New (to me) car... clay bar or not?

M

Manhattan

Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2018
Messages
45
Reaction score
29
The car's a 2024 and in immaculate condition. Garage kept etc. The instrument cluster, infotainment screen and all four doors still had the protective films on them (who does that?!) I washed the car last night for the first time. The paint is squeaky. She needs some love.

Can I go right to the polisher... or should I clay bar it? How does one make that call?


1.jpeg
 
If your going to polish, why not do a quick clay? Try the old sandwich bag to see if it feels smooth or not. I've done a few brand new vehicles and was surprised how much the clay did. Guess getting transported from the factory by rail may play a part??
 
Brand new cars usually surprise you. I get more from iron + clay when brand new vs after owning them for a few months.

Plenty of great fine grade clay towel and blocks out there to use.

Sent from my SM-S938U1 using Tapatalk
 
Sounds like you've already decided to clay, but I'll add my vote to the "do it" column since your going to polish it anyway.

Even though the previous owner took good care of it, they likely never clayed the paint and who knows how well they washed it. There is 2 years of grime embedded in the paint you'll be able to remove by claying and make the the paint look that much better after your polish it out.
 
I've never clay'ed a car. I have to admit, the mitts look easier, safer... How do you guys feel about The Rag Company Ultra Clay Decontamination Mitt?
 
The nice thing about clay is you can see what's coming off (most clay is lighter colored). If you were going to go for that TRC Mitt, I'd opt for the Autofiber Holey Clay mitt, it's cheaper. Or the sponge.
 
Would agree to shop on price in this category. I've used a few (DIY, TRC, AF, Nano) and haven't felt many differences between the various mitts/towels. Find the grade and form factor you want and don't forget your lube!

Sent from my SM-S938U1 using Tapatalk
 
So I've only used real clay and a couple clay towels. What I like about the towels is when storing them just lay an old microfiber towel over the clay part and roll it up.. the microfiber keeps the clay from sticking to itself.
 
Manhattan said:
I've never clay'ed a car. I have to admit, the mitts look easier, safer... How do you guys feel about The Rag Company Ultra Clay Decontamination Mitt?
Click to expand...
I use both and let the type of job guide what I use.

If it is a car that's new to me, or one I've never worked on before, I'll use a clay bar and after that I'll use a clay mitt any time afterwards. In my experience, clay bars tend to be a bit more aggressive and do a better job of "deep cleaning" and you can easily see the grime being removed.. Mitts are good for well kept vehicles with a known history of good washes, protection, etc.
 
Just bought the AF Holey and a gallon of Meguiar's D1550. I'm also going to grab a clay bar. Before clay barring the newer car, I may practice on my old Land Cruiser ;-)
Thanks guys!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top