clay then mop or just mop??

[tomtomiS]

my plan of attack for this weekend is to mop the touring. its zinnober red paint is shiny but isnt very deep. i intend to mop it at work with g3 and steam the compound out of the shuts etc then finish the job off with meguiars stuff. should i clay bar the car before i mop it or just not bother?

[d6dph]

Yes, Always clay before machine polishing.

[tomtomiS]

ok will do! thanks dave and also after mopping should i still use the stage 1 crystal system or just pass go and move straight onto stage 2 then 3?

[d6dph]

I would:

Wash,
Clay,
Rinse,
Dry,
Mop/machine polish.
Rinse (to remove polish dust)
Dry VERY carefully
DC1,2,3 (adding an extra layer of dc3 after about an hour)

Dc1 is a paint cleaner, which basically removes any old wax/sealant. You will have removed this already in the polishing stage but most polishes tend to leave oils behind which may stop the wax/sealant bonding properly.

You could skip dc1 but I personally wouldn't. It's worth taking the extra time. Apply it very thinly otherwise it's a sod to remove.

[tomtomiS]

true, i hadnt thought that the compound will leave something behind so yes it would be best do go the whole way, the paint isnt badly faded as i t cut it last september but its dulled a bit since then. im hoping it wont take long to mop

[ShineOn]

Look for a better wax than DC3 - its shite. Lasts about as long as it takes to apply to the car.

[tomtomiS]

bugger! thats no good then! any recommendations? what about megs tech wax, is that any good?

[Pad]

nope.

Collinite 915 is a really durable 'budget' wax, I really rate it. bout 20-25 quid and will last for ages.

[tomtomiS]

ok guys, cheers for the advice and reccomendations. ill post up a couple of pics tomorrow afternoon ( provided i havent burnt through the paint haha)