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First time buffing and clay barring
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Founder
New User
Dec 5, 2014, 8:14 PM
Post #1 of 2
(1788 views)
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First time buffing and clay barring
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Hello,
I have a 2009 Ford Focus that has all kinds of surface scratches, dings, and paint with contaminants embedded in it. I want to buff and clay bar it, but this is my first car and I have zero experience doing anything like this. I bought a 3m paint restoration kit and a Black & Decker 6 inch random orbit waxer and hopefully it will come with good instructions on how to buff. I've tried youtubing instructions but I found a lot of different videos, some of which have contradicting advice. Can anyone recommend a specific good one? Also, if I want to clay bar it to get out all of the contaminants, should I do it before buffing and waxing? Or after the buffing but before the waxing? Also, can I clay bar the whole car and then wax the whole car or should I do it section by section?
I'm a complete novice to this and I would really appreciate any tips or advice anyone can offer me. Thanks!
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Dec 5, 2014, 11:31 PM
Post #2 of 2
(1771 views)
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Re: First time buffing and clay barring
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1st off congrats on your first car and ambition to take care of it and it's appearance.
Now be warned of magic anything for "restoring" a car's finish and the 1,000s of products with wild claims out there. You really should consult a professional auto body shop for what you can and can't do to improve this exact car and with what or how. I totally know not just doubt you can't polish out dings, real scratches (down thru a layer of paint scratches) or whatever contaminants if they are ON the finish or now part of it. You don't take material off and make it like there's more and wish it did but doesn't work that way.
Many finishes are clear coated meaning clear paint over the real paint and color you see. Rubbing that off may look OK for a short time then worse forever requiring real new step by step repaint if done all wrong - beware. A thick solid color that has gone chalky you can improve for real but need to know the difference for your car not some advertised magic with claims for all.
Real dings: Some can be "massaged" out via Paintless Dent Removal. That's metal repair without filling in a defect and leaving the finish alone really done by trained pros and not all can be fixed that way.
Anyone would like to sell their product or trade and they sure do. Knowing what will work best for you is going to be beyond pics vs in person inspection as already said.
Stains: Yes, stains ON a finish can frequently be removed without harming the real finish but need to know if really just ON finish or in it.
Some scratches especially if another color from your finish are ON your finish can be removed without harming your finish for real. Some scratches can be touched up with really fine line paint and look excellent again some you'll make worse.
This game never ends. My opinion and experience is not magic at some point and you need a new paint job. Abrasive anything taking material off of your car is risky at best with assorted outcomes.
Try like many products will say to work on an area unseen first that you don't need to care about. Shine up a door jam or something like that first.
In short I don't trust most product claims for magic so default to suggest just have the car plain clean and get some suggestions from a real person on your REAL car as to what can and can't work including just wasting time or causing damage by trying.
Good luck with your new car to you,
T
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