wax and polish

i like to do a 3 stage when i do have the time (which takes a few hours)
1) wax stage- i like to use meguiar's Gold Class liquid, but more recently meguiar's Deep Crystal. as long as it's a carnuba wax base.
2) polish stage- i used to use a coat of meguiar's NXT polish over the wax, but also more recently i switched to turtle wax's ICE polish.
3) "topping" stage- last of all, i'll go over the polish with a wipedown coat of quick detailer spray, i've been using meguiar's NXT spray detailer with good results for a good while. i've also had success with mother's quick detailer (the one that comes with the clay bar kit)

the idea behind laying so much protectant on the finish is to have more stuff in between the paint and the elements. think of such a treatment like your paint. there's a primer, a color coat, and finally a clear coat. the intent behind putting down so much is to (ideally) not hafta "wax" the car very often.

after a deep cleaning on the paint (such as with a clay bar treatment), one would lay down their wax. in terms of cost, durability, and luster, there still is no substitute for a good carnuba wax. if you use the paste type, you may hafta "work it in" a little. most peeps like to use the liquid ones (as do i, 'cause i don't use any power buffers+bonnets, all by hand). do your wax panel by panel- apply, let it rest (haze and dry) and then buff off.
after waxing the whole car, take a quick break- have a smoke, a drink, text a friend, whatever. lol
second pass is to lay down a polish. at this stage, one would use their choice of synthetic "high gloss" product. the point is to put a coat on top of the wax to protect the wax itself. this is hopefully the stuff that'll be more exposed to the elements, that'll end up getting washed off in the heavy rains or when the car is washed. (all based upon how often one washes their car and where the car's stored) follow the instructions on the bottle- usually do a 2x2 or a panel, some let dry, some wipe immediately. i'd recommend applying and buffing by hand at this stage, it's easy to end up accidentally removing the wax layer.
same thing, let it all sit for a little while after this stage, take a breather.
last step, the detailer stage. using your favorite spray detailer product, simply spray and wipe the stuff all over. this stage provides a little bit of immediate protection, may last for a few days. depending again on how often you wash, you may be able to get away with just doing a spray detail on your car at the next wash (if washing is a weekly-10day interval).

it all sounds like a lot of work, but it is worth it. you'll see the difference. the carnuba wax will give a good shine, but with the synthetic over it, there's a lot more depth. finally with that spray detailer over the polish, you'll find that the paint can be super glassy looking. especially if you have a black car, you owe this to yourself to try it, at least once. lol. it'll be the best your paint has looked since buying it.

nice post,,,the paint on our versas is so thin that it needs to be protected if you want it to last,,,

Paint sealant lasts longer than wax does. The only thing is that you can't use a cleaner wax (a wax that contains cleaners and/or fillers in it) after using a sealant because it will remove the sealant. Most Walmart and auto parts store waxes contain cleaners for example Meguiar's NXT contains cleaners. When referring to a 'wax' it usually contains Carnauba which is a natural ingredient. Sealants are all lab made and do not contain Carnauba. They last longer but do not provide a warm look like Carnauba would. It's best to wash, clay, polish, seal, and then wax.