MaxPete]

OK - all seriousness aside, I do have a question about the clay bar (which I have heard of, but never used).

Once the bar "goes smooth" (i.e. I take it that means that it has cleaned off the grit etc. from the surface) do you rinse it off or just squish it around in your hand to try to get a new "virgin" surface in the bar with which to rub-down a new area of the car?

Also - did you need to use all three pieces of clay-bar on your Fiat or would the material be sufficient for several treatments?

 

[Mailman]

OK - all seriousness aside, I do have a question about the clay bar (which I have heard of, but never used).

Once the bar "goes smooth" (i.e. I take it that means that it has cleaned off the grit etc. from the surface) do you rinse it off or just squish it around in your hand to try to get a new "virgin" surface in the bar with which to rub-down a new area of the car?

Also - did you need to use all three pieces of clay-bar on your Fiat or would the material be sufficient for several treatments?

Yes, when you first start rubbing the clay bar on the finish, there is considerable drag because of the grit and contaminates imbedded in your paint, then very quickly the resistance gives way and the clay feels very slick on the paint. This is because the contaminants are now imbedded in the clay bar. Once you feel the finish is slippery, you wipe off the area you just worked with the micro fiber towel and move on to the next section. And yes the clay bar can be folded and worked into a new disc and used some more. I did the whole car with one bar and I could probably use it two or three more times. And there are still two new unopened bars in the kit.

 

[gggGary]

Any suggestions on how to remove scratches from a visor
Novus plastic restorer?

Many, most? visors have a very thin "hard coat", any sanding etc will quickly remove that coat, unless you are into stripping it from the entire visor there will always be an annoying edge ring where the hard coat ends.The shield will be softer after that coating is removed. Many (better) windshields (and headlights) are made that way also. On a windshield it's not terrible, in your line of sight on a visor it'll drive you nuts. there are some clear hard scratch filling acrylic waxes to minimize annoyance, prolly the best you'll do. otherwise it works to just smooth just the actual rough scratch, getting it smooth makes it less noticable. wool buffing pads are usually the "best" way to apply polishes. Been meaning to try one of the new ceramic polishes on several different surfaces.

 

[Mikey]

Many, most? visors have a very thin "hard coat", any sanding etc will quickly remove that coat, unless you are into stripping it from the entire visor there will always be an annoying edge ring where the hard coat ends.The shield will be softer after that coating is removed. Many (better) windshields (and headlights) are made that way also. On a windshield it's not terrible, in your line of sight on a visor it'll drive you nuts. there are some clear hard scratch filling acrylic waxes to minimize annoyance, prolly the best you'll do. otherwise it works to just smooth just the actual rough scratch, getting it smooth makes it less noticable. wool buffing pads are usually the "best" way to apply polishes. Been meaning to try one of the new ceramic polishes on several different surfaces.

I'm going to try all of the suggestions on a practice visor
I got nothing to lose