Larry I just worked on my dad's C180 black mercedes. He just bought the car and it was never clayed and somehow the clear coat was extremely oxidated and full of contaminants. This video helped me to step by step restore the paint almost to its original condition. My dad was amazed. He's almost 70 and we had fun working on it together. So thanks again for your tutorials.
Not to sure if you have a celebrity-sized fan base, but you can definitely add me to that list, and I don't usually look up to people but the way your attention to detail is above and beyond, definitely better than other detailers out there that happen to use their products on clean cars *cough chemical guys coughs*
I love your dedication to cleaning a car to such perfection. Maybe once my kids are older I will be able to buy a car worth cleaning and have the time to do what you do. Awesome tutorials!
What an unreal transformation. My buddy (Vic) swears by all the Ammo NYC products he uses on his new Vette. Once I work through my Griot's stuff I will place my order. Larry, all your videos are incredibly well done. Thank you for teaching this 40+ year old how to properly detail his car. Only been doing it wrong for 40+ years.
TG Lasers I know you're just being facetious, but literally every car show on velocity or the powerblock back when SPEED channel was around, would be prime examples.
GF picked up a 2017 Corrolla from Hertz thats possibly not been waxed at all or in a few years. The car had tons of imbedded debris in the paint. Today I clayed 1/2 the car, polished it with 2 grades of polish and then put two coats of wax on it. What a difference it made. And basically, I learned it all from you. Keep up the good work
My jaw hit the floor when I saw how filthy the clay bars looked after he was done. I knew the clay would look bad if he said the owner hadn't washed the car in almost a year but DAMN, that was nasty!
I haven't seen a video that I have not learned from yet. After watching a few I saw I was doing everything wrong, appreciate the detail and the effort taken to get it right. I am a fan
I like to watch this guy doing his job - he has dedication to detail and calmly explains what he is doing-and why he is doing it - and you can tell,he does it not just to make ends meet - he is really into it. People who love their jobs are simply better in what they do... Another wonderful video - thanks a lot.
hollowearthreality Actually haven't done it yet! But the first 8 years of the cars life it has been parked in a garage when not being used, and it has been polished many times! But can't wait to see the final results!
I'm only 17 seconds into the video and I'm loving it already. Just to know that you're going to detail a dirty car and not a already clean car makes me happy lol
+Alby I haven't bought detail/wash stuff for my car so it's going to go a few weeks without being washed again because I don't wanna fuck it up and I already feel bad
I saw in another video people criticize this guy for talking too much! Every single word that he said, for me at least, just make me feel like if I was cleaning the car, all tricks an tips are exposed by this guy, and i wanna say tank you for the lessons and congratulations for the awesome work! I'm not north american, so ignore my bad english, again congratulations and best regards from Brazil.
Zoe Thompson FYI, black colors are very hard to clean properly you should NEVER take a black car to a car wash and instead wash it your self properly and carefully with micro fiber cloth going straight lines only, the owner of this car was lazy to wash his car but smart enough not to take it to a car wash.
sweet dreams"but smart enough not to take it to a car wash." definitely- this is the important part. I hardly wash my cars, but never resort to having them washed for me really. When I'm finally feeling like it I'll wash them properly using the methods Larry uses
sweet dreams Unless you live where I do, Pittsburgh, where we get horrible winters and tons of snow, you will want to take your car to a Car wash. One that dosent touch your car. All that road salt will eat your car up!
Doesn’t really work like that. Sugar and things like that can soften the enamel so when they’re cleaned it removes enamel as well. Never brush your teeth right after eating maybe just mouthwash or use gum
WOW. This is an EXCELLENT video. Showing a horrible situation, how to fix it, WHY you do what you do and the finished product. Excellent job! Best I've watched of many today.
The breaking into quarters is a good trick. Also remember if the clay bar falls to the ground....TRASH. Do not collect go throw away. Cutting into quarters is a good idea for the previous reason. If for some reason the clay bar does fall to the ground and has to be discarded you are only out 1/4 of the bar not the entire bar. Also keep the clay bar well lined. They make a claybar lube that you keep slightly ahead of the bar. I do the clay immensely after washing but before drying. Clay bar lube helps prevent hitting a dry spot and getting a scratch in the paint. After the clay bar hose off again then dry as normal. Once the vehicle is dried, apply some surface prep which is basically a last step before polishing. Surface Prep remove any last minute micro contaminants and preparation for the first coat of polish. After the surface prep then apply any corrective action steps , scratch/swirl remover, glaze, etc... after the S/S remover is dried off with microfiber cloth then you are ready for the polish, wax and sealant. Easy way to test claybar effectiveness. Lightly run your hand across the surface yes the nitrile or latex gloves help. Run your finger or hand across the area that hasn’t been coated and compare to area that has been clayed. The clayed surface should be smooth as glass. The claybar is removing the micro contaminants that most people think are removing during high pressure washes. The smooth surface is what is needed for corrective steps, polish, wax and sealant to get the most adherence. Coating should be done at minimum once a year I usually get twice. One before the summer coat of polish/wax/sealant and one for the winter coat. Also remember clay will remove any wax and sealant so be ready to apply corrective steps, polish/wax/sealant immediately. If you can’t finish the entire project in one day then break the vehicle into zones. I break mine into roof, nose (hood front fenders, bumper), center, (doors) and tail (rear quarter panel, rear bumper, trunk/lift gate etc.... Think of it like this.....instead of getting the entire vehicle 1/4, 1/2 way done etc.....I get 1/4, 1/2 the vehicle entirely done. Again just my method but something to think about. Also Claybar can be used on glass and will make a smoother surface for windshield wipers and reduce streaking. Going one step further I wax and jetseal on the windshield. JetSeal is like Rain-X on steroids and the water just beads up and rolls off. Does not affect vision as long as it’s removed correctly and entirely.
