The best way I can explain a clay's job is that it removes imbedded contaminants from clearcoat. A cleaner wax removes above surface contaminants only (e.g. hard water stains etc.)

The only time a clay is not needed for imbedded contaminants is when an aggressive polish/pad combo is used with a rotary to completely remove the contaminated layer of clearcoat, revealing a clean one underneath. But that is such a harsh treatment that I would equate it with burning down the house to get rid of rats in the attic. Clay is much better, quicker, and very minutely abrasive (fine grade clay, that is). When used correctly, minor marring is the only side effect. Even that isn't much pronounced in many cases.

 

i did clay it was tremendous
but just i have this swirl marks and hair line scratches on the paint that even NXT paste wax cant cover up :[ maybe i need to get that D/A polisher

 

I picked up the Meguires kit last night. I'm gonna wait until I complete all the work I have to on the Z this week, then I'll give it a shot.

 

Davidv i'll do a quick one for you. I'll take a picture of the claybar before i wipe, after i wipe as well of the area where i wiped. I wont wax it for comparison purposes.
I wash teh car first, then clay it. Dirt that i cant see, but I can feel comes off and gets smeared onto the claybar. It works nicely, I do it before winter adn after spring.

 

If I go pick up a Meguiars kit, it comes with lube and the clay, now inbetween swipes, how do you get the dirt off the clay? I have never used it and would like to since I have only waxed the car really good about 5 times since I have had it....almost 2 years in a few months...Usually when I wash the car really good, I spray on the wax as u dry and use my chamois, it looks pretty decent but I bet clay would make me laugh at how much dirt comes off....

 

I believe the clay is disposable..

 

What are you doing to it?

 

LOL! atar350, dirt can't be removed from clay. You just fold and knead the clay until a clean surface is visible again. Depending on condition of the paint, a clay bar is good for a few uses, then thrown away.

 

Removing old wax with a claybar is a good thing. It can build up over time and begin to yellow the paint. Removing it allows you to really polish the paint and then put a new application of sealant over it.

 

spot on, especially when using a carnauba wax, as you apply more and more layers you will start to get diminished clarity. Another reason why you shouldnt really layer a carnauba so much

a good way to clean the paint of old wax is to use something like Klasse AIO, P21S Paint Cleanser or Zymol HD Cleanse prior to waxing/sealing

 

I claybar'd my roadster for the first time today. I would have snapped some pics, but my wife went to hike Half Dome (Yosemite) today and took the camera. Since my ZR is chrome silver, and using Meguiar's NXT wax, I don't think the shine improvement is as dramatic as with darker colors, pictures probably would not do it justice.

That said, in person I can see a noticeable difference using the claybar and the NXT. Prior to this I just used a single coat of Meguiar's Gold Class. The car was shiny, but not the deep reflective shine that the claybar/double coat of NXT give it. The biggest difference though is how the finish feels. I have never felt a car feel so smooth to the touch. To my touch, it literally feels like glass.

 

Unless you're removing overspray or other large visible paint contaminants, there usually isn't a visual difference when using the claybar, just a big difference in feel.

 

There may not be much of a visual difference in claying a car's surface, but I believe that by creating a smoother surface and then applying either wax or a polymer sealant, that the product adheres much better to the surface. This increases durability by a large margin and allows you to go longer between applications.

 

I really need to get some, looks good!

 

Clay properly cleans a surface so that it can be properly waxed - it's not a substitute for wax

Clay tends to not visually change the surface, but as suggested above, it has a tremendous affect on how the paint feels