Wash -Varios types of washes to use. Try to use the two bucket method: one bucket soap mix, the other water. Megs Gold Class is an OK soap for OTC. I personally like Duragloss 901, which can be found at Napa and Carquest. It might be a little pricey, but it's very slick.
When you are done washing, remove the sprayer from the hose, and "flood" the paint. The sheeting action will remove a lot of excess water, so you have to dry less. I like to use the green "Supreme Guzzler" drying towel from Cobra as it hold quite a bit of water, while still being soft enough to not scratch should any dirt get trapped while drying. I use two: first pass to remove as much of the water and possible, second pass to finish drying it.
Clay - To remove surface contaminants. They are all pretty much the same, so any OTC would work.
Polish - Level out scratches to leave a smooth surface that will relfect light better. May require multiple steps with different products and pads (if using a machine.)
Glaze - Introduces oils in to paint to give it nice shine. Red colors usually respond well to glazes.
Wax/Sealant - Can use both of them if you want. Usually, it follows that sealants give you more shine and durability, while (carnuba) waxes give more depth and wetness, though don't last as long. Usually, if there is time, people will first lay a sealant, remove, wait 24 hours, then apply a coat of carnuba wax. To complicate things more, different waxes/sealants give paint slight and subtle changes in color.
Either way, as long as you do the prep stages (namely polishing), it'll look good regardless of the wax you use.
This is the lastest red car I did that I took pix of.
For that one, the steps were:
Wash -> Clay -> Wash -> M105/orange pad -> M205/white pad -> 3M Ultrafina/grey pad -> Danase Wet Glaze/gold pad -> Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0
Black Wow was used on the trim.
Detailing, like a lot of other hobbies, is pretty much all about how much time and money you with to dedicate to it. Do you plan on getting a machine?
