Its only 30 days old and I am about to detail it. Should I clay it? It feels pretty good

 

If the surface feels smooth after a good wash, then no.

 

As Nitro said, probably no need to clay so soon. We got our MINI last August, and I'll clay it for the first time in a month or two for my spring detailing.

-Keith

 

I clayed my wifes 2005 MCS 2 days after we got it. There was something (rail dust?) embedded in the paint that made it feel gritty.

The paint is baked on at the factory so there's no problem with claying/waxing immediately upon arrival. The dealers normally throw some sort of wax at new cars before you get them anyway (I told them specifically NOT to do anything to this car.)

 

If it feels clean don't do it. Run a good coat of wax instead.

 

i usually detail my cars (clay included) the same week i get it from the
dealer. my mcs was a floor demo btw. usually cars sit out in the lot
for weeks if not months collecting contamination. i can usually feel
some gunk on the surface when i do the smooth-as-glass check with
my finger.

 

I clay my new cars as well and am always amazed at the improvement. The best 30 minutes you'll spend!

 

I've had my Mini for three months and I clayed this past weekend for the first time and there was almost nothing on the bar. It can't hurt, but you probably don't need to yet so soon.

 

I've had my MCS for almost 6 months now and have never clayed it. However, I have washed it twice a week on average and polished and waxed it weekly on average since taking delivery, so it is as smooth as silk.

I will eventually clay it, but that day hasn't come just yet.

 

octaneguy- how often shall we polish our cars? doens't that remove
the clearcoat each time?

(maybe i should read the sticky before someone drops a stinker)

 

It doesn't remove enough of the clearcoat to make a real difference. Unless you're really using the ole elbow grease (or using a rotary incorrectly). People with paint thickness measurement tools (don't know the name) have done some interesting tests on that subject.

If you want your polish and wax/sealant/protectant to really work, the best thing you can do is apply it all to a perfectly smooth, contaminent-free surface. The way to get that is to clay. I would clay a new car.

mb

 

what is claying a car? I hardly ever wash a car let alone wax it..... is claying more of a pain than waxing? if it is ... it will never happen:impatient My little Betty will be lucky to get a wash once a month.

 

^^ i bet you're one of those that don't wave either, huh?

 

So True!,

C

 

Let us all take a moment of silence and bow our heads...

Let us reflect on the possibilities for perfection in our finishes and help us to understand...why?!?!?

I think I'll change that thing I say to my Daughter when she doesn't want to eat, you know the one, "There are starving kids in <insert country>!"...from now on it will be, "There are disadvantaged MINI's out there who are starving for attention!"

 

I only do it by hand and never with a lot of pressure...always lightly and with quality application tools!

And I probably use the polish every other wax job as opposed to every one...guess I should have clarified that!

 

Where is the picture of that trashed green MINI with fast food bags strewn all over the place....That was a horror !

 

Now now girls.... I wave at all Mini's ...... that I can see through my filthy windshield and..... by the way there are no dirty papers and wrapers in mu car..... I have a convertable TOP DOWN..... 110 mph... JCW I have a clean car FUN FUN FUN Wave as I ZOOM on by

 

^^^^^^hey,hey,hey
take it easy on patgoeglein, guys
i've never clayed a kar either, and would like to know more (is it a pain like waxing? etc.)
btw: i do keep a clean kar
also: i don't wave, i flash

 

If you think that waxing is a pain, you should try the mequiars Nxt product. It goes on easy, you dont have to rush to remove it at the right time, and it polishes out with alot less elbow grease....It is not quite as lusterous or long lasting but makes waxing easy.

Clay IMO is much more of a pain than waxing, especially if you do the whole car!....I usually do the boot and front of the hood where little particulates like get firmly attached and will not remove with a good rub down

 

^^^^^^thanks

 

I was under the impression that common wisdom was never to wax a new car for about 2 months because it took that long for the paint to "set". Same thing would apply to clay bar

 

I can't believe all of this "waxing is a pain" talk! I love waxing, polishing, claying, etc...! LOVE IT! I schedule weekends around it. I think about it the night before I get to do a complete detail job.

I'm a weirdo, I know. But I also know there are others out there like me.

Claying is easy shmeasy. You wash the car. You spray on a lubricant to a small area. You glide the clay over the paint in said small area. You buff out the residue left by the lubricant and the clay in, again, the small area. Repeat until the car is finished. Feel your paint. Feel some more 'cause you love the smoothness. Wash the car again. Polish. Wax.

I will say this about clay and the MINIs. In my opinion, claying is absolutely imperative for the BOOTS of these cars. I clay, polish and wax, and TWO days later there is surface contamination all over the boot. That crap eats clearcoats and paint, and when you wash your car with that on there, or polish it, you swirl it all around.

My car is never garaged and has lots of miles on it already - when I get a chance to love it the way it deserves, it looks like this:


mb

 

mbcoops- thanks for the info on the polish. nice SUPER SHINY ride!

 

dang it, keep your pants on man... i don't wanna see it.