imported_ThreeSixT
New member
Anyone with a European Car used this yet? I'm interested in any reviews and procedures that you have used. I just bought two orange power pads, but am looking into the green giant as well. Thanks.
Green Giant Polishing Pad
- Thread starter imported_ThreeSixT
- Start date
never got any response on the GG pads. Probably still too new plus winter is upon us.
Will buy 1 from CMA next spring to try. From what I read, its comparable to the black or charcoal gray one from Lake Country Mfg i.e. more suited for lite polishes and waxes and sealants. Also, GG costs 2X as much. This hobby is getting more expensive all the time.
Will buy 1 from CMA next spring to try. From what I read, its comparable to the black or charcoal gray one from Lake Country Mfg i.e. more suited for lite polishes and waxes and sealants. Also, GG costs 2X as much. This hobby is getting more expensive all the time.
tom p.
Active member
jmsc said:
Yeah, there's no end to it.
I will probably pick up one of the Giant Green pads to check it out. It looks somewhat interesting and some of my old Meguiar's pads are starting to disintegrate due to age.
Bill D
Hooked For Life
I wasn't thrilled with the orange pads ( and that wasn't even on my Audi, which is supposed to have fairly difficult paint) so I am pessimistic about the green as well, I 'll wait until some autopians with German cars post positive reviews about it and if a site other than CMA starts selling them.
imported_ThreeSixT
New member
So what PC pads have you had the most success with on your german paint?
Bill D
Hooked For Life
I haven't used a PC at all on my Audi yet. When I got the car I prepped it myself by hand, it has many layers of SG at the moment.Without a doubt, a black car will eventually get some marring /imperfections from use so I need to get the best pads when the need to use the PC arises. I've read a lot of success stories about the standard yellow, white, and black LC pads which I have and use on my other car. I also have the orange, which didn't do much for me in terms of correcting imperfections, but I suppose it did aid in making the paint shine more.I also hear good things about the Megs pads, I have one of those so far too.
imported_ThreeSixT
New member
Thanks for the input Bill. Let me know when you find something that works well on your Audi and I'll do the same. I just got my PC and am beginning to experiment.
Accumulator
Well-known member
I have an unused Green Giant sitting here. Not planning to do either of the Audis for a while, but I'll offer my $0.02 anyhow, at least with regard to Audis. Regulars here at Autopia will recall that I've been detailing Audis for ages, currently do two of mine and one that belongs to a friend.
I've used other, *THICK* PC pads, and yes, they ARE more gentle than the thinner ones. But this is usually NOT what is desired. The regular pads are quite gentle enough when used with a PC and the right products.
This gentleness is especially NOT what you're gonna want for a newish (current paint technology), clearcoated Audi. Despite what the CMA GG info implies (what with that A6 they show it being used on), Audi clear is HARD. I honestly believe CMA is doing a disservice by implying that ALL German clear is soft. Just not true. When an Audi DOES get swirled/scratched, getting that marring out is NOT all that easy! In fact, *I* prefer to use a rotary for significant marring on Audis (hey, life is short).
IMO, you're just NOT gonna remove any appreciable marring (from an Audi) with the GG and a PC. It will ONLY be of use for the final polishing, where you're slightly improving the gloss after the flaws have already been worked out. On the Audis, the only time I'd use it would be for the final passes with my 1Z polishes.
I've used other, *THICK* PC pads, and yes, they ARE more gentle than the thinner ones. But this is usually NOT what is desired. The regular pads are quite gentle enough when used with a PC and the right products.
This gentleness is especially NOT what you're gonna want for a newish (current paint technology), clearcoated Audi. Despite what the CMA GG info implies (what with that A6 they show it being used on), Audi clear is HARD. I honestly believe CMA is doing a disservice by implying that ALL German clear is soft. Just not true. When an Audi DOES get swirled/scratched, getting that marring out is NOT all that easy! In fact, *I* prefer to use a rotary for significant marring on Audis (hey, life is short).
