To heck with it. I need to quit procrastinating.

I have $240 I can spend > total, with shipping + handle. Of course if anyone knows about any online coupons, discounts, or free ship + handle, that would be all good too.

Anyway, I think I want to start with this G110 {not much with the kit, but at least I don't get a bunch of crap I don't need}
http://www.autodetailingsolutions.net/g110-kit-1.html

That gives me about $90 more that I can spend on a few more foam pads, some coarser polish, some finishing polish, and some wax. {but don't forget ship + handle + maybe tax ?}
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh, so what jobs do I have waiting ? First off is the "test vehicle".... my little Hyundai, which is 3 years old, and has about a bazillion micro-scratches. It's never been polished. Only hand waxed.
On it, I'm thinking, a coarser polish, then a finishing polish, then wax.

With my baby (my F150 ) on the other hand, which is only 1 year old, and in pretty good shape, I'm thinking, just straight to the finishing polish, then wax.

Or, do I need to wait however much longer, until my budget is $300 ?

Any help will be much appreciated,
Fish

 

What would you change here ?



I know... I went just over my $240 limit. It appears as though ship + handle is free... unless they surprise me on the last page.

Oh also, are they going to charge me tax ? I live in CA, while ADS is in AZ. You used to get by with this on internet orders, but not so much anymore.
Just didn't want to fill out all of my personal info, only to find out I can't afford the order right now.

Are the 6.5" pads okay ? Or should I get the 7"s ? {those appear in the descriptions, to be a bit more agressive though, for whatever reason}

BTW, the the Cutting pad, and the 12 oz M95 speed cut, are for just a few small spots (scrubs and scratches) on the car... not the truck.

Fish

PS, And I had to add 32 oz of Hyperdressing for the tires. Getting closer to $300 by the minute ! Oh, and Black Wow for the trim. Are we there yet ?

 

with tax and california shipping

 

You don't need cutting pads with a DA. They will marr and then you're going to have to polish that out too. If anything, get a 4 inch set from justin.

95 is alright, pretty aggressive. It acts more like a traditional polish, but i'd think you'd be happy with 105/205. I'm really starting to like OPT products and i could definitely recommend those too!

7 can be very frisky to work with. I've never had a problem with it but i know alot of people that have.

 

he might want a cutting pad if he ever uses MF bonnets

 

I've used cutting pads successfully on a DA though a lot of people don't like to. I'd drop the G110 and pick up the 7424XP. Then pick up the smaller backing plate and use smaller pads. Rick carries the 6.5", 5.5" and the 4" pads as well. The 4" LC pads work better and are cheaper. Unless you want the Meguiars pads. RP really likes the Meg's So1o pad with 105. Whatever pads you choose, Meg's 105 and 205 should get you the results you're looking for. For wax, use whatever you want. Nxt 2.0, #26... 64 oz is a lot of #7 showcar glaze. If you've never used it before make sure you like it before you buy so much. you can even purchase that local sometimes. I'd just get the small bottle with your order. It'll last you plenty long. If you want a sealant that lasts pretty long, try some of the Optimum Opti Seal. Rick carries that now as well.

If it was my order it'd go something like this...

PC 7424xp (with appropriate backing plate and adapter)
4" LC pads (Atleast 3 white, 2 orange, 2 black)
105/205
7 if you want it
OptiSeal
26

That would put you at about $280 before shipping.

 

I'd add a gallon of Hyper Dressing too

 

Exactly the kind of informed responses I was hoping for.

I will change my small bottle of #95, to 105.

Also, I'll drop the cutting pad. I guess I can still use the 105 on a polishing pad, right ? Oh.... but once I do, can that pad be cleaned, so that I could use, say 205, on it afterwards ?

I'll go to a smaller bottle of #7 Showcar glaze.
BTW 1badstx, you said Did you mean "risky" ? How so ? This product is not even supposed to remove anything from the surface, is it ?

And BTW, since we are here (and please don't crucify me for this ....but I don't plan to use a glaze first.... and then wax too. It's one or the other. I don't have time to go over the whole car / truck, like 4 or 5 or 9 times like some guys do. {the fish are not going to wait for me }
So, wax ? Glaze ? Or an "in-between product" {which are never as good, right ?}

I'm thinking 105 on a couple parts of the car..... 205 on the whole thing, then "either" a good wax, or a good glaze. Same on the truck, except skip the 105.

ESF, you prefer Porter Cable over Meguiars machines, huh ? Anything you can put your finger on ? Or just personal preference ? I see I can get the PC for about the same cost....

I will check the latest responses tonight after work, then try to make an order.

