Help me fill my cart

[Zorro]

OK enough is enough! I've been reading articles/forums and watching videos for probably over 2 years now, but it is now time to get "real"! haha

I've been properly taking care of my cars for probably close to 8 years now but never went further then wash/clay/seal/wax and never used a DA polisher or otherwise. In other words i've never done any paint correction. Last year i purchased myself a super low mileage (~50K miles) 2003 GTI VR6. The MK4 GTI was one of my dream cars when i was in HS :P

The car is in exceptional condition mechanically and the body/paint is good for a 13 year old car that probably only got automatic car washes. That being said it has a few rust spots (common for these cars) and that will get taken care of next year when those areas get resprayed. In addition the paint has a million little scratches (some deeper than others) and it is swirl heaven. Therefore i have decided to buy myself a polisher, pads, compounds, polish etc...you know, the whole enchilida!

So far, i know that i want a Griot's Garage 6"...i've researched this extensively and for the $, this IMO is my best bet. I also know that i will be getting 5" BP so that i can use 5.5" pads. But that's where my certitude ends.

Pads: microfiber, foam? i've read that MF cuts better/faster and that foam finishes better...so which do i go for? one of each? which brands? Also, heard that these DA's work better with thin pads

Compounds/polish: I would love to stick to one brand at least to begin with...so far i'm thinking of Menzerna FG400 and SFP3800? Would that be a good combo to begin with should i add something else? If not menzerna, what would you suggest?

and because everyone likes pics, here's a little before and after...this summer i did a full suspension refresh with Koni shocks all around and a mild drop with H&R springs and the some period correct BBS wheels.

Thank you for the help!!

51868

[fly07sti]

The gg6 is a great DA. Whenever I reach for mine, I typically grab Meguiars thin foam pads. The burgundy pad is outstanding. It cuts great and finishes very well. It also cleans up very easily. As far as MF pads go, Meguiars makes some nice ones as well. VW's can have fairly hard clear, but you won't know on yours until you do a test spot. Also, I recommend that you get at least 6 cutting pads and 6 polishing pads to get you started. Menzerna also makes great compounds/polishes. I have used them for years and turned many other people onto them. Biggest piece of advice I give to someone that's going to buff there first car, take your time and enjoy it. Don't rush it or overthink it. Good luck.

[BudgetPlan1]

Would think the FG400 and SF3500 would be a better all around combo.

[klix58]

OK enough is enough! I've been reading articles/forums and watching videos for probably over 2 years now, but it is now time to get "real"! haha

I've been properly taking care of my cars for probably close to 8 years now but never went further then wash/clay/seal/wax and never used a DA polisher or otherwise. In other words i've never done any paint correction. Last year i purchased myself a super low mileage (~50K miles) 2003 GTI VR6. The MK4 GTI was one of my dream cars when i was in HS :P

The car is in exceptional condition mechanically and the body/paint is good for a 13 year old car that probably only got automatic car washes. That being said it has a few rust spots (common for these cars) and that will get taken care of next year when those areas get resprayed. In addition the paint has a million little scratches (some deeper than others) and it is swirl heaven. Therefore i have decided to buy myself a polisher, pads, compounds, polish etc...you know, the whole enchilida!

So far, i know that i want a Griot's Garage 6"...i've researched this extensively and for the $, this IMO is my best bet. I also know that i will be getting 5" BP so that i can use 5.5" pads. But that's where my certitude ends.

Pads: microfiber, foam? i've read that MF cuts better/faster and that foam finishes better...so which do i go for? one of each? which brands? Also, heard that these DA's work better with thin pads

Compounds/polish: I would love to stick to one brand at least to begin with...so far i'm thinking of Menzerna FG400 and SFP3800? Would that be a good combo to begin with should i add something else? If not menzerna, what would you suggest?

and because everyone likes pics, here's a little before and after...this summer i did a full suspension refresh with Koni shocks all around and a mild drop with H&R springs and the some period correct BBS wheels.

Thank you for the help!!

51868
Good looking ride with the BBS. As a VW owner I had success with M101 and M205 with BS 5.5 pads in all flavors. Have you considered adding in Ironx and clay for a decon?

[WaxMaster1]

Hi Zorro, I think you're on the right track with the Griot's 6" with the 5" backing plate. You said you'd like to stick with one line, while I have not personally tried these, I've heard nothing but raving reviews about the Griot's BOSS creams and BOSS pads.....and you're keeping it simple to boot. And, as said above, I would IronX and clay bar first.

