Mansquirt...in reply to the wax/polish question...my responses are from my own experience, and some might be a matter of opinion.
1. I would start with a complete hand washing. Wash the car, working top to bottom. Use a quality soap, I personally use Mother's wash, and keep it very wet. Once you have the car soaped, rinse, again from top to bottom. Use a large towel towel, a regular shower variety works great, dry top to bottom. Make sure to keep folding the towel as you dry to keep dirt from sticking to the paint. Don't use absorber type cloths, as they trap contaminantes and you will just dirty your truck up again. It does not have to be perfectly dry at this point...all you wanted to do was pull off any lingering dirt that you didnt rinse off after the wash.
2. I would higly reccomend picking up a clay bar kit. Mother's makes a kit that you can pick up for about 15 bucks that has the bar, lubricant, and wax. Keep the area you are working in wet, rub the clay bar back and forth (NOT in circles) until the paint feels smooth as a baby's bottom. As with all body care products, work in small areas. Do this in a cooler area so the heat does not evaporate the lubricant...if the clay bar does not stay dripping wet, it will stick top your paint rather than slide across the surface. This process will pull up any enviromental contaminantes that are in the clear coat layer. If you have a single stage paint job, dont use a clay bar. Most fords 93 and up (and many before) have a two stage paint job, meaning you can safely work with a clay bar and additional polish products. Dont know if you have a two stage paint job? If you've waxed before, and the cloth does not turn the color of your truck, you have two stage paint. Generally a single stage paint oxidizes very quickly as well. If your truck has a whiteish haze to it, chances are it's single stage.
3. Next, get a clear coat polish (again, mother's is my favorite, but meguiars' makes a decent polish as well) and work in circles by hand with a clean soft cloth. This is the step that strips off most of the wax. Make sure that you use enough polish, because it serves as a lubricant too. Alot of pressure is less important than more action...rub more, press less. If you let the cloth go dry, you will be using the abrasives in the polish with no lubricants..you can leave some decent rub marks that way. Do no more than 2 ft sections at a time. Use a second cloth to wipe the area dry before it gets a chance to air dry.
4. After you've polished the whole truck, you can move on to waxing. I know alot of detailers that will work with a glaze first, and follow it up with a wax. The glaze is very shiny, however it is soft, which is some protect it with a harder coat of wax. Because we own trucks and not cars, I skip the glazing. After all, it's made to get dirty
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[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> I use a good wax like eagle one, gold class, or mothers. Something to remember...if when it dries, it rubs off easily, the wax job will not last as long...enviro factors like sun, wind, rain, and dirt will quickly remove a "soft" wax job. Caranuba is my preferred wax, stay away from "polymer" based waxes, they simply dont give the desired shine. Stay out of the sun!!! This step is best performed in a well lighted garage, between 60-70 degrees. Again, work in small sections, overlap them, and work in a circular motion. Keep your applicator pad damp with wax...a tip on using the pad...dont put the wax directly on the truck, not ever. instead, put it on the pad, then squeeze the pad. It will **** up the wax, and make the application of the wax more uniform over the body. Get the pad well-hydrated with liquid wax. Use a soft cloth to buff the wax off. Again, a circular motion will leave less trail than a back and forth or up and down motion.
As for wheel polish...it really depends on the type of wheels you have. Polishing aluminum wheels is quite easy, you can pick up any polish off the shelf at walmart. they all work about the same. Something I've done in the past is to wax my wheels...I find that it helps the dirt come off easier next time you need to clean them. If you have powdercoated or painted wheels, the best way to clean them is with elbow grease, mild soap and a soft bristled brush. Tire dressing is also an important part of making your truck stand out. Dont use black magic or ANY spray on products..if they hit the paint, you'll need to start from square one, washing and waxing the affected area. Plus they spin off easier. Use a tire dressing in a gel form, and pick up some formed sponges to apply it wth. Make sure you wait at least an hour to drive the truck after applying it, so it does not end up on the side of the truck. Keep the dressing off the rims, it will attract dirt very fast.
Keep in mind, when polishing chromed body parts, NEVER use a harsh abrasive like the clearcoat polish. It will take the shine off, and the only way to get it back is to re-chrome or replace it. Pick up a quality chrome polish, and follow the instructions. Each brand is different, but generally the maker will know best how to use it. If you have fiberglass painted bumper covers, treat them as you would any body part, wash, claybar, polish, then wax.
STAY AWAY FROM CONTACT CAR WASHES when you dont have time to do it yourself. The cloth that most car washes use tends to hang onto dirt...you will end up with car covered in scratches. Use touchless car washes if in need of a quick clean. Oftentimes after I get done with the waxing phase, I will take my truck through a touchless wash with a blow dryer, then resume the detailing steps. This removes all of the white residue from waxing without removing the wax itself.
The top on the bronco, I've found, is a matter of much debate. It's a fiberglass top, but textured. I would recommend using the same soap you used for the body, along with a soft bristled brush to get in the texture marks. I'm hesitant to suggest my favorite option for cleaning stubborn body dirt, because I'm not entirely certian how it would affect the gelcoat. Take one gallon of hot water, .5 cups of liquid dove dish soap, and .25 cups of ammonia. This mixture is also an AWESOME glass cleaner. It might be a little too costic for your top though, I would try a brush and soap before trying anything else.
If you follow the 4 step detailing process, I promise, your truck will look better than you ever thought it would. I use this on my show cars, and I firmly believe they are the reason that my cars stand out. People are constantly complimenting me on my daily drivers, even strangers in the supermarket parking lot. Do steps 2 and 3 only once a year in the spring, otherwise you will remove too much clearcoat. Washing and waxing your vehical regularly will improve it's appearance, and make the paint and body last longer.