Ok detail guru's, I just baught a used G35, and they did a great job waxing it up, the water beading is ultra fine. My dilemma is this, I know they didn't take the time to clay bar and I'm not sure what wax how much and if anything was done to seal it. And I have racked up some bugs and just recently birds dive bombed it, so of course now I want to clean my baby up. So now, the order to which I should proceed is my question. Should I wash it then use a cleaner wax, then wash and clay bar, and begin waxing ritual. Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Also I don't have the detailing kit in I order'd so I have to go about this with products available at Advanced Auto for now.



Many a good man has failed because he had his wishbone where his backbone should have been.

 

Usually if you're paint is in good condition I would just do the following.

Wash with any automotive car wash (not dish detergent). Use good wash mitts and the two bucket method (one with soap/water, one with water to rinse).

If the car is clean, no bugs etc, you can skip claying.

If it's still slightly dirty, some stubborn bugs, clay it while it's still wet and use water/sopa to lube as you clay.

Rinse

Dry really well

The car should be clean, assuming you have no marring you can move right to the sealant/wax of your choice. There are a million. Some decent ones you can get locally are Meg's NXT liquid or paste wax, mothers liquid or paste wax, klasse AIO, eagle one wax-as-you-dry...

If you want to buy online there are so many it's nutty. Sealants, Waxes, Spray ons, you name it.

Another tip is to have some quick detailing spray in your trunk at all times. When a bird craps on the car wipe it off with the detailing spray and a towel ASAP. If left on the paint they can etch it, and you need to polish with an abrasive to remove the etching. Best to avoid that.

In the future you may find you have swirls, scratches, etc that need to be polished out, which you can do - but for now since the car is new you could just need a good wash and wax.

 

Many a good man has failed because he had his wishbone where his backbone should have been.



I like that. Very true.

 

Picus had many good tips but I'll throw my two cents in too. I'm not sure what you mean by a cleaner wax, there really is only one product that I know of on the market thats a cleaner and can give you protection whcih is the Klasse AIO. If the product is cleaning its more likely that its a chemical polish instead of a wax.

To remove the bugs and to get the most effective detail with the steps you listed I would recommend this process. Wash and dry right away so there is not chance of water marks. Then I would clay bar the whole car using a quick detailer. After this you can wash the car again but I normally don't, especially if your gonna use a cleaner product. I would recommend you get the P21S Paintwork Cleanser or a similar product, it really cleans up the paint well and leaves a glow to the paint. I really love the way the car looks after I use the Paintwork Cleanser. After that you can go right to a sealant for the maximum protection. If you want the best sealant on the market I would get the Menzerna Full Molecular Jacket. Every person I know who has tried this sealant is absolutely hooked on it. Many people and detailing websites refer to it as the Zaino killer. Instead of doing the paintwork cleanser and the FMJ you could just use the Klasse AIO with comparable results. I really like the Klasse AIO and have found it to be the best one step product available, however i think doing the two steps I mentioned will get you slightly better results. It goes on and off super easy and gives you an amazing shine. If you want extra gloss and depth you can top of the sealant with the P21S Carnauba Wax.

Hope this helped clarify a few things, let me know if I can clarify this or answer more questions.