First, if you've never clayed a car, do a little homework and learn how do it it properly first. It may be more work than you want to put in. I can say with confidence, you'll be shocked at the results you can achieve when you start by claying.
As a starter, clay is meant to remove bonded contaminants thereby giving you a smooth surface upon with to then polish and then wax. You know you car will benefit from claying by this simple test: Wash and dry it completely and then run your dry hand over the surface. If it's not smooth as glass there are contaminants boned to the surface that have to be removed if you want very high quality results from your detailing project.
Clay is basically fine grit suspended in clay for ease of use. Yes, that means it's like really fine sandpaper. It works by basically shearing off the contaminates from the surface.
All clay is basically made by the same companies in Japan becuase they hold the patent (as I understand it). Companies like Megs specify the quality and consistency they want and it is made to their specs. Megs specifies good quality clay (pliable, consistent grit size, etc) and hence their clay is high quality and consistent.
After you've washed your car completely with something that will strip all the wax off, like Dawn (only time you use something like Dawn is when you are completely detailing your car). Then you break off a small chunk of clay and flatten it into a pancake 2-3 inches in diameter. Get a good quality quick detailer, like Megs Quick Detailer, and mist a small 12 X 12 area and rub the pancaked clay gently back and forth over the area a few times. If you feel the clay grab, stop and spray more. The idea is to keep the area well lubricated. Then wipe that area with a quality terry or microfiber. Agin rub your fingers over the area. If it is smooth as glass you can move on to the next 12 x 12 area, else, wet and repeat. As you do this, you'll see the clay become dirty. When that happens, fold and kneed your pancake exposing fresh clay. When you can't expose any more fresh clay it's time to throw away that piece and break off a new fresh piece from the bar.
** IMPORTANT ** if you drop your clay pancake on the ground, throw it away and get a new piece. Otherwise it will pickup dirt from the ground which will then scratch your car if you try to use it. So, throw it away! It is contaminated! Even if you can see it, it is. You're trying to get rid of paint defects, not add them. So again, don;t try to save it! Chuck it!
That's basically how you clay. When you're finished you POLISH (polish is not waxing, it adds no protection. it removes scratches and further refines the paint for a high quality reflection) the car with a high quality polish like many sold by Megs. Depending on your paint's condition you can go with just a glaze like Megs #7 or if you have light micro scratches and/or swirls to remove a #9 or something even more aggressive. If you're unsure call Megs on their RX toll free line (it's on all their products) and they'll help you pick what's best based on the vehicle and your issues.
After you've polished, you wax. You'll notice that both the polish and wax come off a lot easier when you have a truly clean, smooth (i.e., clayed) surface. Then you stand back and enjoy the incredible results.
There are claying videos on Youtube and I think on Meg's site. Watch them before you begin your project. When I do an average sized sedan, "right" you're talking about anywhere from 4 - 8 hours total. This is no quick fix approach. We are talking about getting near showcar results even from paint that hasn't been well cared for. I've done enough of them at this point to feel confident in making that statement. My 99 indigo blue blazer turns heads becuase it looks like it just rolled out of the showroom.
I've used a few brands of clay at this point and I like Megs for it's workability and consistency. I mostly use Megs products based on years of built up trust in the quality of their products and the results I get from them. The Amazon price is hard to beat.
I hope this helps. Get more detail about Meguiar's C-2100 Professional Detailing Clay, Aggressive.
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