Polishin' Pal w/Cutting Pad to remove swirls?

[Emile]

Hi,

My other car is a Black Infiniti G35 Coupe and it has lots of swirl marks and hairline scratches. Using a regular cotton applicator pad and Meguiar's ScratchX has provided minimal improvement (if at all) in the surface of the vehicle. I was thinking that maybe I could try purchasing a Polishin' Pal and a few CCS Spot Buffs 4-inch Orange Light Cutting pads to use with the ScratchX to get all the swirls and stuff out - I still have almost 2 full bottles of ScratchX just sitting in the garage.

Or, skip the Polishin' Pal and instead purchase a 2-3/4 inch Hook & Loop Backing Plate with the Drill Adapter (w/the 4-inch Orange Light Cutting Pads) to use with my cordless drill and the Meguiar's ScratchX or some other swirl remover from AutoGeek.

Will any of these combinations get the job done or do I have to invest in a Porter Cable? The car is only 2 years old - it's a 2006 model, only 18K miles - so to go the Poter Cable route just seems overly aggressive but I'm still scratching my head on this issue.

Any feedback is most appreciated.

Thanks,
Emile

[charliehaley]

I just recently bought a pc and i love it. Swirl removal by hand is really hard and you will find its next to impossible if trying to remove anything more than the finest of swirls since using any strong polish will not properly break down and possible even leave more swirls or micro marring behind. I am not sure about the drill adapter but if you have the money i would invest in the pc. Its worth every penny and is truely not as overly aggressive as many people think.

[ronin]

A porter cable isn't all that aggressive. It is pretty much newb friendly and idiot proof. Someone said it best that the only way you can really mess up your car is to throw the PC at it.

However, a porter cable won't be able to fix any major defects. Otherwise it will save you time and headaches from doing everything by hand.

[Emile]

Thanks for the posts, guys. I am just going to save up for the Porter Cable and some other stuff from AutoGeek. Let's see if I can be cheap and get my parental units to pay for it.

[ScottB]

go with a buffer as offered, a hand polishing is futile at best and likely will wear you out before updating the finish. Look at the buffer/Menzerna packages for best value.
Menzerna G110 Ceramic 5.5 Inch Polishing Pad Kit FREE BONUS (http://www.autogeek.net/menzerna-g110-ceramic-kit.html)

[Emile]

Thanks killerwheels. Why should I use the Meguiar's polisher and Menzerna polishes? Are they better than the Porter Cable and the Pinnacle or Wolfgang swirl removers? Btw, are you Bobby that I spoke over the phone with today?

[mfortier]

I know this might go against the grain here but here goes. I did a two step hand/machine compound job on a 2002 White Santa Fe. 120,000 miles. Well kept (i.e. clean and in garage) but no real polish/wax for years. The compounder did a fine job (wool and terry pads) on the deep stuff but lots of fine marks left. Used McGuires ScratchX with soft Terry by hand - Better. Then I used Nu-Finish Scratch Doctor (50% off at local auto store) with Terry by hand - MUCH better. Then I used another cheap Scratch product (from the clearance bin) with chamois by hand and the result was spectacular. I think the cloth/pad is perhaps more important than the product as long as you have a nano, disinigrating particle based compound. The chamois result really amazed me as I do not use chamois for anything. FYI.

Martin