Car Polish and Wax

[Rktennis]

I'm going to attempt to wax my black Leaf with this (friend swears by it) product, Collinite #845

http://www.amazon.com/Collinite-Liquid-Insulator-Wax-Combo/dp/B005ZUMLV6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1357318178&sr=8-2&keywords=collinite+845+insulator+wax" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

However, I'm supposed to wax and polish the car first...My question is which polish to use...and is it really necessary to use a polish before a wax? I thought the polish was only if you weren't going to wax your car. Am I wrong?

Thanks for any input.

 

[mwalsh]

Yep. There are four steps in detailing a car thoroughly:

Wash - Removes dirt and other surface contaminants.
Clean - Removes contaminants that washing won't (clay bar; medium grade compound; etc...). Optional use of a mild compounding product to remove light scratches and heavier swirl marks.
Polish - Removes fine swirl marks and polishes paint surface.
Wax - Protects polished paint surface.

That's the most common misconception about modern wax. It's not thought of as a polish anymore, like it used to be in the not too distant past.

 

[richard]

Yep. There are four steps in detailing a car thoroughly:

Wash - Removes dirt and other surface contaminants.
Clean - Removes contaminants that washing won't (clay bar; medium grade compound; etc...). Optional use of a mild compounding product to remove light scratches and heavier swirl marks.
Polish - Removes fine swirl marks and polishes paint surface.
Wax - Protects polished paint surface.

That's the most common misconception about modern wax. It's not thought of as a polish anymore, like it used to be in the not too distant past.

Do you have a LEAF polish recommendation, Michael? Tks.

 

[mwalsh]

To be honest, I only ever do steps one and four - our daily drivers sit outside in the elements and our collector cars are only driver quality. I'll do step two on a new-to-me purchase with dull paint from previous owner neglect, but I don't think I've ever polished a car before waxing.

 

[asinclair]

Maguire's has a nice range of "Deep Crystal" products that work well. They have paint cleaner, polish and wax that work great.