Some Newbie Questions...

[ppespepe]

Hi everybody! (hey!! you're reading my very first post after my introduction... Thanks!!!)

I'm very enthusiast with cars and i want to restore my 94 Euro spec 325i Cabrio that was almost in show conditions until it was vandalized by some... <-- Put your desired adjective here.

The car is CalypsoRot and used to be in mint condition, veeeery pampered even when used to be used on a daily basis.

Now, i have bought new Beyern mesh shoes and some other stuff but i wonder....

1.- What could be the kind of paint my babe has? it came painted from Germany if it helps in anyway... single stage paint, the other one i saw here which somebody said it's clearcoat with color or clear coat??? the paint really shines!!! even with moderate to light swirls, never clayed, never polished pant.

2.- Knowing or suspecting the kind of paint, i bought the Pinnacle swirl couple but wondering if i could do any better with Menzerna PO 91E & 87MC? what do you guys reckons? Is there any better combination? will it perform better than the Pinnacle combo?

3.- What should be the best order of tasks to do a complete interior and exterior detail? just like in the videos or your experience knows best?

Even being a newbie i want to get the best results i can achieve with my limited budget, i bought some some from Autogeek... i must say that the level of information in their website, the videos, etc. are not only very strong selling tools but also veeeeery informative for people like me. Also they are THE KINDEST people i've ever done internet business with... I'm completely in love with them!!!!

Below i listed the stuff i bought just in case i made mistakes... or there's something important to add... prety sure it's not the best list but i tried to cover all the spots with very limited budget.... is there anything missing???? :confused:

- Porter Cable
- Metro Van-n-blo with wheels and turbo something.
- Klasse kit
- Diamondite Clear Vinyl Kit
- Cobra total microfiber kit
- Backin'plates in 3.5 and 5 inches from LC (those yellow ones) and a 6" porter cable (the weird one with the holes... sorry, I'm still waiting for the items to arrive to my country so i've only seen photos of everything)
- One of each 6.5 inch LC pads except the yellow one.
- The DA pad to put the clay bar on
- XMT conditioner and cleaner
- Raggtopp for fabric roofs
- Tampico (whatever that is... sorry english it's not my native language :) brushes for upholstery and carpets.
- DP Clay bar with the lubricant.
- Microfiber Gloves
- DP total interior cleaner
- Arctic white microfiber bla bla bla...
- Headlights polish kit from the wolfg (not sure why i did this because my car has glassed headlights)
- Extreme foam DP car shampoooo for use with the foamaster i also bought
- DP glass restorer and cleaner
- finger pockets... or something like that
- The Pinnacle Detailing kit with the bag and the Souverän!!!... (nice and was on sale!!! just 10 bucks more for that bag... amazzz...)
- Pinnacle tires and wheels kit
- Leatherique oil and it's cousin'
- Pinnacle Twins kit (the anti-swirls polish couple)
- Cobra weave whatever guzzler and glass towel.
- The wheel green bristles brushes, the short and the long one.
- The blue brush that bends they use in the video for wheels
- And an working halogen light to fry my head while i detail, blue tape, cordless drill... etc...

Sorry for this long list and thank you very much in advance for your comments!! :o

PP Feed back please

:cruisin:

[sal329]

I would stick with just 4" pads on the PC.

[ppespepe]

Why? I mean, it's because i'm a newbie so it should be a little bit easier or because there's a problem using 6"?

Thx!

PP


I would stick with just 4" pads on the PC.

[detail viking]

I think it's because they are more effective, not because your a newb....:autowash:

[ppespepe]

Cool... I'll give it a try, the more effective the better!!! I've never done this before and while i wait for my stuff to arrive, i'm a little nervous... :buffing:

Thanks a lot Viking!!!

PP


I think it's because they are more effective, not because your a newb....:autowash:

[Detail4Life]

The 4" pads seem to have a better cut to them than larger ones

[ppespepe]

Ok.. thanks folks!!!