I have a 96 E300D that has sat for 3 years just because I was riding my bike to work and we only needed to use my wife's car. This video is very helpful to me since my car was in a similar state and same color, so when it comes back from the mechanic I will get to cleaning it!
My 2002 Camry has never been clayed. I've been waiting for my autoparts store to stock up on clay bars so I can, after 13 years, it is finally clean like new.
+Everything Tech I still have to do mine bro. I have a 2001 Camry. It's in a good condition overall but never been polished or waxed for the 5 years that I owned it and total of 15 years.
pro tip: for a car that neglected, do this: Step 1 - wash Step 2 - fallout remover (this will make the "clay barring" process much easier, and you get a better shine at the end). Wear protective equipment (gloves, mask, goggles) for this step because it's nasty for your health. Step 3 - use a paint decontamination towel INSTEAD of a clay bar - it's 3X faster than clay-barring, and 10X cheaper. Clay bars are obsolete. Step 4 - wax with a long-lasting wax like Collinite
Just clayed my 2008 vehicle for the first time ever. Its all sparkly now ;) I do clean it quite regularly though, so it wasn't too bad. Thanks for the instructional tips and hints :)
I believe any clay will do. I just used Meguiars clay bar at the local auto parts store and got a great looking finish that I have not seen before with just washing and quick polishes - seriously didn't know my Ford paint had that much sparkle in it and it helped that I went over the car and buffed out some areas. And in response to @lightningsmokerXx I just used the car wash product with warm water as a lubricant while claying the entire car. It worked well. To keep the cost down you can just buy your own cheap $3-$5 clay bar online instead of shelling out the $20 or so for the kit in the store with the spray wax. Just keep it to a small area and wipe down and dry when finished so you don't get water spots. Also thanks for all the detailed videos! Keep it up
Ammo I've been detailing myself for some years now. Always something to learn and I love how informative you are on your videos. Thank you so much for the help.
Just found your channel and I'm HOOKED! Used a clay bar for the first time today (92 Acura TL... my wife's baby) and it was amazing. Thanks for the tutorial!!
I work at a detail shop and we get some nasty cars, just the other day I detailed a 2005 GMC Yukon XL , this thing was huge and claybaring it took some time lol. The inside was destroyed. some of the cars we get make this car look like a dream come true haha. Very nice video!
I was about to do a three step paint correction on my car now I have to add a step thanks to you. I never wanted to clay a car, but I see it is necessary especially if I am going to do a paint correction. Blessings to you for such a great video.
You have such a high standard for car aesthetic. Thanks for existing on the youtube and sharing your priceless knowledge. Your measurement as horrific would probably be excellent for many others lol.
I clayed a 1984 Chevrolet probably for its very first time in later 2016. Although it was garaged let's just say the clay and compounding made a lovely difference.
that doesn't look bad for one year. I live in the UK and my car is worse than that after one week due to driving on country roads. I wash it every week and the next day it's dirty again
You my Sir ..are very very good at what you do you know all the ins and out of car detailing more then any one very impressive ! I'm still watching most of you videos... I've subscribed !m
Title says how to use a clay bar. I was expecting more of that besides just rubbing a little area but after I finished watching I learned some other things too. I like your work. I will watch more videos of yours for sure.
***** I'm gonna be giving this a go with my car in the next few weeks when I get the garage to myself. Having never done it before I was wondering if you knew what kind of things claying could remove. In particular I have had bird droppings on the car that despite only being on the car for a matter of hours, seem to have left a permanent outline in the paint that won't polish out. Do you think that a clay might do the trick. thanks
I would never try to down grade another person's work, but there is another way to use the clay-bar. Try this, one squirt of dawn dish washing liquid in a spray-bottle full of water. Then put a light coat of wax on the vehicle paint. Clay thru the wax panel by panel. You will notice that you will hear no noise when claying the vehicle paint. That means you have cut down on the fiction, thus leaving far less scuff marks in the clear-coat. Great work and channel
I usually wash my car then dry completely, clay bar , then spray wax . Now my lexus IS F paint is smooth as the day I first got it and man does that pearl white shine lol
Your videos and know how blows Chemical Guys out of the water.. Thank you so much for sharing how to do the things you do so that we can do these things at home. I know for sure what products I will be buying from now on. AMMO!
at my car workshop, when i showed the car washers how i removed the tree gunk with this clay they were so suprised lol. its the best thing mankind made for cars
given what the customer wanted there's no way he wasn't pleased. he left it dirty for an entire year, that small amount of well done detailing is going to look like a show car to that guy.
Just got my Toyota clay treated. The car has never been waxed or clay treated since it was bought in 2013. I must say that my car looks like it came out of the dealer lot when I first bought the car. I was truly amazed...
Hey, I love your videos. I'm not sure if you've ever done this, but can you make a video about steps you can take to protect your new car yourself and safeguard it from wear and tear? Basically beginning from the 1st day of ownership.
