Hey all,
Just recently picked up an A4 USP and I want to keep the interior and exterior in top shape. I have read a bit on detailedimage.com as well as a few other websites, but I still have a few questions. I live away from home (in college) so I will be able to wash my car (in a garage..at home) only every 6 weeks or so. What I am unsure of is protecting the paint post-wash. I have read about glazes, sealants, etc., but don't really know what I need.

I was thinking of applying nu-finish polish followed by an application of some kind of wax..probably Meguiar's NXT tech or whatever. Should I also include a sealant? Polish->Sealant->Wax? Or should I skip the wax altogether and just use polish and sealant? I just don't know!

 

Multi-step is the way to go - that way, each compound is focused on one particular aspect of paint care. Meguiar's makes a nice budget multistep system that you can get at any auto parts store. Scan down and look for my post about doing it on my car - it's several posts below this post of yours in the detailing forum. I only used two of the three steps and was impressed with the finish, especially considering that I paid about $8 for each step. As for wax, my personal preference is a wax called S100, available from Harley-Davidson dealerships - simply an amazing finish. If your car is more than a few years old, you may want to give it a claybar treatment as well. Also, when I clean my car, I only use microfiber towels on the paint, nothing else - I use them for drying the car, applying polish/wax, etc. The only exception is that I use a clean (every time) terrycloth bonnet on an orbital buffer for removing polish/wax - if they made a microfiber bonnet, I'd use that lol.

 

I'm definitely going to pick up some microfiber towels. I used to use old towels that doubled as dog-drying towels on my Jeep..no longer will I do that..lol. So the 3-step system sounds like it might be the best/easiest choice..I'll go check out your thread..thanks for the insight.