Detail hobbiest here as well!
Fussman, what are your go-to products for each step of the process? I consider myself to be in discovery mode. I don't think I have purchased the same product twice. Just trying to find ones that I like more than the others. So far I have not been super impressed with anything I have purchased. They all do the job, I guess. I want products that are easy to use - not as time consuming, and have above average results.
First things first - nothing but microfiber and air touches the paint, period.
For a wash, I use Turtle ICE wash just because that's the first thing I bought and I still have it.
I use a leaf blower to knock off the majority of the water, then a microfiber and a quick detailer spray to remove water spots.
If this is a normal wash, I immediately wax with Mequire's NXT paste wax. This stuff goes on and comes off easier than most other waxes I have tried, plus it looks great and holds gloss as long as it is clean.
If this is a detail, I would start with Turtle ICE liquid clay, then move on to the clay bar before washing the car.
After it's clean and dry, I use a machine polisher on all the paint, doing 2x2 sections of the car at a time.
First with Sonus swirl remover SF-1
Then with Sonus polish SF-3
Then with Sonus sealant SF-4
Then I apply the the NXT wax by hand.
This takes about 12 hours of work over two days and I try to do this twice a year. The FX is really a big car when you have to detail it yourself.
Between washes, I will use an OTC quick detailer from Meguire's or Turtle... doesn't matter so much to me.
If the car is pretty clean between washes, I'll use the quick detailer to dust it off, then a Meguire's spray on liquid wax for more gloss or shine.
The only other hard and fast rule I make myself follow (besides the micro-fiber) is this.
If you wash your car, you need to wax it, every single time. Detergents strip wax and leave no protection for the paint. You want the dust, bird droppings, tree sap, bugs, and anything else to be sitting on a layer of wax, not on the paint.
Here's a prime example of why: Before I was really knowlegable about paint, I would spray paint in my garage with the FX parked in there. I soon noticed overspray on the FX's paint and I was a little panicked. Luckily, every last paint drop washed right off everywhere I had wax. It stuck a little better to the trim and wheels - I had to spend some time polishing them to remove all overspray. So glad I took the time to apply the wax correctly.
