Help on paint...

G

genew

New member
OK..1st post here...
Am thinking about a flex or porter....
Have a BMW and everyone tells me they all have " soft " paint and be very careful about machine polish. I have several questions...
1 Have always had black or dark colors prior to now but have my first titanium metalic paint on my X 5 Bimmer. Anyone know if I have a problem using a flex or porter on it??
2 Are there any special products such as menzerna or blackfire that might be more useful or come out with better results on a titanium metalic??
3 Any opinions out there if the flex is worth the extra dollars over the porter?? This question is not only for titanium because probably will go back to darker colors later.
OK I know it's a long post especially for my first one but I need help. :D
 
First off... Welcome to TID!!!

genew said:
Have always had black or dark colors prior to now but have my first titanium metalic paint on my X 5 Bimmer. Anyone know if I have a problem using a flex or porter on it??
Click to expand...

I've done several BMW's with the PC using M105/M205. No problems whatsoever. In fact, excellent results.

Any opinions out there if the flex is worth the extra dollars over the porter?? This question is not only for titanium because probably will go back to darker colors later.
:D
Click to expand...

The Flex over the PC is pretty much a personal choice. Obviously the Flex has a lot more power so you can get the job done quicker. Both machines are very safe, so you don't really have to worry too much about buffer burn, etc.

If you are only doing your personal vehicles, you should be fine with the PC. It will take a little longer, but it's a nice machine.

If you plan to do a lot of polishing (customer cars, etc.), you may want to consider the Flex, just for the speed factor.

I like my PC, but I only do about one car per week. If I was polishing every day... FLEX!

There are others here who can answer the "dark vs. light" paint question.

Again, welcome!:D
 
Just wanted to add this:

I polished this BMW last fall. Paint was very easy to work with. (PC/M105 LC Orange, PC/M205 LC White) ... Total duration for the hood - 20 minutes.:D

1_hoodswirls.jpg


2_hood.jpg
 
genew said:
OK..1st post here...
Am thinking about a flex or porter....
Have a BMW and everyone tells me they all have " soft " paint and be very careful about machine polish. I have several questions...
1 Have always had black or dark colors prior to now but have my first titanium metalic paint on my X 5 Bimmer. Anyone know if I have a problem using a flex or porter on it??
2 Are there any special products such as menzerna or blackfire that might be more useful or come out with better results on a titanium metalic??
3 Any opinions out there if the flex is worth the extra dollars over the porter?? This question is not only for titanium because probably will go back to darker colors later.
OK I know it's a long post especially for my first one but I need help. :D
Click to expand...

Welcome Abroad genew! Just like Bill said both machines will work for you. My personal feeling goes toward the Flex.
 
I've been using a PC for about five years and just bought a Flex. If the rain ever stops, I plan to put it to work.

Any suggestions on what speed setting to use for a white pad with a mild polish? Same question for a gold or black pad with a glaze.
 
genew said:
OK..1st post here...
Am thinking about a flex or porter....
Have a BMW and everyone tells me they all have " soft " paint and be very careful about machine polish. I have several questions...
1 Have always had black or dark colors prior to now but have my first titanium metalic paint on my X 5 Bimmer. Anyone know if I have a problem using a flex or porter on it??
Click to expand...

The only time you really run into problems is with VERY soft paint with a very soft pad and a hard abrasive. The abrasives dig into the paint but never really break down and you can get some pretty bad 'micromarring'. The only way to know if you there will be a problem is go out and try it.


2 Are there any special products such as menzerna or blackfire that might be more useful or come out with better results on a titanium metalic??
Click to expand...

Stick with what works. These guides to Menzerna might help you a little.

3 Any opinions out there if the flex is worth the extra dollars over the porter?? This question is not only for titanium because probably will go back to darker colors later.
OK I know it's a long post especially for my first one but I need help. :D
Click to expand...

In most cases the Flex is going to be a better choice, however the Porter Cable does offer some advantages...

1) The PC allows the use of smaller pads for spot buffing and getting in tight spots

2) The PC seems to work better with the KBM, because the pressure required in the KBM can make the Flex a little difficult to control.
 
theisab said:
I've been using a PC for about five years and just bought a Flex. If the rain ever stops, I plan to put it to work.

Any suggestions on what speed setting to use for a white pad with a mild polish? Same question for a gold or black pad with a glaze.
Click to expand...

Speed 4 or 5 works well with light to meduim polishing. What type of glaze are you going to use?
 
I've got three different glazes/sealants that I'll either be applying by hand or with the Flex. They are Menzerna FMJ, Blackfire Wet Diamond and Einszett Glanz Wax.
 
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