Ok so I going to try paint sealant for the first time. Here is my proposed plan:

1. Wash the car (of course 2 bucket system)
2. Clay the car
3. Apply a good polish (is this necessary and what would you recommend as polish?)
4. Apply sealant .....wait 1 hour to dry buff out - wait less time/longer?
5. Wait 12 hours reapply sealant
6. Layer on a good carnauba wax over the sealant

Any helpful hints? thx.

 

Steps are good. Polish for step 3 depends on how much work you want or need to do. If you're paint is already good you may not need to bother. If you have some swirls to remove you can very easily stick with the Wolfgang lineup and use their Total Swirl Remover on a white pad (referencing Lake Country in their scale of cut to polish to finish). For most people this is good enough for a 1 step process. If you want it to really shine you're going to go over it again with a finishing polish (can again stick with the Woflgang system if you choose). Do this on a black pad. If you want to make it even easier just invest in Meguiar's microfiber system. It comes with a cutting pad and cutting compound and then a finishing pad and finishing compound. No worries about what pad to use with which product...and the results are good.

Different sealants need different amounts of time to cure. I've been using up my old bottle of Klasse high gloss sealant and usually give it 20 minutes to dry before wiping / buffing it off. I've never done a second coat. I always worry about dust settling on the car in that 12 hour window. After hours of washing, drying, claying, polishing, and coating I'm not usually motivated for another round of IPA wiping prior to more coating. One layer lasts most of a year. It'll last longer if you keep adding wax on top (not that you need to).

Did you already buy the Wolfgang sealant? If not, consider Gtechniq C2v3 or Gyeon Cure. They are more advanced nano-based coatings. They aren't the same as the actual nano-ceramics, but they share properties with less longevity. In both cases they are applied like quick detailer. Spray on, wipe in, buff off all in one process. No waiting for it to dry. The result is equal or better gloss and better hydrophobic properties. They too can last for several months, and if you reapply after the next car wash you are again slowly layering up. When I finally use up the rest of my Klasse sealant that's the direction I'm moving. I much prefer the hydrophobic and dirt shedding properties of the ceramic coating I put on my Porsche to the Klasse polymer sealant on my Jeep or my wife's Mini. The nano-coating is noticeably better.

 

Thx. I'm doing it by hand no machines. Yes already bought the Wolfgang, they had a 25% off on Autogeek. Did a little research and lots of
positives about the Wolfgang stuff. I'll see how it looks supposed to be somewhat shiny. I'll probably do a carnauba wax anyways.