Camry claybar + wax!

[Tideland Prius]

Alright, so after nearly 5 years, I finally got around to claybarring the Camry lol. It's silver and we usually wax it once a year. Recently, I've noticed that the paint has been getting rougher and since we got the Prius, the Camry has been left outside all alone . So we purchase Mother's claybar kit and got to work. It took us 2.5 hrs to wash, clay and wax the car (new record!). You can really tell the difference and see all the dirt the bar picked up. The side doors were fairly clean and it was the hood, roof and trunklid (as well as the bumpers) that really had the most grit. Here are the results!





I guess it's harder to tell when it's silver since it looks the same from afar whether it's clean or dirty but up close, you can tell.

Btw, where can I get a claybar on its own? I don't wanna keep buying the kit since it comes with liquid wax and I don't need it. I just need the bar and detailer.

[darksparkz]

Great job! Looks great. Waxing once a year is a little too little, the wax would generally wear off in about 1-2 months. You should clay 2-3 times a year, and wax almost every month or every 6-7 weeks.

I think you need to dress the wheel wells and put something on the mud guards, they look a bit contrasting in the shine from your tires. But then that's just being picky, lol. You can get some 303 Aerospace protectant on those mud guards to make them shine up a bit.

You can probably order the clay bar itself online. I prefer Meguiar's clay bar kit over Mothers because it comes with a nice microfiber towel and two bars. But mother's clay bar is thicker and seems to be a tad easier to use.

[Pb]

Looks good. You can order clay bars online. I usually order from Autogeek.net or www.autopia-carcare.com/ They sell bigger clay bars than the ones that come in that Mother's kit. You can cut the bars in half if you want to.

AutoZone usually sells the Magic Clay kit for $10. That's pretty cheap. I usually only clay about 5 cars before I throw the clay away. Once the clay bar gets real dirty it will start marring the paint.

[Tideland Prius]

Ok, I gotta find the Canadian version of AutoZone... I don't think Canadian Tire sells claybars on their own.

darksparkz,

oye.. well I have waxed my Prius 2x a year but the Camry, I just don't have the time especially since it's my dad's car. Also, yeah his wax wears out faster since he parks it outside. I'm ok with the wheel well but sometimes, I'd just put tyre spray on the mudguards.

[Tideland Prius]

Washed and added another layer of wax today. Hopefully that'll last a bit longer. I've never applied more than one layer of wax. Is it really worth it?

[darksparkz]

Layers of wax aren't really used to "improve" shine and gloss. It's usually applied to ensure proper coverage over every parts of the car. It may have small improvements in shine, but mainly done for better coverage.

The kind of layering I'm talking about is applying wax everytime you wash the car, or after major rains or the such. The sun and other elements can make your wax evaporate faster, so by waxing more often, you ensure protection for your car at all times.

[Tideland Prius]

Ahh.. well, I was just hoping it'll last a tad longer since my dad's car is outside and exposed to the elements 24/7. The last time I waxed in Feb, it lasted til April or May. By last month, there was no wax whatsoever on the roof and it was quite rough.