compound/clay bar
 

aight so i wanna clay bar my car...but i also have this mild rubbing compound herre at my house says it removes scratches and has light abbrasive to it or somthing...what do i do first clay bar or the compound

make sure you do your homework before using any cutting agent, like rubbing compound or any other abrasive. reading will only get you so far, find someone you know that wheels out cars often and have him show you some good techniques. If you just grab a wheel and go to work you'll end up with more scratches then you started with. I made this mistake long ago, and jacked my paint on an old car. but to answer your question, i would clay bar first, then use a cleaner wax, then a couple coats of your fav. wax. I prefer carnuba wax, but to each their own. you could also put on a top coat finisher last, mothers make some good stuff called reflections, but its around $15 a bottle.

Clay bar first, itll take all the dirt and crap off the surface of the paint. Well, wash the car FIRST, clay bar it, wash the car AGAIN, then use the compound if you really know what you are doing with it. Personally, Id let a pro do the compound thing, just MAKE SURE you put a fresh coat of wax on the car after you clay bar it, otherwise your paint is raw and unprotected basically.

First, I doubt VERY highly that you need something as agressive as a Compound (rubbing or polishing). There are so many technologically advanced products out there today that are less agressive but provide similar results. 99% of the time, you will work your butt off to remove scratches, then, by not washing your vehicle CORRECTLY, you put them right back in.
Now, back to your original question...

Wash the vehicle
Clay it using the instructions on the package
Use a good CLEANER wax and Meguiars Scratch X on really deep scratches.
Keep in mind that Scratch X is not a wax and has a very special way it must be applied to work correctly. You must WORK it in by hand to break it down. Can't wipe it on and wipe it off.
You can then follow it up with a polish if you like.
For people with no intensions on ever buying a PC (Porter Cable Polisher)
I recommend the following system, you can get it ANYWHERE and it is cheap!

ya i have that meguires 3 step wax already. so i think im just going to clay bar then do the three step wax. also what or who do you think makes the best scratch remover?? i dont remember the brand but i tried some kind of stuff in ayellow bottle a few yrs back.

By far Meguiars Scratch X is the BEST scratch remover out there. The biggest problem with it and why it hasn't received much praise is that it is often not used correctly. You really have to work it in and sometimes, more than just one application if it is a deep scratch. Put it to you this way, Meguiars states that if Scratch X can't remove a scratch, then a professional detailer or body shop is the only other alternative.

Here is an example of a 11 year old car with just 30 minutes of work with a PC and Meguiars Cleaner Wax.