I am thinking of mayb buying everything and polishing the car myself to remove swirls. I was going to buy the polishing kit from autopia.com, which came with the sfx1 and 2 and clay and wax and all of that. But now I am thinking of also buying the porter cable. Is this thing hard to use. Can I mess up my car with this thing. I know it makes a difference when using the machine than by hand, but is the difference really that noticeable, and does it take less time to do it with the cable? Thanx guys, trying to see whats best for me.

 

UPDATE...

Found this tool at tools plus for 99.99. Has anyone ordered from here. Should I take it. I wanted it local but lowes does not carry it anymore.

 

It really isnt that hard. Just need to practice a little bit so you get used to applying the right amount of pressure.

 

Yep, the only thing you need is patience and willingness to try.

 

I just finished buying everything today! Hopefully I will do okay.

 

It is hard to screw up your paint, but technique is important. I highly recommend buying the DVD from www.showcargarage.com:
http://www.showcargarage.com/1960Corvette.html

You learn important techniques such as how to do "test spots" so that you know which product, pad combination is right for the job. You will learn how to apply polishes, waxes, the size and passes of each section of paint you polish.

 

im on the same boat as you man, For a while now i have been hesitant of getting a PC because i didnt wanna hurt the G, but i hate riding around with swirls and i would much rather detail my car then someone else.

 

That's what happened to me. Once I saw how they washed my car at my local car wash, I stopped going there. This was a car wash I respected, but I saw things differently when I bought my new G.

I learned how to properly wash my car and bought the necessary tools. Then the I started seeing swirls. They were there from day one... my eye just got better at seeing them. I then learned how to use a PC. It's a great hobby, great stress reliever. And nobody else can take better care of your care, than yourself.

 

Hey Sergei, its funny you mentioned this story because this is exactly what made me change my mind about going to car washes. I respect this place that I go to and they respect me. Today I actually stayed there and watched them do the whole job. What threw me off was the fact that they used the same mitt that they were washing the bottom of my skirts and wheels to wash the body. Then they got a new one. So while I was watching them do this I was thinkin, how tha hell in the world is that NOT gonna put swirls. This is when I decided to get all of this stuff, and i will. Hopefully I can find a place that sells the cables locally and will order everything else through autopia.

 

Use a weight scale to get an idea on the pressure you need. Most recommend b/w 15 to 25 lbs of pressure for polishing.

 

also check to make sure the pad itself is not spinning too slow. for
polishes i usually use a faster speed and let the pad rotate about once
every 1.5sec or so. if you push down too hard the pad stops so it wont
do much of anything. it's a fail-safe system.

 

Sobu being a fail safe system this means that if I am not getting my rsults, I am failing at the job but its safe on the car. But if I am doing it right, then results should be great correct? Basically what youre trying to say is that its hard to mess it up? Also, how do I know how much pressure I am putting?

 

The video gives you some idea how to use the porter cable.

There are some more videos on Youtube for using the 7424PC...

 

There is also a free video at the meguiars forum site.

 

Definetly a great video. I saw this a while back and it seems really straight forward. Made up my mind to go for the PC. I got the PC 7424, Xmt fine swirl remover, ultrafine swirl remover, Klasse Sealer glazer and P21 concours. I cannot wait for the decent weather to come up to NY. This thing is definetly going to be saving my hand.

And NEVER EVER bring your car to the car wash. I dont care if its hand wash or whatever. As GThIrtYFiZle said, they purely have no car for the order in how they dry your car (theyll drop the damn mit on the floor, then put it right to your paint!) No body cares for your baby like you do. Put in the effort and the time, and you will appreciate it that much more. O yea and also dont forget to park in the back of the parking lot, take up two spots, and uphill from any potential stray shopping carts

If you have any other detailing questions head over to autopia.org Best car detailing site I know of!