I enjoy this videos so much as much as doing the job. I think a car detailing business would be the ideal thing for me. Just like you in this video I like challenges and as soon as I saw the car's condition I was hooked.... Great job
I noticed back when I worked at a Mercedes dealership, alot of owners of these cars let their shit get CRAZY dirty.. Complete with filthy dirty interiors.. I guess they fell like they are above cleaning up after themselves or something?
Dick H. Johnson That is *my* point exactly.. They are too busy doing better things with their time.. So, they feel that they are above cleaning up after themselves! It's a waste of their valuable time.. And apparently, many of them are too cheap to even pay someone to do it for them. Because, of course, one does not stay wealthy by paying out constantly (Mc Hammer will tell you that). So, we end up with a bunch of filthy dirty Mercedes! ; )
I've come across this attitude before too - not looking after possessions - but I'd have to say it's not usually with those who are doing the earning - it's with their families - the wives and children. Most business owners I know (I'm a self employed contractor so I work with a lot of senior managers, board members and business owners in medium to large enterprises) take pretty good care of their vehicle (or at least get the dealership to take care of it for them - more often than not it's a lease anyway) - but some of them have some horrifically over-privileged families that have no appreciation for the value of things.
This was the first AMMO video i watched and carried on ever since. Thank you Larry for all your time and effort going in to producing these for everyone to gain the knowledge too!! I only ever use meguiars produsts as I can see the great results you acheive from them.
Great work! I love all of your videos. I just recently found your page. I'm so glad that I did. You are without a doubt one of the best detailers that I've ever seen.
Same here in Nebraska. It isn't so bad if you live in town, but if you live outside of town, one single drive down a gravel road and you can kiss your clean car goodbye, haha.
I don't know how long this clay bar cleaning has been around but I have only just heard about it and I have ordered some clay bars and will be getting to it soon ,thanks for taking the time for doing the video ,I used a blade on my windows of the car I just bought and it took a long time without recording it so I know how much time you spent on this for us, many thanks. I will be using a clay bar on my windows as well as my paintwork.
How do you keep yourself from putting a vehicle up on a hoist and making the underside all clean and protected? I get all OCD about detailing and still wish I had a hoist! Cheers!
Clearning up an underside of a car perfectly will most of the time require a full rebuilt as every metal part will be rusty in one way or another if its not been coated out of the factory. This car is outside all year, bottom of the car will very likely be a mess to begin with.
At the end "It looks good, but not spectacular." Lol, compared to how it was when you first saw it, it's immaculate by comparison. I'd even be content stopping there if I was doing it myself and probably spent a good few hours doing all the work you did to it.
Its buildt for Speedway not for Mommy. Here the most driver of a Porsche Chaynne are Moms, the drive with 500 PS to the Supermarket. Its horribel, you can drive here 200 mph or more.
I have been detailing for 12 years, and to love to tackle the real dirty ones or as I call them.....the hogs lol. My techniques are similar to yours, but I have learned a few tricks from your videos. I also love the clay bar lol. Liked and subscribed
+bobwatters detailing spray usually cost between £6-£10 a 500ml bottle. By simply making up another buckets of suds you can claybar with that and it works just as well
+Espinox thanks. I just watched it. after he washes it he looks defeated because that's all there is to do. lol. I like the look but after the BMW guy talked about how to maintain it seems impractical. IMO.
BrockL191 Yeah, glossy paint and an Xpel Stealth wrap is way more practical. If the wrap gets messed up, just replace the part that was affected and you're good.
+Espinox Hahahaha! Poor Larry, got a customer's nice BMW and he can't polish it. : ( If I did this for a living, I'd feel defeated too since all you can do is just wash it and make sure you rinsed the crap out of it to get all the gunk off.
I always put my vehicles on jack stands and take all the wheels off then I do the whole vehicle helps when detailing roters calapers wheel wells I do the rims separate that way you can get on the inside of the rim real well lots of dust builds up in thar Jacks , jack stands 2 heated pressure washer few hundred in chemicals and bam chean chevelle clean Silverado do my wife's Tahoe and impala this way also been clay baring for about 10 years loved your video thank you for teaching others how to do this
This owner could have at least gone to a local car wash 1-2 times a month but no he didn't wash it at all. I don't get how you can neglect a possession like that
Is the local car wash touchless? If not, then the paint would likely be in worse shape than not being washed for a year. Larry even makes a comment about the paint condition despite not being washed.
I used to own a detail shop and lived by clay bar... Steam clean the car with Super hot water pressure washer then clay bar it. Amazing what just those two steps did to a car. You dont even need chemicals on the wheels on the car when using a super hot water pressure washer. Low pressure high temp.
The owner of that Benz should get a stern talking to! An expensive machine like that and they cannot be bothered to care for the duco regularly? I have an old Benz that would outshine that 10 to one!
Any car should be taken care of. I'm working my ass off to purchase my truck and I maintain it with a weekly washing. It isn't hard to take care of your vehicle, at most two hours. For me it takes roughly four but I also do interior work. A car is a privilege. Not enough people comprehend this.
