clay bar a new car?

[Poekin]

So if you have a relatively new car, say 2 weeks old, how would you go about washing/waxing your car? Will clay barring a new car mess with the clearcoat?

[chanwahyaoh]

It will mess with the clear coat only if you don't use lube. You may benefit from it, maybe not. It depends on how many contaminents are in the paint. There could be a lot of rail dust in it.

Take a cellophane wrapper around your hand, and lightly rub your paint (when it's clean). If you feel a lot of bumps, you would probably want to claybar. If not...then I personally wouldn't worry about it.

[WhoCares?]

You'll benefit a lot from claying a new car. When I first got my new WRX TR a month ago, I didn't have any clay, but really wanted to wash, polish, and wax it anyway. I did, but the finsh still felt bumpy.

A week later, I got some clay and did the whole thing over again. It made a world of difference. It was smooth as glass. Since I wash and wax it every week, it'll be a while before I have to do it again.

But to get to your more general question, it is totally worth it to claybar a new car. If you think about all of the elements your car gets exposed to on the way over here (salt on the boat, rail rust on the train, dirt and exhaust fumes on the truck), you'll realize your car isn't clean at all when you get it.

Just as an example, here's my basic paint cleaning procedure:

1. Bug and tar remover (if necessary)
2. Wash with Dawn (blue) dish soap - removes any old wax/residue
3. Clay
4. Wash with dedicated car soap (Meguiar's, Zymol, Mother's, etc.)
5. Cleaning compound/scratch remover (if necessary)
6. Polish
7. Wax (however many coats you want)

Bingo!

[Sasquatch]

Who knows how long it has been sitting in various lots on its way to you. If you clay bar it correctly, you will be fine.

[redrex2002]

my friend has a brand new cobalt ss and we clay bared it and it pulled alot of dust wax and dead pigment out of the pours of the paint one thing that not many people realize is that your not supposed to wax fresh paint granted it was painted at the factory and then shipped and probably sat on a lot for a bit but typically what i tell people when i paint their cars is to wait 4 months before you put any wax on the car but after that it is fine

[DRKSTI]

my friend has a brand new cobalt ss and we clay bared it and it pulled alot of dust wax and dead pigment out of the pours of the paint one thing that not many people realize is that your not supposed to wax fresh paint granted it was painted at the factory and then shipped and probably sat on a lot for a bit but typically what i tell people when i paint their cars is to wait 4 months before you put any wax on the car but after that it is fine

Its ok to wax a brand new car. You shouldnt wax a car thats just been re-painted. New cars are ready from the factory to be prepped and protected.

[redrex2002]

see that is sompthing that i wasnt sure of i didnt know if factory paint since it is different could be look at that learn sompthing new everyday

[karvinbas]

good to know. i was actually going to post this myself. can I wash the car, clay it and then wax or do I have to wash it again after claying before i wax? thanks!

[kevlarcupid]

It's good to give your car an extra wash. Not needed, if you dry it properly and make sure you get all the lube off, but it's a good idea, nonetheless. Basically, it can't hurt.

In WhoCares?'s post above, he detailed a decent plan. He washes with Dawn to remove wax. Some people like to let the wax build up. Some don't. But if you do remove the old wax coat, you should def wash again after the clay.

[Trainable]

my friend has a brand new cobalt ss and we clay bared it and it pulled alot of dust wax and dead pigment out of the pours of the paint one thing that not many people realize is that your not supposed to wax fresh paint granted it was painted at the factory and then shipped and probably sat on a lot for a bit but typically what i tell people when i paint their cars is to wait 4 months before you put any wax on the car but after that it is fine

I have heard and followed this, but I was wondering if you knew exactly what the wax does to the fresh paint that is bad?

[DRKSTI]

I have heard and followed this, but I was wondering if you knew exactly what the wax does to the fresh paint that is bad?

On re-paints, it wnt let the paint breathe, so it may discolor or not bond correctly.

[WhoCares?]

Wax will prevent a re-paint from curing properly. If your paint never cures, then it will always be soft and slightly tacky to the touch.

[06wrx4me]

I worked into the deal when I bought my OBP TR that the dealership had to send it out to a detail shop and have the entire thing polished. Got more than I was bargaining for cause they sanded it, buffed it, polished it and waxed. Low and behold there is no more orange peel and I can see the sparkles now I paid so much for. Who'd-a-thought that OBP actually had pearl in it.

[WhoCares?]

I've noticed orange peel on factory clear coat seems to be getting more and more prevalent these days. It wasn't bad on my new WRX (I sanded it down anyway), but my previous car, an Acura RSX, was terrible. It looked like a topographical map.

Maybe it seems to be getting worse b/c they're putting more on. Maybe it's in response to what I remember in the late '80s/early '90s - a lot of cars' clear coats would flake, chip, or just start to wear off even if the car was only a couple of years old (especially on large, horizontal body panels - hood, roof, trunk). I remember FoMoCo products being the worst.