1st time using my PC, 2005 Subaru STi

R

Rusker

New member
After reading enough reviews I went with the PC 7424XP. The "Action Polisher Intro Kit " from detailcity.



Porter Cable 7424XP Dual Action Orbital Polisher

5" Flexible Velcro Backing Plate

Lake Country CCS 6.5" Orange Foam Cutting Pad

Lake Country CCS 6.5" White Foam Polishing Pad

Lake Country CCS 6.5" Black Foam Finishing Pad

Lake Country CCS 6.5" Blue Foam Finessing Pad







I'd like to get used to the PC before I attempt any serious paint correction. How abrasive is starting with the Orange pad? Should I start with this pad, or just move up to white this time around until I get used to the PC?



Without really trying out different products myself I'm still not sure what brand to go with. I'm leaning towards just trying the Meguire line for now, and see if I like the results. I'm also able to just buy this stuff locally ( I hope ), and not have to wait around for UPS.



What should I start with? A slight paint correction, polish and wax is what I'm looking to do this time around.
 
I would play around with a light polish and the black or white pad until you get the hang of it. Maybe pic up some SwirlX locally.





Congrats on the purchase! :2thumbs:
 
Im pretty new to the detailing game and also have the 7424 but i have hex-logic pads. I started with just the light cutting (white) pad with CG pro-polish, then today finally moved to the orange cutting with some Meguires swirl remover and it turned out great!
 
Sounds like a good idea. Just start with SwirlX, then move onto a polish and wax?



Which pad is more abrasive? White or Black?
 
tourdesvt99 said:
Im pretty new to the detailing game and also have the 7424 but i have hex-logic pads. I started with just the light cutting (white) pad with CG pro-polish, then today finally moved to the orange cutting with some Meguires swirl remover and it turned out great!
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Did you start with white to get the hang of it, then move to a more abrasive pad? Orange is a lot more abrasive than white, correct?
 
You have them listed in your OP from most to least aggressive. After SwirlX you can go right to wax.
 
You will be suprised how much imperfections the white pad and a good cutting polish will take out. In my experience Subaru clear coat is really soft, especially my 09 Impreza's clear. If I were you I'd skip the SwirlX and order yourself some good polish for use with your PC. You will find out that the PC is VERY easy to use and control and you will be buffing away in no time. I'd suggest either of these two to start: Meguiar's M205 or Menzerna 106FA. Honestly I wouldn't waste your time with the SwirlX, I'd go straight to a good machine polish and start using the PC. Start polishing with speed 4, and when you get a good feel for the machine step it up to speed 6 and watch the imperfections melt away. If you get the M205, you could use your white pad first for some cutting ability, then go back around the car with your black pad to really bring out the gloss.
 
strauss said:
You will be suprised how much imperfections the white pad and a good cutting polish will take out. In my experience Subaru clear coat is really soft, especially my 09 Impreza's clear. If I were you I'd skip the SwirlX and order yourself some good polish for use with your PC. You will find out that the PC is VERY easy to use and control and you will be buffing away in no time. I'd suggest either of these two to start: Meguiar's M205 or Menzerna 106FA. Honestly I wouldn't waste your time with the SwirlX, I'd go straight to a good machine polish and start using the PC. Start polishing with speed 4, and when you get a good feel for the machine step it up to speed 6 and watch the imperfections melt away. If you get the M205, you could use your white pad first for some cutting ability, then go back around the car with your black pad to really bring out the gloss.
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Swrilx is basically the same as M205 but with slightly more cut....and it's available locally which was what the OP was asking for. :confused:
 
RaskyR1 said:
Swrilx is basically the same as M205 but with slightly more cut....and it's available locally which was what the OP was asking for. :confused:
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I didn't realize that, thanks for pointing that out. With that being said though, that Subaru clear is really soft so I don't think I'd want any more cut than M205 in a polish.
 
Well I'm still a noob with the PC, should I skip the swirlx and order the M205? If it's a better option then I'll hold off for now.



Strauss, I've also read that the subaru paint was soft, so that is why I'm trying to be really careful at first.



Thanks for all the advice so far, I really appreciate the help.
 
Rusker said:
Well I'm still a noob with the PC, should I skip the swirlx and order the M205? If it's a better option then I'll hold off for now.



Strauss, I've also read that the subaru paint was soft, so that is why I'm trying to be really careful at first.



Thanks for all the advice so far, I really appreciate the help.
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While SwirlX is a little more aggressive than M205 you would likely not be able to tell the difference. If you're ok with ordering online than I would go with the M205. The only reason I suggest SwirlX was because you said you wanted something local. It's basically the consumer version of M205. ;)
 
tourdesvt99- Welcome to Autopia! Glad to hear things went well right from the start.



Rusker- Scratch-X, Swirl-X v2.0, M205....you aren't likely to have any problems with any of those. It sounds like Subie clear is softer than it was back when I had mine, but I wouldn't worry as the PC is likely to be less aggressive than you're expecting, especially with those big 6.5" pads.
 
If the Swirl-X is really close in cut to M205, I'm sure it would be fine to use. But with that being said, I would personally order the M205 since it is good versitile polish. And BTW, you won't screw up the paint with the PC and white pad with either polish, so don't worry.
 
I just bought the same setup you have OP, with the 105/205 kit from AutoGeek.



Im curious about your results. I have finished claying the car, now ready to learn the ropes of the 7424xp.
 
I've been really busy since I posted this, and just had a wisdom tooth pulled. I should get started on it soon.



Not only do you have the same PC, you have the same car! :xyxthumbs
 
Overall I think my car turned out great. It's no where near as involved as many of the threads I've read on here, but it's a good start for me. Here is what I did:



Wash

Claybar

Wash

M205 w/ white pad

Wash

Meguires #7 Glaze (by hand)

Meguires Gold Class Wax (by hand)

Misc stuff ( wheels, wheel arcs, etc )



I knew going into this that the M205/white pad combo would not be aggressive enough to remove all of the swirls on my paint. I was ok with this because I've read that this combo will remove a good majority of the swirls, and I must say they were right. I still have a few deeper swirls on the paint, but that are hardly noticeable at all. On some panels, it appears to have corrected the paint completely!



I took some before photos, but it's hard to really see any of the correction that was done. In any case here is my car after a few days of driving it. Just a quick photo I took at work...



IMGP2494.jpg




The next time I do this I may go with a more aggressive approach with the M105/orange pad. I'd also like to try Klasse AIO instead of the #7 to see how it compares.



I'll rewax when the water quits beading up on the paint, but how often should I apply another layer of glaze? Would I need to clay the car again before I did this?



Overall, I'm extremely happy with the results. Thanks for all the help guys!
 
You may want to see what the orange pad and M205 does before using the M105. IMO you should have used the orange pad to begin with and then followed up with the white.
 
Dubbin1 said:
You may want to see what the orange pad and M205 does before using the M105. IMO you should have used the orange pad to begin with and then followed up with the white.
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I can't disagree with you on that. I know the orange was probably the way to go, but I really wanted to try the PC out with the least aggressive setup. I think instead of doing the 105/orange, I'll take your advice and use the 205 again with the orange pad. Thanks!
 
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