Getting ready for Spring cleaning, need advice on foam gun, polishing

[simplybao]

It's getting warm outside and I'm dying to try out some of my new products. However, I'm still quite the newbie so I'm coming you all for advice. My partner thinks that I've become obsessed.



Anyway, I have some questions that I hope you can help me with.



I just acquired a Gilmour variable ratio foam gun. Sweet, but now what? LOL. I want to use it as a pre-soak for my wash routine and pre-polish routine. What ratio do I set the foam gun on?



For pre-soak for car wash:



I have no idea how much product to use in the gun. For wash shampoo I have Hi Temp Bubble bath, Optimum car wash, ONR, and Meg's Gold Class shampoo (I like car wash shampoo



I've read that you can put APC in it to help remove wax, etc... So if I use APC, how much do I put in it? And how long do I let it sit? I have Hi Temp APC and Optimum Power Clean. What ratio do I set the foam gun on?



On to polishing. I was wavering with buying a PC but I have a Cyclo and the general advice that you all have given me is that the Cyclo is better. So I'm sticking with it and I'm getting the edge quick connect adapter and pads. I've got green and orange pads. I have not yet mastered the usage of the Cyclo yet and have only tried it a few times. I got great results on my yellow jeep, but I've had problems with my black cadillac (seems to have soft paint). I think that my issue has been using the wrong product combo.



Should I also make a purchase of Blue and Yellow pads for the Cyclo? I believe Yellow is more aggressive than Orange and blue is between orange and green?



Last year, all I had was 1z PP and Pasta Intensiv. My procedure last year was wash, clay, polish with Pasta Intensiv on orange then follow on with 1z PP. I thought that 1z PP was going to be the finish polish, but I think I need something that has a finer cut, so I went ahead and bought 1z HG. In the mean time, I'm making a purchase of Gloss-It One Step Machine Polish. I've read some great things about it and it being specifically designed for the Cyclo.



The black cadillac has minor swirls and I'm not striving for perfection. I know that's an autopian sin, but it's a daily driver, and I think I'll drive myself nuts trying to keep it perfect. I just want to remove the swirling that I've induced before learning the correct wash methods and have 80 - 90% paint correction.



So after I've polished, should I wash the car or do an IPA wipedown of the entire car before applying LSP? I've been reading lots of posts the past couple of days on IPA wipe downs and some do it, some don't.



If I do a wash after the polish, should I wash with one of my shampoo's or should I use Dawn, or just foam it with the APC?



As far as LSP, I have Collinite, Pinnacle XMT, and TOL Trade Secret.



I think that one of my problems is that I've read too much Autopia. I've gotten well stocked with product and now, I may have too many choices, LOL. Not a bad problem to have, but it does get confusing to someone as green as I am.



I think I need to find a set of products and stick to it. I am only a hobbyist, and I think I have enough supplies to start a business on the side, LOL.

 

[Accumulator]

..I just acquired a Gilmour variable ratio foam gun. Sweet, but now what? LOL. I want to use it as a pre-soak for my wash routine and pre-polish routine. What ratio do I set the foam gun on?



For pre-soak for car wash:



I have no idea how much product to use in the gun. For wash shampoo I have Hi Temp Bubble bath, Optimum car wash, ONR, and Meg's Gold Class shampoo

I never get much out of the presoak, it's a little helpful but it's about it.



NOTING THAT I DO THE FOAMGUN THING DIFFERENTLY FROM MANY PEOPLE:



I mix up a gallon of concentrate- ~6 ounces of shampoo and the rest water. I fill the foamgun from that and use different settings at the gun depending on how strong a mix I think I need.



IME it's not all *that* critical which setting you use as long as your shampoo isn't too harsh.



I use the foamgun to provide constant flushing and lubrication, aiming its output at the point where the wash media contact the paint.

I've read that you can put APC in it to help remove wax, etc... So if I use APC, how much do I put in it? And how long do I let it sit? I have Hi Temp APC and Optimum Power Clean. What ratio do I set the foam gun on?

I dunno...I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't worry much about the remaining wax, just use a strong shampoo mix and see if it's an issue when you start polishing (probably won't be but if it is you can use IPA to compromise the remaining LSP).

Should I also make a purchase of Blue and Yellow pads for the Cyclo? I believe Yellow is more aggressive than Orange and blue is between orange and green?

"No" on the yellow, "maybe" on the blue. I don't think you'll need the yellow if you already have the orange.



I do think you oughta have something milder than the green, especially for the Cadillac, either Cyclo brand white or blue.

Last year, all I had was 1z PP and Pasta Intensiv. My procedure last year was wash, clay, polish with Pasta Intensiv on orange then follow on with 1z PP. I thought that 1z PP was going to be the finish polish, but I think I need something that has a finer cut, so I went ahead and bought 1z HG. In the mean time, I'm making a purchase of Gloss-It One Step Machine Polish. I've read some great things about it and it being specifically designed for the Cyclo

No experience with Gloss-It, and Meguiar's M105 has pretty much replaced my 1Z Pasta Intensiv.



You might want to try the 1Z HG with a milder pad than the green one, at least on the Cadillac. IF its paint is really soft you might need a finishing polish with less initial cut, maybe Menzerna FPII.

So after I've polished, should I wash the car or do an IPA wipedown of the entire car before applying LSP? I've been reading lots of posts the past couple of days on IPA wipe downs and some do it, some don't.

I wouldn't think it necessary if you use the 1Z HG (and don't use excessive product). I hardly *ever* do IPA wipe-downs, basically I just don't do 'em period. Unless you have a specific reason for needing to do it, I wouldn't bother.

If I do a wash after the polish, should I wash with one of my shampoo's or should I use Dawn, or just foam it with the APC?

Depends what you want to do. I'd use regular shampoo but you could use Dawn if you're concerned about polishing oils. I dunno...why strip off any concealing agents if you're not shooting for 100% perfection? This sounds like another step I wouldn't do unless you have a specific reason for it; I'd just polish and then apply the wax.

I think that one of my problems is that I've read too much Autopia.

I agree ...you're making this more complicated than I think it needs to be. Wash, clay, maybe rewash, polish, wax. No APC, no Dawn..I'd spend more time inspecting your progress and making sure things are going smoothly and less time doing a lot of different steps.

 

[simplybao]

Accumulator, thanks for the response. I've learned so much from you.



I can't wait to try out this out again. I'll be sure to post up my results.



One more question about cyclo pad aggressiveness. Is this the order of strength for the pads, from most aggressive to least?



Wool --> Yellow --> Orange --> Green --> Blue --> White?



And thank you for your patience. I must be driving you nuts with my questions.

 

[Accumulator]

One more question about cyclo pad aggressiveness. Is this the order of strength for the pads, from most aggressive to least?



Wool --> Yellow --> Orange --> Green --> Blue --> White?..

Yeah, that's the progression with *Cyclo* brand pads.



Sorry, when I posted my previous reply I was thinking blue *SONUS*/Edge finishing pads. I've used the blue 4" Sonus pads as finishing pads on the Cyclo with 1Z HG and that worked well for burnishing hard clear.



I haven't tried the bue *Cyclo* brand pads (assuming they're different :nixweiss ).



The white Cyclo brand 4" finishing pads are kinda aggressive as finishing pads go. I doubt they're *too* aggressive for anything you're doing, but they're not like LC brand gray/black/red/gold finishing pads (they're more aggressive than that but as long as they're functionally nonabrasive I guess it doesn't really matter).

 

[simplybao]

Thanks! I've placed my order for the pads