Clay AND SMR?

[Sherman8r44]

I am looking to possibly save some time on the following paint process for customer's swirled cars:



1. Wash

2. Clay

3. DP SSE or MSE, depending on severity

4. DP FFP (chemical polish w/very mild abrasives)

5. DP Sealant



Because the Swirl Eliminator is leveling the paint and the Final Finishing Polish is chemically cleaning it, is the clay a redundant step in this case? TIA.

 

[Don]

Because the Swirl Eliminator is leveling the paint and the Final Finishing Polish is chemically cleaning it, is the clay a redundant step in this case? TIA.

No, the clay gets the larger, embedded particles off the surface of the paint that could cause physical damage (scratches/swirls) where the FFP is cleaning the bonded dirt/grime from "deeper" in the paint itself (valleys, pores etc). IMO, both procedures are needed to get the best possible finish. I don't know anything about the DP SSE / MSE or DP FFP products, but what you need is one that breaks down into a finer grade polish as you work it on the paint. Some of the courser polishes actually break down so fine that all that is required afterwards is the LSP.