DrKeith

Hi,
Noob to detailing. I have a 2013 GS but writing about my 1997 Toyota Celica. It only has 70K miles but the exterior has swirls and some scratches that need to be addressed. I have read through the stickies on this forum but I am unclear about whether I need to use a lubricant with a claybar.

Any input?


Thanks

ISmak4

Yes, you will need a lubricant either some car soap and water or buy some quick detailer. To get rid of the swirls and scratches you're going to need to buff/polish them out either by hand or machine depending on how severe they are and don't forget to wax!

Clay bars only remove the contaminates that sticks to the top layer of the car (that regular washing cant get off) .

BertL

Yes, you must always use lube with a clay bar. There are specialty products from most brands (Chemical Guys, etc., etc.) if you want to spend the money, but you can mix your own -- e.g. I put a cap of Zaino Z7 Car Wash I use for my cars with water in a dedicated 16oz spray bottle, and that mixture does it's job with the clay just fine. The trick is, if your clay begins to stick to the finish, you are not using enough lube -- you couldn't do a "clay job" on your vehicle without it. When you have a section done, wipe it dry with a soft (microfiber) towel.

BTW, clay will remove contaminants stuck to your paint, windows, etc. and is generally the second step (after a good wash) in prep for paint correction and/or polish/wax application. Claying will effectively remove remnants of most previous products you've applied to your paint, but as stated, won't resolve your swirl and scratches problem alone.

d7620

for me, i wash my car and clay it at the same time. i go over it with a sponge and follow thru with a clay bar right after. the soapy water helps. i should be fine tho right?

BertL

Probably so as long as the car does not dry. I would never take that approach here in SoCal with our generally low humidity as there would not be sufficient soap/lube on all the panels as I worked my way around and I'd end up with massive areas of dried soap that my clay would have to remove in addition to other contaminants on the vehicle. ...just not a good solution for me, but great if it works for you!