.....if you have an old body panel or a few hours alone in front of a mirror I would practice....

......one of my boys little brothers got fired for leaving some prizmatic swirls on a cadillac......I don't have any experience with it myself, but he told me it took like 4 times as long to fix it......which was a full day for 2 dudes with experience....

This is precisely why people get the PC 7424 or a some other variant of an ORBITAL polisher - you have to be just egregiously incompetent to screw it up, and it does a better job than anyone could possibly do with a standard buffer or by, gawd forbid, hand. The kid you speak of must have been using a commercial standard buffer - they are most decidedly NOT forgiving. BUT - unless he chewed through the clearcoat, a distinct possibility, such goofs would be really easy to fix with an orbital.

I forgot to mention, Chris - The B13 has no clearcoat, so you'll get LOTSa paint on the pads - and they'll keep taking it off even when you get to clean paint, so look at the FINISH, don't wait for the paint to quit coming off onto the pad.

You guys are awesome. Thanks for the heads up on the Griots polisher NOT being a PC. It seems that they USED to sell the PC but changed to some other brand. It was funny, because I kept finding references to posts via Google where people were bitching that Griots was chargine $199 for a rebadged PC.

The posts on the Meguiars site are eye opening, especially the one where the professional detailer bought the Griot unit and put it through it's paces. Griot's sell into the big net income bracket to people with nice new cars that probably don't need the power of a PC, or the polishing power of some of the Meguires products. My cars are old, ugly, and probably have more surface defects than 100 of Griots customers cars put together.

I'm going to go with a PC, and probably one of the Meguiars kits that Eric linked me to.

Thanks again.
C

Have fun, bud. Holler if something doesn't make sense. I have dings all over mine, but by the time I got done they are a lot less noticeable - or more so, depending on the light!
Jer

Just want to subscribe to this detailing madness.

Interesting read on the PC 7424 vs the Griot's:

http://www.showcargarage.com/forums/showthread.php?t=404

This is precisely why people get the PC 7424 or a some other variant of an ORBITAL polisher - you have to be just egregiously incompetent to screw it up, and it does a better job than anyone could possibly do with a standard buffer or by, gawd forbid, hand. The kid you speak of must have been using a commercial standard buffer - they are most decidedly NOT forgiving. BUT - unless he chewed through the clearcoat, a distinct possibility, such goofs would be really easy to fix with an orbital.

I forgot to mention, Chris - The B13 has no clearcoat, so you'll get LOTSa paint on the pads - and they'll keep taking it off even when you get to clean paint, so look at the FINISH, don't wait for the paint to quit coming off onto the pad.

Not all B13 finishes are this way, but the black for sure is a single stage. If you buff the car, and notice the pad is the same color as the car, you have single stage. SS is easier to work with, but you can overdo it. I just bought a 1000watt halogen light that I'm going to use when detailing. I thought I was getting all of the swirls out from using the garage lights, but after looking at the car with the halogen, I was wrong. I call the new light, the heartbreaker.

Yes, I have been also working under halogens for some time now. I have dual 500/1000's on a tripod. I always thought I was getting all the swirls, then pulling it out in the sun and they lit up.

I'm tired of working on the car and thinking it looks good, then seeing it in the sun, and not wanting to drive it. I'm going to find a good glaze that has filling properties, and use that. Pretty soon, there won't be too much paint left on the car. :(

Thx Eric for the point on the paint - I mistakenly assumed all of them were single stage, my bad. Hm. I've been doing all my work in the daylight (or, when it goes on too long, by braille trying to finish - BAD idea :-).) I manage to get rid of the swirls with the wondrous 7424 and Meguiar's #7 - but even with the supersoft mitt that I use, I get scratches on the first wash. Bah. I have to learn the acrylic stuff or whatever's out there to finish it with rather than the #26 wax.
J

You guys are obsessed beyond hope. I think I'm going to live in ignorant bliss and just wash my car from time to time, and be happy with it.

C

^^^ Yup, ignorance is bliss! ^^^ ;)

You guys are obsessed beyond hope. I think I'm going to live in ignorant bliss and just wash my car from time to time, and be happy with it.

C

At least your head will shine. :)

Thx Eric for the point on the paint - I mistakenly assumed all of them were single stage, my bad. Hm. I've been doing all my work in the daylight (or, when it goes on too long, by braille trying to finish - BAD idea :-).) I manage to get rid of the swirls with the wondrous 7424 and Meguiar's #7 - but even with the supersoft mitt that I use, I get scratches on the first wash. Bah. I have to learn the acrylic stuff or whatever's out there to finish it with rather than the #26 wax.
J

Are you using the 2 bucket method, or at least rinsing the mitt before putting it back in the bucket? I just ordered 2 grit guards this week, and I wanted to try them this weekend, but the weather and me being in Georgia will keep that from happening. :(

Are you using the 2 bucket method, or at least rinsing the mitt before putting it back in the bucket?

I use the two bucket method and my wife thinks I am obsessed.

To each his own, Chris - you live in a LOT tougher clime than I, much more work to keep 'em up. - I plan on keeping this thing a LONG time; keeping the paint up is same as changing the oil, methinks. Hell, I just dropped a hunnert and a half on a cover. Some folks do detailing because they get off on it; I do it because I'm an obsessively compulsive, lazy and CHEAP nitpicker - see sig; the better I fix it now the less I have to fix it later. And yes, my other half thinks I'm a loon - but I don't hear her complaining that her girlfriends drool over her old Lex that looks better than the day it came off the floor. Nope, haven't tried two buckets but I'm ready - bet that's the problem - I'm actually kinda new at this level of detailing. And I'd heard of but forgotten about the grit guards - Eric, where'd you get yours?
Jer

I got mine from www.gritguard.com. Auto detailing solutions has them also, and they are a little cheaper if you buy 2, but they are in AZ, vs OH for Grit guard.

Eric, what do you think about the backing plate and foam pads on the gritguard site? I bought a PC 7335 and I need to convert it for polishing.

thx Eric. panx, don't forget to think about the right counterweight for whatever you put on the 7335.
Jer

Guys I have yet to wax my car since I got it painted about 2 years ago. The car never got a wet sand. The paint looks great but, I am just seeking other options other than wet sanding the car.

Do you guys think I can get away with using products like these?