Poorboys SSR 2.5 vs. XMT #3

[turbos17]

Ok, guys I just did a test this weekend on my fiancés black 03’ Toyota Corolla LE. I used PB SSR 2.5 on half of the car and XMT #3 on the other half with the yellow LC pad and my PC. This car had serve scratches and was neglected…I told her never to get black so this was the first time I really touched it since she got it in 03’…lol! Basically the results were as follows-The SSR 2.5 worked pretty well, however it took longer to break down and is extremely dusty. I didn’t use too much and I did take my time. Is this normal? I also noticed that the white polish dust from the SSR 2.5 is a PIA to remove once it gets on any rubbers. On the other half of the car the XMT #3 worked superb and its dusting was extremely minimal. After a full polishing of the vehicle I decided to re-wash it with some dish soap and PoorBoy’s SSS I thought this combo would work best! Was the dish soap necessary? I decided to rewash it because the alcohol wipe down method I have tired in the pass left nothing but a milky smear all over the paint. Is this normal? After drying I found that the SSR 2.5 left far more scratches and swirl marks. Is this normal? The XMT #3 left minimal scratches and swirls. Is it necessary to go by with another pass to get rid of the deeper swirls and scratches or should I just go to a compound and what compound is the best with minimal dusting? I hate dusting. Or should I just go with a glaze, sealant, or something else to fill them in? Basically I am asking all this info because I have three dark cars lined up to be detailed and I am still learning on those darks cars. This was my first black car and I thought it came out decent. I guess I am just a perfectionist and I have to learn that time is money…while still doing a great job. Any help and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys! I will get pics up ASAP!

P.S. I topped with NXT Synthetic Wax and it was sure shinning but “note to self” don’t apply on too thick it is a PIA to remove. I used this wax because I haven’t used it in ages and I didn’t want to use my Meg’s #16 or P21S on it…LOL! Also please note the after pics are three days after I did the detail so it has some dirt and dust on it.

Befores-







Afters-




[IMG]http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y224/turo17/IMG_2083.jpg[/IMG]

Yes, I know the pics ain't the best as I was in a hurry! As you can see the tires and wheel wells we not shined, because I didn't feel like doing them. LOL!

[klumzypinoy]

mm hmmmmm looking nice! Almost 100% of the Corollas I see on the road are not being taken care of

[orngez]

the milkyness (is that even a word?) after an ipa wipedown is normal if it is flashing to quickly...another forum member gave great advice in adding more h20 to your ratio if you are getting this - something i never knew...i use 50/50 but some people increase the water ratio even more....as far as ssr2.5 the dust is from using to much and you have to make sure not to use anything to condition your pad..it actually works better on a dry pad...just use ssr2.5 a little heavy on your first pass to "prime" the pad....ssr2.5 can actually correct a lot of swirls and scratches...the problem is you better have a lot of clean and dry pads in your arsenal...the avg sized car takes up about 3-5 pads depending on the correction needed...ssr2.5 is VERY pad dependant as the harsher abrassives diminish down very quickly so it is really the pad that is doing the major part of the correction...on top of that i'm sure you found that 2.5 gums up the hell out of your pads even when using a minimal amount...so you have to change pads often....it is a great product even though you have to jump through a couple hoops to use it... it still works like a harsher abrassive but finishes lsp ready like you two stage polished...especially with an orange pad...ssr2.5 is a great polish to have but is not for everyone...it sound like a simple all in one multipolish but the learning curve is actually pretty high on this stuff if you want to use it to its full potential....if you dont want to deal with it just use ssr3/xmt3 and follow with a finishing polish...

[killrwheels@autogeek]

I find them similar, with little more bite in XMT, the big difference is the dust. XMT outweighs the SSR's , but neither is a bad choice in polishing.

[turbos17]

Thanks for the replies. I know for a fact that I didn't use too much of the SSR 2.5. After half the car I changed to another yellow LC pad and went to work with the XMT #3. I think I am going to try the SSR 2.5 again tomorrow on a detail job I will be doing. I will see if taking more time and using less (but I swear I didn't use too much) will work better? Should I try to make a second pass with either of the above mentioned or should I try a compound? What would be a good one? Never used one yet? Or should I just leave it and fill them in with a good glaze that people recommend? Thanks for the help guys!

[budman3]

I don't have the time right now to do a full explaination but you really don't need to use an agressive pad with SSR2.5. This is your key dusting issue right off the bat. I'll post later on how I use the polish without any isses (or you can search for what I said...) but I'm off to dinner, I'll respond in a few hours.

[turbos17]

Originally Posted by budman3

I don't have the time right now to do a full explaination but you really don't need to use an agressive pad with SSR2.5. This is your key dusting issue right off the bat. I'll post later on how I use the polish without any isses (or you can search for what I said...) but I'm off to dinner, I'll respond in a few hours.

Please post! I gotta go to college!

[budman3]

OK, here are a few things that I have found that makes working with SSR2.5 easiest:

-Always use a polishing pad with SSR2.5 (it'll remove a ton of swirls, if not do another pass or bump up to another product)
-DO NOT PRIME WITH ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE PRODUCT ITSELF (very crucial)
-Apply a thin bead of product around the pad for each section of the car
-Spread it at whatever speed you want, work it in at Speed 6.... don't be afraid of speed 6.
-Work it in until very clear (may take a few minutes)
-If the product begins to build up on the pad, brush off with stiff brush or wipe off excess polish with a terry towel
-Wipe off
-Admire no swirls
-Go to finer polish (if needed- with the polishing pad you most likely don't NEED to follow up but it wouldn't hurt).
-Do not use a new pad that hasn't been washed- Pads come from the factory with small foam particles left in the pad that look like product dust.

[turbos17]

Originally Posted by budman3

OK, here are a few things that I have found that makes working with SSR2.5 easiest:

-Always use a polishing pad with SSR2.5 (it'll remove a ton of swirls, if not do another pass or bump up to another product)
-DO NOT PRIME WITH ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE PRODUCT ITSELF (very crucial)
-Apply a thin bead of product around the pad for each section of the car
-Spread it at whatever speed you want, work it in at Speed 6.... don't be afraid of speed 6.
-Work it in until very clear (may take a few minutes)
-If the product begins to build up on the pad, brush off with stiff brush or wipe off excess polish with a terry towel
-Wipe off
-Admire no swirls
-Go to finer polish (if needed- with the polishing pad you most likely don't NEED to follow up but it wouldn't hurt).
-Do not use a new pad that hasn't been washed- Pads come from the factory with small foam particles left in the pad that look like product dust.

Thanks for the great info! How well does the Orange LC pad work with this?

[budman3]

Seriously, I haven't needed to use it... if I get a vehicle with really bad swirls I bump up to my rotary where I find that Optimum polishes work better with it. SSR2.5 is pretty aggressive as it is so you don't need to get too aggressive with pads. For some reason people do get dusting with light cut pads, which my only thinking is that the pores of the pad make the product dry out faster, plus the pad may add micromarring which won't let you go to LSP or have a nice swirl free finish.