DA Help and Product Recommendations

[chillip]

I just start taking care of my car about a year ago with only washing and waxing, but I couldn't afford to buy everything to polish it. When I get the cash I'm going to get a Griot's 6" DA, but I'm still a little lost on the whole polishing process. What price point should I be looking for the Griots DA is considered a good deal? Are the kits on here worth it or is it better to buy separate?

The car I'm working on is a 2004 White Toyota Camry. My main priority is durability, but I want to get the products that can give the most gloss possible.

How do I know which polishing products I need (compound or finishing) and how to tell what condition my paint is in?
I was looking through old posts and a lot of people recommend the Menzerna FG400 and SF4000 combo. Any other recommendations?

Which backing plate?
LC 5"(Mike recommended) but I see a lot of people recommending Meguairs 5". Any reasoning why?

What type of pad and how many of each?
I've read LC thin pads are the best.

I just bought the Nanoskin mitt and was planning on purchasing WGDGPS and waxing with the Collinite 845 that I already have. I was also going to purchase Optimum Car Wax to spray after each wash to maintain it.

Any recommendations for what I'm trying to achieve? Any other products that I am missing in this process? Thanks in advance

 

[Rmd]

Lots of questions in that post. To respond to a couple of them, the GG 6" is a great place to start. If I were starting all over again from scratch, that is the first machine I would buy based on its overall versatility. It has no problem with pad from 6.5" down to 4". Like many on the forums, I feel the sweet spot is a 5.5" pad with a 5" backplate on that machine. For pricing, full AG list is $139. There have been some posts here in the past that say it has been available at auto parts stores on special sales for less, and if you run across a deal like that then pull the trigger, but at $139 its not a bad deal for a tool that will last you for years.

As for products, that is a harder question. Depends on the condition of the paint you are starting out with. The two maxims of paint correction per MP are start with the least aggressive option and do a test spot. Knowing that alone won't tell you what to buy though, if you are truly starting from scratch. Some pictures would really help you get better feedback.

You have a Nanoskin mitt, so presuming you have proper clay lube that is a good place to start. For paint correction, pads are the easiest thing to recommend. Everyone has their preferences, but the simplest option IMO is to go 5.5" pads, either the Lake Country hydro tech lineup, (cyan compounding, tangerine polishing, and crimson finishing/sealant application) or the new Meg's thin lineup (compounding, polishing, finishing). Get at least 3 of each.

There's no answer to what is the "best" compound/polish products. Some are easier to use than others, some are designed for rotary and some for DA. To make it less confusing, sticking with a line that has a "system" approach is a good idea. Wolfgang TSR and Finishing glaze is a great start (functionally equivalent to Menzerna 1500 and 4000) or the HD cut/polish combo available on the sister site is very user friendly.

I don't have any experience with Toyota paint, but Camry's are plentiful and any of the pro's on this site can surely give you some insight on its paint properties.

Whatever you go with, have fun with it, and don't get overwhelmed with all the choices out there. There isn't only one "right" product that you have to find to the exclusion of all others. Any brand sold by AG is quality, and can get the job done if you spend the time to learn.

 

[chillip]

Thanks for the responses. I'll try and take some pictures tomorrow to see my paint condition. It's a 2004 camry which hasn't had much maintenance in the past, but also wasn't driven much and will hopefully be in ok shape.... Is there any chance I can use only SF4000 to get rid of swirls?

For the pads, will I need only one crimson pad for wax and sealant? Sorry if this an ignorant question, but what do I need the multiple pads for. Should I get more blue and orange than red?

 

[Souldetailer]

Thanks for the responses. I'll try and take some pictures tomorrow to see my paint condition. It's a 2004 camry which hasn't had much maintenance in the past, but also wasn't driven much and will hopefully be in ok shape.... Is there any chance I can use only SF4000 to get rid of swirls?

For the pads, will I need only one crimson pad for wax and sealant? Sorry if this an ignorant question, but what do I need the multiple pads for. Should I get more blue and orange than red?

Hi, welcome.
Being that your care is 11 years old there is good chance that you will need more cut than the SF4000. Again, this depend on the paints condition. Always start withe the least abrasive polish ( on a test spot ) and see what it accomplishes. The best thing you can do is read as many threads as you can that relate to you situation. Mike's How to polish your paint is a great start. As a minimum you should have at least 3 pads for each application and several good quality micro fiber towels. I can't stress enough how much excellent information there is on this forum. READ, READ, READ! Don't rush into correcting before you feel comfortable, you probably won't hurt anything if you do, but with the correct knowledge on your side you will be able to work quicker and with more confidence. READ. And of course, we're all here to answer your questions. Good luck & take care.:dblthumb2:

Peace

Darrin

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Which backing plate?

LC 5"(Mike recommended) but I see a lot of people recommending Meguairs 5".

Any reasoning why?

To be very specific... what I recommend is AFTER doing your research and decide which BRAND of buffing pads you want to purchase and use... then purchase the backing plate from the same company.

The reason why?

Because you want to TRUST that the company you're buying your buffing pads from has also done their homework to make sure the HOOK material on the backing plate matches the LOOP material on the back of the buffing pads.

