thanks for the help guys

 

polish and wax are two different things but the end result is the same, a shine like new smooth as glass look and feel. Just some people prefer one over the other. i personaly like polish cause i have heard horror stories of the wax over time eating or stripping the clear coat and eventualy the paint.

 

if you talk to a detailer, polish and wax are diff like lowriderman says, but shouldn't be replacing one another. designed for two diff purposes. the ideal detail, claybar, then polish and 2 coats of wax will bring your dull paint back to life. polish will remove your clearcoat over time, it's like sanding down the imperfections but very little each time. The wax is to protect and reseal your paint/clearcoat from uv rays, acid rain, etc. always need to have a layer or two of wax to protect you investment, not just polish, cause that's not protecting anything, it's designed to remove, not to protect.

 

so the steps is wash polish then wax twice?

 

only polish if you feel it needs it, it's not a weekly event or you will wear your clear coat down before you know it.

after a good wash and dry, ride your hand around the vehicle. if you feel debris or imperfections, then yes, polish, then wax 1 or 2 coats, 1 will do though.

most ppl don't understand that waxing is a 1x per month job, over waxing can cause problems down the road.

 

Well i waxed it last month so its due for a good one.

 

see if this helps, look at 5starshine.com and watch the video. something i might try here soon.

 

ill check it out

 

thats stuff pretty crazy i dont know

 

This is the order it is done and Polishing and Waxing are two completely different procedures which net different results but are both done in a full detail.
Heres how you should do it:

Wash - your wal mart car wash is fine.

Clay Bar - Even with new paint you will be surprised at the oxidation and particles that the clay bar will peel off leaving your paint feeling completely smooth. Meguires makes a good claybar kit which I use. Its very easy, spray with the quick detailer to give the clay some lubrication, and rub the clay bar on surface until you dont feel friction

Polish - Professionals will use an Orbital or DA polisher, the stuff I use and live by is Autoglym Super Resin Polish which is applied with a rag and wipes off when dry, I'm not trying to remove scratches or scuff marks, I'm just trying to take the fine swirls out of the clearcoat. Again, you will be surprised at the results of this even on a new paintjob. Remember your truck would have sat out on the lot or the back of a truck for at least a few months in the elements.

Wax - I've used everything, The High Definition Turtle wax I tried worked well but I found it difficult to completely buff it off by hand so you do not see streaks. Im super picky and wanted to go the next step so I bought Autoglym High Definition Wax, very pricey it cost $160 for the wax I'm not saying you need to but my god this stuff is amazing... If you hit the truck with a hose it stays completely dry... even after 3 weeks it still had the same effect.