i just bought myself a porter cable 7424 for xmas along with some sonus products that i read about on autopia ( they used the same products for a black s2k and it came out pretty nice ). anyway i was telling my bro how i'm gonna try my best to get all the swirls and these cobbweb scratches out and he said you shouldn't buff and polish and wax your car so much or else your clear coat and paint is going to go. i was thinkng maybe doing it once a month polish and wax because my car is black and i LOVE it when its looking its best. is once a month too much for the car?

 

no need to do it once a month... but it all depends on the paint/clear thickness as well as the type of product you're using. removing too much material will lessen the depth that you want to maintain. If you need to polish once a month because you have defects or are getting them... you need to correct your wash/dry technique. I'll machine polish a car at most every 3-4 months... on my car I've only needed to polish it twice in the last year.

To hide the minor imperfections, you'll want to use a filling type product like Menzerna Finishing Touch Glaze or 3M Swirl mark remover for black. These both contain fillers that will hide the imperfections. PM me if you want to try the Menzerna FTG. It's by far the best glaze I've used on black cars....

And since your car is black... it's a losing battle to maintain that perfect finish. I use a 5ft rule where if I can't see the defect when I'm 5 feet away, then I'm ok with it. I used to be like you wanting to make it perfect... but it really is a losing battle. The best you can do w/ black is keep it as clean and close to perfect within reason.

 

Is it me or does anyone else think the clear coat is really cheap on the G's?
I have an 06 black 6MT. The minor imperfections really bothers me. I'm also considering getting the PC 7424. Are the pads and accessories available at local stores like Hope Depot, Lowes, O'Reily, and Autozone? Let me know how yours turn out.

 

Most of the time the meguiar's foam pads or 3M can be found at auto paint supply stores. Or just order them online.

 

is there any problem with applying frequent coats of FMJ? I use klasse aio about twice a year, but I do like to apply very frequent layers of FMJ. since it is not a polish I assume it will not remove any clear coat.

 

No problems w/ layering FMJ. It's strictly a paint sealant. But no need to use it all that much. You can use High Gloss Acrylic Sealant to bring back the slickness after every wash. It's cheaper than using FMJ all the time.

 

so who wants to come over one day with experience and help me so i dont ruin my car i'll pay you PLEASEEE!
i tried doing like a little part of my hood. my whole car has so many swirls and spider web-like scratches. my hood has the most for some reason. so i tried doing it and it didn't remove any of those scratches. i just pulled out some meguiars polish and just the regular foam pad it came with. i'm waiting for the sonus sfx polishes and the pad kid that it comes with. did i just not do it right or is it the polishes/pads that do the trick? i put the polish on the foam, started it on the car and went side to side until it disappeared then rubbed it down with a microfiber towel, and it was the same as when i started. i need some help!

 

you mean the foam pad that comes w/ the PC? that thing's crap and might actually induce more problems. It also depends on the type of polish you're using. "some meguiar's polish" well which one is it? To actually remove defects you want to start w/ something mild and if that doesn't work try something more aggressive. For what you're describing I'll use Menzerna Intensive Polish followed with menzerna PO106FF follow w/ FMJ and call it a day.

In order for me to advise on anything further, please list the products you're using.

 

yeah that foam pad that comes with the PC is what i used. i just wanted to see how it was and to understand the machine, which i did accomplish. the polish i was using is "Meguiars Deep Crystal System Polish". thats all it says on it. its in a red bottle i picked up at pepboys. sorry for not being specific.

 

I would wait till you get the sonus products (or menzerna) and not use any of the mequiars grade material on your car

 

Hey G356spd06,

That meguiars bottle ""Meguiars Deep Crystal System Polish" is only for hand applications and not for an orbital buffer right? I have that bottle but never used it on my PC because I don't think you're supposed to. Read the bottle, it should say if I remember correctly.

Anyhow, to remove light swirls and light scratches I use meguiars #83 cleaner/polish on a w8006 buffing pad (yellow). It does a pretty damn good job but yes, you shouldn't do it too often as you are removing some clear coat. Then I usually follow that up with NXT wax and the shine is great. I heard that Klasse AIO and Klasse Sealant glaze is awesome as well. I picked up both bottles and I'll try that next time to see the difference.


maxpower,
You wouldn't use meguiars? Why not? I haven't had any problems using it and the results are spectacular. I mean, if you use some of the off-of-the-shelf stuff it's ok. But I use the solution that you can only buy online and it works great for me. I'm curious to hear your meguiars experience. Thanks..

-twantrd

 

I suggested not using it for the same reason you gave, I believe that material is for hand application only and if he has ordered the Sonus line of products for use with a PC (or any orbital buffer), I would wait and apply the correct products in the correct order. I have no problems with meguiar products, and used them on my previous car.

max

 

There are Meg pro lines out there too that has grades for the polish. I believe Pep Boys sells them (in the tan bottle) and they are recommend for use with DA or Buffers. I've used Megs and Mothers. I love mothers. The shine is incredible and the best part is, it is very easy-on, easy-off. I will try their three step process when I start to see alot of swirls but since I've been taking care of my car since July, I can barely see any swirls, and only under the streetlamps. I got the PC from Lowes that came with the 6 inch pad and haven't used it for six months. I'll wait until next summer and when I run out of Mothers, maybe I'll try one of those sealants mentioned above. I'm always have room for improvements