I clay bar my more than a decade old car (am not the original owner), and I don’t know when was the last time it got a proper detailing but the paint sounds like sandpaper already… Now paint feels like brand new that my hand slips most of the time when I try to open the door. :) I also applied carnuba wax on my car and now it’s even more slippery. No more rain drops, or road dirt sticks to my car. Well there might be some but can be removed with my fingertip. :)
What size clay (i.e. grams/weight) should be used for a car and how many uses can you get out of it? I realize you shouldn't overuse it or otherwise you're reintroducing contaminants back in
Tbh, I was gonna me a jackass and say that cleaning that was light work, but the fucking shine you got on that thing wouldve taken me hours, damn good job man
+AtomicCheeseburger69 The clay I had said use with water only, If I put it into car shampoo it didn't work well at all. It seemed to want to stick to the cars paint. I really like clay it makes dirty paint feel smooth like glass
Some clays come with that "lubrication spray" or wax or something. He's just substituting that with just soap I think. He explained it in another video
+Kevin Tran Yeah, the point he was making is that the clay needs a lubricant and soap can be used as a lubricant. He is saying it as a way so that people don't go off buying things like Meg's Quik Detailer or lubricant sprays after washing.
Dude you are better than "Chemical Guys" they only wash clean cars which isn't a good way of demonstrating their products. Love your work.
Thank you!
Agreed, that's amazing work mate.
and he doesn't talk with a lisp either (like chemical guys)
gary williams Well, that's not really fair to the guy. I doubt he choose a lisp.
AustyLu Yes a lot better than Chemicals Guys.
Larry I just worked on my dad's C180 black mercedes. He just bought the car and it was never clayed and somehow the clear coat was extremely oxidated and full of contaminants. This video helped me to step by step restore the paint almost to its original condition. My dad was amazed. He's almost 70 and we had fun working on it together. So thanks again for your tutorials.
Tell Dad UA-cam says Hi.
I too say hello
*****
He's old but still ok, thanks for asking :)
Sadly we had to sell the car.
Wade why did you sell the car
Stunnzu
We needed the money.
Putting plastic trash in your pocket to avoid littering shows us how wholesome and good person you are.
Not to sure if you have a celebrity-sized fan base, but you can definitely add me to that list, and I don't usually look up to people but the way your attention to detail is above and beyond, definitely better than other detailers out there that happen to use their products on clean cars *cough chemical guys coughs*
***** Thx bud. Much appreciated ;)
Same! Eco smart eco smart
***** The *cough* chemical guys *cough* have Sham Wow's doppelganger (in terms of voice box) for a demo guy.
Mr FuckOff LOL!!!
Very true!
Larry: Imma touch the paint
*sandpaper sound*
Me: Screams externally.
Blake Presson yeah what was that about? I cringed too, I guess this guy knows what he’s doing though, looks like good work.
When you are cutting and buffing anyway, your gingers arent gouging deeper that is coming out anyway.
Yeah, right! WTF?
So much dirt on the paint it acted as a barrier anyway lol
Literally screamed then scrolled & saw your comment 🤣
love this channel
this dudes got a passion for his job, and it shows
I love your dedication to cleaning a car to such perfection. Maybe once my kids are older I will be able to buy a car worth cleaning and have the time to do what you do. Awesome tutorials!
What an unreal transformation. My buddy (Vic) swears by all the Ammo NYC products he uses on his new Vette. Once I work through my Griot's stuff I will place my order.
Larry, all your videos are incredibly well done. Thank you for teaching this 40+ year old how to properly detail his car. Only been doing it wrong for 40+ years.
I like this channel because it is shot in real time, real life situation.
goosecouple Thx goose!
Can you please link me to a fake time and fake life situation ;P
TG Lasers
I know you're just being facetious, but literally every car show on velocity or the powerblock back when SPEED channel was around, would be prime examples.
GF picked up a 2017 Corrolla from Hertz thats possibly not been waxed at all or in a few years. The car had tons of imbedded debris in the paint. Today I clayed 1/2 the car, polished it with 2 grades of polish and then put two coats of wax on it. What a difference it made. And basically, I learned it all from you. Keep up the good work
My jaw hit the floor when I saw how filthy the clay bars looked after he was done. I knew the clay would look bad if he said the owner hadn't washed the car in almost a year but DAMN, that was nasty!
I haven't seen a video that I have not learned from yet. After watching a few I saw I was doing everything wrong, appreciate the detail and the effort taken to get it right. I am a fan
When it's cold outside I put my clay in a cup of water and microwave it for one minute, it makes it much easier to knead and flatten out.
I like to watch this guy doing his job - he has dedication to detail and calmly explains what he is doing-and why he is doing it - and you can tell,he does it not just to make ends meet - he is really into it.
People who love their jobs are simply better in what they do...
Another wonderful video - thanks a lot.
Our car is 15 years old and is a second daily drive. has never been clayed... until now!
have ordered a clay bar today! :)
How did it come up with the claybar? It works really well if u take your time!
hollowearthreality Actually haven't done it yet!
But the first 8 years of the cars life it has been parked in a garage when not being used, and it has been polished many times!
But can't wait to see the final results!
Daniel San ah yeh nice one..im pretty sure u will b over the moon with the result. Ive clayed my cars for years. All old chrome bumper cars etc
hollowearthreality
Think that this summer, the car is going to get a full detail, so I am really looking forward to seeing the results!
You're going to love the results!
I'm only 17 seconds into the video and I'm loving it already. Just to know that you're going to detail a dirty car and not a already clean car makes me happy lol
Damn I cant even go like 2 weeks without washing my Challenger seriously this guy has some serious dedication...
