hey George,
i was wondering what you think I should do to get my bumper back to a mirror gloss look. right now its pretty cloudy and dull with some orange peel:

ive tried clay bar and some Meguires gold class wax but it only helped a little

 

sorry the pics arent the greatest, did the best i could.

http://s1069.photobucket.com/albums/u461/jdmhum/

 

hey
So Iam currently living in germany and I dont know if it is the bugs over here or just the higher speeds that I drive at but me and several of my co-workers been having alot of problems trying to completely remove but splatter from our front bumpers i have tried a few different products but havent been able to completely remove them. Now maybe im just not putting enough time and effort into it but my main concern has been damaging the clear or the paint and then having a whole other problem. So im wondering if you have any suggestions on any specific product or technique to fix this and if there is any thing that would be slightly preventative or atleast make this a easier process when i do wash/ detail my car?

thanks in advance for any input

 

I'm thinking about purchasing a metro air force blaster but I was wondering if the 4hp would be sufficient for my g35 or would I need to purchase the 8hp. What air blasters do you guys use? Thanks

 

Hello,
I am getting ready to do my first polish with my newly acquired Christmas gift, a Flex 3401.
I've done two cars before with PC 7424 and Menzerna SIP and Menzerna FInal Polish using an orange pad and then white pad. I am thinking of giving the M105 and M205 a try...this will be going on my g35 coupe that's going on 7 years. Some swirling and scratches but no oxidation as far as I can tell.
1) Would the m105 and m205 with orange and white pad be a good combo?
2) How many of each pad would I typically go through doing one car? 2-3? Also how many ounces of each would it take to do a typical 2 or 4 door G35?
3) Would it be feasible to do the whole car using 6.5" pads? I know there is a new dual changeable backing plate system coming out where you can switch between a 4 and 6 inch backing plate pretty easily...I'm thinking there might be some problems when trying to get areas like the A-pillars using a 6.5 inch pad.

Thank you!

 

If you polish it (Meguiar's M105 and M205) that will help a bit and then layer a wax on it. If you want to get rid of it for good you could see a professionals help or do a light wet sanding yourself and afterward follow up with the M105 and M205 (or something similar).

Greg @ DI

 

Man I'm not sure of the exact cause but I'd probably wash it first, clay and then hit it with the Tarminator and or the IronX to see if that does it. If not I may move on to a polish as you mentioned to try and remove it for good. Let us know how that goes and we'll take it from there.

Greg @ DI

 

It depends on a lot of factors but the CarPro Iron X Iron Remover and Stoner Tarminator are my go to products now for tough build ups that I don't want to clay. See if you can find any around you it should be a big help.

Greg @ DI

 

It never hurts to get more but you can certainly do the 4hp it just takes a little bit longer and you have to get closer at times.

Greg @ DI

 

Glad to hear you are ready to put the Flex to use! The exact same M105 and M205 combo should work great so stick with that. 2 - 3 pads is probably a good "happy medium" for most detailers. Some try one pad but that is too little and 4+ can help but it's probably a bit excessive for a typical detailer. The 6.5" are usually pretty effective at doing about 95%+ of the car, the front bumper and spoiler may need the hand treatment but a smaller backing plate would only help there marginally. Good luck and keep us posted on your results!

Greg @ DI

 

What is the best way to get salt/ dirt build up and oxidation from winter off polished lips? Tried using mothers polish and cone. Didnt help much.

 

Thanks Greg! You guys have shipped out my order!
How many hours would you say it takes for a two step polish (just the polishing segments)?

 

In general my favorite metal polish is the P21S Finish Restorer applied with medium pressure. If that doesn't do it you can try a more aggressive polish but more likely the imperfections are not coming out. It's possible the salt ate away at the finish, but it's hard to say without seeing them. Can you take some pictures?

Greg @ DI

 

Alright Greg. Took your advice and purchased a 7424XP Polisher. Here's the link http://www.coastaltool.com/a/port/7424xp_polisher.htm.

Now what else do I need to make my baby shine again? Pads, polishers, etc.

 

Congrats on the new PC, to use it with buffing pads you'll need to pick up a backing plate. There is no one right size but I generally recommend the 5.5" pads so pick up the matching 5" backing plate (Lake Country 5" Backing Plate for Porter Cable 7424). As for each step here are my recommendations.

Wash and Dry
Most swirls come from this process so be sure to use good technique and quality products. If you need to upgrade your products check out these kits:
DI Packages Washing and Drying Basic Kit
DI Packages Washing and Drying Starter Package

Clay Bar
Helps deep clean the paint.
DI Packages DI Gentle Fine Grade Clay Bar 100g & Clay Lube

Polish
This is the step where you actually remove the swirls for good and restore that like new shine again!
Meguiar's Ultra-Cut Compound M105 - Lake Country Orange Light Cutting Pad 2x
Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205 - Lake Country White Polishing Pad 2x

Sealant
Protect the shine and enhance it!
Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger - Lake Country Blue Fine Finishing Pad 1x

Wax
A sealant provides more than enough protection and an outstanding shine so you can certainly stop there. If you want the maximum gloss apply a wax on top of the sealant.
Poorboy's World Liquid Natty's Blue Wax - Lake Country Blue Fine Finishing Pad

Hand remove all of these products with CLEAN microfiber towels. I highly recommend picking up about 5x - 10x DI Microfiber All Purpose Towel.

If you have any questions please check out our detailing guide or ask me I'd be happy to help!

Greg @ DI