There are 3-4 commonly used types of hook-n-loop material in the market and I've seen brand new buffing pads literally fall off of brand new backing plates when you put the two together and simply hold them in the air because the hook and loop material didn't match.


I also explain this fully in my how-to book.

The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine




The book is completely jam-packed with everything you'll ever need to know to buff out your car using a Griot's Garage 6" DA Polisher from washing to wiping the wax off.


The reason you see me recommending the Lake Country backing plate more often than any other backing plate is because I also more often recommend the Lake Country 5.5" foam flat pads which fit and match the Lake Country 5" backing plate.

Make sense?

Now if a person wants to purchase the new 5" Meguiar's Foam Discs then by all means also get the Meguiar's 5" backing plate.

Just to note... the Meguiar's new 5" Foam discs do in fact work great with the Lake Country 5" backing plates.


Hope that helps...


:dblthumb2:

 

[chillip]

Thanks Mike. That makes sense for the matching of the plates to pads.

I searched for the different type of pads and it seemed like the hydrotech produced better quality finish, but not as durable? Would going with the flat pads be better for my first time? Exactly how many pads and each kind would I need? Here is what I was thinking:

Orange x 3
White x 3
What is the difference Blue vs Black? 3? 6?

Would I need more blue/black for applying sealant and wax or can I use the same ones for both?

I will definitely be researching a lot on the process of polishing before I begin, but I just want to have all my supplies ready so I can just place one order.

 

[Eandras]

Blue and red are for applying was. black (grey) are a polishing pad.

Ed

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Thanks Mike. That makes sense for the matching of the plates to pads.

I searched for the different type of pads and it seemed like the hydrotech produced better quality finish, but not as durable?

Not as durable and I explain why on page 72 and 73 of my how to book,

The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine


I would disagree with Hydro-Tech finishing pads producing a better quality finish. My opinion, for what it's worth, is if you've done the correction step properly then foam finishing pads can all finish down to a great finish. The most important thing is the two words I type about all the time on this forum... abrasive technology.

Would going with the flat pads be better for my first time?

In my experience and opinion I would say yes and also state that on page 91 o the same book referenced above. It's also shared in the first edition of this how-to book, The Art of Detailing, just not sure of the exact page. I'm not mentioning that this info is in the book to you so much as just sharing that this information is in my how-to books. If anyone ever wondered what's in the book... a lot. My books are just like my answers on this forum, they are complete, in-depth and a person can take what they read and apply it in the garage and that's what's most important.

Exactly how many pads and each kind would I need? Here is what I was thinking:

Orange x 3
White x 3

Something else I always say and type is,

More pads are better

Why? Because you do better work on paint when using a clean, dry pad. Trying to go around an entire car with 3 pads for the most important step can be done but it can be done better and faster if you can switch out to a fresh, clean dry pad for every panel versus trying to do the job with a few pads. Your pads will last longer too because you're not pushing them to the limit.

Check out my article here,

How many pads do I need to buff out my car?

What is the difference Blue vs Black? 3? 6?

Would I need more blue/black for applying sealant and wax or can I use the same ones for both?

Black in most companies pad lines equals a "finishing" pad. Blue in the LC line can either be cutting or waxing.

Hydro-Tech = Cutting
Hybrid = Cutting
Flat = Waxing
CCS = Waxing

I will definitely be researching a lot on the process of polishing before I begin, but I just want to have all my supplies ready so I can just place one order.

I'm confident you're going to be successful your very first time... here's one of my most favorite articles as the pictures are worth thousands of words.


It's not that hard...

 

[chillip]

Thanks Mike and everyone else for all the help. It really makes it easy for someone new to this to feel a lot more comfortable.

I'll post my supplies and process I'll be doing for my first full detail in hopes this might help someone else in the future.


Car Wash and Dry (Chemical Guys Citrus Wash & Gloss)
Iron X
Nanoskin Mitt

Griots Garage 6" Random Orbital Polisher
LC Dual-Action Hook & Loop Flexible Backing Plate 5"

Lake Country 5 1/2 Inch Flat Pads 6 Pack (Orange x6)
Menzerna FG400

Lake Country 5 1/2 Inch Flat Pads 6 Pack (White x4, Blue x2)
Menzerna SF4000

Rewash Car to remove any leftover

Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0
Collinite 845 Wax

Optimum Car Wax (to use after future washes)

Thanks again and feel free to tell me if you see anything I need to add or fix. Can't wait to try this

 

[trekkeruss]

Instead of rewashing the car after polishing, you should do an IPA wipedown, or better yet, use CarPro Eraser.

 

[VISITOR]

GG6, 5" DA backing plate (lc, megs or B&S), megs 5" DA foam discs and/or B&S 5.5" flat pads...

 

[chillip]

Instead of rewashing the car after polishing, you should do an IPA wipedown, or better yet, use CarPro Eraser.

Do I just use straight IPA or is there a dilution I should use in a spray bottle?

Or should I just add CarPro eraser to my growing cart.........

 

[chillip]

GG6, 5" DA backing plate (lc, megs or B&S), megs 5" DA foam discs and/or B&S 5.5" flat pads...

Is there any reasoning behind why I should change my pad choice from LC pads? It's my first time polishing. I'm open to any suggestions and just want the best products to order so I don't have to experiment.