Hi Fred,
Sorry for not getting anything on here sooner... I've some how managed to completely miss this thread, but, found it now and though I'd offer our two pence worth!
If you're not one for spending hours each week on your car, then our recommenation would be to get it prepped properly first time around, which will make maintenance much easier, more effective, and less time consuming.
As Chris has already mentioned, a good choice of shampoo would be Sour Power - it's a pH neutral formula, so it won't remove any wax or any other products you already have on the car, and it also has a slight carnauba content, which will help to add a little extra gloss during the wash stage. Having said that, you would really need to get a couple of coats of wax on to start off with, as the carnauba content of the shampoo isn't reallly high enough to substitute waxing completely.
http://www.autoperfection.com/shop/Dodo ... 250ml.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
With regards to washing, the most essential product has got to be a Sheep Puppet (or a Lambswool Wash Mitt as it's more commonly known!). A wash mitt with a really thick pile is much much better than something like a sponge, as it will help to reduce the amount of scratches and swirls that are usually inflicted during the wash stage.
http://www.autoperfection.com/shop/Auto ... -Mitt.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Trix has already made some good recommendations for the wheels, both the Chemical Guys and Poorboys products mentioned are good options. One that we recommend to anyone who asks about wheels is Rimwax. It's easy to use, very long lasting and gives excellent gloss levels.
http://www.autoperfection.com/shop/Rimw ... l-Wax.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The only other "must have" we would recommend if you're starting out completely from scrach is a good quality drying towel. If you use the wrong sort of towel, or even the right sort but one that's dirty, you're back to square one with the swirls and scratches! We can usually make some alternative recommendations for most products, but with drying towels there really is only one for us... it has to be our Super Plush Drying Towel. Quite simply, in our opinion, we just haven't found anything else that comes close.
http://www.autoperfection.com/shop/Auto ... Towel.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
If you are going to look at getting a couple of coats of wax on (which would definitely recommend) you've got a lot of choice! You could maybe look at one of the Dodo waxes, depending on what colour your car is. They do a colour charged range, with a hard and soft wax to suit different colours. Essentially though, you can use any colour wax on any colour car and you'll still get great results, as they're all good performing waxes at a reasonable price. With wax, a lot of it depends on personal preference and choice comes down to a couple of things - budget, how much effort you want to put in and what sort of results you're looking for!
http://www.autoperfection.com/shop/Dodo-Juice-1.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.autoperfection.com/shop/Wax.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Hope this helps
All the best
Taryn and Jim
