Should I clay my new car.

rzatch

rzatch

New member
There's been some discussion on whether or not a new car needs to be clayed. I've always felt that it should. New cars roll off the assembly line stored in holding lots, sit in railroad yards transported by semi's with rusty trailers all the while the new virgin/naked unprotected paint is being subjected to all kinds of environmental fallout and contaminates.

A few days ago I gave my brother inlaws 2013 Ford Flex Platinum a new car clean up that actually took as long as a used car. The new Flex is in very short supply right now they've just been released and this one had to be dealer traded for, it was the only one within 300 miles of the Chicago area, so it hasn't been sitting anywhere very long. New cars are anyhing but clean.

Being a Ford employee for 28 years he was amazed at just how dirty new cars are when they leave his plant. He kept saying we don't need to do that it's new! After about two hours his tune sooned changed. To prove a point to him I used brand new Meguirs white clay so anything found would be easy to see. This is what was just on 1/4 of the roof. The hood and all the rest of the horizonal surfaces wsere all the same. Some areas needed a more aggressive clay to remove. The end results were well worth it. I used Fixer on a few blemishes and then sealed it with WGPS and topped it with Fuzion. I'll get a write up on it when time allows but these pictures close the case on claying new cars for me.


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Think of the kind air pollution that exists in the factory, let alone sitting outside on a huge holding lot.
 
I am fortunate to have an Audi dealer whose new car prep team does an excellent job. When I got my new 2011 Audi, the paint was in excellent condition with no swirls and almost no micro marring. But it STILL had to be clayed!

My rule is ALL new cars have to be clayed.

Dan.
 
BookemDano said:
I am fortunate to have an Audi dealer whose new car prep team does an excellent job. When I got my new 2011 Audi, the paint was in excellent condition with no swirls and almost no micro marring. But it STILL had to be clayed!

My rule is ALL new cars have to be clayed.

Dan.
Click to expand...

Best rule to follow. :bigups
 
a week after my friend picked up his 2012 camry hybrid. most of the car was clean but the passenger side had some of this

Camry-clay-new-car-wtf.jpg
 
Just bought a 2012 jeep grand cherokee on sunday with 34 miles on its covered in hard water spots and fall out(The dealer paid my hourly befor I would even consider buying it) I'll do a write up on it when I get dial it all in!
 
You cold always check various areas with the plastic baggie. That to me is one of the best indicators for what's on the surface.

All that said, a clay process on any car new or old is only going to help with prep for polishing and LSP.

I think that some believe that clay removes clear or should only be done once or maybe twice a year or less.

It's designed to remove impurities on the surface or old product should you want to try a new combo.
 
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