Picked up all the stuff yesterday. Pads look brand new. $95 for everything. But I still have to buy the adapor so Gone, speak up.

Sorry I had a ton of studying and computer work I had to do the past few days (still do, but don't have class friday so :o)

lemme poke around for 30mins or so and try to figure out what I want to get :hs:

Just a pic of the stuff I got. The PC on the left is the unit I'm going to run. Odd but it should work. It's WAY quieter than the grinder/polisher I'm using now. Sh1t I have to use ear plugs with my old one.
http://img53.imageshack.us/img53/4690/1474783mc8.jpg

I broke out the old polisher and threw some Meguires 2 fine cut on the Avalon. Not enough. Put some cleaner wax on it. Not even close. Then I tried some Optimum Hyper compound and that took out as much as I was prepared to do. I think any more and it would become a 3 step process. But I was using a old wool pad. I might try a new wool pad and see what happens.

Judging by what I did, the G might go straight to the polish or compound w/ a fine cut foam pad then polish.

Nice you got the Edge pads, you will love them. Optimum Polish as well, even better.

Dixit

Thanks. I'm going to use the Porter, install that red backing plate and use one of the wool pads tonight. See if makes a diff

My old grinder is only 4-5amps. The porter is like 8-9 amps and a varible speed control dial.

:noes: Wool pads are superharsh...you'll probably have to follow up to get rid of the marring. IMHO wool's too harsh for clearcoat, but I don't usually work on cars that are really bad.

+1

Foam cutting pads typically do more than enough. Wool is only necessary if you're correcting 1500-2000 grit wet sanding marks.

The Avalon is so bad that yeah, 1500-2000 sanding marks is what's on there. Unless the old POS polisher wasn't doing the job. I'm going to try this powerful Porter unit out and start with a light cut again.

But with the old polisher and the Optimum Hyper/wool, you could still see scratches. And not from the pad/polish.

My recommendation would be to start with a foam pad with the harshest polish you have and then crank the speed up. I use real light polish on the maxima and at 1500 rpm you can see the marks coming down if you watch closely.

I'd give that a shot then bust out the wool if you still think you need it...better to go easy and wind up then overdo it.

Just my 2 cents, though, good luck! :D

Post pics..

I'd use the foam if I had the adaptor. I only have the adaptor for the Random orbital. The right adaptor is on order now.
I also don't have a foam hook/loop pad for the Porter backing plate.

So I'm fuxored for now. But so far the wool hasn't been good enough(at least with the old polisher). I'll see tonight. This is why I'm practicing on dad's avalon. I can see what does what and I bascily can't make Dad's car any worse anyway.

Ugh. Only came out okay. No pics though.

Question. why does the wool pad start to hop around? ie.. like it's digging in. Too much material on the pad? Sponge pads do this? How do you clean the wool/sponge pads anyway?

Gone eta on order?

Ok, tell me if I put these polishes in the correct category, either fine or harsh.

-Fine-
-Pinnacle Advanced Finishing Polish- incredibly mild polish- $20
-Meguiar's Dual Action Cleaner Polish- $20

-Harsh-
-Pinnacle Advanced Swirl Remover- $20
-Klasse AIO-$20
-Optimum Polish- $20
-Meguiar's Scratch-X- $8

Did I get that right?

I'm probably going to get the Pinnacle Advanced finishing polish, AIO and possibly Optimum. Are any products known to work well on silver cars?
For wax, I think I'll get some SG and cover it with some S100. Just waiting on a new release of the UDM and I'll be good to go.

DACP is reasonably harsh and AIO is not a polish at all. AIO is a pre-sealant cleaner. It's not really abrasive, it just cleans oxidation and crap off the paint and prepares it for SG.

Sractch-X is more of a hand polish.

I would use Menzerna FP -> AIO -> SG.

