Dissapointed with Riccardo clay

Junebug

Junebug

JAFO
I bought this stuff based on all the hype, ya'll just slap me next time ok. It's no better than any other clay I've used and after last night, it's on probation with me. I was washing a C230, white, with a lot of crud in the paint. The Riccardo stuff was like rubbing play-doah on it. I worked my butt off and it still didn't feel right. The clay never seemed to be picking up anything - cause duh - it wasn't, thank God for that iron hard MB paint, if it was Honda's, I'd have to buff it out. But, I got an old piece of Clay Magic blue, went back over the whole car and by gum it was pulling crap out like crazy. i stopped and showed it to my daughter (future detailer) and she was blown away by it. I've never had any clay that looked brand new, just refuse to work. I don't know if I got a crappy batch or what. I don't feel right about giving it away since I like to keep my friends. So I think I'll give it 1 more chance before it goes to the range - same daughter is crack shot with a .22.


Anybody else experince this?


 


Post thoughts - probably going for one of those clay block deals that are easier to use when I order more.


 
 
Well, I personally love my Speedy Surface prep towel.


 


I've gone over a car with the towel and because I couldn't "feel" the towel picking up crud, I went over it with clay afterward. The clay picked up nothing.


 


The towel didn't miss anything. I'm personally converted.


 


I also bought some of that Chinese blue clay on Ebay and it worked pretty well. You might give it a shot.
 
I've almost given up on most claybars. Too slow for me. I tried Optimum's Opti-Eraser (heavy and lite) 2 years ago and marveled at how fast (50% faster) I could clay a car. Cost about $20. Less marring. Drop it, no big deal. Just wash it off with water. Never tried the prep towels because I've been happy with the Opti's. Keep the clay and use them for the wheels or on glass where the surfaces are smaller.
 
jmsc said:
I've almost given up on most claybars. Too slow for me. I tried Optimum's Opti-Eraser (heavy and lite) 2 years ago and marveled at how fast (50% faster) I could clay a car. Cost about $20. Less marring. Drop it, no big deal. Just wash it off with water. Never tried the prep towels because I've been happy with the Opti's. Keep the clay and use them for the wheels or on glass where the surfaces are smaller.
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Thanks guys - yeah I think it's time to move on from clay. BTW - I do have a Speedy towel thingie and it cuts through overspray like crap through a goose. I got this Saturday off (supposed to storm here) so I might go buy a clay-block thing. The local place has Sam Arnold ones.
 
I looked around and the nanoskin ones were a pretty good deal at ADS, and I have a birthday coming, so wife agreed to get them for me.
 
Was it the yellow or the blue? I use both and they both work as expected . What were you trying to remove?
 
JuneBug said:
I looked around and the nanoskin ones were a pretty good deal at ADS, and I have a birthday coming, so wife agreed to get them for me.
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That's where I just got mine!
 
I guess just as microfibers have replaced cotton towels, clothes, and diapers (yes, they were great for removing wax!) , so have the nanoskins/cloths replaced clay.


That's just progress. I still have a 200gm bar of blue Clay Magic to open that I bought from Detailed Image along with some Clay Magic kits with their clay lube from Auto Zone.


Just goes to show you in today's world that when you think you've found a good product and you stock up on it, someone comes along with something better and obsoletes your stash. The same could be said for my collection of carnauba waxes that are so "old school" now compared to the new generation of available coatings that are user-friendly for the car-care novice to applied and are actually less expensive than many high-end waxes. I STILL like/love/prefer Collinite 885 Fleet Wax and its identical twin 476S Doublecoat wax. Inexpensive, easy to apply, looks great, lasts long. 
 
I agree David - Clay Magic blue works! Period! and I have a little piece never been used to do my youngest daughter's new car. I'm still getting the nanoskin products, nothing compares to the speed & ease of use, but when you have "all the time in the world and it's your car or family" looking dead at you George - then you do what you like, know, works etc!
 
It was the yellow, and it just didn't work. The clay wasn't picking up sh!t and I switched to Clay Magic blue and it turned blue to brown with contaminates coming out like crazy. Next time I get a vehicle with a heavy need for claying, I'll an experiment - Ric first, then CM, if I get a repeat of what I saw last week, then my baby girl will have a new target for her .22, she could use the practice anyway.
 
JuneBug- Those yellow blocks of clay *would* make swell smallbore targets!  Gee, I haven't used my Smart clay for ages, hope it performs to spec...
 
I'm perplexed by your results.



I've tried the following:


Mother's yellow clay


Meguiar's white overspray clay


Zaino red clay


 


Once I started using Riccardo yellow clay I've never gone back to the others.   To me the Riccardo just seemed to work "better".   (I even have some Riccardo blue on my shelf, which I've yet to use because I haven't needed to yet).


 


I am curious to try some of the alternative methods mentioned, but up until now the clay works.
 
Before switching to prep towels, I used to use nothing but Riccardo blue after trying many options. the blue doesn't "stick" as much as the yellow and doesn't leave smudges behind and picks everything Iron-x left behind right up. So if you want to give it another try, go with the blue instead.
 
Inzane said:
I'm perplexed by your results.


I've tried the following:


Mother's yellow clay


Meguiar's white overspray clay


Zaino red clay


 


Once I started using Riccardo yellow clay I've never gone back to the others.   To me the Riccardo just seemed to work "better".   (I even have some Riccardo blue on my shelf, which I've yet to use because I haven't needed to yet).


 


I am curious to try some of the alternative methods mentioned, but up until now the clay works.
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I'd like to know your thoughts on Blue Clay Magic. To me, it blows away Zaino & Megs clay by a long shot. 
 
I love my ricardo clay!  I use it soley on black cars as it tends to mar less for me.  CMblue works very well too!  Those clay pads...works like a dream, but doesnt get everything IME.  Same with the prep towels.  They get MOST, but not all.  Just my experiences!
 
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