rick3000
06-16-2017, 11:10 AM
Hi Everyone,
I have decided to give my '99 Porsche a polish prior to touching up some road rash and a few scratches, then protecting it with sealant and wax. I have never machine polished a car before, and would love to get some advice before I begin to invested in the equipment necessary to correct my paint. As far as I know the paint on this car has never been polished, so I think I should have plenty of clear coat, and if I can get it to 75%-ish I would be ecstatic. I believe most of the damage was caused by using a nylon snow brush in the winter, before I knew how incredible stupid that was.
I plan to buy a Griot's 6" because I like the price and the warranty and it seems to be the recommended polisher for beginners. I also plan to switch to a 5" backing plate immediately, because my car has a lot of curves. However, I am very confused by all of the opinions about which pads and products to use. I would prefer to not buy a bunch of pads I won't need. I have looked at the Meguiar's Microfiber Correction system, but I have read that the MF finishing pad will not finish as well as foam. I would also like to use the bottle of Menzerna 3500 I already have to finish prior to applying sealant, instead of the cleaner wax in the Meguiar's kit.
I have included a few images of the paint, the first is the hood, the second is the trunk lid, and the third is the rear quarter panel that has some deep (fingernail catching) tree branch scratches I plan to touchup with Dr. ColorChip after polishing the car. This is my daily driver, so I plan to polish it at least one more time when I retire it to weekend warrior status in a few years.
Main Question
Based on the paint condition in the photos, which products and pads would you recommend for a beginner?
Specific Questions
Will the MF Finishing pad, finish as well as a comparable foam pad with the SF3500?
Should I go for a Meguiar's MF cutting disc and D300, then finish with a white(?) CCS foam pad and the SF3500?
Would foam pads with Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover or Menzerna PG1000, then SF3500 be better? Which pads?
Can a beginner use MF pads, or should I stick with foam for everything? Are the Griot's foam pads any good (looking at the 5" conversion kit)?
Would a thin or thick foam pad be better for a beginner?
Is the paint so bad I should just call a pro?
Thank you in advance to everyone that replies!!!
I have decided to give my '99 Porsche a polish prior to touching up some road rash and a few scratches, then protecting it with sealant and wax. I have never machine polished a car before, and would love to get some advice before I begin to invested in the equipment necessary to correct my paint. As far as I know the paint on this car has never been polished, so I think I should have plenty of clear coat, and if I can get it to 75%-ish I would be ecstatic. I believe most of the damage was caused by using a nylon snow brush in the winter, before I knew how incredible stupid that was.
I plan to buy a Griot's 6" because I like the price and the warranty and it seems to be the recommended polisher for beginners. I also plan to switch to a 5" backing plate immediately, because my car has a lot of curves. However, I am very confused by all of the opinions about which pads and products to use. I would prefer to not buy a bunch of pads I won't need. I have looked at the Meguiar's Microfiber Correction system, but I have read that the MF finishing pad will not finish as well as foam. I would also like to use the bottle of Menzerna 3500 I already have to finish prior to applying sealant, instead of the cleaner wax in the Meguiar's kit.
I have included a few images of the paint, the first is the hood, the second is the trunk lid, and the third is the rear quarter panel that has some deep (fingernail catching) tree branch scratches I plan to touchup with Dr. ColorChip after polishing the car. This is my daily driver, so I plan to polish it at least one more time when I retire it to weekend warrior status in a few years.
Main Question
Based on the paint condition in the photos, which products and pads would you recommend for a beginner?
Specific Questions
Will the MF Finishing pad, finish as well as a comparable foam pad with the SF3500?
Should I go for a Meguiar's MF cutting disc and D300, then finish with a white(?) CCS foam pad and the SF3500?
Would foam pads with Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover or Menzerna PG1000, then SF3500 be better? Which pads?
Can a beginner use MF pads, or should I stick with foam for everything? Are the Griot's foam pads any good (looking at the 5" conversion kit)?
Would a thin or thick foam pad be better for a beginner?
Is the paint so bad I should just call a pro?
Thank you in advance to everyone that replies!!!