Hello and welcome,
A few tips for you as your just starting out.
1.Stick with 4in. foam pads on your polisher. From my experience I've found the smaller size to work better on a dual action polisher. And don't fret about the kind of foam pad, I've found the plain flat type just as effective as the ccs or grooved pads.
2.Your likely seeking a way to make your car as reflective as possible. So stick with synthetic sealants or waxes. Carnauba is used by many because of its unique “Jetting” ability. Jetting is the term for an optical illusion produced by carnauba wax that simulates non-existent depth. I know that sounds nifty, but carnaubas will not give you the reflectivity of a synthetic sealant or wax, and they can cost more than double the price of sealant. And carnauba is pronounced “karnowba”.
3.Less is More. Your probably thinking that if so much of something will make my car this shiny, then more of that something will make it even shinier, but it doesn't. Always follow the directions from the manufacturer. Using more is like layering multiple coats of product, from my experience, there just isn't a noticeable difference.
4.Don't put faith in photos you see on sites like this. You never know what software people might be using to adjust sharpness, contrast, or other enhancing qualities.
5.Use a tire shine product only when you take photos of your car. Most of these products are petroleum based and will mostly sling off after a single drive. They also make the rubber sticky so dirt, dust, and even feathers will stick to your tires. I've had better luck using regular armor-all/303 protectant on tires. But the tire shines will look nice for a photo shoot. Remember, tires that are too shiny won't look any better than the flat rubber.
That's all for now. Enjoy yourself.
