Do I have what I need to do the job?

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mrasmussen

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I have 3 cars that I will be working on

2013 Cadillac ATS - white
2013 Ford Explorer - Silver
2003 Ford Expedition - Dark Green

Obviously the 2003 will have more imperfections in the paint, but surprisingly the car is in awesome shape.

Goal - to shine and protect all three. Not looking to win awards, just an really good shine (better than dad's turtle waxing by hand) and a good protection layer.

What I have

Rupes BigFoot 21
Rupes Green Foam - medium cut
Rupes White Foam - Ultra Fine
Poorboy's World Professional Polish
Poorboy's World Sealant with Carnuba
Pinnacle Claybar
Meguiar's Gold Class carwash.

My plan - one car at a time

  • Wash car
  • dry
  • clay car
  • wash car
  • dry
  • run the rupes with a green pad with the polish.
  • wipe clean? Not sure if I need this step
  • Run the rupes with the white pad with the sealant

I've never used ANY sort of polisher, so I am going to work on the oldest car first LOL

Any opinions of my plan?
 
Looks good to me. If you are not looking for showroom perfection you may just want to use an AIO(all in one) product like HD speed or McKee's 37 360 .
 
After some more reading, it appears this polish won't remove any imperfections in the paint, it will just polish, is that true? Maybe I should add a light abrasive step after claying to remove swirls, then polish, then seal?

Also I feel like I need more pads and a 3" polisher. I know I am going to have trouble getting the BigFoot 21 in some of the tighter spots. I am thinking of the rupes mini, might as well stay with the same line.

Thanks rbss, I was thinking about what you said as well, an all in one would be a lot easier. How much difference would I see in potentially three steps vs an all in 1? Hugely noticeable or only to geeks?
 
I haven't worked with Poorboy polishes so I can't really comment on them. I can say you are picking an awesome machine and after tackling those big SUVs you are going to be glad that you bought the Rupes. Are you getting the Mark II? I've owned a PC, Flex 3401 and now the Rupes 15 Mark II. I also have the 75 mini and not sure what I would do without it.

Your pad selection could be fine but I noticed you aren't planning on picking up any yellow. That could be okay but now it comes back to your polish selection. The general rule is to use the least abrasive combination to get the job done. You may want to think about picking up some yellow in the future. Once you have corrected your paint, you may not need to reach for the green as much.
 
It is necessary to wash the car after claying it? I think a waterless wash would be more reasonable, so you don't have to dry it again.
 
Thanks Cabrio, I might order the yellow pads. Do you think I should pick up the 75 mini or can I make do with the bigfoot 21?

hdez, I'm not sure if I need to wash after claying, removing any steps would be nice since I have 3 cars to do.

If I get brave, I might also do my boat, I have a 2015 Yamaha sx192
 
Depends on what you are using for clay lube. Waterless wash should be fine depending on which on you are using and how diluted it is for this purpose. You can clay it when it's wet after you rinse and that should save you some time and clay lube product in the process.
 
Over what time period do you intend on hitting all three cars? Here's a thought. Since you are starting with that behemoth giant, start with the 21. When you are done, you can reflect on the experience and then think about the other two cars and decide if having the 75 will provide any advantage. Depending on your time frame, you could always order the 75 before you start the other car.

Ha! I used to also polish my boat when I trailered it. 24 foot sea ray sundeck. I now use an in/out service...these days for me when it comes to boating, it's about convenience.
 
Thanks, so with that being said, I will order some yellow pads and go for a run over the expedition and see where that leaves me, I think that is good advice.

I'm sure I'll have move questions over time...
 
Using a good AIO will save you time. With an AIO like HD Speed or McKee's 37 360 you can remove light swirls and scratches and apply protection all at the same time.

As already mentioned, you may want to pick up some yellow Rupes pads. The white Rupes pad may be too soft for removing swirls.

Try doing a test spot with each pad (white/yellow/green) to see which combination gives you the best results. The paint on each car may differ in hardness.

Here's how I would approach it:
  • Wash car
  • Rinse thoroughly
  • Clay car with clay lube while car is still wet
  • Rinse after claying
  • Dry
  • Run the Rupes with a yellow pad (test first) and an AIO.
  • Wipe after each panel or wipe at the end. Some have said that you get better protection if you wipe at the end thereby letting the AIO stay on the car for a longer period of time.
 
You will NOT be able to polish the whole car with a 21mm polisher.

Pick up some Meg's MF finishing or Griots BOSS MF pads for heavier cutting.
 
How about with a 5" backing plate and a 6" pad? Or, for polishing a car, is the mini a must?
 
WRAPT C5Z06 said:
You will NOT be able to polish the whole car with a 21mm polisher.

Pick up some Meg's MF finishing or Griots BOSS MF pads for heavier cutting.
Click to expand...

mrasmussen said:
How about with a 5" backing plate and a 6" pad? Or, for polishing a car, is the mini a must?
Click to expand...

So....it depends. I enjoy using my mini. After working some of the large panels it's just nice to whip out the mini and work the smaller areas. I've detailed my Infinit QX56 with only a 5.5" and 6.5" pads (prior to getting the mini). As was mentioned earlier the MF pads will correct faster but now you are looking at another set of topics like how to clean them on the fly, different than the foam pads.
No question, your expedition is a huge vehicle and it will take quite a while to work it.
 
You fully corrected your bumpers with the 21 and 5.5" pads? Not a chance if you're doing it correctly.
 
I guess I'll get the Mini lol.

So here is the new plan

  • Get less aggressive pads for cutting. If they aren't aggressive enough, I have the more aggressive pads.
  • Get the Rupes mini with the same set of pads, probably 3" pads.
  • Get a compound that is a bit more aggressive, the polish I bought is a polish only, doesn't really remove swirls.

Now my steps are:

  • Wash
  • Clay
  • rinse
  • dry
  • cut
  • polish
  • seal

Totally spent will be $1000, BUT, I typically pay $400 a year for detailing the Cadillac ATS. Now I can detail all my cars and possibly my boat for years to come....
 
mrasmussen said:
I guess I'll get the Mini lol.



So here is the new plan



  • Get less aggressive pads for cutting. If they aren't aggressive enough, I have the more aggressive pads.
  • Get the Rupes mini with the same set of pads, probably 3" pads.
  • Get a compound that is a bit more aggressive, the polish I bought is a polish only, doesn't really remove swirls.



Now my steps are:



  • Wash
  • Clay
  • rinse
  • dry
  • cut
  • polish
  • seal



Totally spent will be $1000, BUT, I typically pay $400 a year for detailing the Cadillac ATS. Now I can detail all my cars and possibly my boat for years to come....
Click to expand...

It's a nice tool. You could save money and pick up a Griots 6" DA and use a 3" backing plate. The Griots 3" DA is weak, so don't bother.

You are going to get very addicted to detailing. It's SO much fun to see things transform for your own work. I LOVE detailing! It takes some practice, so don't get frustrated. However, it's still very possible for a n00b to get good results. 😉
 
WRAPT C5Z06 said:
You fully corrected your bumpers with the 21 and 5.5" pads? Not a chance if you're doing it correctly.
Click to expand...

No one ever said I had a 21. Have you seen the size of the bumpers on an Infiniti QX56? I also recall the OP clearly saying that the goal didn't include winning any awards.
 
Get yourself some Rupes pads and polishes if you are going that route. It's all meant to work as a system.
 
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