I agree with what the others have said about the prep, is what makes the car stand out more.
Like i used to just use standard wash and wax from turtlewax. it looked alright , it only lasted for some time.
Then i decided to buy some more detailing stuff. So went to halfords and bought these. Detar, clay bar, AG SRP and some AG high gloss. damn the difference was so much, i was like wtf. (sorry for the language).
The one which makes the biggest difference is the clay bar. from the amount i took off the car, it looked like the car had not been clayed since the car had left the showroom( its a 2002 bmw e46 ).
The wax i am using now is the Farcela G3 paste wax. Got it for a good price. car beads much better now. Once this is done, i will go and get some Collinte 476. Reviews on this is very good. Also tried Primo Amigo, its a glaze so used that too, makes a nice gloss finish to the paint. washed it like 3 weeks ago and it still has a glossy finish
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Good luck with it mate.