Can I just wash, clay, and wax the car for protection.

My car is 4 months old and there really arn't to many swirl marks yet, so can I skip the polish and glaze steps for now?

I really just want to give the car some depth and protection every 4 months, and do the whole process (wash, clay, apply polishes and glaze with PC, wax) about once a year. Does this sound right.

 

I think you are on the right track with your routine. I recommend a full detail every 1 - 2 times per year at a minimum. I think in a year I would recommend wash, dry, clay bar, one coat of a light polish, glaze, sealant and wax if you want a FULL Detail.

For your maintenance routine if you prefer to apply protection every 4 months I would recommend getting a high quality sealant. Not many products protect 4 months. Natural Waxes offer about 2 - 8 weeks of protection while sealants offer about 3 - 6 months worth of protection. Sealants are artificial waxes that are much more temperature resistant and long lasting. To really strong protection I would recommend the Menzerna Full Molecular Jacket (FMJ) or the Chemical Guys Jetseal 109. They will give you some serious protection and make the paint look really sharp and glossy. If you prefer a more economical product try the Poorboy's World EX-P. It has a very good shine and just slightly less protection.

For the ideal combination of protection and shine you can layer a wax on top of the sealant. Waxes tend to offer a deeper and glossier shine so they are still very popular. I would recommend the Poorboy's World Natty's Blue Paste Wax or Chemical Guys Pete's 53 Paste Wax. We have a lot of other really high quality carnauba waxes listed here if you're interested.

If you have other questions please let me know I'd be happy to help.

Greg @ Detailed Image