Confused with which route to go

S

solarafied

New member
Please Excuse me if this question has been asked before. I have been using the search feature a lot and gained a lot of knowledge so far but still have additional ques. Btw I lurk here more than I actually post.



First of all I have been trying to take very good care of my now three month old car, but still have a lot left to learn. I was literally mortified last night when I was filling my car up with gas and noticed some very fine scratches in my metallic paint. Of course you can't see these scratches in natural light, but with those gas station overhead lights you can see definitely see them. I honestly believe I did not get them from washing as I use chenile was mitts, two bucket wash method, don't wash in circular motion, use Gold Glass shampoo etc. I believe I got them from that dreadful "Absorber". I have since stopped using that and have switched to WW towels. I have felt I have read up on how much of a benefit a PC can be and am ready to see if it makes a difference in my paint finish. Since my finish is fairly new I am understanding I don't need to go the agressive route with polishes. Will the 1ZMP suffice? If I only plan to polish my car can I just stick to using the white pads with a PC? Is there a need to purchase all of the other pads then?Or does it make sense just to stick to a hand polish and if that doesn't work go with a PC? Thanks in advance for your help.
 
A quick search on "polishing" or "Porter Cable" will give you countless threads with answers to your questions.



Are the scratches/swirls all over the car? From your description I would guess that it's not severe. Otherwise you would have noticed it in normal lighting conditions. If they're all over, a PC with Meg's #83 or #9 and a white LC polish pad will remedy your problem rather quickly. If you're up to it, and your scratches/swirls are isolated to specific areas, try removing them by hand with a few foam applicators and some #9. Just remember to use light-moderate pressure on the applicator and let the #9 do its job. It takes longer but you'll run less risk of introducing new swirls.



If you decide to go PC and pads, I'd recommend buying the LC pads. Get a couple of yellow, orange, and white. You may only use the white ones now, but you'll appreciate already having the others in the future....you will need them sooner or later

:D
 
solarafiedV6 said:
... noticed some very fine scratches in my metallic paint. Of course you can't see these scratches in natural light, but with those gas station overhead lights you can see definitely see them. I honestly believe I did not get them from washing ...Will the 1ZMP suffice? If I only plan to polish my car can I just stick to using the white pads with a PC? Is there a need to purchase all of the other pads then?Or does it make sense just to stick to a hand polish and if that doesn't work go with a PC? Thanks in advance for your help.
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I'd bet you *are* marring it when you wash. Washing without marring is a *lot* harder than most people think. FWIW, I don't believe the GC shampoo has sufficient lubricity to wash without marring (using the techniques most poeple employ). Remember that when you wash, you're moving abrasive dirt over the paint; it's a pretty tricky thing to do correctly. The WW *will* help with the drying, but do as much "blotting" as you can as opposed to "wiping".



The 1Z polishes are great for what you're dealing with; they work OK by hand and great with the PC. Whether or not the MP will work is just guesswork, but *I* would guess that you oughta get the Paint Polish *and* the MP so you're prepared. I'd also get a cutting pad and a few extra polishing ones (if you buy the PC). By hand, terry and foam both work well with 1Z polishes, and you can also use MFs.
 
Accumulator,

You say you don't believe the GC shampoo provides sufficient lubricity. I was thinking of buying some now that I'm topping with a carnauba. I'm currently using Perls. Does that provide enough lubricity? What are some other washes that are slick enough? Thanks.
 
loco said:
Accumulator,

You say you don't believe the GC shampoo provides sufficient lubricity. I was thinking of buying some now that I'm topping with a carnauba. I'm currently using Perls. Does that provide enough lubricity? What are some other washes that are slick enough? Thanks.
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Haven't tried the Perls, but people whose opinions I respect give it a :up . I use Griot's Car Wash ($30/gallon). There are others with good lubricity and other benefits, but that's the one I stick with (in part because of the gallon pricing- I use a lot). It's gentle on my LSPs and just generally works well for me.
 
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