detail process

[jamores23]

starting from scratch to prep up a car to wax it and put a paint protector (whats the point of a paint protector?) To my knowledge you would wash the car, clay bar, and then.... and why...?

[Joshs2013MSAltimaSL]

You would clay, then wash again (two bucket method). Then you inspect the paint and decide what you're going to have to use. Most likely you're going to need a compound to remove swirls, then a polish to bring back the shine, then you could glaze if you want to add depth and wetness, then you seal. You seal to protect all the work you just did along with your CC. Sealant protects your car from UV rays, bird bombs, weather elements, etc...

[jamores23]

is the porter cable good? Is there one that is better? do black cars use a different kind of compound , im sorry if i am asking for alot but i need the breakdown of everything from black to white cars etc

[Emile]

It depends how far you wanna go. The easiest way would be to wash, do an alcohol/water wipe-down to kill off any existing wax or sealant, and then wax the vehicle.

No idea what you mean by wax, and then paint protection.

[Joshs2013MSAltimaSL]

is the porter cable good? Is there one that is better? do black cars use a different kind of compound , im sorry if i am asking for alot but i need the breakdown of everything from black to white cars etc

The PC is great for beginners. If you've never used a machine on a car before, start with the PC. The color of the car doesn't have anything to do with what compound you use. Different LSPs have been proven to have better results on darker cars vs. lighter cars. The compound you choose solely depends on the condition of the paint.

[rousher99]

if it was me i would. wash, clay, alcohol wipe down, buff/ swirl removal, polish, paint sealant. then 12 hrs apply another coat or apply carnuba wax.
i do this on almost all my customers cars.
-kory

[ASPHALT ROCKET]

I would just like to know the reason why you would do an alcohol wipe down after a wash, then suggest to just to a wax after that. That does not make any type of sense. Stick with Josh's posts since he has you going in the right direction.