[TTQ B4U]

Add in a Nanoskin glove vs clay to pull off all the buggers and garbage from the paint
Add in some Iron-X or like to chemically remove the iron deposits and really help clean up things prior to polishing

I like the FG400 option as it works really well. I'd move up to SF4000/3800 series as well. These product work fantastic on the VW/Audi finishes
If you're going to apply a sealant I think HDPoxy would do very well for you. Red will really shine like it's wet with a coating and given you're new to this obsession, something like McKee's new paint coating or even Wolfgang's coating are relatively easy to use and will yield fantastic results.

Break out the wallet and have fun. Go slow and don't try and conquer the word in a day. Even if you perfect it a few panels at a time, that's cool. You'll enjoy see the differences over time as you progress too.

[WRAPT C5Z06]

VW's have hard paint. Definitely go with some 5.5" Meguiars MF cutting pads, followed by a foam polishing pad. Don't forget to clay before.

[briarpatch]

X2 on the BOSS pads and creams...simple system, awesome reviews. Best of luck with the car....what I remember of those...they were rockets

[CanyonCarver]

I'm using BOSS creams with lake county CCS pads on my GG6". Boss creams are fantastic!!!!

[Zorro]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I looked into the Boss creams and I think I'm gonna go with that.

So the summarize:
GG 6" polisher
5" backing plate
5.5" Boss pads (white, orange, yellow, black & MF)
Boss creams

Anything else that I should get?
GG paint sealant?
GG best of show paste wax?

[Detailsbydaniel]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I looked into the Boss creams and I think I'm gonna go with that.

So the summarize:
GG 6" polisher
5" backing plate
5.5" Boss pads (white, orange, yellow, black & MF)
Boss creams

Anything else that I should get?
GG paint sealant?
GG best of show paste wax?

As far as the pads they have a fast cutting mf pad as well. I saw someone say they tend to have super hard clear, I have no experience with this personally just another option if you need extra cut.

[Eldorado2k]

Have you placed your order yet?

[Eldorado2k]

My suggestions:
Backing plate: Get the 5" Griots Garage Vented Backing Plate. Not the Boss Vented backing plate because it won't fit your GG6 polisher. [you probably already know that but just in case]

How many pads are you thinking about getting? Not sure how much $ you're planning on spending, but if you want to keep it under a certain budget and all you really have planned is your own vehicle [which is a very small vehicle to polish] You could probably be ok with... Ehh it's kind of hard to recommend these Boss pads because there's 5 different kind kind if you include the microfiber pads.. I usually say 3 compounding pads, 2 polishing pads, and 1 finishing black pad. [but that's for Lake Country flat foam pads. Same general idea would apply here. 1 thing that's for sure is you probably won't need more than 1 finishing pad since you'll most likely only be using it to apply your sealant.

Boss Creams: You said you're getting the Boss Creams. All of them? TBO you'll probably wind up only using 1 of the 2 correcting creams on your car. But it's almost impossible to know if just Correcting Cream will be enough to remove all the defects. If your car does have hard clear, then you'll be thanking yourself for ordering the Fast Correcting Cream. [so the safe bet is ordering both. You sort of have to eat it on this purchase]
Perfecting Cream: Yea you pretty much shouldn't be without a finishing polish. Even though you might not see a world of difference from what the Fast Correcting Cream leaves behind, if it does happen to haze a little bit, you'll be happy you bought this 1.
Boss Finishing Sealant? Don't get this 1. IME It's just not good. Doesn't last, doesn't protect. Get something else as your LSP. I've heard people say good things about the Griots Poly sealant? [I think that's what it's called] But then again, I heard people say good things about this Boss Finishing Sealant too until I tried it myself.. If it was me I'd be using my own sealant of choice, but AGO doesn't carry the 1 I use so you're on your own as far as LSP. Just make sure it's a good 1, because I dunno about you, but it would get on my nerves if I had to clay every couple of months thanks to my LSP sucking. Lol.

Good luck.👍🏽

[Zorro]

Thank you Eldorado!

I haven't purchased just yet. In regards to the LSP I already have Poorboys Polish w/sealant and Poorboys Natty's Paste wax, which I was using by hand. That being said I don't think I should use the polish w/sealant if I'm already polishing with the creams, so what would you you suggest as a dedicated sealant?

Thanks!

[WRAPT C5Z06]

With an 8mm DA, I'd go with the Griot's FAST MF pads, not the BOSS MF pads which are designed for long throw DA's.