making the right pad choice?

[sadler]

ok i just sprung on a flex da polisher that comes with a bag and 3 pad options. I will be tackling a 2003 w203 c320 in the spring and i am assuming the paint is more on the softer side compared to the s class and bmw x5 that i have which both will be gone in summer so i am not worried about them. anyways i went with the lake country orange, white, and gold pads. did i do good? also the paint needs work , has light to medium swirl marks.

[jankerson]

The pads are fine.

You really won't know for sure until you do a test spot with the products that you would be using.

[cleanmycorolla]

You'll do a test spot to determine best pad choice. Also you'll need more than one pad for each stage of polishing.

[The Critic]

You'll do a test spot to determine best pad choice. Also you'll need more than one pad for each stage of polishing.

Yeah, you'll need 3-4 pads of each type. Get yourself a stiff brush or access to shop air, as you'll need to clean the pad after each section.

What products will you be using?

[Vancity808]

is it okay to use a white pad 105 compound then cleaning the same pad and using 205 on the same pad, or should i be using a new pad between each compound and test spots

[The Critic]

You really need more pads. As a good starting point, 3 pads for cutting and 3 for finishing. You should also go to the grocery store and find a stiff nail or tub cleaning brush, and brush out the pads after each section.

I would not use the same pad for compounding and finishing.

IMO, I prefer to use MF for cutting and foam for finishing. The Flex doesn't work too well with certain MF pads, but I've heard that the Buff & Shine MF pads may work OK on the Flex.

You may also want to try something other than M105. That stuff creates massive dust storms and has a really short work time.

Are you sure that you need a compound? For most cars, getting a decent improvement is all that you're usually after. I would not bother going for 90-100% correction as it's probably a waste of time and clearcoat.

[jankerson]

is it okay to use a white pad 105 compound then cleaning the same pad and using 205 on the same pad, or should i be using a new pad between each compound and test spots

It's better to have more than 1 pad.

Like the post above said 3 of each at a min.

[sadler]

ok cool , i will get more pads. how aggressive is the orange pad to start with? i got bored after washing the car today and clayed the trunk lid a threw on a coat of meguiars nxt 2.0 on after too see what it looks like. came out nice and smooth but not sure if i let it dry long enough (10min) anyway i just wanted to see how bad the clear had scratches in it, and there is a lot. so is the orange pad a good starter? what products should i use? i would like to go with a sealant and then coat with carnauba wax. this is on a 2003 mercedes c320 by the way (pewter) i will try to get pics of paint.

[jankerson]

ok cool , i will get more pads. how aggressive is the orange pad to start with? i got bored after washing the car today and clayed the trunk lid a threw on a coat of meguiars nxt 2.0 on after too see what it looks like. came out nice and smooth but not sure if i let it dry long enough (10min) anyway i just wanted to see how bad the clear had scratches in it, and there is a lot. so is the orange pad a good starter? what products should i use? i would like to go with a sealant and then coat with carnauba wax. this is on a 2003 mercedes c320 by the way (pewter) i will try to get pics of paint.

I would say:

WG Uber Compound 3.0 (Orange Pad)

Wolfgang Finishing Glaze 3.0 (Polish) (White Pad)

Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0 (Gold Pad)

Whatever carnauba wax you want...

I would recommend Megs M26.

[sadler]

here is some pics , This is the best pics i can get of the paint cause of the light but this is how it is over the whole car.