Decsions, decisions: 7424XP kit & XMT 360 questions

[MisterShark]

I've been pondering the purchase of a Porter Cable 7424XP kit and mulling over the plentiful kit variation choices: I've decided that the 'Porter Cable 7424XP & Pad Kit' likely best fits my needs:
- Porter Cable 7424XP Polisher
- Porter Cable 7424XP Wrench
- Porter Cable 7424XP Counter Weight
- 5 Inch Backing Plate
- 2-CCS White 6.5 Inch Polishing Foam Pads
- 2-CCS Gray 6.5 Inch Finishing Foam Pads
- 1-CCS Blue 6.5 Inch Finessing Foam Pad
- 2 Cobra White Microfiber Polishing Cloths
- 12 oz. Pinnacle XMT Polishing Pad Cleaner
- 12 oz. Pinnacle XMT Polishing Pad Conditioner
- 1 Flat Wrench & 1 Counterweight


My needs are best identified/based upon these factors:

• I'm not making a career out of this: it's just me and my 2 cars (and hopefully the wifey's happiness when I bring new life to her Sable's finish)
• One car is a new 09 black RAV4, the other is a 2005 silver Sable that's been primarily through automatic car washes but has otherwise good paint condition (or at least it looks like it does: this silver hides flaws really well).
• Wanna cut cost and time to a minimum but still have nice results
• I'm new to detailing and especially detailing with a machine

So basically I'm going to be looking to use the PC along with a dummy-proof product that will help refine my Sable's light swirls (I think they're light but I can't really see them so who knows), clean and seal in as short a time as possible, hence my XMT 360 product selection.
I like and am comfortable with the product's instructions to: "Continue to polish even as the product dries. XMT 360™ disappears, leaving nothing on the paint but a clean, glossy shine".
Sounds pretty fool-proof as long as I use the correct foam pad for the job at hand.

So this brings me to pad selection.
The XMT 360 product page here on AG shows/instructs to use 3 different pads depending on the job at hand:

• "Apply XMT 306 with a Lake Country CCS White Polishing Pad" (this appears beneath one of the page's embedded pics)
• "Use an Edge Finishing Pad to apply XMT if your vehicle has minimal swirls" (I think this may be the scenario with the Sable but I'm unsure, as I've previously mentioned).
• and finally at the bottom of the page, the directions read: "For the best results, use the CCS Green Polishing/Finishing Foam Pad by Lake Country"

I'm really not too focused on the RAV as it's paint at this point is close to flawless (I've been washing it weekly and have applied Meg's Ultimate Quik Wax on 3 separate occaisions already since taking ownership 2 months ago), and plan to simply use a sealant applied with either a Blue Finessing or Red Ultrasoft Pad.

So I'm pretty much wondering what pads I should use with the XMT 360 for the Sable. I don't wanna be overly aggressive and cause more damage than I'll actually be looking to correct, so bear this in mind if you have a recomendation for me I guess .
Note on my abilities: I am very good at following directions carefully and am meticulous, so don't base your suggestions on the incorrect notion that I'm a complete bull in a china shop. I just don't want any unwelcome/unexpected surprises and always think it best to proceed with a slight bit of caution when one is new to something like finish correction with a machine.

Thanks in advance for your advice. I'm sure I'm placing an inordinate amount of importance on a likely simple issue, but it's in my nature to over-think things at times

[MisterShark]

Anyone?

[Peanut]

I used the Flex XC3401 VRG polisher & the XMT 360 with the Green CCS pad. Awesome results. I'm thinking about ordering the Wolfgang Fuzion to put on top of the XMT 360 since Autogeek.net is running a sale on it.

[evilwrx]

I'll let you know tomorrow, I will be using the XMT360 with the white pad on a 2008 Mazda5, and then topping it with DP Max Wax.

[evilwrx]

Ok, Mazda5 came out great with XMT360 with the white pad on a pc7424. This car needed very minor corrections, and it did a great job, topped it with the DP Max Wax and it looked deep and wet. The color of the car is a medium metallic grey.

For fun I tried it on my 2007 Honda Odyssey, it is a metallic maroon color. It needed more correction work than the 5 did, in my test section I ended up with very slight spider webbing. It just didn't have enough power to take out all the imperfections.

All in all I feel it worked great and once I get the Odyssey corrected I will probably use the XMT360 to keep it looking great and protected.

[MisterShark]

Ok, Mazda5 came out great with XMT360 with the white pad on a pc7424. This car needed very minor corrections, and it did a great job, topped it with the DP Max Wax and it looked deep and wet. The color of the car is a medium metallic grey.

For fun I tried it on my 2007 Honda Odyssey, it is a metallic maroon color. It needed more correction work than the 5 did, in my test section I ended up with very slight spider webbing. It just didn't have enough power to take out all the imperfections.

All in all I feel it worked great and once I get the Odyssey corrected I will probably use the XMT360 to keep it looking great and protected.

Thanks for the feedback evil.

Any picks of the Mazda5? I'd love to see those results.

[ScottB]

If choosing Xmt360 then I too would stick to a white pad or possibly a lighter grey finishing pad depending on the finishes need. If you are considering a package however, I might add some more pads and the two Wolfgang 3.0 polishes while on sale. One (360) is an AIO the others would be dedicated polishes.

[Mike Phillips]

For applying any type of swirl or scratch remover, either the white or green foam polishing pads in the LC Line will work great, especially if you want to focus on taking the least aggressive approach.



White Low Profile Polishing Foam Pad
Less dense foam formula for the application of waxes, micro-fine polishes and sealants. This pad has very light cutting power so its perfect for pre-wax cleaners.[/font]


Green Low Profile Polishing/Finishing 5.5 inch Foam Pad
Use this foam to apply one-step cleaner waxes. It is a balance of polishing and finishing that is perfect for all-in-one product application.[/font]

As you become more comfortable with machine cleaning maybe test out the orange cutting pads.



Orange Low Profile Light Cutting 5.5 inch Foam Pad
Firm, high density foam for scratch and defect removal. Use this pad with polishes and swirl removers. It’s an all around pad that will work on most light to moderate imperfections.

[evilwrx]

Pics as requested!! Note - I am not, never have been, nor will ever be considered a photographer. So with that being said...

[MisterShark]

For applying any type of swirl or scratch remover, either the white or green foam polishing pads in the LC Line will work great, especially if you want to focus on taking the least aggressive approach.



White Low Profile Polishing Foam Pad
Less dense foam formula for the application of waxes, micro-fine polishes and sealants. This pad has very light cutting power so its perfect for pre-wax cleaners.[/font]


Green Low Profile Polishing/Finishing 5.5 inch Foam Pad
Use this foam to apply one-step cleaner waxes. It is a balance of polishing and finishing that is perfect for all-in-one product application.[/font]

As you become more comfortable with machine cleaning maybe test out the orange cutting pads.



Orange Low Profile Light Cutting 5.5 inch Foam Pad
Firm, high density foam for scratch and defect removal. Use this pad with polishes and swirl removers. It’s an all around pad that will work on most light to moderate imperfections.

Excellent. So the 'Porter Cable 7424XP & Pad Kit' that I'm contemplating getting does have the white pad, and I'll be all set for this first 'testing the waters' foray into finish correction via machine. Thanks Mike.

Pics as requested!! Note - I am not, never have been, nor will ever be considered a photographer. So with that being said...

Thanks for the pics; looks great!