First time clay bar, black paint?

[kay1986]

Hello all!
I am new here and first time posting. Please forgive me for having a lot of questions. I research here a lot but am still confused.

I have a 2011 Kia Sportage in Black Cherry. Almost black with a slight red tint seen in the sun. It needs a clay bar very bad! I have heard some people say I need to polish after clay, I know I will need to wax as well. I did wax it about a month ago so I will need to remove that before I clay. I have never used a clay bar before. What steps do I need to take and what are good choices for products?

I have looked at Dr.Beasley's but have not seen a lot of talk about their products. Are they a good choice or is there something better I should use? Thanks in advanced for any help!

[Y2KSVT]

Meguiar's and Mother's can both be found locally and can be had for $20 or less. They even come with clay lubricant and a microfiber towel so you're all set. Both are fairly gentle on paint. Just inspect your work with a good light source to make sure you aren't marring your paint and you can skip the polishing step. Also, the clay bar will remove your wax, so don't feel like you need to add a step in removing the wax you applied. Just wash, clay, re-wax if you're happy with the condition of your paint after the clay step.

[rider9195]

Welcome to Autogeek Online! The reason some people will polish after claying is because on some paints claying can cause slight micro marring. But if you use a fine grade clay with enough lubricant you will have no problem. I would still use a paint cleansing polish before applying another coat of wax though.

For cars that have very light contaminants, I use Pinnacle Poly Clay and Chemical Guys Luber. For cars that have more contamination, I use either Chemical Guys blue clay or Blackfire Poly Clay with Finish Kare 425 as a lubricant.

The order you would do this all in is:

Wash
Dry
Clay
Polish
Wax

That is the basics right there. I am assuming you are doing this all by hand.

[tach18k]

I have been told to wash after the clay to make sure all the clay lube is gone.

[Jmoran]

Originally Posted by tach18k

I have been told to wash after the clay to make sure all the clay lube is gone.

Yeah I was thinking about doing the same, any opinions on this??

[rider9195]

As long as you wipe off the clay lubricant completely you won't have a problem. I never have. Not worth the time and water.

[BobbyG]

To Autogeek Online!!

Getting started in the right direction can be a bit overwhelming.

Make detailing enjoyable and practice. Take your time and do not become overwhelmed. Just because there are a thousand products doesn't mean you have to use them all.

Do you have a dual action polisher & pads?

Basic steps in order are:

• Wash
• Clay
• Paint Correction & Polish
• Seal
• Wax

Pick one product from each category from the steps above...

Like this....

Wash - Duragloss #901
Clay - Meguiar’s Clay
Compound - PG 1000 – PowerGloss Compound (POS34A)
Polish - PF 2500 – Power Finish Polish (PO203)
Finishing Polish - SF 4000 – Super Finish Polish (PO106FA)
1-Step - Duragloss 501
Sealant -Duragloss 105 TPP
Duragloss 601 Bonding Agent
Wax - Collinite 845
Spray Wax -Optimum Spray Car Wax
Tire Cleaner - Meguiar's Super Degreaser
Tire Treatment - CarPro PERL
Trim - Ultima Tire and Trim Guard
Wheel Cleaner - Meguiar's Wheel Brightener
Wheel Protectant -Optimum Opti-Coat 2.0
Glass Cleaner - Meguiar's Glass Cleaner
Glass Treatment - Aquapel
All Purpose Cleaner - Optimum Power Clean
Interior Protectant - Meguiar’s M40
Chrome & Stainless Steel - BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond Metal Acrylic Sealant

Claying

You don't need to be concerned with what ever sealant or wax that might be present. Claying for the most part easily strips any temporary protective coatings.

Depending on your goals polishing also may not be needed but at the very least using a paint cleaner or 1-step product after claying is a very good idea.

Some great information by Mike Phillips

Using Detailing Clay

Even show cars might need to be clayed...

The Baggie Test - How to inspect for above surface bonded contaminants

The 3 primary benefits of using detailing clay to clay paint

Tips and Tricks for using detailing clay

Do I need to wash my car after I use detailing clay to clay the paint?

How often do I need to clay my car?

Video: How detailing clay works and how to use detailing clay to remove above surface bonded contaminants

- You don't need to remove the wax before you clay, the claying process itself does that.

- Claying a black car will always mar the paint a bit, so polishing afterwards is pretty much mandatory, specially if you have soft paint.

- Get a mild to soft clay, steer away from the aggressive stuff.

- An optional step BEFORE the clay is to decon the paint with IronX, it will remove SOOO much contaminants that you'll be able to finish the claying in 10 minutes or less... It's an optional step.

[kay1986]

Thanks for all the advice! It will be next weekend's project when I am off work! I will post back about how it goes! Thanks everyone! You guys here are great!

[Danube]

Buy kids Blu Tack .. It's as good if not better then any other expansive clay )