Todd,Hello!
You will get better results by doing either of the above processes by hand vs. using just a store bought wax or just a store bought paint sealant. When you separate the processes of cleaning, polishing (or glazing), and waxing/sealing you can use products formulated specifically for each task. The end result, though time consuming, is often superior to using a product that does all of the above (and is thus less focused) in one-step.
You might want to read this thread as it provides a basic understanding of the concepts of paint care: The Autopia 5 Step Paint Care Cycle
In my years as a detailer I have probably done 90-100 brand new car preps. These are cars that have literally just been delivered from the factory. In every case, except 1 (a silver Porsche) the paint was swirled up and benefited from machine polishing/paint correction. This was true regardless of the brand (from high end cars such as Ferrari`s and Aston Martins all the way down to more pedestrian makes such as Honda and Mazda).
Usually a dual-action polisher such as Porter Cable 7424XP becomes an enthusiasts best friend because they give you the power to polish paint in a user-safe manner and allow you to apply and remove waxes/sealants with ease. Given how hard modern paint`s are it is almost impossible to do paint correction by hand. It`s akin to polishing a diamond with pudding.
If you are limited to working by hand and use something that is considered a premium product (not limited by price point such as many store bought products) line I would suggest looking into the BLACKFIRE line-up.
BLACKFIRE Gloss Enhancing Polish works great by hand or orbital dual-action polisher. It would be considered step one (after claying). It will remove very very fine swirl marks (to increase gloss) while deep cleaning the paint and wetting it with a glaze. It also prepares the paint for the second step.
The second step is the paint sealant, BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection. This sealant uses a unique blend of three different polymers sourced from Germany and Switzerland to give the paint a liquid shine that appears almost 3 dimensional. It really is a unique, rich look that would be stunning on blue. It is also extremely easy to use by hand. This is one of the most talked about and universally loved paint sealants in the world, and for good reason.
The best news is that both of these products are on sale right now, so you can pick them up from autopia-carcare.com for about the same price as you would store bought products and really enjoy the benefits of using a premium brand.
Hope this helps.
Todd
Sincerely, I known that BLACKFIRE is a good line, but do you every recommend anything else in paint correction and protection, other than BLACKFIRE.
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