I have an 07 G35x (gray) and an 06 6MT Coupe (red). I also just moved downtown and I live in an old house with no garage and no carport. We drive both cars everyday so a car cover really isn't an option. The street is tree-lined with all the problems trees bring to cars.

Since they will live outdoors I want to protect the paint. The paint on the x looks great. The paint on the coupe is so-so. I think its been repainted before.

I am not a detailer. I don't car about swirl marks or a mirror finish. I just want the cars to look good and keep the paint in good shape. I wax them by hand. But I don't have time to do that very often.

So would a buffer make this job easier and help protect my paint? If so, what model do you guys recommend? I'm not looking to spend a bunch of money but don't want junk either.

Next question, what type of pad and what type of 'wax'? I have tried to search but most of these sorts of posts are for serious detailers using multiple compounds, etc.. I want to use one type of bonnet/pad and one type of wax. I need to keep it simple. So I can do this quickly and often.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Disclaimer: Due diligence has been attempted. Neither Google nor a forum search of this website returned any useful information in regard to this topic using search terms similar to those used in this post. The wrong search terms may have been inadvertently used but every effort has been made to comply with the written and unwritten moral, ethical and practical cultural and social expectations of this site. Views expressed in this thread do not necessarily reflect the views of management or my wife. No animals were harmed in this post. May cause cancer in California.

 

hahahah your disclaimer gave me a good laugh.

having said everything you have, i would keep doing it by hand, i know its a pita but like you said, dont want to buy crap. the best would be a dual action polisher it wont burn your paint and most are noob friendly.

wax decently priced- anything megs, specifically i use a nano glaze or gold class

 

I've looked at some of the machines. They are not too pricey. A Porter-Cable (random orbital), which should be good quality, is about $130. I don't mind spending that much. Some of them are as low as $25-$50 but they look like junk.

So I guess what I need to know is which pads and which compounds would be best for what I need to do.

 

George from detailedimage helped me with pads, send him a pm if you'd like. this is what i got and is a great machine, Porter Cable 7424 XP Dual Action Orbital Polisher. You have to get the backing plate as well so you can put & remove the pads, and very easily.

http://www.detailedimage.com/Buffer-Pads-C79/

It does depend on what you want to do with your car, take out minor scratches, remove swirl marks, and oxidation use Meg 105 with a yellow pad. If you want to put a nice coat of wax on, the black pad with poor boys blue wax.

check that site out it has all the info you need and more and MORE. it tells you what pad goes best with what product etc. George will be more than happy to help out a fellow driver member. good luck.

 

Good advice! The problem with the cheaper machines is that the motors aren't strong enough to properly break down abrasive polishes, especially when pressure is applied while polishing. The PC 7424XP has enough power to tackle most jobs especially when paired with the proper pad and polish combination. If you need a hand selecting anything, please do not hesitate to ask.

 

Thanks guys. The Porter-Cable is the one I've got my eye on.

 

It's a good one. Plus, like some of the other guys have said, it's pretty safe for beginners.

 

That's good because I could see me buffing a big bare metal crescent in the hood with one of those direct high speed buffers.

 

Not trying to thread jack or anything, but what do you guys think of the Meguiar's G110v2 Professional Dual Action Polisher

compared to the Porter-Cable's?

 

I haven't used the Meg's DA polisher, so I can't really comment.