Hello All,

I have a Red Audi A3 that the paint is near perfect but has that used 'textured feeling' after owning for a few years. A friend of mine just used a 'Clay Bar' on his new Evo and it looks and feels awesome! I have waxed my car with Mothers liquid wax many times and it works great but I never get that silky smooth finish. What suggestions would any of you have for a clay bar with red paint?

Thanks in advance!!

 

If your paint is in near perfect condition, any off the shelf claybars from mothers or meguiars will do the trick. Just make sure to use it properly. Don't ever drop it, as it will pick up microscopic amount of dirt that can scratch your paint if you continue to use it after.

Also, make sure to wax it after to seal the paint as the claybar strips any wax you have.

 

The “texture” that you feel is fallout from the atmosphere that bonds to your paint. The amount of fallout you have on your car will determine what kind of clay you would need. Most of the over the counter clay bars are on the mild side. If the paint feels pretty rough you may need more aggressive clay. After claying place a plastic sandwich bag over your hand on run it over the clayed area. If the bag glides smoothly you have removed the contamination. If it still feels rough you may need sometmore aggressive clay or continue to work the area. The downside to more aggressive clay is that it may leave some marring on the paint and may require some machine polishing to remove the marring. You want to make sure you have the surface lubed well so the clay glides over the surface easily. Most kits have a quick detailer included that is used as a lube. And yes and previously mentioned if you drop the clay toss it out. As far as waxes go I prefer sealants over wax for the fact they usually last longer and are easier to work with.
Hope that helps