What if I did compound and no clay?

[ShowCar]

I don't know if the car I have has ever been detailed. Just taken to the auto carwash places. It was given to me, a 98 Honda Accord. Anyway, trying to learn and didn't buy the clay. I bought Meguiars Ultimate Compound and buffed it in and then wiped it off. The paint was super smooth. Then I put cleaner wax on it because the product said it was polish and wax (I thought). Did I ruin my paint? Is the clay absolutely necessary? Was I wrong to use the compound? Thanks.

[jimjc]

You`re the only one that can tell if you damaged the paint. Before compounding or polishing you needed to view the videos on this sight for help on how to do it.

Clay is not needed if you compound or polish, clay is just a surface cleaner product and since you have compounded it you don`t need to clay.

Does your paint still have swirls and scratches in it? if so you didn`t get it finished with the compounding.

Did you use a buffer to do the compounding of did you do t by hand?

[cleanmycorolla]

Ok so, yeah you need to clay before you polish, regardless. Did you mess anything up? Probably not, but you probably still have embedded crap on your car.





Clay is not needed if you compound or polish, clay is just a surface cleaner product and since you have compounded it you don`t need to clay.

[Harry Da Hamster]

Wait, what? So is it necessary or not necessary before paint correction? I would assume paint correction is more evasive than claying, therefore clay isn't needed before. But i'm just a green pea so what do i know?

[cleanmycorolla]

Wait, what? So is it necessary or not necessary before paint correction? I would assume paint correction is more evasive than claying, therefore clay isn't needed before. But i'm just a green pea so what do i know?

I'd say yeah, you should clay. But that's just me. I've heard Mike Phillips suggest it a bunch to I think ;):xyxthumbs:

[ShowCar]

The car looks fine. Looks better than ever, smooth as glass. But, I keep reading how I was supposed to use clay, and then how compound is only for something "terrible," some terrible condition. I mean it's not a 1966 car that's been outside forever, just my daily that needs help. In other words, I didn't do the clay so I thought I might have been cheating myself or doing it "wrong."

edit: used a cheapo buffer Waxmaster w109, just learning, to put it on, then wiped it off by hand.

[Wheelzntoys]

Clay will shear off contaminants, you don't want these embedded in your pads.

You want a clean slate to work with.

[rmagnus]

Clay is not needed if you compound or polish, clay is just a surface cleaner product and since you have compounded it you don`t need to clay.


Not exactly true. If the car doesn't have surface contaminants then it doesn't need to be Clayed before being polished. Most cars need to be clayed. Without it you risk picking up contaminants on your pad and marring the finish as you polish the car.


Wait, what? So is it necessary or not necessary before paint correction? I would assume paint correction is more evasive than claying, therefore clay isn't needed before. But i'm just a green pea so what do i know?

It's a good practice to clay before you polish. There is plenty of info on claying if you just do a search for it. In the old days we didn't have clay but then again it was single stage paint. If your pad picks up debris then you just made the polishing step harder.

[jimjc]

I believe it`s a waste of time to clay if your paint needs a lot of correction. Compounding cuts and removes paint. Prepares paint for polishing. Compounding then polishing then sealer/wax

[wukin]

There is a possbility that your pad/applicator may catch contanimination and mar or scratch the paint.

[ShowCar]

So when do you use compound? I've read but I saw some places that had compound then polish. Others, wash, clay, compound, polish, wax. Like here,

Meguiars Mirror Glaze #205 Ultra Finishing Polish, final polish, Meguiars polishes, car polish, 205 FP (http://www.autogeek.net/meguiars-finishing-polish.html?productid=meguiars-finishing-polish&channelid=FROOG&utm_source=CSEs&utm_medium=GoogleProductSearch&utm_campaign=CSE&gclid=CNzz-pKhxrcCFWdp7AodYB4AvQ)

I can assume they washed the car at some point but not the rest. Looks like they just used compound and then polish. I can only guess they waxed later.

[rmagnus]

So when do you use compound? I've read but I saw some places that had compound then polish. Others, wash, clay, compound, polish, wax. Like here,

Meguiars Mirror Glaze #205 Ultra Finishing Polish, final polish, Meguiars polishes, car polish, 205 FP (http://www.autogeek.net/meguiars-finishing-polish.html?productid=meguiars-finishing-polish&channelid=FROOG&utm_source=CSEs&utm_medium=GoogleProductSearch&utm_campaign=CSE&gclid=CNzz-pKhxrcCFWdp7AodYB4AvQ)

I can assume they washed the car at some point but not the rest. Looks like they just used compound and then polish. I can only guess they waxed later.

Compound when just using a polish doesn't give you the result you wanted. Good policy is to do a test spot first. And yes any detailer that knows what they are doing will only polish on a clean car.

[WAXOFF]

I say clay. Why grind crap into the paint.

[ShowCar]

I say clay. Why grind crap into the paint.

So you don't use compound?

[ShowCar]

Compound when just using a polish doesn't give you the result you wanted. Good policy is to do a test spot first. And yes any detailer that knows what they are doing will only polish on a clean car.

What if my car is smooth after I compound? Does that mean I didn't need the clay after all?