[gatorman]

i got my car in august of 2007 and has gone through a VA winter now... is it to early to use clay bar on my paint?

[bluescoupe]

It would be a very good time.
Better would have been when you first got the car, followed by a good wax or Zaino.
But NOW is good.

[gatorman]

ok cool. i heard if u do it to soon with newer paint it could hurt the clear coat finish..

[DPritchett]

Originally Posted by gatorman

ok cool. i heard if u do it to soon with newer paint it could hurt the clear coat finish..

The way our paint is baked on at the factory makes that very unlikely. Just be sure to keep everything well lubed, and remember that if you drop the clay bar, its toasted.

[haper]

Originally Posted by DPritchett

if you drop the clay bar, its toasted.

best tip i received was to break the clay bar into 15 or so pieces, using a different piece for each section of the car. this way if you drop it, you throw away a piece of clay and not the entire bar. and when doing heavily soiled areas - the panels behind the wheels where there is a lot of wheel spray - do those last and throw that piece away.

btw: are you planning to polish after claying ? a detailer once told me he wouldn't recommend claying unless i plan to follow it up w/ a polish - preferably w/ a machine buffer. not sure if he was trying to sell me his services or not but take it FWIW.

[328i]

Originally Posted by haper

best tip i received was to break the clay bar into 15 or so pieces, using a different piece for each section of the car. this way if you drop it, you throw away a piece of clay and not the entire bar. and when doing heavily soiled areas - the panels behind the wheels where there is a lot of wheel spray - do those last and throw that piece away.

btw: are you planning to polish after claying ? a detailer once told me he wouldn't recommend claying unless i plan to follow it up w/ a polish - preferably w/ a machine buffer. not sure if he was trying to sell me his services or not but take it FWIW.

I think the reason for this is clay can cause some marring, if a more aggressive one is used. Breaking the clay bar into pieces is also a good idea.

[gatorman]

ok thanks to everyone! Also what is the best brand/product?

[BK]

There are a few threads about preferred claybars (also try searching at autopia.org). I like Clay Magic Blue Clay. Lots of people recommend Sonus Green Clay. I break up my clay, but not into 15 pieces -- I prefer working with larger pieces.

[AJerman]

I think small pieces are good for beginners with clay, because it's absolutely imperative that if you drop it, it goes straight into the trash. Picking out the gravel IS NOT good enough. If you use a large piece and drop it, you just wasted a lot of clay. However, using a large piece is easier to hold and much faster to use, it's just a trade off.

And I'm using Chemical Guys clay.