Is this the correct workflow for Newbie?

[SGI]

Ok. I just placed a older here for the following:
- Two (2) 5.5" (low profile) Lake Country Hydro-Tech 3 Pack (Cyan, Tangerine Ultra Polishing, Crimson Finishing - 2 of each)
- 5'' Hook & Loop Flexible Backing Plate

- 3.5'' D.A. Hook & Loop Flexible Backing
- 4" Lake Country Hydro-Tech Foam Pad 3 Pack (Cyan, Tangerine Ultra Polishing, Crimson Finishing)

- Wolfgang Elastic Poly Clay Bar 400G (2x200G)
- P21S Gloss-Enhancing Paintwork Cleanser

- Snappy Clean Pad Cleaning Powder
- Duo-spur Wool & Foam Pad Cleaning Tool
- 11'' Wire Wheel Brush
- Pinnacle Safe Scrub Bug & Tar Pad (is this redundant from the Clay Bar?)

I already have the Meguiars Ultimate Compound, do I still need the Meguiars Ultimate Polish to go with it (since I already bought the P21S Paintwork Cleanser which I believe has Polishing properties - are those 2 equal in functionality?)

I also have Meguiars NXT2.0 Liquid Wax. Do I need a separate Paint Sealant before applying the Wax (I believe this Wax is actually a Sealant)


I have a 2011 Black VW Jetta (paint is said to be alot softer than previous VW... and it probably is from the rock chips I got in one of the back passenger door) I plan on fixing that w/ touchup paint and wet sand down the paint blob as level as possible and going to focus on a spot detail while doing the entire car (it's pretty dirty w/ I think tree sap on the roof and trunk)

Here's gonna be my work flow (please correct me if I'm wrong or if you have anything to add in between):

1) Wash entire car with Dawn (to strip off all the old wax) - I also have a gallon of ONR at my disposal for regular washing in-between twice a year detailing

2) Claybar the entire vehicle while using ONR in a spraybottle as lubricant (using the claybar lubricant mix ration as per instruction on the bottle of ONR)

3) Use the 5.5" Cyan Hydro-Tech Pad attached to the 5" back plate and apply 3-4 dime size Meguiars Ultimate Compound (not too aggressive for a dirty new car right?) for each 12x12 area - applying 10-15lbs pressure (too much for low profile pads? should I adjust it to 5-10lbs?) and wipe clean with just a microfiber/terrycloth (to prevent cross contamination)

4) Use 5.5" Tangerine Ultra Polishing Pad with 3-4 dime size P21S Gloss-Enhancing Paintwork Cleanser for each 12x12 area and wipe clean with just a microfiber/terrycloth (again to prevent cross contamination) - Again, please advise pressure needed to get this polish/paint cleanser to work.

5) change out the 5" for the 3.5" back plate and 4" pads to repeat step 3 & 4 for the smaller area such as bumpers, mirror cover, etc.

6) Use 5.5" Crimson Finishing Pad w/ the 5" back plate to apply the Meguiars NXT2.0 Liquid Wax and wipe off when dry (what's the pressure needed?)

7) Final nice and slow Wipe down.


Please comment for a complete newbie

Feed back please

[mjlinane]

In general, they flow looks OK.

If you are using a hose for the wash, start with the wheels. If rinseless, do them at the end.

Generally, paint cleansers have little, if any, abrasives. A middle grade polish will (likely) be needed. For paints soft enough to get correction from a cleanser, the compound will not finish down well enough for the cleanser to bridge the gap. Note - I have used none of these products so I giving generalities.

As you suspect soft paint, I'd definitely utilize a test spot with a polish and polishing pad (rather than a compound and cutting pad) to see if I achieve sufficient correction. If I don't, then I try more aggressive combinations.

Other than that, good plan.

Sealant before wax? The sealant adds durability. Must you - no.