[Joe M 2012 2SS]

Since you live in Florida, I'd advise against using wax for a daily driven car. Car wax will begin to evaporate around 120* F. While the air temperature may not be that hot outside, a car with a dark colored base coat like yours left in direct sunlight will easily reach this temperature in the Florida sun.

That being said, many products labeled as "wax" aren't really wax, they are sealants. Wax is made of natural ingredients, sealants are made of polymers or other synthetics, most recently Silica, not to be confused with silicone. Sealants don't evaporate until the surface temp they are in contact with exceeds 300* F.

The most durable form of protection made today are coatings. These apply about 100X thicker than a wax does, have evaporation points in excess of 700* F and last 2 years or longer.

So if you choose to add wax, be advised on a daily driven car it wont last very long. 1-2 months.

If the only thing you have is wax on the car, Dawn will strip it off with no problems. Just be sure the car is cool to the touch and out of direct sunlight. Do not allow the Dawn to dry on the surface before rinsing.

Then clay the car. Using a clay alternative like the SM Arnold Speedy Prep Towel will cut your time to do this step by 50% or more. Use fine grade.

After claying...... wipe the car down with Isopropyl Alcohol diluted to 15-20%. You can get a bottle of 91% IPA and dilute it with distilled water. Both of these can be found at Wal-Mart for less than $5 for both. The IPA will remove any left over wax that the Dawn didn't get off, and any residue from claying.

Now polish the car. Since the introduction of Carpro Essence, I don't use standard finishing polish anymore. Essence will produce the same or better results in about 1/2 the time. It also leaves a layer of Silica protection that lasts for 1 year.

After polishing, wipe the car down again with the IPA solution to remove any oils or residues from the paint, this step is key to get a proper bond from whatever type of protection you put on the paint. With Essence you can skip this step.

Apply your protection. When applying, put a thin as possible coat on. While it may seem that thicker is better, if you have a lot of residue to buff off, your just wasting product, it's going into your towel instead of on the paint.

It's a good idea if you have never done it, after claying the car, to do an iron decontamination as well. Claying wont remove iron deposits.