Now i'm considering buying 4" pads from LC... but since i'm running broke buying all this stuff, can any of you recommend me the most useful pads colors i should buy?

By the way, i'm about to buy the menzerna polishes, the IP and the MP (FP II), i've read that there are other that cuts more but i want to keep it safe (for my paint)... what do you think? (to be used with PC)

Thanks again Folks!!!

PP

:cruisin:

[calhoun1]

Menzerna Complete Ceramic 5.5 Inch Polishing Pad Kit (http://www.autogeek.net/dual-action-ceramic-kit.html)

That kit right there will cover you.
The only thing you may want to grab are another 2 5.5 inch Orange CCS pads, and a 3 pack of 5.5 inch Gray CCS pads.

I know that is a chunk of change, but I got great results with the SIP - 106 combo:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/16770-2008-g5-gt-my-first-detail.html

[sal329]

Why? I mean, it's because i'm a newbie so it should be a little bit easier or because there's a problem using 6"?

Thx!

PP


the 4" pads will cut a lot better then the bigger pads on a PC and makes it easier for smaller panels. Does not take any longer then using pads IMHO
2 yellow, 2-4 orange, 4-6 white, 4-6 green, 2-4 black, 2 blue
Menz SIP, 106ff, and 87MC
Or Meguiars 105 and 205

[ppespepe]

Ok Folks, got the message! :iagree:

So I'm about to buy the Menzerna SIP, Nano and 85RD (or 87MC?) & one pair of 4" LC pads of each color. The 4" pads makes a lot of sense and if they cut better means for me easier to use mainly when i've never done this before. Thx! :buffing: :)


This is my plan:

- Wash the car using the two buckets thing and the foamaster. Pinnacle or DP Xtreme Foam.
- The wheels are coming along with the detailing stuff so when they arrive ( i'm not in the us so i have to face customs, delays, etc.) so i'm just going to wash them using the Pinnacle wheel&tire kit i already bought and then i'm going to complete klasse them before mounting.
- Paint clay by hand or using the clay pad applicator, and since i have the DP and Pinnacle Clay/Lubricants i wonder if there's any noticeable difference between them... not sure yet (any feedback?)
- Pinnacle Paintwork Cleanse (i saw in the videos it's used to be done after menzernating but i think at least for the first time, doing before and after could be a good idea...)
- I think i'll begin "menzernating" with the 106FA using an orange pad, in case i need more cutting I'll escalate to SIP in white, SIP in Orange or SIP in Yellow... Since i'm going to do it with spot pads, i can try it in a very small space as a learning experience, of course i'm not going to use all that if not necessary but i think i'll know this way which combination it's best for that particular case don't you think?
- Feed back please... i'm puzzled with menzerna and i'm puzzled to hell... because the chart says almost everyone has a gloss factor of 5 which is indeed the maximum in the chart but here we have as the finishing line the 87MC and the 85RD. Both seems to be almost the same but the 85RD has a little bit more cutting power. Anyway, my interpretation of this is that even when the chart says 83Q,106FA & 85RD are for hard coats, they are designed to be professionally applied with pneumatic circular polishers at the assembly plants and not using the PC so the xtra cutting could compensate differences between those tools/hands and the PC... am i looking at the right direction? is this maybe the reason why 83Q/106FA/85RD should be better than 91E/85U/87MC???

- Anyway, after menzernating, here comes the Pinnacle cleansing and then... the Klassy combo... with 2 or 3 layers of glaze.

- Finnaly, Pinnacle Souverän...

Sorry for replying this long but... my last buy for this season it's going to be made (Menzerna/4" pads, i have a complete collection in 6) and i just want to be sure i'm going the right direction. What do you think folks???

Thanks in advance!!! Im the MAN

BTW... i saw the pontiac... looks great man... good job! :righton:

PP

:cruisin: