ok i am using clay bar on my truck next weekend and waxing it etc. ok i plan on letting my buddy shave my tailgate and do the paint work also around say jan.,or february and having him buff the whole truck out after he does that, so by using clay bar now and waxing will it somehow effect it possibly when i have it buffed? ( i dont think it will but also not 100% sure)

 

i would clay bar it and then wax it after he buffs it. but to answer your question, no it wouldnt affect the buffing it would just be a waste of time.

 

Imo I would just wash it and wait for your buddy to do his thing in a few months.

 

No need to clay bar at all if your buffing it with a wool pad, a light cut, it does the same thing as a clay bar does, more. Not only does it pull the **** ouit of the paint, it smooths over scratches aswell.. Kill 2 with one stone, buff it.. Rember always have the wheel pull away from the edges, or bye bye clear coat>> Also I would wait till then to buff it

John

 

I would wait, no use in having to do it twice (once now then again right before he buffs)

I'm still a noob though to polishing. I used a PC 7424 with excellent results on my truck. I probably took extra steps and really didn't need to clay, but I wanted it to be as clean as I could get it. My steps were:

Wash with Dawn to strip wax and grime
Claybar
Re-wash with Dawn
Buff with Pinnacle XMT #3 on Lake County orange pad
Buff with Pinnacle XMT #1 on Lake County white pad
Re-wash with Zaino car wash
3 coats Zaino Z-5 (Zaino Z-6 detail spray between coats)
3 coats Zaino Z-2 (Zaino Z-6 detail spray between coats)

Will get some pics one of these days, but it was a night and day difference, ooks like I took 80,000 miles off the truck

 

so by doing clay bar now and then when he does that to gate and buffing the whole truck would be the same thing except he be getting swirls and some scratches out correct? i buying paint and relocator kit and he doing all the work/paint/buffing it for 150$'s not bad at all i think which we to went to school together and he is the main person at devan lowe(gmc dealership) for body work and paint so he good at it

 

Clay it and wax is now. There is no harm. I would also clay it right before he buffs the truck. Chances are by February it wont have any wax on it anyways.

As far as not claying it before he buffs it......don't listen to that advice. A wool or foam pad will pickup the junk on the paint. As your buffing, all those tiny particles will then produce fine swirls as they are passed over the paint on the buffing pad.