So today I put a new rear bumper cover on my mother in law's '96 mustang (she backed into a fire hydrant). Well after putting it on I noticed that the rest of the car appears kind of dull. Sort of like there's a haze to the finish, kind of like the haze the inside of your windsheild gets after a while (even if you dont smoke). If I rubthe paintwith my finger I can get it to shine better. I was wondering if a claybar would remove the haze? Or should I wheel the car? The car is Thistle (purple).
-P.

 

It might just be some old wax on there. You should clay bar a section close to the bumper to see if the paint looks the same. If not then you might have to buff. I would try the clay bar first its the easiest.

 

yea.. claybar.. then polish/wax it... if you have a buffer, even better.

 

Try washing with dish soap first to get any old wax residue off, then claybar it. I just claybarred my car today, and the results are amazing. It's time consuming, but worth it.

 

Never use dish soap. Thats very oldschool. There is a reason why there is car care products on the market to take care of all the detailing needs. Sorry to be upfront with you but its the truth.

 

Alot of car care products have waxes built in, too. The reason you use dish soap is to get down to the clear coat, use clay bar on it to take off anything that's still there, and then applya coat of wax. There's no substitute for taking your time and doing it right.

 

I don't recommend using Dish Soap either. If you use a claybar and then use a polish you will completely clean your paint. Dish Soap is hard on all of the plastic and rubber pieces.

So just claybar, polish, and then protect that with a good layer of wax or sealant.

 

Thanx for the replies fellas. Is there any brand of claybar you recommend? Any brands to stay away from?
-P.

 

I've been doing it forever this way, has always worked great for me. If I'm just washing, I'll use an auto product, but if I'm going the whole nine yards with wash, clay, polish, and wax I'll use dish soap.


Meguiars clay bar kicks a$$.

 

1+ thats what I use too.