addiction taking over possibly!

[chadcj7]

So I think I am going to jump in and look at getting a GG6 with a 5 inch backing plate. I currently have a 2016 F150 in the metallic grey. The paint does not have swirls in it at all as far as I can see. My wife has a 2013 platinum white (I think that I the color) Toyota Highlander.

If I do make this jump I want to understand what I am all going to need. I want to not only make sure the cars shine and look great but I want to protect them for many years and miles of use!

I typically wash, clay and then wax but I know the DA will take me to the next step.

Time for the questions:

1. What pads do I need for each vehicle?
2. How long do pads last for long term use and while using them to polish or correct a car? Basically do I need more then one pad per car per use?
3. What polishes are recommended for these cars?
4. I want to start out slow and build in to this but how often do you need to polish a car?
5. Beyond using the DA for just polishing and correcting it can I use it for other things to make my life easier or free up time as I have 2 kids?

Thanks

[GSKR]

Pretty much fg 400 and HD speed are the go to products. On the pads orange and white are the standard.you may need some microfibers cutting pads for the toyo.pads will last a while,there cheap enough to replace.every 6 months a polish on the vehicles,also depends on washing habits and technique.for that ford I would invest in some good microfibers and spraywax wash mitt as well.

[WeekendDIY]

I'm basically a newb to this. But if I understand the second part of question #2.....you'll need more than one pad per vehicle. If I remember correctly many would recommend at least 6 if not more if you were using compound on the big F150. Since you will only be needing to polish and wax I wouldn't think you need that many but I would imagine more than though.

[chadcj7]

I have some good micro fiber towels and spray wax for in between waxing on both cars

So if I am understanding this correctly I would need a total of 6 orange and 6 white pads just to do one round of polish on the truck? Haven't really looked at the reproving yet but that seems like a lot. Also at what point do I need to change pads on a car when polishing?

[TTQ B4U]

So I think I am going to jump in and look at getting a GG6 with a 5 inch backing plate. I currently have a 2016 F150 in the metallic grey. The paint does not have swirls in it at all as far as I can see. My wife has a 2013 platinum white (I think that I the color) Toyota Highlander.

If I do make this jump I want to understand what I am all going to need. I want to not only make sure the cars shine and look great but I want to protect them for many years and miles of use!

I typically wash, clay and then wax but I know the DA will take me to the next step.

Time for the questions:

1. What pads do I need for each vehicle?
2. How long do pads last for long term use and while using them to polish or correct a car? Basically do I need more then one pad per car per use?
3. What polishes are recommended for these cars?
4. I want to start out slow and build in to this but how often do you need to polish a car?
5. Beyond using the DA for just polishing and correcting it can I use it for other things to make my life easier or free up time as I have 2 kids?


Welcome to the addiction. Yes, it appears you got bit by the bug and are about to begin scratching.

Questions/My answers:

Based on what you shared you'll need the following pads.

Orange: Will do great on the F150 which has tough paint. You can use them on the SUV with what I'll share product wise but you probably will get away with white. For the F150 you'll need 6 Orange pads changing them out as you go. The SUV will make do with 5-6, I would do 6 white. Finishing wise, 2 black or red. I like black. Pad wise, if you clean them up after each use and don't tear them up on emblems and lettering they will last you quite a long time. Numerous details.

Product wise, I'm a huge HDSpeed fan and when combined with those pads on the respective vehicles, you'll be one and done in a great way. I totally understand your slow and build into it procedure. Work hard, go slow and do the best you can. If you get 90% or better correction you're fine. The rest will come next time and there will be a next time. I didn't tackle perfection on the first round with mine either. Finish and take round 2 in the next 4-6 weeks. You can go even longer if you add to the protection in HDSpeed by topping it with HDPoxy in say week 2 or 3. Again, no need to do everything right away.

Hope this helps.

[WeekendDIY]

I have some good micro fiber towels and spray wax for in between waxing on both cars

So if I am understanding this correctly I would need a total of 6 orange and 6 white pads just to do one round of polish on the truck? Haven't really looked at the reproving yet but that seems like a lot. Also at what point do I need to change pads on a car when polishing?

I didn't provide colors of pads because I didn't you would need to use the orange on a new vehicle. But PDQGP certainly has more experience than myself and apparently F150's have hard paint. So his advise certainly sounds good. As far as the quantity of pads. Even if you clean your pads after every panel or replace with a fresh pad every two panels, you'll need several pads and obviously the F150 is a big vehicle with a lot of area to cover.

[dlc95]

I would set you up with a basic set of quality products.

For the sake of flexibility always start with Meguiar's Ultimate line. It includes a Compound, Polish, and synthetic wax. If you feel you might need a cleaner wax, Meguiar's ColorX does a great job. To find out how much correcting ability you need for your paint, Google "Mike Phillips Test Spot". This will help determine how aggressive your product/pads selection should be.

Pad wise, I would set you up with the classic orange, white, and black Lake Country. I like the CCS, but they are also available in flat, and thin pro. I would get four of each. Depending on how bad the paint is, I can get away with using two, but sometimes I need all four.

Once you get the paint where you want it, you should only realistically need to polish once a year.

[chadcj7]

Thank you everyone for the advice. Now that I have some more info from you guys I am going to do a little searching and then probably come back with more questions!

I also use the Meguiar's Ultimate line a lot. I have just purchased the polish(was planning on doing this by hand) the wax and the spray wax for in between washes. I have seen the test spot as well. I honestly don't think that the truck needs a lot of correction. The Highlander I have not put under the light test yet.

I will be back and more feedback is alway appreciated as well

[briarpatch]

Welcome to the addiction. I have a GG6...also my first DA. I love it. I'm just getting started too, and the folks here are very friendly and helpful. For your 'cleaner wax', also consider Meguiars Cleaner Wax. For years, it was the only one that occupied room on the shelf, and it served me very well. It's still my go-to wax (after washing and claying, of course) when I'm doing a friend's daily driver.

[chadcj7]

I am involved in several forums and I will say that the people on this forum are very helpful and friendly.

I have started my search on pads to get an idea on the investment. Is lake country the brand I should be looking at or are their other brands that are good for beginners like myself?

[JeffM]

The lake country pads are great pads. You could also buy a pad washer and use the optimum hyper polish/compound and just wash the pad after each panel, and use 1 pad of each color for the car. For a beginner how much product to use is always part of the learning process, but with a spray product, 1 spray is all you need.

[chadcj7]

After doing some research I am finding that I can probably get by with less pads then I think. I have seen and heard nothing but good things about HD Speed AIO. I have a new metallic grey f150 with good paint. If I don't really need any correction at all what pads should I use with the HD speed AIO?