Claybars

I've tried 3M, all the Meguiars bars (love the blue), Mothers, Zaino, Pinnacle, DI clay, and Car Brite. They all seem to work pretty much the same to me as long as the grade is the same. The Pinnacle Poly clay seemed to stand out as the softest and easiest to shape. I usually just buy what ever is on sale. :D


I'm curious if the Riccardo clay is really all it's cracked up to be.
 
annistonmathews said:
After a good wash, is it be really necessary to clay a brand new car before applying sealant and some wax.
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Yes, you should clay your new vehicle. Because of some of these major causes of paint contamination.

1. Rail dust - produced from the friction of train wheels against railroad tracks. Over 70% of new vehicles are shipped by rail. Rail dust can contaminate a new car's finish before it even reaches the dealership. Anytime a vehicle is parked or travels near a railroad it is subject to rail dust contamination.

2. Brake dust - particles produced from the friction of brake pads rubbing against the rotor. This metal on metal friction disperses tiny particles of bare metal into the air and on the highway where it collects on passing vehicles.

3. Industrial fallout - another word for pollution, industrial fallout is a byproduct of our modern industrial age.

Give Blackfire Poly Clay II a try, your car will thank you.............:wizard:
 
I use all three claybars offered by Meguiars.

Meguiars White clay - I generally use this on new vehicles or vehicles with very little contamination.

Meguiars Blue clay- I use this for moderate contamination

Meguiars Red Clay- I use this claybar only for serious overspray removal, industrial fallout, and heavy contamiantion.
 
gdal said:
I guess the patent issues are the reason why the Riccardo claybars are technically "illegal" in the US.
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Illegal?!? Holy cow, take me away officer... :scared: I know Riccardo can't be sold in the States due to the patents, I don't think it's "illegal" to possess.

<Newsflash - Ohio resident imprisoned for possessing 20g of clay with a street value of $200,000,000. Film at 11.>

I had a Canuckian friend send me both yellow & blue Riccardo. Other than the novelty of having something not readily available here I was unimpressed. The yellow is almost interchangeable with Mother's, IMO. The blue crumbled easily and wanted to stick to the finish regardless of how well lubed it was.

Clay Magic blue works great although it can mar if used aggressively and it can be tough to work until it gets warmed up. I keep the old pieces around to remove line paint from the underside of fenderwells and rocker panels.

I've got a bar of ClearKote I haven't even opened yet.

TL
 
I am guilty too........

I had a chance last weekend to try some ?yellow clay? I managed to smuggle from Canada. I know this debate has been done to death, but I still wanted to try the clay.

P1010263.jpg


I normally use Clay Magic. I?ve tried others, Sonus, Mothers, and so on and the Clay Magic is what I have settled on. I really have no reason not to keep using what works, but I have heard that Riccardo clay is more pliable and easier to work with.

My victim car is my nephew?s E350. Last year he had a very similar car (E500). I am not re-using pics, this is actually a different car. This car is a daily driver and gets its fair share of contaminants. I clayed the entire car until I stopped picking up crap from the paint.

P1010269.jpg


My impressions of Riccardo is exactly what I have heard, it is very easy to work with. The soft texture of the clay easily lets you fold and re-shape the clay. Despite the mild nature of the clay it cleans very well. It picks up sap and tar in fewer passes than clay I have tried in the past. Overall, I really like it. It?s a bit harder to come by though living here in the states. I suppose when my stash runs out, I will try a few more brands.

It's funny how opinions vary. I did not find this clay to be anything like Mothers, which I hated.

After clay I cleaned and sealed with Klasse AIO.

P1010270.jpg


The pay off.

P1010274.jpg






:White Horse:
 
biolink said:
I am guilty too........

I had a chance last weekend to try some ?yellow clay? I managed to smuggle from Canada.
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Oh, geeeze... you shouldn't post pictures! Now "they" will come and find you!

I found it interesting that the yellow comes in nice little separate packets, the blue is just a single-bar blob.


It's funny how opinions vary. I did not find this clay to be anything like Mothers, which I hated.
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I may have to stand corrected... I think it was Mother's I was comparing it to. I've got a blob of yellow clay in a baggie that I thought was Mother's. Mother's is yellow, right?

The pay off.
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Nice!

TL
 
I've used the Griot's Garage clay for a long time and it's always held up well, no crumbling, no marring, and the results have been good. A good value for the $$, too. I have an unopened bar of Adams gray clay, but I have yet to try it. I've always wondered about the origins of all the various clays on the market, though. :huh:
 
I have found Zaino's clay to be most similar to Riccardo Yellow.

I like (and use) them both more than anything else.

As I was looking at biolink's pictures with the Riccardo Yellow, I was just thinking... I don't think the box conforms to Canadian bilingual labelling laws, so it might be "illegal" here as well!!! LOL

I'll have to go home and check my box, but I might have to call the Mounties!!!:huh:
 
Does anyone have the details as to why the Riccardo clay is banned in the USA? I did some smuggled some of that across the border today actually.
 
Freddotron said:
Does anyone have the details as to why the Riccardo clay is banned in the USA? I did some smuggled some of that across the border today actually.
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Word to wise, be careful about how you word things.

As far as to why you can't get Riccardo here in the U.S., it's because Auto Wax Company holds the patent for it and has a pretty tight hold on it. They've taken many companies to court that have tried to come out with their own and sued them and won every case. They pretty much have (IMO) a monopoly on clay, here in the U.S.

Here is a link for an article that was written about them.

Admin. please remove this link if it is not appropriate. Thank you.
 
User Name said:
As I was looking at biolink's pictures with the Riccardo Yellow, I was just thinking... I don't think the box conforms to Canadian bilingual labelling laws, so it might be "illegal" here as well......

I'll have to go home and check my box, but I might have to call the Mounties!!!:huh:
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User Name: :thumbup::thumbup:

If you call the Mounties :sarge try to get a contract detailing their cars. :money:
 
I have used Meguiars and Clay Magic and I should say, they are basically the same. I am personally more into Meguiars. For newer car or car paint is the Meguiars Mirror Glaze Professional Detailing Clay Mild and for a more difficult car paint is the same Clay but Aggresive. They're not the cheapest ones but they get the job done. I've been using them in the Auto Detaling shop I used to work on and no problem with them.
 
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