I recently bought a PC and would like to do a full detail on my car. Would polishing with the PC replace using a clay bar? or would I still do both? (wash -> clay bar -> polish...)

 

I would still use the clay bar after washing the vehicle before applying polish and sealant.

 

You would still do both. Otherwise you'll pick up embedded matter and swirl it into the clearcoat. That's the entire purpose of claying the car.

Also, this is an awesome alternative to using clay and will last a lot longer: http://www.detailersdomain.com/NanoS...nch_p_709.html

 

I would still use a clay bar or better yet the nanoskin autoscrub

 

clay bar > paint correction > polish > wax

 

Thanks everyone! This is what I thought. Some detailing video on autoblog.com said that you can skip the clay bar if you have a PC-like polisher. I'm glad I checked.

 

definitely clay bar first before polishing. you don't want to polish the dirt that's on the car. just imagine that dirt getting into your pad and spinning around on your paint

 

depending on your paint condition. a basic routine would be if you have swirl marks/scratches. you should go in this order, claybar, buff if need be, polish, wax/sealer depending on how picky your are and what you want. i threw a small cheesy video together a little while ago on claybaring. watch if you want.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dMCT-NwSQQ

 

+1 for the autoscrub. From some extra research it really is better than claying the car and will last longer too!

 

Just a little tip for the clay bar, i usually pull a chunk off the bar and if it drops on the ground and i cant use it i havent thrown away a full caly bar...

1 question tho, i clayed the car early spring and then only waxed it. I didnt use a polish or a seal. do I really need to use both a polish and a seal?