My car sits in the garage and the previous owner garaged it for 5 years. It is very slick from its last wax (maybe two months ago) and shiny. I went to a speed shop the other day for some work and the owner looks closely and said "this car needs to be clay barred." He is a bit on the aggressive side, but knows more than I do. So I start researching clay bars and clay barring and end up utterly confusing myself. Then I get my other car (not a Mustang) repaired by this great paint guy and asked him to take a look a the Mustang. He rubs his hand over the surface and says it's the best factory paint (from Ford) he has ever seen and wonders why I need to clay bar it. I said "I don't know, this smart guy at the speed shop recommended it. He also recommended color sanding." My paint guy says "you don't have enough paint on this car to color sand it. You sand it and you'll be down to bare metal too quickly. The speed shop guy was just hustling you. It doesn't even need a wax. Just wash it."

I have had suspicions about this speed shop guy from the day he enthusiastically advised putting a supercharger on my car and promising "800 HP" without looking at the car or considering the model year, a 2010. Now I don't even know whether the clay bar will improve anything. I guess it can't hurt anything, but it seems like a pain in the neck. So I guess all this is to ask you guys to level with me: how can I really know whether I need to clay bar a car?

 

If there is foreign material embedded into the clear coat, then you need to clay. If there isn't, then you don't. It's as simple as that.

I always clay before I polish the paint, so the paint is 100% clean. If the paint is already clean there is no sense cleaning it again...so don't bother.

 

Yes, you should always clay bar the car before you wax it or polish it. What happens is you get all sorts of contaminants on your car while it is sitting outside at work or when you ran to take it to the grocery store or if it is sitting in your garage. When you wash it, not all of these will come off of your paint. So you have these tiny little particles that sit not your paint and you grab your Polisher and polishing compound and you put it on the car and go ahead and polish the car. Well, what you actually do is take these fine little particles and drive them into the paint of your car causing micro marring and tiny little scratches. Even if you skip the polishing process and go straight to waxing it, you have the same issue. When you clay bar the car, you are removing these surface contaminates so you ensure that your car's paint is completely clean and ready for the correction process.

 

Okay, great. Thanks so much.

on edit:Looked at this again and afraid this puts me in a bit of a circle, because I wouldn't know if there was foreign material embedded into the clear coat, unless it was at least as large as a grain of sand. things like industrial pollutants and soot I would probably not notice unless it affected the color.

 

I run my finger tips over the paint. If it doesn't feel glass smooth, it's time to clay bar. I can't seem them unless it's gotten really bad. By then, you'll need more than a clay bar. You can feel the imperfections as little bumps. I hope this helps.

 

I only clay bar before polishing. Here's what I had to do to believe:

1. Wash panel and dry.
2. Put my hand inside a Ziploc bag and run it lightly across the paint. It feels like sandpaper, say 60 grit.
3. Clay.
4. Repeat step 2. It feels like higher grade sandpaper, say 200 grit. So claying did "something."
5. Continue claying until nothing changes.
6. Polish (may be some fine scratches from claying) and wax.

 

Thanks all, this does help very much.

 

These two products will make your life a lot easier. Clay barring is a really old school technique, that while it still works great, there's better/easier options now.

This is essentially a liquid clay bar product:

http://www.autogeek.net/optimum-ferr...n-remover.html

And this is a reusable clay mitt that you don't need to worry about dropping (just rinse it off), kneading, etc:


You can use the spray first, let it sit until you see the color change and crap start to run off the car. Wash the car again, then go over the car with the mitt (using clay lube) to get any bigger particles that the spray left over. You'll spend less total time, and won't have to worry about being as careful.

Then continue on with your polish, sealant, glaze in whichever order that you use.

 

Definitely would clay the surface

You'd be surprised how much you'll find sometimes even on a brand new car (from transport or sitting on the dealer lot). So pretty much every car at my shop gets decontaminated (IronX & TRIX followed by clay bar).

With the exception of a spray wax, there really is no such thing to me as a wash & wax without it being wash, clay bar and wax (actually a polymer sealant - dont use the carnauba very often these days)

With clean clay (mild) and adequate lube, most times you wont have any issues. Just dont drop it and observe your work as you go. Both to see if you're missing anything, as well as to see if you're leaving any marring behind. Most paints dont have this issue but it can happen.

 

Check out the two products I linked. I retired my Iron-X after the Optimum came out. Iron-X smells absolutely disgusting lol

 

I'm an Optimum pro coating installer so I'm familiar with Ferrex. Although it works well, I've found the terrible smell of IronX is associated with its strength. I've yet to really find a surface decon product that works as well. You don't always need it but there are occasions where the extra cleaning power is helpful

And I dig the nano skin (optimum has their own 'clay towel' as well). Both work well but every now and then I'll find a soft paint that it will marr. So I only use them if there are plans to polish the car (no clay substitutes for maintenance details - mild clay bars only)

 

Ah sounds good. I suppose you're right on the Iron-X. For a consumer, I never let my car get dirty enough to warrant that extra strength, and like I said I follow up with the clay mitt. I still keep a couple bars in my arsenal too though. Thanks for the insight!

 

Thanks guys ...

Wash with soap
Dry
Clay bar
Wash again
Polish
Sealant
Glaze
Wax

After I do all that I'm going to cover it in canvas and never drive it again. LOL

Just kidding.

 

Decide for yourself





Before claying





After claying

 

Wow. Does one piece of clay work for the whole car? Seems like once it gets that dirty you'd have to throw it away. Maybe you can manipulate it over and over and get more and more clean surfaces of clay to work with, right?

 

Correct. You fold the used side in and mead it into a patty, use and repeat.

 

Yes, or you can get the mitt that I showed you before. Lasts a lot longer and you don't have to worry about dropping it...

 

My brand new 5.0 had rail dust from the original transport. I clayed it and the clay turned reddish-brown. Since then, I get a dose of overspray at the shipyard I work at. It needs a clay bar right now but I am waiting for some nice cool fall days to do it.

Also, the best method/material I found for checking the surface of the paint for contaminants is using a Wal-Mart plastic grocery bag to lightly rub the paint once the car has been cleaned. You can feel the overspray rubbing it like that.

 

Absolutely I will do that, Red. Thanks again.

Noted, Automatic. I appreciate you.

 

My 2016 GT needed a session with clay from the day I brought it home. I absolutely believe in claying. I did find a real nice clay eraser from the chemical guys. It's a pad that goes on my polisher and uses lubrication just like clay. I used the very fine pad on my GT. it came out beutiful. Then I put a good paint sealant on top that is supposed to,last 12 months. I'll be happy with 3-4, just get me through the gritty winter months.

The car was filthy from the dealer and transportation. The dealer also,was so,eager to get me off the lot with the car that the cleaning wasn't even done. I didn't push that at all. I am very happy taking car of that myself. An afternoon in the garage, listening to classic rock, and wheeling around on my garage mechanic chair detailing is almost heaven. You now it's bad when a good carnauba wax smell puts a big smile on your face.

Definitely clay if the service feels rough. If you don't, I think, you are just pushing the contaminants into your paint.