Ok, I got that completely wrong. Let's try again.
BTW, does the DACP do the same thing as the Scratch-X? What about the Menzerna FP? Is it this stuff?
http://www.autogeek.net/menzerna-final-polish.html

Fine
-Pinnacle Advanced Finishing Polish
-Klasse AIO (but not really a polish)

Harsh
-Meguiar's Dual Action Cleaner Polish
-Pinnacle Advanced Swirl Remover
-Optimum Polish


In addition, I already have Zaino polish and 3m SMR. Are they even worth using?

I think you are confusing cutting compounds with cleaners :hs:

Why not stick with one company? ie.. Optimum or Meguires? Why the mix/matching?

Unfortunately I'm not that familiar with the Pinnacle and Optimum lines, so I don't really know on those. I would trust Pinnacle though...they make THE best wax. I use their clay and wax but not polish. It sounds like the Advanced finishing polish is in the right list, but the swirl remover probably isn't very harsh either.

Scratch-X is more of a hand polish...like if you don't want to apply it with a machine. At least that's what most people seem to use it for.

That is the Menzerna I was talking about. They actually make Final Polish II now, but it's really no different. You'd probably get II if you ordered that...they probably just didn't update the name.

I don't know about the Zaino. I've never really liked them because they tend to label glaze (non abrasive...covers swirls by being oily and temporarily hiding them) as polish. So I would bet that it's not very abrasive.

The 3m stuff is good and worth using. I don't know the specific product, but if it's 3m I would guess it's a bit of a glaze itself, although probably with some abrasive in it too. I was never a big fan...I like polish to be oil free...if i wanna glaze i'll glaze but let me see what the actual condition is before i do it. Tons of people use that stuff and love it though.

If you're not going for super insane autopia-level detailing then something with some oil to help hide swirls is a GOOD thing. There's nothing wrong with using that stuff at all...you just have to realize that it will wear off.

I noticed that some of the Pinnacle products need a rotary running at some pretty high rpm. I'd check their instructions before buying. ie.. make sure it's for a random or rotary. Even my rotary doesn't run at some of those high rpm values

7/30/2007 ftl :(

What are everyones thoughts on the Sonus line of products? I was reading the FAQ on Autopia and the author DavidB lays out their uses pretty clearly, which was really helpful.
http://autopia.org/forum/guide-detai...erfection.html

I would probably get the SFX-1, 2 and 3.
If I get those, I wouldn't need the AIO, would I?

I'm also probably going to buy the UDM. I was originally going to wait until the updates are all out, but I got a discount code on Autopia that is only valid for 3 days, so I want to buy my stuff now.

I'm sure it's okay. I don't see any sealers on there. The optimium combines a fine polish and sealer in one. That chart should also specify what pad should be used.

I have used them with the DAS pads and the SFX pads. The SFX pads seemed to give better results.

Sonus Wunder Wasche+Rotary at 3000 RPM FTW.

How much polish did you put on the pad?

Prinz. I got a set of the Edge pads. But I've read that they don't work well w/ the random orbitals. Have you read anything about these Edge pad having problems with straight rotary polishers?

Not a ton. I usually just make a long thin line where I want to polish

How do you clean wool pads anyway?

I noticed a lot of people selling their SFX products. Do you think it's worth buying the SFX 1 2 and 3, or do you prefer another line of products? They seem to be priced right, and with the review DavidB did I have a nice outline of how to use them.
Can I use the AIO in addition to the SFX line?


Are you waiting for the updated UDM or are you just gonna return it for updates? I think with this 15% discount I have I should buy it now and worry about updates later...
Thanks:cool:

Just read up on different products and see what ones you think you'll like the most. There aren't really any "bests", it just depends.

I personally have been really happy with Optimum and Poorboys stuff. I haven't really had a chance to try much outside of them besides stuff from Meguiars. People seem to be happy with ClearKote. Same with Menzerna. etc.

