Erm, the damage doesnt look very bad, can be touchup painted also if want. Think some of the finer lines on the smooth part can be compounded off.

Mmm, when u say foam gun u mean the air-based foam gun or garden hose based foam gun?

Can try ScratchX or Ultimate Polish.

Just my personal 2 sen, car resale value in Malaysia can be quite different from other markets like US. Ppl like Larry from AmmoNYC have shown that by detailing the car u could fetch extra a few thousand because ppl appreciate the aesthetics there more than us here. For us here, there is slightly less appreciation towards the looks, but more on condition (accident before or not, severity of accident, service record) and performance (how much Km the car has driven).

Having said that, u can polish and wax the whole car by hand, just that it does take alot of time and effort. Even if u dont invest in any polisher machines, u still need to invest in some hand polish and wax pads. It can be quite tiring to do by hand, so u may want to spread the work across 2-3 days.

My first suggestion would be if u can afford it then bring to a detailing shop and take the lowest package of polish and wax.

If u die die still want to DIY by hand, then u should at least wash, clay, polish, wax. This should help bring back some shine and smoothness of the paint.

If u have 3 inch polisher or smaller then can go into those places. Else just use hand polish.

Price wise I am not sure. Rupes have machines that can work 1”/2”/3” pads. There is another brand called Shinemate that also can work with small pads but only runs on rotary for 1”/2” if not mistaken. Shinemate is cheaper than Rupes.

By hand preferably also use foam pads. Using microfiber cloth to rub/polish is not impossible, but just need to be gentle.

What's wrong with ur compounding results?

For my rims, I use Carter Wheel Cleaner on the rims first round, then hose off, then follow up with Superclean Tough Task on the tyres and just regular Meguiars NXT Car Wash soap on the rims. For tyre gel I use the Meguiars Endurance Tyre Gel, just abit can go a long way.

U could try claying to see if the water marks come off. Usually not necessary to compound/polish again since it was protected.

Main thing about maintaining a car after wax is regular washing. 4 weeks without washing is abit too long in my personal opinion.

Water spots is the main issue that commonly faced by coated cars. From what I know Carpro made a product to remove water spots from cars coated with their coating, the product is called Spotless. If u dont mind risking, u could try using their water spots remover.

Mmm, this forum thread is more focused towards detailing. But from the sound of your problem could it be a drive shaft issue? Have u tried changing the entire shaft or the full suspension set?

Sorry sorry, was just trying to help. Honestly I'm no expert. Perhaps it is best to bring to an experienced person to give better diagnostics.

I know of an experienced mechanic that is in Setapak, he used to repair and service quite a few of my cars and quite experienced. However his workshop isnt listed on google maps, so u have to PM me and I can share his contact.

For Wangsa Maju I can suggest MyRide at the corner of Wangsa Melawati.

Mmm, usually removing from backing plate may tear the velcro part, not the inner circle. Your tear in the inner circle could be from something else.

To remove pads safely from machine it is always recommended to catch the velcro part of the pad as early as possible so that the pull wont strain the glue between the pad and velcro.

Mmm, I wouldnt be too sure myself, cuz my pads dont have center holes. But if I were to guess, I think its just a wear and tear thing. Another possibility is if u wash the pad after use and use the twist method to dry it, then when it is twisted too extreme it may cause tear also.

Normally if tear were to happen due to machine handling mistakes it would occur more on the sides of the pad rather than the center.

Erm, that sounds like u have been applying too thick of a layer of wax. Not sure about Soft99, but my old Meguiars NXT Tech Wax tub lasted me easily 20 cars or so.

Erm, if your definition of hard or soft wax means in liquid or paste form, then my NXT Tech Wax was paste form, so hard wax.

Actually, not necessary to have the pad covered with wax only apply. Most of the time I only use half the pad, and 1 good swipe of the wax paste and I can easily cover half of any typical panel before swiping the tub for more.

Maybe if your wax paste is abit soft, dont swipe so hard, end up u pickup too much per swipe. Also, as u wax, watch the panel rather than the pad. Every new section if u wax and still see it coming out of your pad, then keep using. Only when its hardly visible anymore then take a swipe of the tub.

AFAIK, many 8mm DA machines have interchangeable backing plates, so u could work on 3"/5"/6" pads, so thats an advantage. The disadvantage is cutting and finishing power is less, means u have to learn very slow arm movement and takes longer to get very good finishing.

Most, if not all, 15mm DA machines that I've seen only works with 1 pad size, usually 5", so for smaller areas u would probably have to compound/polish by hand. The power is significantly greater, so u would get desired results slightly faster in general.

However, having 15mm DA doesnt mean u can forgo technique, as that is still very important. So whichever machine u take, just be sure to pickup and follow proper techniques.

Start by washing regularly, as white cars tend to turn dirty very quickly. Also wax every 1-2 months to protect your shine.

Welcome to the thread!

To answer your question specifically, I believe most of the videos u may have seen would probably relate to wax, sealant or coating of some kind. All these 3 items are actually protection for the car paint, and they vary in terms of shine as well as durability. However, all 3 of them can do what u called "the person pour lots of water on the car, but leave no water on the car surface".

Perhaps for a newbie to try is to buy a simple tub of wax to start. It doesnt really have to matter what brand of wax, but start off with a simple tub of wax. Watch some of the videos on how wax is applied and try it on your car.

Agree with douglas_tong, sponge is bad. During my newbie years of car detailing, I learned it the hard way.

Mmm, there is no formula on how many x times car wash then wax car again. It really depends on the wax durability and the weather condition that your car went through. If u use a cheap wax but your car hardly goes out in our weather, then ur cheap wax still last longer. If u use an expensive wax but everyday car parked in sun and rain, ur wax will still die very quickly.

From my personal experience, evaluating the presence of wax is a guesswork and also what u see. The most common indicator of wax durability is water beading (water turns into ball shape on your car and roll off easily) and water sheeting (the ability for flat water to slide off your car). U will have to google and youtube these examples to get a better idea.

I would say for a no brainer newbie way of waxing is wax 1 time every 2-3 months during hot season, 1-2 months during rain season. Just my 2 sen, hope it helps.

Wax shampoo is very different from a tub of wax. Wax properties from a wax shampoo is very weak, so while it may sound convenient to do 2-in-1 combo, but from a protection standpoint would lose to proper waxes. I would personally recommend u try a proper tub of wax, u will see a world of difference in shine and durability.

I think everyone would have a personal preference of wax or any protection they apply to their car. Mine happens to be Meguiars Ultimate Wax.

There are also numerous websites that compare waxes and their durability and shine quality. In our forum thread member gfwong has a blog http://carporchdetailer.blogspot.my/ and he covers that topic quite well.

In terms of applying something over the other, here is a website https://www.detailingwiki.org/protection/wa...s-sealants-wax/ that u can refer to. Generally coating is better than sealant, and sealant is better than wax. But it all boils down to your preparation also. To ensure any protection u apply has maximum durability, your car generally needs to go beyond spotless clean, meaning it is recommended for u to clay your car before applying any protection (at least for the first time).