IMO, you're just NOT gonna remove any appreciable marring (from an Audi) with the GG and a PC. It will ONLY be of use for the final polishing, where you're slightly improving the gloss after the flaws have already been worked out. On the Audis, the only time I'd use it would be for the final passes with my 1Z polishes.
imported_ThreeSixT
New member
Great info, thanks. Just what I was lookin for. Can you be more specific about the pads and products that you've had the most success with when using a PC? Thanks.
Bill D
Hooked For Life
Accumulator, thanks very much !:bow
blackmagicgti
New member
What about VWs? My limited edition Black Magic Pearl paint seems really soft and as far as being quite prone to damage (i.e, horrible water spots on roof from when I was on vacation).
Thanks!
Thanks!
togwt
The Old Grey Whistle Test
~One man’s opinion~
On the MBs and other German cars all I’ve ever used was a (CMA) White pad, PC speed 4 no complaints thus far. I had some German colleges staying a few weeks ago and they picked up the PC and after asking what the colours meant made an identical selection (White pad, same speed) I asked them about ‘soft’ German clear coat they didn’t think theirs were any softer than anyone else’s.
IMO I think vendors have to come up with new products to make a living, so new product + hype (hopefully) = Sales
Experience unshared; is knowledge wasted…/
~ justadumbarchitect ~so I question everything ~
On the MBs and other German cars all I’ve ever used was a (CMA) White pad, PC speed 4 no complaints thus far. I had some German colleges staying a few weeks ago and they picked up the PC and after asking what the colours meant made an identical selection (White pad, same speed) I asked them about ‘soft’ German clear coat they didn’t think theirs were any softer than anyone else’s.
IMO I think vendors have to come up with new products to make a living, so new product + hype (hopefully) = Sales
Experience unshared; is knowledge wasted…/
~ justadumbarchitect ~so I question everything ~
Accumulator
Well-known member
For cars with "normal" basecoat/clearcoat, that is, NOT as hard as Audis have (or Mazda silver, that stuff is *HARD*, like white single stage Imron!) just go with the "usual" pads from Lake, Meguiar's and Griot's.
Lake pads are available from CMA and TOL. Meguiar's pads are available MANY places. Griot's pads are available from Griot's. When used with a PC, the subtle differences between the different manufacturers' pads ("variable contact" vs. flat, etc.) really aren't very significant.
As TOGWT said, the regular "white CMA"/"polishing" pad is the general choice for most operations. I haven't tried their "orange power pad", but opinions on it vary. The equivalent polishing pad from Meg's (pn 8006) is also good and is the usual choice fo those who prefer Meguiar's products. Griot's orange pad is a bit more aggressive than either of those, but still not TOO aggressive- I myself really like it for a general purpose polishing/glazing pad.
For removing REAL swirls and minor scratches, you really need a "cutting" pad, like the Lake/CMA yellow or the Meg's burgundy (pn 7006, as I recall). The PC is SO gentle that these pads are often (usually? *I* would say so..) required to remove the sort of marring that most people deal with using the PC.
As far as products go, for Audis I've had good results with 3M and 1Z. There are a lot of other good choices out there, but these are the ones *I* have had good results with. I especially like that they don't need to be worked too long for their abrasives to diminish to the extent that they do.
I use 3M's PI-II (pn 39002) and PI-III (pn 05933) FCRCs and PI-III MG (pn 05937). The 05937 is sorta the "standard recommendation" product for many applications, but it's usually a little too mild to remove ALL of a car's marring, hence the RCs- which are milder than most people might expect. If you have trouble with polish residue from the 3M stuff, you can remove it with Final Inspection or AIO.
I've recently started switching to the 1Z line of polishes. The Ultra (most aggressive) is good for mild scratches, but you MUST follow up with a milder product as it WILL leave marring of its own. It's more aggressive than the abovementioned 3M RCs. The "regular" 1Z polish is "Paint Polish" (in the green can). Similar to the 3M MG, but easier to use (no hard to remove residue). The mildest 1z polish is "Metallic Polish" (in the red can)and it contains a little wax. It is VERY mild, don't plan on removing any swirls with it. The 1Z polishes have a LOT of oils and (I think) some fillers, but that shouldn't be a problem unless you're using Zaino (then you'd need to remove the oils after polishing). I've put MANY different final-step products over the 1Z polishes and there were no problems with bonding or anything else. All-in-all, I really like the 1Z polishes.
