Claying a new vehicle

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gr82bhum

New member
I'm getting a brand new vehicle coming off the ship next week. I told the dealership not to detail the car because I will do it. Question is, do I need to use clay or not?
 
I did it on my new BLACK Charger.....used the Sonus superfine clay and was very gentle....it took some minor dust off and gave me a smooth surface to start my protection. I was scared at first, but now in retrospect very glad I did it. Just take your time and use lots of lube.
 
I'd say I have to clay at least half the brand new cars I detail. If the paint isn't perfectly smooth, clay.
 
Ok, let's say that I clayed my new car, do I need to polish it or just do a pre-wax then wax or sealant. Assuming my new car does not have any swirl marks etc.
 
If it is coming by ship I assume it has been over the ocean? ;) You will for sure want to clay the car because rail dust plus salty ocean air will leave a lot of little brown spots all over the car. This was the case with my Impreza.
 
When they ship cars sometimes the put a plastic adhesive sheets on them for protection and what I have heard when dealers take the plastic adhesive sheets off they use a degreaser and a rag to remove the adhesive glue. Tell them you can do it.

Won’t hurt to use brand new soft clay bar & QD lubrication spray, remember have the car nice and clean & contamination free before you clay. If you are doing it outside do it when there is no wind.
 
gr82bhum said:
Ok, let's say that I clayed my new car, do I need to polish it or just do a pre-wax then wax or sealant. Assuming my new car does not have any swirl marks etc.
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I would use a chemical polish followed by the wax or sealant of your choice.
 
When you get the new car, wash it real good. Then slip your hand into a sandwich baggie and run it over the paint. If you can feel any bumps or anything, clay it.
 
I'm not a big fan of using clay to remove rail dust/fallout. Clays simply break the top off the fallout particle leaving the rest embedd in the finish, so before long it will reappear.

If the car has a lot of rail dust contamination it will need to be removed properly, usually with an acid type product. Most dealerships do this to new vehicles before they can detail them. Remember, any raildust left in the finish will prevent whatever sealant you use from bonding to the paint properly.
 
charger17 said:
I'm not a big fan of using clay to remove rail dust/fallout...If the car has a lot of rail dust contamination it will need to be removed properly, usually with an acid type product. Most dealerships do this to new vehicles before they can detail them. .
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I've used the AutoInt ABC decontaminatin system on our last few new vehicles and I'm sold on it. No more recurring rust blooms.



FWIW, around my area many dealerships don't *really* do the proper decontamination very often. Which might not be a terrible thing considering the level of care they put into new car prep ;)
 
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