Is it okay to use a claybar and then wax the car with nxt or p21s or would I have to use a polish inbetween those two steps? Something like the one from p21s?

The cars paint is in pretty good condition now so I'm not sure if I would need a polish.

Thanks in advance

 

Polish isn't necessary, but odds are you'd like the results if it's never been done before. A mild polish will look much better than going straight from clay to wax.

If you're going to invest time in claying, then I'd think you'd probably want to polish as well.

 

my first step of any detail is not washing...
its inspection!
i feel the car and look at it closely.
then i can tell what i will be doing to it-
if it feels good, it does not need to be clayed
if it looks good (no significant swirls) it does not need to be polished
in the good old days we didnt have clay and we used polishing to remove everything we could get. it is possible to have a car that needs polishing but does not need to be clayed (usually cars that are covered). if it needs to be clayed it usually needs to be polished, but not always-
inspection is the key here imo.

 

From my experience so far with having my own detailing business is that people never think they need claying or polishing, especially if it's a less than 1 year old car. However, once you wash the car you start to really see the blemishes. Only after you clay and polish do you really see the beauty in the process, and it takes your car to another level. Even if you'll only be hand polishing, pick up some Meg's Scratch-X (great hand polish) and go over the rougher parts of the car.

And besides, you'll probably put some decent scratches in the paint just from claying if you're pretty new at it. The process is easy to learn but to do it without scratching your paint at all takes some experience.

 

You don't HAVE to polish your car, but, since it's a Berlina, I'd probably recommend it. Take a good look at your paint in direct sunlight? Do you see swirl-like scratches in your paint? Are they pretty noticeable? Do you care all that much? If it doesn't bother you too much, then you need to have your W&W badge revoked immediately!!

 

There arent many swirls in direct sunlight. I have been only been using the nxt to wax my car and thats it. Paint is pretty much smooth to the touch, but its not glass like smooth like some of the people here have mentioned a clay bar could bring.

So I want to clay it now, but now i'd like to know what is a good polish to apply that will yield good results. Keep in mind my budget is close to the price of the nxt which is $15-$20.

I have bought the p21s, but have not used it as of yet. Was thinking of doing the clay and polish before I apply that. So chime in on your opinions about a hand polish ( since I have no machine, yet ) for a berlina.

Thanks for your help guys

 

I've had good luck with Menzerma Final Polish. I've only used it by hand in spots, but it's a good product.