Too many products....head is spinning. They are pushing Ultimate, Ultima...I can't tell if they are good products or if they're pushing them because they're sponsors for the site :banghead:
I don't mind spending a few extra bucks if a product line has a great reputation, but there seems to be a never ending line of products, and without trying each, it's very difficult to decide.

Many peeps who use the Edge pads don't have problems with them on rotaries.

I usually put 5 dots around the pad and 1 in the center. The line doesn't always work because the distribution of polish is not equal.

:werd:

It also depends on the paint that's on the vehicle as well. Some vehicles have softer clears than others (e.g. Hondas). Some have no clearcoat (e.g. Lexus (Certain colors), Older VWs). Some have hard clears (e.g. Nissan). Some have ceramic based clears (e.g. Mercedes, BMW)

You have to learn which polish is going to give you the best bang for the buck on your surface.

So after doing some searching, I'm seeing lots of positive reviews for the Ultima Paint Prep Plus and Paint Guard Plus

http://www.autopia-carcare.com/ultima.html

This stuff is expensive, but the reviews make me think it's worth it.......The only thing I don't understand is why people apply it by hand. I thought you always used a machine to apply wax/sealant....???

:headspin:

I have used AIO in addition to the SFX line. The results turned out pretty good. I have also used AIO in addition to DACP and Menzerna.

I would recommend scoring a sample to see if you like the product before you buy. More oft than not, you will find peeps willing to trade items on Autopia.

Well I'm going out of town, and wanted to get this 15% discount before it expired, so I just plopped down some dough....here's my order:

UDM, with DAS pad bundle and bonnet
Clay Magic
Ultima Paint Prep Plus
Ultima Paint Guard Plus

If I'm not satisfied, they always have their 100% satisfaction return policy ;)

Let me know if you get it today, how to pay, and how fast you can get it to me. If you are busy, I can PP and you can throw it in the mail.

lol
got it today
I'll drop it off at your house tomorrow after class (11:30ish)


If you want you can just leave money/check in a super secret location ( :noes: )

I'm like a little kid at Christmas with my stuff :D

Wee! How much again? I forgot where I left the $ last time. haha

BTW the Avalon will prob be outside. You can inspect my crappy wool pad/Optimum job. There's still swirls marks. Don't know if it's the wool pad or the technique (ie.. too much angle on the pad while polishing)

I'm not sure off the top of my head, I have the receipt upstairs (MSN is also upstairs... if it's even signed on). Lemme get it later tonight :hs:

Jeffy: Can I see some pics of the Avalon to get an idea?

If I can manage to take some decent pics, sure.

Jeffro, it was

Edge 2K Drive Adapter 5/8" Thread $17.99
Optimum Car Wax $15.99
the shipping for those two was $8.99

(the actual order was $177.91 plus shipping was $18.99 lol, so I ordered more)


$33.98 for the two things plus $4 shipping?

$40 it is. Hmmm now where to hide it?

meebe Gone took some? :noes:

:noes:

I only had my phone :o

the swirls aren't nearly as noticeable in person

http://uploader.ws/upload/200707/0731071138.jpg

http://uploader.ws/upload/200707/0731071139b.jpg

Thanks for the pics and cropping the rock chips. But yeah, those are the swirls I left.

This is after using the Optimium compound then Optimum polish w/ the wool pad.

Maybe I need the Poliseal and a foam? Or Optimum polish with foam?

I didn't crop/edit anything lol, just resized them :wiggle:

I haven't used the poli-seal yet but I think you may have to use Optimum Polish for those. I'd try the Poli-Seal first then step up if it isn't cutting it.

After reading the Polish directions, it says you can use both a wool or light foam pad. but using the foam pad would remove lighter imperfections.

I guess I'll try a foam pad and Polish so see what happens on the Avalon.

On the G, I'll use a foam and Poli-Seal as said. I was examining the swirls on the g and they are pretty minor. But there are some light rubs/scratches where I might have to do some spot polish with the Polish or compound the following the poli-seal.