+Alex Crane right, i wash my car at least once a week
+Alby I do the exact same thing.
+Alby I haven't bought detail/wash stuff for my car so it's going to go a few weeks without being washed again because I don't wanna fuck it up and I already feel bad
I saw in another video people criticize this guy for talking too much!
Every single word that he said, for me at least, just make me feel like if I was cleaning the car, all tricks an tips are exposed by this guy, and i wanna say tank you for the lessons and congratulations for the awesome work!
I'm not north american, so ignore my bad english, again congratulations and best regards from Brazil.
Mannn, if I had a car like that, I'd wash that shit every week....
Every week? More like every day haha...
haha totaly agree .. its Art on wheels
Zoe Thompson FYI, black colors are very hard to clean properly you should NEVER take a black car to a car wash and instead wash it your self properly and carefully with micro fiber cloth going straight lines only, the owner of this car was lazy to wash his car but smart enough not to take it to a car wash.
sweet dreams"but smart enough not to take it to a car wash." definitely- this is the important part. I hardly wash my cars, but never resort to having them washed for me really. When I'm finally feeling like it I'll wash them properly using the methods Larry uses
sweet dreams Unless you live where I do, Pittsburgh, where we get horrible winters and tons of snow, you will want to take your car to a Car wash. One that dosent touch your car. All that road salt will eat your car up!
The only guy who cleaned a filthy car on youtube!! omg i praise you, everyone else wash's clean cars and it does not help at all.
The equivalent of eating oreos before going to the dentist. Might as well get your money's worth :)
*****
daaper yhhggt
I am a dentist. Please don't do that.
Doesn’t really work like that. Sugar and things like that can soften the enamel so when they’re cleaned it removes enamel as well. Never brush your teeth right after eating maybe just mouthwash or use gum
Dale Apicello Garlic.
WOW. This is an EXCELLENT video. Showing a horrible situation, how to fix it, WHY you do what you do and the finished product. Excellent job! Best I've watched of many today.
No doubt about it, you are the best in the business Larry.
Peter Graham, I operate a Chauffeur service in Dublin Ireland.
You just gave me hope for my paint. I was resigned to just paying for a new paint job, didn't realize clay barring got these kind of results.
The breaking into quarters is a good trick. Also remember if the clay bar falls to the ground....TRASH. Do not collect go throw away. Cutting into quarters is a good idea for the previous reason. If for some reason the clay bar does fall to the ground and has to be discarded you are only out 1/4 of the bar not the entire bar. Also keep the clay bar well lined. They make a claybar lube that you keep slightly ahead of the bar. I do the clay immensely after washing but before drying. Clay bar lube helps prevent hitting a dry spot and getting a scratch in the paint. After the clay bar hose off again then dry as normal. Once the vehicle is dried, apply some surface prep which is basically a last step before polishing. Surface Prep remove any last minute micro contaminants and preparation for the first coat of polish. After the surface prep then apply any corrective action steps , scratch/swirl remover, glaze, etc... after the S/S remover is dried off with microfiber cloth then you are ready for the polish, wax and sealant.
Easy way to test claybar effectiveness. Lightly run your hand across the surface yes the nitrile or latex gloves help. Run your finger or hand across the area that hasn’t been coated and compare to area that has been clayed. The clayed surface should be smooth as glass. The claybar is removing the micro contaminants that most people think are removing during high pressure washes. The smooth surface is what is needed for corrective steps, polish, wax and sealant to get the most adherence.
Coating should be done at minimum once a year I usually get twice. One before the summer coat of polish/wax/sealant and one for the winter coat.
Also remember clay will remove any wax and sealant so be ready to apply corrective steps, polish/wax/sealant immediately. If you can’t finish the entire project in one day then break the vehicle into zones. I break mine into roof, nose (hood front fenders, bumper), center, (doors) and tail (rear quarter panel, rear bumper, trunk/lift gate etc....
Think of it like this.....instead of getting the entire vehicle 1/4, 1/2 way done etc.....I get 1/4, 1/2 the vehicle entirely done. Again just my method but something to think about.
Also Claybar can be used on glass and will make a smoother surface for windshield wipers and reduce streaking. Going one step further I wax and jetseal on the windshield. JetSeal is like Rain-X on steroids and the water just beads up and rolls off. Does not affect vision as long as it’s removed correctly and entirely.
Crazy going back 7 years to these videos and now your new ones are insane.
Thats a month in Canada. Week in winter with salt added to the mix.
I have a 96 E300D that has sat for 3 years just because I was riding my bike to work and we only needed to use my wife's car. This video is very helpful to me since my car was in a similar state and same color, so when it comes back from the mechanic I will get to cleaning it!
My 2002 Camry has never been clayed. I've been waiting for my autoparts store to stock up on clay bars so I can, after 13 years, it is finally clean like new.
+Everything Tech wow 13 years! That clay bar must have been filthy after. Glad to hear yet another car has been decontaminated!
+Everything Tech I still have to do mine bro. I have a 2001 Camry. It's in a good condition overall but never been polished or waxed for the 5 years that I owned it and total of 15 years.
Ive had mine for 10 years, and i always wash it but thats about it. Never polished, buffed, waxed or clayed.
pro tip: for a car that neglected, do this:
Step 1 - wash
Step 2 - fallout remover (this will make the "clay barring" process much easier, and you get a better shine at the end). Wear protective equipment (gloves, mask, goggles) for this step because it's nasty for your health.
