best methods/products for washing a car? [View all]

OK this is kind of silly, but I haven't done anything other than run a cold water hose to rinse off dust in more than 30 years. dry climate, dirt roads and beaters aren't real conducive to exterior maintanence. but I have a newish vehicle now and I think I might want to at least TRY for a year or so to take care of it.

when I was a kid, I got paid a dollar to wash the family truckster (64 ford station wagon), I think I used a bucket of warm water with some liquid dish detergent and an old t-shirt rag, then used the hose to rinse. air dried I am sure.

so, what do you all recommend for the new century?