If you are a casual detailer doing things by hand, Megs NXT 2.0 is as good as any in my opinion.

 

Thats gonna be me, doing it by hand. Never used a buffer, so the thought kinda scares me. But, seems like it would be a lot faster, and easier with power tools.

The Sig pic of andrew is what makes me want to shine my truck up. I doubt I could get mine that shiny, but mine will at least reflect the sun now.

 

Also, are the meguiars cheaper in store, or should I turn the the internet for the deals?

 

Any online savings on the retail line will be eaten up by shipping. Get what you can at Walmart.

 

K, priced it all at Walmart.
All products are Megs
Car wash - $6
Scratch remover - $9
Clay bar kit - $15
NXT wax - $15
Wheel cleaner - $5
Tire coat - $5

So $55 plus tax. Add in a mitt and towels and I should be under $75.

Quick question though. , I've never used a mitt to wash the truck, and I've never used a towel to dry my truck after I washed it. Does it make that much of a difference?
Always just used a big sponge.

 

Yes. A sponge does not hold the dirt like a mitt, and you will scratch the finish when washing with one.

I would add a bottle of ColorX or Deep Crystal step 1 cleaner to the list - use that in between the clay and the NXT. NXT comes with a foam applicator, you will need a microfiber applicator for the cleaner. You will need a pack of good quality microfiber towels for product removal. If you don't dry the truck after washing, you will have waterspot issues.

Have you reviewed the sticky?

 

Scratch X seems to do a decent job by hand as well. In my Focus thread in this section I used it around the door handles because I couldn't get in there with a polisher.

 

Yes, use the cleaner first, then use ScratchX only where needed.