Step 3 - use a paint decontamination towel INSTEAD of a clay bar - it's 3X faster than clay-barring, and 10X cheaper. Clay bars are obsolete.
Step 4 - wax with a long-lasting wax like Collinite
Zenon B Decontamination towel? never heard of that.
Just clayed my 2008 vehicle for the first time ever. Its all sparkly now ;) I do clean it quite regularly though, so it wasn't too bad. Thanks for the instructional tips and hints :)
I believe any clay will do. I just used Meguiars clay bar at the local auto parts store and got a great looking finish that I have not seen before with just washing and quick polishes - seriously didn't know my Ford paint had that much sparkle in it and it helped that I went over the car and buffed out some areas. And in response to @lightningsmokerXx I just used the car wash product with warm water as a lubricant while claying the entire car. It worked well. To keep the cost down you can just buy your own cheap $3-$5 clay bar online instead of shelling out the $20 or so for the kit in the store with the spray wax. Just keep it to a small area and wipe down and dry when finished so you don't get water spots. Also thanks for all the detailed videos! Keep it up
Ammo I've been detailing myself for some years now. Always something to learn and I love how informative you are on your videos. Thank you so much for the help.
You know your stuff and I have learned so much from you THANK YOU. I`m sure your customers appreciate you.
Just found your channel and I'm HOOKED! Used a clay bar for the first time today (92 Acura TL... my wife's baby) and it was amazing. Thanks for the tutorial!!
'02. Lol
I wish my life was good enough to neglect a 100K car for a year
Then make it happen.
It is not a burger to eat
not that easy buddy!
20-25k nowadays
When you make enough to afford a car like this you won't have enough time to not neglect it.
I work at a detail shop and we get some nasty cars, just the other day I detailed a 2005 GMC Yukon XL , this thing was huge and claybaring it took some time lol. The inside was destroyed. some of the cars we get make this car look like a dream come true haha. Very nice video!
I thought you did a great job.... That car was SO neglected.... Thought you did great. Nice job.
I'd like to see the oil in it!!! If it even has any..
+Zane Smith oil changes last for one year on mercedes
+jhawki777 not on amg
+Zane Smith nice name!
Hey fellow Zane with a different spelling! Greetings from the USA.
I was about to do a three step paint correction on my car now I have to add a step thanks to you. I never wanted to clay a car, but I see it is necessary especially if I am going to do a paint correction. Blessings to you for such a great video.
would have liked to see you remoulding the clay to demonstrate when to do it and how to get a clean surface
You have such a high standard for car aesthetic. Thanks for existing on the youtube and sharing your priceless knowledge. Your measurement as horrific would probably be excellent for many others lol.
all the polishing and waxing that I do and never being able to get it proper shiny. this is this is the answer :D
Is it just me or was anyone else SUPER SATISFIED with the way he cut off that quarter piece of the clay bar
I clayed a 1984 Chevrolet probably for its very first time in later 2016. Although it was garaged let's just say the clay and compounding made a lovely difference.
Austin Lucas Did you polished after?
I enjoy seeing jobs like this than newer cars. Newer cars are far simpler to polish and protect. I still like traditional clay. Great video!
that doesn't look bad for one year. I live in the UK and my car is worse than that after one week due to driving on country roads. I wash it every week and the next day it's dirty again
Spot on. One trip down the M6 and it's full on yuk!
Try living in Cornwall lads!!
Same in norway
JaeArk That's why 9/10 of car care products are based in the UK
Farina Marcina i always wondered if the sun ever comes out over there lol never see any videos of sunny days there always rainy n gloomy
Truly a "Lazaros Project"! You brought it back from the dead!
You my Sir ..are very very good at what you do you know all the ins and out of car detailing more then any one very impressive ! I'm still watching most of you videos... I've subscribed !m
I really love your videos they get me more and more motivated for spring time where I can spend hours washing claying and protecting my paint!
Title says how to use a clay bar. I was expecting more of that besides just rubbing a little area but after I finished watching I learned some other things too. I like your work. I will watch more videos of yours for sure.
Thanks
***** I'm gonna be giving this a go with my car in the next few weeks when I get the garage to myself. Having never done it before I was wondering if you knew what kind of things claying could remove. In particular I have had bird droppings on the car that despite only being on the car for a matter of hours, seem to have left a permanent outline in the paint that won't polish out. Do you think that a clay might do the trick. thanks
suprafrase clay will remove the contaminants, but you'll want to use a quality polish after claying to remove the etching the droppings caused.
How many times should you clay your car a year?
I would never try to down grade another person's work, but there is another way to use the clay-bar. Try this, one squirt of dawn dish washing liquid in a spray-bottle full of water. Then put a light coat of wax on the vehicle paint. Clay thru the wax panel by panel. You will notice that you will hear no noise when claying the vehicle paint. That means you have cut down on the fiction, thus leaving far less scuff marks in the clear-coat. Great work and channel
I usually wash my car then dry completely, clay bar , then spray wax . Now my lexus IS F paint is smooth as the day I first got it and man does that pearl white shine lol
I like you because you're thorough and especially now cause you're eco friendly! No littering!!
Your videos are always very instructional.
I got a lot of knowledge from you about car cleaning.
Thank you bro
Thanks for not adding annoying music or wasting my time with an intro.