Lake pads are available from CMA and TOL. Meguiar's pads are available MANY places. Griot's pads are available from Griot's. When used with a PC, the subtle differences between the different manufacturers' pads ("variable contact" vs. flat, etc.) really aren't very significant.
As TOGWT said, the regular "white CMA"/"polishing" pad is the general choice for most operations. I haven't tried their "orange power pad", but opinions on it vary. The equivalent polishing pad from Meg's (pn 8006) is also good and is the usual choice fo those who prefer Meguiar's products. Griot's orange pad is a bit more aggressive than either of those, but still not TOO aggressive- I myself really like it for a general purpose polishing/glazing pad.
For removing REAL swirls and minor scratches, you really need a "cutting" pad, like the Lake/CMA yellow or the Meg's burgundy (pn 7006, as I recall). The PC is SO gentle that these pads are often (usually? *I* would say so..) required to remove the sort of marring that most people deal with using the PC.
As far as products go, for Audis I've had good results with 3M and 1Z. There are a lot of other good choices out there, but these are the ones *I* have had good results with. I especially like that they don't need to be worked too long for their abrasives to diminish to the extent that they do.
I use 3M's PI-II (pn 39002) and PI-III (pn 05933) FCRCs and PI-III MG (pn 05937). The 05937 is sorta the "standard recommendation" product for many applications, but it's usually a little too mild to remove ALL of a car's marring, hence the RCs- which are milder than most people might expect. If you have trouble with polish residue from the 3M stuff, you can remove it with Final Inspection or AIO.
I've recently started switching to the 1Z line of polishes. The Ultra (most aggressive) is good for mild scratches, but you MUST follow up with a milder product as it WILL leave marring of its own. It's more aggressive than the abovementioned 3M RCs. The "regular" 1Z polish is "Paint Polish" (in the green can). Similar to the 3M MG, but easier to use (no hard to remove residue). The mildest 1z polish is "Metallic Polish" (in the red can)and it contains a little wax. It is VERY mild, don't plan on removing any swirls with it. The 1Z polishes have a LOT of oils and (I think) some fillers, but that shouldn't be a problem unless you're using Zaino (then you'd need to remove the oils after polishing). I've put MANY different final-step products over the 1Z polishes and there were no problems with bonding or anything else. All-in-all, I really like the 1Z polishes.
blackmagicgti
New member
Thanks for the informative post. I am going to be getting a PC 7336 soon and was going to get:
All Lake Country ones at 7.5"
2: White
2: Yellow
2: grey
2: terry buffing
from TOL and was going to get Menzerna FP and IP as a start but thanks again for the help. I was a bit sketchy about having to buy the green giant pad.
All Lake Country ones at 7.5"
2: White
2: Yellow
2: grey
2: terry buffing
from TOL and was going to get Menzerna FP and IP as a start but thanks again for the help. I was a bit sketchy about having to buy the green giant pad.
imported_ThreeSixT
New member
Thanks again Accumulator. Great Post. I was thinking of trying the 1Z products but didnt have any solid info. You have made me a believer. :xyxthumbs
Nick@DParadise
New member
I use 1Z Metallic and a white polishing pad on my silver TT. I am very careful about not introducing swirls and damage to the finish, so I polish maybe once every nine months. The Metallic/white combo is exactly what I need to remove minor spider webbing. If your car is a daily driver, or a dark color, you may need to go a bit more aggressive.
My experience is that Accumulator is right no the money here. Our Audi has a very hard clear coat that seldomly shows swirls and only needs an annual pass of 3M SMR with a Griot's orange pad, which is about the same as a white Lake pad. In fact this last year, I've only used GEPC by DA and it's more than enough.
