Errr... I think I need to clarify this.
There is a difference between waxing, polishing and compounding.
The one you need to do less is compounding, which requires the use of a rotary, different type of abrasive polish compound [ i'll explain more about this ], maybe even up to dry / wet sanding techniques as well. Compounding work will level the paint which will remove most of the scratches. Then followed up with slightly abrasive less abrasive polish compound to further smoothen out the scratches, remove the swirls from the bodywork and the swirls inflicted during the initial compounding process, and the holograms as well. Finally, it's time to wipe the car with a pure polish, which is used to introduce additional oils into the pores on the clearcoat, make the shine deeper, wetter and clearer.
Finally, it's either a carnauba - based wax [ usually gives out the best wetness, best shine and best depth, but at the price of lesser durability ], or a polymer - based wax which gives a better durability but lesser effects as above.
If u want the best for the paintwork :
- get it inspected by a pro detailer, right now, the only real pro detailer here in West Malaysia, central region I've seen is Darren from Autodetailer. Not saying that other detailers are not that good, it's just that i've yet to see their work, that's all.
- he'll tell you the damages and how far can he "repair" the paintwork, plus how much RMs.
- is he says it ok, get it compounded 100%.
- then, all u have to do, wash the car at least once a week, twice even better. Note, the most damage comes from washing, so wash your car with the best items, wash it the correct way [ tyres, rims and wheel well 1st, then wash from top down and do each part one by one, not by washing the whole car and only then rinse etc etc ]. Then once a month get it properly waxed [ if u choose for looks, go carnauba, but I'd say, carnauba - based waxes even like the venerable Meguiar's M16 should be done once every two weeks, due to our climate and road conditions ]
- then, once every 6 months get the paintwork inspected again. If you do all this the right way with all the right items / stuffs, worst come to worse, u only need very2 slight compounding work once a year, and believe me, you can maintain the paintwork for at least 3 years, shining as wet, as deep and as clear as the 1st day after you've done the full monty detailing.
