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It really depends on how much you want to spend and how good you want the car to look. If I were you, I would first have the car thouroughly gone over at a detailing shop, ie. polished, cay bar, two or three coats of wax, and have the interior detailed at the same time. I'd do this because you never know how well the previous owner took care of the car, and this will smooth out the paint surface, and give you the best shine available. I would have this done once a year, preferably in spring, after the winter has gone away. Then, in between, I would take it to a car wash once a week or so and have it cleaned, and three times a year, I'd have someone put a good hand wax on. This should protect the paint and keep it looking good for years to come. You can probably get away with waxing it twice a year, as long as you make sure to do it before winter, but I prefer 4 times total to be on the safe side.
One easy way to tell if your wax has worn off is to run your hand over the paint lightly after a good wash, if the paint feels very smooth and doesn't have any resistance when you move your hand, your wax is still good. If it feels rough or a little sticky, you probably should have the car waxed.
In between waxes, something you could put on yourself pretty easily is an "instant detailer" which is made by a few companies. Personally I use Mother's Showtime, there are probably better products out there but it does the job for me. It sprays on and is wiped off immediatly. It will also remove dust and light pollen from the paint, but not caked on debris. It takes five to ten minutes tops to do the whole car and helps to bring out that really bright shine.
That's just my opinion, I could be wrong... Good luck.
posted by 24.185.1...
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