Detailing a car in sections

[BuddyBoy]

Due to time constraints, I can't devote a whole day on the weekend to detailing my daily driver. I'm going to have to do it over a span of a few evenings during this week. I need to clay, polish out some very light swirls, and apply a coating. I'll wash and clay the whole car at once, but as far as the polishing and coating, I was wondering if I should polish the car in sections first over a period of two or three days, and then apply the coating to the entire car at the end of the week, or coat the panels at the end of the night that I've managed to finish polishing? I guess I'm a little paranoid about the paint having no protection on it should I leave coating until the end.

Due to a recent move, and the garage only having room for one car right now, my car has to sit outside at night, and will get driven to work each day, so I have to give it a quick wash each night before I start. When I polish the car, I plan to polish several inches into the adjacent panels so the pad won't have to come near panels that have already been polished, and potentially already coated.

[runrun411]

I fully understand your dilemma. I am in the process of doing my Honda Pilot and it's seem like it's going to take forever. Use a wash like ONR or sometimes go to a touch less car wash. Try not to rush it. It takes the time it takes.

[UglyBetty]

Doing this by hand?

[1fastTbird]

I am doing mine panel by panel right now due to the time constraints and I am simply sealing what ever I have finished by the end of the day.
If you are using a sealer that needs moisture free cure time, you may be forced into doing the whole car at once and stealing the garage for a night.

[BuddyBoy]

I'll be using Gtechniq EXOv2, which requires at least three hours cure time before getting it wet. With maybe 20 hours of curing time, I'm hoping I won't be compromising it any by washing it the next day.

[cmoneyinc]

From what I've read, going panel by panel at different times is fine as long as you complete the entire process for each panel (wash, polish, protect). I've been doing it myself on my DD.