My BMW needs two or three annual passes with DACP or Menzerna IP and the bumpers seem to respond best to Menzerna Power Gloss, (which I really like on softer paints with a DA polisher).
I doubt that Audi and VW have any differences in paint, at least for German built VW's, I would guess that Mexican assembled Dubs have softer paint, but that's purely a guess.
Ben
My BMW needs two or three annual passes with DACP or Menzerna IP and the bumpers seem to respond best to Menzerna Power Gloss, (which I really like on softer paints with a DA polisher).
I doubt that Audi and VW have any differences in paint, at least for German built VW's, I would guess that Mexican assembled Dubs have softer paint, but that's purely a guess.
Ben
imported_ThreeSixT
New member
Well, my 02 paint is very succeptible to swirls and spider webbing. Maybe the paint IS softer now. I am constantly having to fight them. I had the same problem with my dark blue 2001 VW Passat.
Bill D
Hooked For Life
Hmmm...do you use automatic car washes? If not, how do you wash your car? Sheepskin washmitts have been the best I've used.
Accumulator
Well-known member
Nick@DParadise- Whatever marring you're removing from your TT must be VERY minor! Congrats on having such a good washing/drying regimen that you don't get REAL marring :xyxthumbs
blackmagicgti - Unless you've tried the Lake 7.5" pads, maybe you oughta get some 6-6.5" ones too. SOME people find the 7.5" ones vibrate too much for them. BTW, *I* would skip the terry bonnets. I you want to do removal-by-machine, *I* would rather go with the MF bonnets from Meguiar's.
ThreeSixT- Interesting about how your paint is very susceptible to swirls...one of the Audis I do regularly is an '02 and its (silver) paint is HARD. I can't fully remove the marring using a PC without employing VERY harsh products (I use a rotary instead, easier on the paint in the long run). The paint's so hard I wonder how it gets swirled in the first place, but it sure does!
I think what usually happens is that people cause swirls when they wash/dry/etc. and then can't remove the marring because they aren't being aggressive enough with the polishing/compounding.
After a few years of use, I had NO swirls on the S8 (only had a few since new) prior to the "deer incident", but my friend's '02 A6 4.2 is ALWAYS marred up. They once said "its paint must be fragile", but having polished it, I assured them that the paint was VERY hard, they were just swirling/scratching it. It simply doesn't get washed/dried properly. My S8 DOES get washed properly (shampoo mix siphon-fed through the hose, hose nozzle INSIDE the wash mitt for constantly running lubrication, several mitts per wash, etc., etc.) so it doesn't get marred. It takes me a LONG time to wash it, but not as long as it takes to polish out swirls.
blackmagicgti - Unless you've tried the Lake 7.5" pads, maybe you oughta get some 6-6.5" ones too. SOME people find the 7.5" ones vibrate too much for them. BTW, *I* would skip the terry bonnets. I you want to do removal-by-machine, *I* would rather go with the MF bonnets from Meguiar's.
ThreeSixT- Interesting about how your paint is very susceptible to swirls...one of the Audis I do regularly is an '02 and its (silver) paint is HARD. I can't fully remove the marring using a PC without employing VERY harsh products (I use a rotary instead, easier on the paint in the long run). The paint's so hard I wonder how it gets swirled in the first place, but it sure does!
I think what usually happens is that people cause swirls when they wash/dry/etc. and then can't remove the marring because they aren't being aggressive enough with the polishing/compounding.
After a few years of use, I had NO swirls on the S8 (only had a few since new) prior to the "deer incident", but my friend's '02 A6 4.2 is ALWAYS marred up. They once said "its paint must be fragile", but having polished it, I assured them that the paint was VERY hard, they were just swirling/scratching it. It simply doesn't get washed/dried properly. My S8 DOES get washed properly (shampoo mix siphon-fed through the hose, hose nozzle INSIDE the wash mitt for constantly running lubrication, several mitts per wash, etc., etc.) so it doesn't get marred. It takes me a LONG time to wash it, but not as long as it takes to polish out swirls.