I just had a fabtech 6" lift put on my 97' flareside. The shop that did the work parked the truck in a dirt parking lot next to a sand pit. Needless to say, my truck is a mess. Im dying to take pics and get something in my avatar, but a good cleaning is in order first.

Over the weekend I want to detail the whole truck. Normally my routine is to wax with Meguire's or Mothers that I get at Wallyworld. Then buff it off.

I do this a couple times a year.

After reading about clay bars and such, what would you guys recommend? My paint is pretty mint already but has a few parking lot scratches her and there.

If I were to drive to Autozone, what would you recommend for a deep gloss? Is clay bar a product that works in the same way as a compound?

 

No, clay bar is NOT the same as a polishing compound. The clay bar is for removing crud such as railcar dust and other stuff that gets in your paint. The clay bar, used with a liquid lubricant pulls this stuff out and leaves the paint smooooothhhhh. Clay bar is used early in the detailing process, right after washing.

Removing surface scratches and swirl marks is a totally different process, and before you even start, I recommend you get a R/A buffer such as the porter cable...a total detail is a lot of work and it's hard to get real results by hand, other than to put a shine over the existing defects. My personal favorite for a deep gloss is to use Meguiar's #7 (after removing swirls, scratches), topped by NXT, Meguiar's #26 or S100, and Ultimate Gloss Enhancer.

I'm sure some of the regular experts will chime in here, but seriously, use the search button to find threads the answer your questions, as they have been answered a thousand times here.

Jim