Much thanks again,
Fish

 

Fish, I have read some things on the various polishes/waxes ect. I may be wrong but 1badstx MIGHT be saying that #7 can be hard to work with. Some of these polishes/sealers/waxes ect have varied working times, so #7 may tend to harden faster making it harder to work with and remove than another. I may be wrong though, but I think I have read that with 105 at times.

 

I think he meant "frisky" because the larger the pad the harder it can be to use and control especially in tight places.

Depending on how many different products you use, you should have a different pad or 2 at a minimum. Wet pads will give you problems so you cant use one and wash it out and use it again damp.
If you use a mild pad with 105 it finishes up nearly LSP ready.
Once you get your paint right you will not need 105 very often.

Wax or glaze? For your purposes you would probably like an AIO (all in one) like Poli-Seal and I would also recommend Opti-Seal as an LSP for time saving quality results.

esf is a G110 hater. There was a batch of bad machines when they first came out that was corrected and he has never forgiven them. In order of power the 7424 is the weakest, then the G110, the 7424XP and then the Flex. The 7424XP is going for $119 at Autogeek which is a very good price.

If I were you I would go to Walmart or Pep Boys and buy NXT wax if you are on a budget and save money for the extra pads if you dont go with Opti-Seal and Poli-Seal.

Good Luck!
The rabbit hole is deep.

 

When Lumadar did my truck last winter, he used 105 in spots, 205 on the whole thing, then M21 2.0 (which is essentially the same thing as NXT).

 

If your hyundai or F150 has dark paint you'll definitely want to try #7. True it can be finicky to work with, but if you work small sections applying a very thin coat you shouldn't have any problems. I like to apply it by hand using foam pads and remove it with ultimate wipes.


But whatever you decide, remember to do a test spot first. You don't want to do the whole vehicle just to find out you didn't get the results you were looking for.

Here's what #7 did for my black paint. This is polish only, no wax.



With all that said, you're list is good so far. But what about the rest of the vehicle? Someone mentioned hyperdressing, i too am a huge fan of it.

 

Old Dogg is correct, well, for the most part. I don't hate the G110. There were jsut so many horror stories about them dying within a few hours that I wouldn't chance it. A lot of people will say that it was just a certain round of G110s that came out. I'm skeptical. Some guys have had one break, had it replaced and then had that one break shortly after. Meg's customer service is very good from what I understand but it's just not something I would want to deal with. Especially if it's your only machine and it leaves you hung out to dry half way through a detail. That said, the new 7424xp has a bit more power with the added benefit of the Porter Cable name which is known for being pretty reliable.

I believe 1badstx was referring to #7 being notorious for being difficult to apply. I have never used it but if I remember correctly, I believe it tends to streak real bad if not applied right. Don't hold me to that though. I'm not positive.

As for wax or glaze. There's synthetic waxes (sealants), carnauba wax, and there are glazes. Glazes typically do not offer much protection but do enhance the appearance and can offer hide some imperfections to a point. Sealants are known for lasting longer but not providing the look of a carnauba. This is why you see a lot of people using all three. What you use is up to you but I wouldn't use a glaze as a last step.

Old Dogg also mentioned an AIO (all in one) product. Specifically Optimum Poli-Seal. This is a cleaner, very light polish and wax in one. Poli-seal is pretty awesome but don't expect it to remove many imperfections such as swirls. On the Meg's side of the spectrum there is D151 Paint Reconditioning Cream (PRC). This is another AIO product with a bit more bite to remove swirls than Poli Seal but it doesn't offer the slickness or protection that Poli Seal does. There are ofcourse others from different companies as well but for the sake of simplicity I won't get in to them.

To enforce what Old Dogg said about pads. You can clean them but they won't dry out in time to use them during the same detail. This is why you want a few on hand. What I do, and I realize this isn't feasible for everyone, but I like to have two of each pad on hand for each step I do. If I'm using 105 with a white pad, I want atleast two white pads on hand just for that, just incase. Then if I'm following up with 205 I want another two pads for that. This assures me that I can tackle whatever I may come across. If I tear a pad on a sharp corner I can swap one out. If I get it caked up with product beyond being able to clean it up, I can swap it out for a new one. That said, with LC pads, white is going to be the workhorse pad which you'll use way more than any other pad.

Don't let my post earlier scare you away from the G110 if you have your heart set on it. More people have had success with the machine than have had problems I'm sure. If I had a choice though, I'd go for the 7424XP. The reputation of Porter Cable and the extra power being the selling point. It's also supposed to be a much smoother machine than the old 7424 was. I can't compare it to the G110, though.

 

The whole 7 thing is that sometimes it is just a PITA to remove....

 

Spread #7 THIN THIN THIN THIN THIN and you won't have problems. Put it on too thick and/or work it in too long and it gets gummy and absolutely miserable to work with.