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You can try BH clay here (200gm of clay for Rs.1791 incl shipping)

I ordered Nanoskin Autoscrub fine sponge from here (Rs.1370 incl shipping)

Hope this helps.

I don't want to spend that much money initially. If this was not the case, I would have blindly gone with the [COLOR=#EEF3F8][COLOR=#0A0A0A]Elastrofoam from ultimatedetailerz. Without even using one, in my opinion, a clay bar picks up and embeds particles which come back again on top after a few kneading. And it is so difficult not to slip a clay bar from our hand if it gets stuck to paint due to less lubricant.

I have a close celled sponge got from a local hypermarket which I'm thinking of using with a Bug and Tar remover, instead of the clay bar itself, if I'm not able to source a sample clay bar.

Yes, that's the plan. I don't have a source for test panel, but have an old refrigerator and a godrej almirah :). I just need to wait for my mother and wife to go out shopping. Can't afford to get caught experimenting on their priced possessions lol:

Oh my..! I never thought of that. I always assumed what can be applied by hand can be applied by rotary as well. As long as it doesn't spoil the paint, I don't mind trying. Or should I cancel the order?

lol:

Please do so if you could and get a good finishing polish. If you want to try, get a small sachet of Megs UP from local shops ( Around Rs 75) and try it with a finishing pad.

Where can I get one of those paint safe tapes I see in all the product testing/review videos? I need to tape the plastic trims and logos during machine polishing.
@Pedaltothefloor, I think you have also used that tape to mask the logo while using rotary.

I think you are reffering to the humble Masking tape. It would be available in any hardware shop. It costs about 25 Rs. for a medium sized roll, and 60 Rs, for the wider one.

Dear experts, would a Nanoskin Autoscrub sponge be 'wash-it-and-reuse-it' kind for about 3-4 times at least ( claying a dirty car each time ) or is it a throw away like a conventional clay after it completes its duty cycle?

It is wash and reuse stuff. It says can be used up to 50/60 times.

You can use nanoskin products (sponge / towel / pad) around 70-80 times IIRC, and yes, you can simply wash to continue using it if you accidentally drop it.

Well this sounds very interesting now! Spending 1400 Rs. for this and using ONR solution as a lubrication seems totally VFM. I think I spent 1200 Rs. for Mothers car clay kit which lasted for 2 claying sessions before I ran out of both, the clay bar and the quick detailer solution in the kit!

I just read the below on nanoskin site.

"Remove tar & grease before application"

I thought clay sponge was supposed to remove bonded contaminants including those. Have I got it wrong?

A very good point. A good clay is supposed to remove those. But usually I have seen few good professional detailers around the world using some chemical decontaminants like Tar-X, Iron X.. etc before claying. That would avoid dragging around entrapped hard tar particles on the paint while claying and inflicting marring.

Having said that, just before claying, I usually use WD-40 on the lower part of the car, where its likely to have tar spots. Many people have successfully used a good clay alone to remove tar, so either they are very careful and know when to knead exactly or the tar spots are actually very negligible in thickness to cause any marring.

Amazer and Linux - You guys have got it right that Megs UP is designed for use with a DA or hand. The whole Consumer line is designed that way. I would prefer to use M205, Optimum Finish Polish, Menzerna SF4500 or something similar instead. I am not sure how UP will behave on a rotary but Linux should be able to answer as he has used it. UP is designed for use with a DA and has a longer working time. Unlike a DA, a rotary generates tremendous amount of heat and may break down the abrasives in UP upfront, leaving you with just a glaze. It means you may not be able to get any correction done with UP on rotary but it will still clean the paint. AFAIK, both UP and 205 have non diminishing abrasives and allow you to work them as long as you want to. The older 205 was only recomended on a rotary but they tweaked it to work with a DA also recently. Same way, UP should not cause any damage on a rotary but may not deliver the small correctional ability that it offers on a DA. Very interesting question though and I love such tough ones as they give me something to research about.

The cynics will tell you that UP or 205 are just the same and simple marketing BS. I'd say dont believe them as one place where Meguiar's puts a lot of their R&D budget is in the consumer line to make it as layman friendly as possible. My guess is, they tone down the aggression (abrasives), increase the working time to allow room for error by a novice. Get a finishing polish instead.

Great thread!!

Question to Pedaltothefloor: [of course, all other members are welcome to chip-in :)]
My car was recenty rear-ended by a school-bus and I got my car back from CARS India [Maruti A.S.S.] after replacement of rear bumper and boot lid. Now my car is about 6 years old and the paint had kind-of faded. The new boot-lid and bumper are now with the latest colour [Silky Silver from Maruti] and there is a noticeable difference in paint shade between the new bumper+boot-lid and the older original painted doors+quarter panels.

Of course this is visible only from an angle and not when looked at perpendicularly.

Can clay-baring + polishing of the original paint areas [I will leave the newly painted parts unpolished as they are bright and shiny anyway] at least reduce the difference in shade between the old and new areas? I am not expecting a 100% match, I know it is not possible, but at least reduction in visible difference? I plan to get it done at Car Cares in Chennai.
Let me know your thoughts.

@kaumad, here is my bit, If the color difference between the new rear bumper/boot-lid and the rest of the car is because of oxidation of the old paint. This can be corrected by using right polish and procedures.

If the color/shade difference is because of non matching colors. Nothing will help.

Over time,the paint would fade due to oxidation and also swirl marks could make it look dull,most probably thats the difference youre seeing between the freshly painted areas and older areas.

A proper paint correction job should correct the difference (assuming the paint shade used is correct) Before deciding on a detailer,you can check the available reviews.