Your videos and know how blows Chemical Guys out of the water.. Thank you so much for sharing how to do the things you do so that we can do these things at home. I know for sure what products I will be buying from now on. AMMO!
at my car workshop, when i showed the car washers how i removed the tree gunk with this clay they were so suprised lol. its the best thing mankind made for cars
given what the customer wanted there's no way he wasn't pleased. he left it dirty for an entire year, that small amount of well done detailing is going to look like a show car to that guy.
He was very pleased!
Thanks for the reply Larry. Love all AMMO videos and products.
AMMO NYC just curious, ball park cost for job like that?
Just got my Toyota clay treated. The car has never been waxed or clay treated since it was bought in 2013. I must say that my car looks like it came out of the dealer lot when I first bought the car. I was truly amazed...
Hey, I love your videos. I'm not sure if you've ever done this, but can you make a video about steps you can take to protect your new car yourself and safeguard it from wear and tear? Basically beginning from the 1st day of ownership.
Felt like I probably should clay my Benz already. Saw this and now know I DEFINITELY need to. Thanks bro
oh no, 1 year, my dad bought his 03 Sierra 2500HD BRAND NEW and had never washed it till a few months ago when I did it.
Now this is how a car looks when I get it. Thanks for keeping it real. Great job.
Btw , always make sure you use a clean towel when barring and waxing .. And never drop the clay or it's game over
Or the soap or its Game on lmao.
I enjoy this videos so much as much as doing the job. I think a car detailing business would be the ideal thing for me. Just like you in this video I like challenges and as soon as I saw the car's condition I was hooked.... Great job
I noticed back when I worked at a Mercedes dealership, alot of owners of these cars let their shit get CRAZY dirty.. Complete with filthy dirty interiors.. I guess they fell like they are above cleaning up after themselves or something?
Dick H. Johnson There is a very big difference between being "lazy" and feeling like you're above something.
Dick H. Johnson not all rich ppl were born rich.
Dick H. Johnson That is *my* point exactly.. They are too busy doing better things with their time.. So, they feel that they are above cleaning up after themselves! It's a waste of their valuable time.. And apparently, many of them are too cheap to even pay someone to do it for them. Because, of course, one does not stay wealthy by paying out constantly (Mc Hammer will tell you that). So, we end up with a bunch of filthy dirty Mercedes! ; )
I've come across this attitude before too - not looking after possessions - but I'd have to say it's not usually with those who are doing the earning - it's with their families - the wives and children. Most business owners I know (I'm a self employed contractor so I work with a lot of senior managers, board members and business owners in medium to large enterprises) take pretty good care of their vehicle (or at least get the dealership to take care of it for them - more often than not it's a lease anyway) - but some of them have some horrifically over-privileged families that have no appreciation for the value of things.
Dick H. Johnson "All rich people were born rich" how wrong could you be?
This was the first AMMO video i watched and carried on ever since. Thank you Larry for all your time and effort going in to producing these for everyone to gain the knowledge too!! I only ever use meguiars produsts as I can see the great results you acheive from them.
Larry, could you do a video specifically about soft top convertibles? It would be great to learn how to clean and maintain the soft top. Thanks.
Ricardo Lourizela he has one now
+Ricardo Lourizela He did
+Rich Basso Now he has, yes.
Larry is one of the best in the world.Are you looking for Larry doing this.
This was the first video and how I discovered Larry and AMMO. Time flies!
a car that is actually (super actually) dirty...great video
Great work! I love all of your videos. I just recently found your page. I'm so glad that I did. You are without a doubt one of the best detailers that I've ever seen.
That's nothing, that happens in Scotland and it just takes one month to get to that stage
Bangalore, India - at my home - 2 days - is all it takes! EXTREMELY DUSTY AS FFFFUUAARRRRKKK - a car detailer's nightmare! :(
Same here in Nebraska. It isn't so bad if you live in town, but if you live outside of town, one single drive down a gravel road and you can kiss your clean car goodbye, haha.
Ashton Rountree I didn't know people still lived in Nebraska.
I seriously hope you're joking...
Ashton Rountree I am. To be honest, I'm a state below you. :)
I don't know how long this clay bar cleaning has been around but I have only just heard about it and I have ordered some clay bars and will be getting to it soon ,thanks for taking the time for doing the video ,I used a blade on my windows of the car I just bought and it took a long time without recording it so I know how much time you spent on this for us, many thanks. I will be using a clay bar on my windows as well as my paintwork.
Larry, do you use anything to treat the convertible top?
Amazing turn around but my favorite part was the litter moment. Keep up the good content. Love it.
How do you keep yourself from putting a vehicle up on a hoist and making the underside all clean and protected? I get all OCD about detailing and still wish I had a hoist!
Cheers!
Clearning up an underside of a car perfectly will most of the time require a full rebuilt as every metal part will be rusty in one way or another if its not been coated out of the factory. This car is outside all year, bottom of the car will very likely be a mess to begin with.
Holy shit ! Rarely do I ever say I'm impressed but I gotta say "IM IMPRESSED" lol.
the wheels would look kinda good painted in that bronze-ish color
At the end "It looks good, but not spectacular."
Lol, compared to how it was when you first saw it, it's immaculate by comparison. I'd even be content stopping there if I was doing it myself and probably spent a good few hours doing all the work you did to it.
