So far the only detailing I've done is wax the car with Mig. 2.0 tec wax. (and by that i mean i washed, dried, then wax on/wax off) but no other prep work than that.

that was my first time waxing PERIOD but now i want to make it look really good and protect it but dont even know where to start. I hear things about sealing, polish, wax, all those things and dont know what is reallllly needed.

I'm not a pro and I dont have time to become one either. What can I get and do (by hand) to make my car look good in say... 2/3/4hrs? (08 BO, btw)

thanks for the advice

 

Nu-Finish in the orange bottle is an excellent car polish to give your G a nice shine and smooth like glass finish to your paint...Use something like a microfiber towel to apply and wipe off and be done with it.

Wax is more of a protectant I believe.

 

What goes on first; wax or polish? does anything need to be removed or do you just wash the car and start applying?

 

Take a bit to read: Paint Care & Detailing - The Enthusiasts guide to detailing

The normals step are:

1.) Wash.
2.) Clay (to removed bonded contaminants, stuff stuck on the car).
3.) Polish (to remove swirls and marring).
4.) Seal or wax.

Take a look at our line, Migliore, by clicking my signature.

If you're serious about car care you may want to look into a Porter Cable (PC) to correctly apply your polishes. Polishing by hand is near impossible and time consuming.

 

+1 to investing in a buffer. Polishing by hand is a CHORE and a half and your results will be a lot better when using a buffer.

Don hit the nail on the head

 

1.) Wash
2.) Claybar
3.) Polish with a buffer only
4.) Seal
5.) Wax

I'm a fan of applying sealants then carnauba waxes on top of them. The Meguiars NXT 2.0 tech wax you're talking about is actually a sealant.

 

Would it hurt anything if you skip the polishing step?

 

It wouldn't "hurt" but polishing is the key step to detailing. Essentially, you're just putting a band-aid over the paint without fully correcting it. In a couple weeks you paint will look just as it did before.

 

If the car is about 4 months old and properly washed almost weeky, would polishing be needed? The only concern I have with polishing is that I understand that polishes are slightly abrasive. So for a clear coat that has very few swirls is polishing necessary? I'm worried that I'll do more harm than good by using a polish.

 

polishing is needed if you want a perfect finish.

A good shine is 90% preparation, 10% top coat. (wax/sealant).

Even the most expensive waxes in the world won't make a bad finish look good.