Originally Posted by dazco
Opps......posted the same time as you......i was responding to maxboost's post. As for the clay thing, well, i just feel like it's too abrasive unless you throw it out after very little use, and thats too expensive. (why is a little bar of that so damn expensive anyway?!!) Also, i'm deathly afraid of abrasives of any kind on a dark car. While you may not notice the fine swirling or scratches directly, the more there is the more the car just doesn't have that factory new paint look. Thats why i always buy silver cars...doesn't show near as much. But having gotten such a great deal on this graphite coupe, and the fact that i just began to love that color, i couldn't pass it up. So i'm just kinda paranoid right now since i just got it. (in 6 mo. or a year i'll probably be claiying it to death tho
)
I don't know, when I'm finished with a car, the owners always say it looks better than when they bought it.
Clay is expensive. But it works so well that it's a necessity for me. Nothing else can do what it does. There is a slight chance of micromarring--which, well, light polish will take out.
Swirls are more formed by improper washing and drying then wax or polish.
As somebody that isn't a full somebody that isn't a full out detailer--you shouldn't be afraid of a product that says it has a ligh polish in it. Just don't touch those Turtle Wax rubbing compounds--those are by far the worste thing I have seen people use on paint. A lot of these polishes also contain beneficial oils that are taken out of the paint by claying or chemically cleaning. This helps with premature clearcoat failure (cracking, dryness).