A 6.3 AMG not kept up with? That guy must make serious money or that car sits for long periods of time
Anton Zuykov you should see how many amgs roll around driven by moms taking their kids to school in california buddy.
He didn't want to damage the paint by washing it with brushes or car washes which would damage the car even further.
Its buildt for Speedway not for Mommy. Here the most driver of a Porsche Chaynne are Moms, the drive with 500 PS to the Supermarket. Its horribel, you can drive here 200 mph or more.
Ross Mx5 , shoot gas price r like $4 a gallon! No wonder it sits
Or it doesn't run..
I have been detailing for 12 years, and to love to tackle the real dirty ones or as I call them.....the hogs lol. My techniques are similar to yours, but I have learned a few tricks from your videos. I also love the clay bar lol. Liked and subscribed
can I ask how much you charge for a basic detail and then with clay and sealer please
Larry thanks I used your claybar technique with soapy meguiars and hot water instead of a dedicated detailing spray and my E39 5 series looks amazing
+bobwatters detailing spray usually cost between £6-£10 a 500ml bottle. By simply making up another buckets of suds you can claybar with that and it works just as well
Mr Larry, what's your take on matte finishes?
+BrockL191 Watch his video on BMW's new matte paint. You can see the disappointment on his face when he finds out you can't polish it haha
+Espinox thanks. I just watched it. after he washes it he looks defeated because that's all there is to do. lol. I like the look but after the BMW guy talked about how to maintain it seems impractical. IMO.
BrockL191 Yeah, glossy paint and an Xpel Stealth wrap is way more practical. If the wrap gets messed up, just replace the part that was affected and you're good.
+Espinox Hahahaha! Poor Larry, got a customer's nice BMW and he can't polish it. : ( If I did this for a living, I'd feel defeated too since all you can do is just wash it and make sure you rinsed the crap out of it to get all the gunk off.
Espinox it's frozen metallic not matte
I can watch this video over and over again! So satisfying lol
rare doesnt mean its worth anything.
rick Harrison
The car in the video is one of the best in its price range.
you cant even afford that AMG.
I always put my vehicles on jack stands and take all the wheels off then I do the whole vehicle helps when detailing roters calapers wheel wells I do the rims separate that way you can get on the inside of the rim real well lots of dust builds up in thar
Jacks , jack stands 2 heated pressure washer few hundred in chemicals and bam chean chevelle clean Silverado do my wife's Tahoe and impala this way also been clay baring for about 10 years loved your video thank you for teaching others how to do this
Agree with everything except using soap as clay lube.
I need to claybar my wife's new car. It's is only 1.5 years old but needs it! Great video!
This owner could have at least gone to a local car wash 1-2 times a month but no he didn't wash it at all. I don't get how you can neglect a possession like that
AirsoftWarfareHD 2 times a month is a lot.
Is the local car wash touchless? If not, then the paint would likely be in worse shape than not being washed for a year. Larry even makes a comment about the paint condition despite not being washed.
I used to own a detail shop and lived by clay bar...
Steam clean the car with Super hot water pressure washer then clay bar it. Amazing what just those two steps did to a car.
You dont even need chemicals on the wheels on the car when using a super hot water pressure washer. Low pressure high temp.
The owner of that Benz should get a stern talking to! An expensive machine like that and they cannot be bothered to care for the duco regularly? I have an old Benz that would outshine that 10 to one!
owner probably has enough money not to care
+Genes you don't buy a convertible for the performance
Any car should be taken care of. I'm working my ass off to purchase my truck and I maintain it with a weekly washing. It isn't hard to take care of your vehicle, at most two hours. For me it takes roughly four but I also do interior work. A car is a privilege. Not enough people comprehend this.
@-Genes- did you ask him
I clay bar my more than a decade old car (am not the original owner), and I don’t know when was the last time it got a proper detailing but the paint sounds like sandpaper already…
Now paint feels like brand new that my hand slips most of the time when I try to open the door. :)
I also applied carnuba wax on my car and now it’s even more slippery. No more rain drops, or road dirt sticks to my car. Well there might be some but can be removed with my fingertip. :)
What size clay (i.e. grams/weight) should be used for a car and how many uses can you get out of it? I realize you shouldn't overuse it or otherwise you're reintroducing contaminants back in
Tbh, I was gonna me a jackass and say that cleaning that was light work, but the fucking shine you got on that thing wouldve taken me hours, damn good job man
0:57 Nails on a chalk board
Damn, 31 year old Larry in this vid. I was 17 when this video came out and now I’m almost 30… time flies
That looks like 1 week of neglect in arizona
Always use clay! Glad to see someone that is using great directions and advice.
never seen a clay bar being used with soap and stuff? is that good?
+AtomicCheeseburger69 The clay I had said use with water only, If I put it into car shampoo it didn't work well at all. It seemed to want to stick to the cars paint. I really like clay it makes dirty paint feel smooth like glass
TABRAO okay thanks man
Some clays come with that "lubrication spray" or wax or something. He's just substituting that with just soap I think. He explained it in another video
+Kevin Tran Yeah, the point he was making is that the clay needs a lubricant and soap can be used as a lubricant. He is saying it as a way so that people don't go off buying things like Meg's Quik Detailer or lubricant sprays after washing.
+NihselAuto well yeah I know I was just explaining it to him. I didn't really word it correctly
That clay does really do a good job. I used this method on my rusted f150 fender flares, rust is completely gone.