In need of simple straight facts, plz

[fcs]

Hello and a thank you to all those taking time reading this to help me and those to learn, thank you. I am a young college student who hasn't been blessed with a lot of auto knowledgeable people near him. Now I know I need to wax my car to protect the finish but I don't know if there are certain steps I should take each time I wax.



I have a 2001 Ford Focus SE, green, and there isn't much damage to it other than minor rock chips, from trucks and semi's, and swirl marks. I haven't noticed any rust yet, which is good. I waxed my car a few weeks ago with NXT Generation Paste Wax. It's a synthetic wax and I was told it was very good by my auto store. I washed my car very well but I didn't know anything about detailing clay bars or any of that stuff, still don't.



I just would like to know what I should do to take good care of my cars finish. I want to know when I should use the products, how often I should use them, and how important they are and what they do.



Thank you for taking the time to read this and to help me and others out. Thanks Again.

 

[imported_steveo3002]

clay bar kit...use once or twice a year to remove bonded dirt and fall out etc(might need to use more often depending on area)





then use a mild polish to restore the shine and help remove swirls , the idea is then be carefull and not need to re polish all the time ...polishing about once a year is good going





glaze *optional* helps add to the wet look ,but can lessen the durability





then a wax or sealant of your choice to seal in the hard work and help protect it, alot of us have found nxt doesnt last long at all, zaino, klasse and collinite are long lasting products

 

[fcs]

thanks, i've been noticing that my wax job seems to have lost it's amazing impression when I first applied it. I wasn't sure if that's because I didn't know about the clay bars or polishing that I should do or what it was. Now since I just waxed it a few weeks ago, is it ok to do the clay bar kit and polish it and then wax it again? Or is there something I should do first?

 

[imported_hooked]

After claying and polishing, you will definitely need to reapply the wax because those steps, by their design, will remove the wax that's already on the car.



One thing to keep in mind that it doesn't truly matter what kind of Last Step Product (LSP) you put on the car if the paint hasn't been conditioned properly. You can put 10 coats of wax on top of dull, faded paint and the car still won't look that great.



How often to clean your car depends on how obsessive you are about it. If you do a good job polishing the car, you won't have to do it again for several months. Regular washing will help maintain the overall condition and most people use a spray wax or quick detailer with some sort of protectanct included after every wash to spruce up the paint until they get around to doing a full wax job again.

 

[fcs]

Thanks, that really helps me. My paint job isn't dull, and I can get it to look good. But to you guys who are detailing enthusiasts, you'd probably say it's ok. I'm not sure how well the previous owner took care of it. It was a lady who was in her thirties. I get your point though. It'll be good for a college car. You guys have helped me and when I get my first serious car, I'll know just how to take care of it properly. Thank you all for the help, I really appreciate it.