I'm totally new to all this, my last car got washed on average maybe twice a year and never by my own hand, I'll even admit to having put her through an automatic wash once or twice (I know, wash my mouth out and say 10 Hail Marys).
Well I've recently bought a Signum, and for the first time in my life I have a car which I actually like the look of and want to make sure she looks her best.
At the same time, I'm not going to be showing her or anything and I don't have time to spend hours every weekend cleaning.
I have therefore been lurking this forum in search of the happy middle ground which will see me driving a car which is above average in the shineyness department while not spending every waking moment polishing.
The reason for this thread is to check that what I think I have learned from you good folks is correct, and to ask for some advice re products to use. Here goes:
So my thinking at the moment is to do a serious and probably fairly time consuming full wash and wax ~ twice a year (I'm thinking Spring and Autumn), then if I've done it well enough and used a quality wax the washes in between should be easier to get back to a nice finish.
So here's what I think I need to do for the major washes:
1. Wash car using two buckets and a wash mit (maybe two?) and normal car shampoo. Dry with microfiber towel.
2. Use a clay bar to remove stuck on contamination from paintwork
3. Wash and dry car again (necessary?)
4. Polish car with something like AutoGlym SRP (suggestions welcome)
5. Seal paintwork with wax coat
6. stand back, admire now beautiful Signum, take photos and post on vectra-c!
Thats fine, I think, but that's going to take a long time so what do I need to do in between major wash/wax sessions to keep her looking at her best? just wash, or is there something else I can apply relatively easily and quickly to keep the finish looking good for longer?
Will the above process have a good chance of making my poor 54 reg Siggy's slightly neglected paintwork look good, or is there something else I should be trying. She has got her share of swirl marks, presumably from inexpert cleaning in the past.
what products would you recommend at each stage to someone looking for a decent finish without breaking the bank?
thanks in advance!
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