chinkieboy

Im planning to purchase a 7424XP after owning my S for over 5 years. The car had been sitting in garage most of the time, now i'm planning to clean her up a bit. but which one should i purchase from? detailers domain or autogeek? i compared both of them it looks like just different on pads. which pad do you guys suggest?

I read alot of topic on the forum, but i'm still not sure what product to use.

just a little info on my car

Color: silverstone
condition: very little//fine scartches.

Is the step suppose to be wash, clay, galze, compound, sealant, final wax?

is that the step to do it correctly??

As far as for pads, what are some suggest? i saw there are different color for different use. what are my options?

dwight

I do:
wash
clay
wash
dry and tape
compound (only if needed, the paint is soft and newer polishes can pretty good)
polish
jeweling polish (optional)
sealant, or wax, or sealant and then wax the next day

Some people like to do IPA wipedowns prior to sealant. I'm currently against it because I heard that IPA can make the paint a little softer so it's easy to put swirl back into the car. I just use a damp MF cloth to remove the polish as I go.

There are a million different products you can use. Most are very good. Similarly, there are plenty of vendors. Pick whichever one appeals to you.

chinkieboy

as far as for pad selection, i looked into LC pads orange, white and blue.

but which product should go with which pad???

redboost10

lc ccs pads orange, white, black and blue listed in order of aggresiveness. on the pc, i like the 5.5" pads. and the 4" pads for the smaller areas/curves.

it all depends on what you are trying to tackle. i recommend menzerna, but the megs 105/205 combo is popular as well.

i am a huge AUTOGEEK fan.

chinkieboy

yeh, the car doesn't have too much swirl or scratch at all. just very minor stuff.

should another lay of wax go on after 205??

redboost10

like mentioned above:wash, clay, wash, dry, tape, compound, polish, ipa wipedown, sealant and/or glaze

chinkieboy

anything else I show apply on after the 105/205 combo?

redwing497

Yes, absolutely. The 105/205 combo is only for paint correction/polishing. It won't leave behind any protection. Make sure to use sealant or wax afterward. And just another thought, go with the least aggressive option first. I would do a test spot with just the 205 on a polishing pad. It's usually enough to get out most fine swirl marks. If it doesn't work, then go to the 105/205 combo.

dwight

If you don't have anything nasty, white LC pad + M205 will most likely be enough to start with. Honda paint is usually pretty soft.

To jewel, a second pass with either M205 or finer polish like 3M Ultrafine or Menzerna PO85RD with a black pad can help, but is optional.

What do you mean "another"? There should be no wax application until polishing is complete. I hope it was just a typo you meant "a" and not "another". As stated above in my first post and redboost10's second post, after polishing you need to apply sealant, or wax, or sealant and then wax the next day if you want protection. The blue or red would work well for that. If you want, you can just apply it with a hand applicator, but the DA makes it really fast. With polishing, you should do small sections at a time. With sealant application, can you do an entire panel at once.

There's plenty of good information online: (tons of great info here)
https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/221...6#entry4209396

Autogeek Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUHRnHsSXZU
Part 2
Part 3

M105/205 Specific Guide:
http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-P...ars-m105-m205/

General Polishing Guide:
http://www.autopia.org/forum/guide-d...erfection.html

DA Wax Application Guide:
http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46754

etc...

I think people here are generally willing to help, especially with specific questions, but try to put in a little effort so we don't have to hold your hand the entire way through.

AZS2KDancer

I only want to buy one powered polisher. The Porter Cable seems great for a first time detailer (like me), but the Makita 9227C-X3 seems to be for someone who won't accept less than 100%. If I only buy one, I'm leaning toward the Makita. What are your thoughts, if you know anything about either of these machines?