What are the scientific/chemical principals at work when polishing a car with
carnauba wax?  Is this the same as when polishing leather shoes with
shoe polish?  Specifically how does the simple act of applying a
cream, allowing it to haze, and then buffing with a cloth produce a
glassy hard protective membrane?  Why do you want the wax to haze and
not completely dry before beginning the polishing process? How are the
current crop of "quick" car polishes and waxes similiar to or
different than using carnauba waxes?  What is the best method for
protecting my car's finish?  How can I make an informed decision as to
what car polishing products to buy?

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Clarification of Question by wcsharon-ga on 10 Sep 2004 17:05 PDT

I think I need to simplify my question:

What are the scientific/chemical principals involved when polishing an
automobile using traditional carnauba wax products versus the new
"quick" polish products now on the market?  My goal is to make
informed purchase decisions of car care products but I want the
scientific reasons, not just someone telling me that "A" is better
than "B".

When you have a series of questions on a single subject, it may look
like one question, but in fact it is several distinct research
projects. You are likely to get better results if you post each of
these questions separately.

Please see my clarification.  I thought I was asking one question with
the additional questions helping the prospective researcher to zero in
on my interests to a broad topic.  On a second look at my original
question, however, it does seem overly complicated and confusing. 
Hopefully the clarification reduces the confusion.  Thank you for the
comment, pinkfreud.