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You probably would be better off in the car care section. To give you an idea though, I'd start by saying it varies by needs and preferences/goals. Some start with wet sanding to get rid of orange peel, but that is not for the faint of heart. A typical process is:
Wash
Clay bar
Optional - Light compound (if you have excessive swirls/surface scratches)
Optional - Swirl remover (if you compound, you are better off following up with this)
Polish
Wax or sealant (Ceramic coating is also popular, lasts longer. And some do a sealant and then a wax for extra depth- sealants last longer, waxes give a deeper look generally)
Also, right before you apply wax or sealant, I recommend wiping with paint prep spray. Some people use diluted isopropyl alcohol. It removes excess oil from the polish and allows for a better bond for the sealant with the paint.
If I did a paint correction on any car here forward (like my Z06 which I just completed) I would wrap the whole car after in xpel or make sure I uses opticoat, c quartz or ceramic pro on it.
wouldn't waste time with old school polish sealant or wax.
just me. After all that work suck to lose the goal behind it using regular wearable products.
You are essentially removing any containminents, blemishes/imperfections, swirl marks, etc and then applying a nanocoating to protect the paint going forward.
You may think a new car has a perfect finish, but that is far from the truth. I always get paint correction on a new car and I try to have the dealer not wash it before I take delivery as they often make things even worse.
I just did mine last weekend, about 8 hour process. I didn't wet sand as my cars orange peal really wasn't bad. My process-
Wash normally
Iron X remover
Wash with dawn
Nano skin/clay bar with dawn
Re wash with dawn
Dry
Paint correction with meguiares 205
Clean/ wipe car 2x with Wolfgang's prep spray
Wolfgang uber ceramic coat
Sit back, pop open a beer and be amazed at its shine.
Probably don't need to wash as many times as I did, but I really wanted to make sure everything was off paint.
