Beebs, your questions requires a 3 page response so I will pick one topic for now to save space. wax vs sealant. Pure carnuaba wax comes from the leaves of the brazilian palm tree, many companies advertise 100% carnuaba wax, which is mis leading advertising. The fact is 100% content has the consistancy of a brick, anything more than 27% content is useless. so how do companies get away with it? easy, we as consumers don't read between the lines. Here is what they really mean> "of the 2% of the wax contained in this can, it is 100% wax". The next point is any wax, even the best quality, under the most ideal conditions last 30 tops on your car. Sealants>, car dealers have been ripping off customers for years, by over charging hundreds of dollars for a paint seal. While it is true a sealant will last 5 times longer than a wax, it is NOT worth $600-$800. I sell a 8oz bottle of professional paint sealant, if you applied it twice a year, that bottle wuill last you 8 years, Now you tell me, it that a value? I had a detail class last night and one of the people there told me he spent $950 for a paint seal last year. Guess what else he got for that, sealed in rail dust. The dealer sealed the rail dust into the finish becuase he did not prep the car prior to sealing it. Rail dust is the fine metal particles created by the steel wheels on the train and the friction of the tracks. It looks like little rust marks. The make up of a sealant includes amino functional silicones, sometimes it is refered to as a polymer. This comes from the greek work "poly" as in many and "mer" as in units. These units from a chemincal makeup include polyurethane, poluethlene, polystyrene. These are all synthetic chemicals made to interact in a superior way with high quality paint systems of today. Some sealants, (like mine) contain a small amount of wax as well, so you get the best of both worlds. I tell people the best protection is a base coat of sealant. Then top it with a high quality wax. The sealant will give you 6 months plus, becuase you added the additional wax top coat. THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP IN WHATEVER YOU DO, IS THE PREP WORK, That requires an entire chapter in itself. Go to my web site for more detail tips>
www.perfectautofinish.com Gary