You should also make sure the clear coat surface if free of crap. You can wash your car and think it’s ready to wax. But when you run your fingers across the paint, can you feel stuff on the clear. Well waxing will get some of that off, but the stuff that doesn’t come off the wax protects. Try gettign a plastic bag and putting your hand inside then running your fingers across the paint, you should feel the crap a lot more. The bag enhances it and you will notice it better. Well if you have a lot of crap on your clear you should clay bar it first (in the shade) after you wash it. You will be amazed what it will do. If you haven’t ever done it, it will feel like you just waxed your car. Then go over your paint with a polish to get rid of any fine scratches and swirl marks. And lastly and coat of wax to protect that smooth finish.
so that’s what i missed, polish! damn i’m slick, here i just wash my car and wax and i’m thinkin “well that was a huge waste of time, my car still looks like ass”. So polishing will get rid of those swirl marks, coo! So what do I buy polish wise?
REd
If you want off the shelf stuff do the clay bar, then Meguiar’s Color X, then Meguiar’s either #7 polish or their step 2 of their paint clearer polish, and then finish that off with either their #26 Yellow wax, or their NXT wax.
I haven’t triend Eagle 1 Nano wax, but hard a lot of good things about it. But some bad I heard is that since it’s a polish/wax together the shine doesn’t last too long.
Now, if you want better try the Adam’s Polishes stuff http://www.adamspolishes.com/ And if you really want get your paint nice, pick up the porter cable orbital buffer.
Great info.there jdm1nt23. Claying is very important when starting out,gets a lot of the invisible stuff to the eye out. Depending on the paint ,
determines on how aggresive you get with the polish, allways start with the least abrasive first, and go from there.
I usually as my last step, use a detail spray. This helps give it a little more sheen, and removes any skips when you waxed. Use a micro fiber towel to remove the wax. Certain colors don’t show as well is correct. Good luck