I was at Lowe's today looking for the Porter Cable #7336-SP but could not find it. I did find however the Port Cable 343-K. It had a 5" blade with 3 amp motor and used a 5 hole hook and loop fastener. It was listed at $54. Will this not work as a polisher? Do I need variable speed in order to do a nice detail job? Do I have to have a 6" blade or do they make 5" pads?

 

It only runs at 12000 opms, which isn't ideal for polishing, the smaller motor will also likely bog down, just pick up the 7336sp or 7424 online if you can't find it locally

 

What does opms mean? Revolutions per??

 

Oscillations per minute. PC's are random orbitals, so they move in a hybrid figure 8, so opm is not equal to rpm. The 7424/7336 run from 2500-6000opm.

 

Great, thanks. Ordered my Zaino's kit yesterday and I'm in the process of trying to find a nice PC (full-sized)

 

I ended up getting the 7336 as I was able to find it cheaper... At Lowe's.

Check with some other stores and have your Lowe's check as well. They can always do a transfer so that you don't have to pick it up.

 

I hope you aren't planning on only using zpc with your PC, because I think you'll have better luck with other polishes such as the menzerna line or poorboys.

 

Why is that? It seems plenty of other people on this site have used the two in combo and have had good success.

 

Show me the links. I haven't seen many people use ZPC with the PC on this site. One of the reasons its a poor choice is that it only comes in one level, while the other lines of polishes have multiple cutting levels. With ZPC, it will either be too mild if you have heaving swirling, or too aggressive if your car is in good shape. The leas aggressive combo that removes your defects is always the best option, and with only one compound, you will usually not have the right combo to address your paint defects.

 

Well, I guess we'll see. I'll post pics. My vehicle is an '06 so I'm not looking to remove scratches or swirls, just keep the polish looking nice and deep. I'm thinking the Z2 and Z5 combo should help with that. I'll definitely be looking into the menzerna line in the future but considering I just spent $80 on the zaino, I'll be starting with it.

 

then save your money and don't buy a PC, no need if you don't have swirls etc. When you do have to address swirls, then pick up PC and some real polishes

 

Plenty of guys on Autopia have no issues using any polishes with the PC, including ZPC, poorboys, menzerna, etc. In rare instances, guys have found extremely hard clear (not on Infiniti's) which responded faster to a rotary, but guys without rotary experience were able to polish even teh hardest of clears with a PC. Just takes a lil more time and teh expertise of selecting the proper polish and pad.

 

In your opinion, which are the proper pads to go with on Zaino and where can I find them?

 

The order of aggressiveness (highest to lowest) in pad terms is broken down in categories: cutting pad, polishing pad and finishing pad. Then you apply a product on top of the pad that adds to the level of cutting. Products are broken down in the same level of aggressiveness - cutting, polishing and finishing.

Getting the right combination of pad and product is done by experience. Using a PC, you are safe. Safe means the PC gives the novice a tool that would cause little harm to the paint - unlike a rotary.

You always want to start less aggressive - with pad-product combination. Do a test spot of an area of about 12"x16". Once you see on your test spot with good results, you can go on to the rest of car.

I would suggest getting the DVD on using a PC from ShowCarGarage.com made by Mike Phillips. He is strictly a Meguiars product guy. But the technique can be applied to other manufacturers pads and product.

I do use Zaino. The ZPC is a polish with diminishing abrassives. I use the Sonus pads which are really sourced from Lake Country. Same concept. After ZPC to eliminate swirls - using the right pad combination which in most cases would be the "polishing pad" not cutting pad, you can go to Z2 and/or Z5 sealants from Zaino. Then either use Z6 (sealant booster) or Z8.

But I would get the DVD and watch it several times. It is truly worth the money to get it.

However, reading your original post, your '06 should only have minor swirls. I wouldn't use the PC yet. I would clay your car and then use Z2 and/or Z5 and top it off with Z6 or Z8. Once you have that base down, you can safely wash your car and just top it off with Z6 or Z8. Z2 and Z5 should last you at least 4 months. Zaino has great durability.

 

Thanks Sergei for a very informative post. Where do you get your Sonus pads? Which ones are you using and in which order? Thanks!