Finally Pulled the Trigger on a Polisher!

[BimmerFerret]

Its been awhile since I've posted on here, but the whole time I have been putting off buying a polisher due to a rough patch personally; however, I'm back in full force now :)

Anyways, my main two choices the whole time was the PC 7424XP and the Griot's and I decided to run with the Griot's. I found a KILLER deal and I couldn't say no. It was the Griot's wax and polish kit (all products were from them) that comes with pads too.

So how about you guys wet my appetite with telling me how much easier it will be to wax my car and remove the swirls?? Got threads where you personally used the Griot's? I'd love to read them!

Can't wait to start being more active in the forums again.

John:dblthumb2:

[CEE DOG]

Glad to hear things are looking up for you John! I hope you enjoy your Griots :buffing:

[BimmerFerret]

Thanks... I don't know if you know... but I have a Sunburst Yellow 07 Red Line :)

Got any mods on yours?

[CEE DOG]

Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!! I didn't know-tice. That is very cool! I don't have any mods as of yet. I've been looking but don't want to mess with my warranty. Plus I'm not near as knowledgable as I'd like to be around the engine... :(
Anyway, Love the Sky! Mine is an 08 (Chili Pepper Red) Redline. I'm really happy to see a fellow Sky owner on here. If you ever need anything let me know Im the MAN
What mods do you have?
What state are you in?

[BimmerFerret]

Thanks man, I'm in Kentucky right now. I have no mods yet. I'm trying to pay it off first but then I plan to do:

Dejon Intake
Solo Street Race Exhaust
GMPP Tune (maybe Trifecta if I can convince the wife)
DDM Backbone / Probeam

The motor honestly has given us some grief when it comes to the cooling system. It had to be overhauled at around 50k miles. I do my own oil changes and basic maintenance on it, but I leave any serious issues to the dealer since it is in warranty.


Anyways!

How much time do you think I'll save by having a polisher now? I have always waxed my car by hand and never tried swirl remover before.

[SeaJay's]

Congrats on the new purchase! DA can save you a ton of time and enables you to really get down and dirty with swirl removal.

Applying wax via a DA takes no time at all and what I really love about is you get a nice even uniform layer of wax. I personally still remove the wax by hand, but I know a lot of people remove the wax with the DA as well.

As for swirl removal it's a time consuming process and you'll need to take your time and figure out what works on your car. BMWs and Saturns (GM) tend to have hard clear coats. I've actually never worked on a Saturn, but I know typically GM models have tough clears. Take your time and figure out what works. You'll be hooked once you start and find the process that works. Just being able to see the difference is enough to get me excited and wanting the next challenge to come in.

[BimmerFerret]

Congrats on the new purchase! DA can save you a ton of time and enables you to really get down and dirty with swirl removal.

Applying wax via a DA takes no time at all and what I really love about is you get a nice even uniform layer of wax. I personally still remove the wax by hand, but I know a lot of people remove the wax with the DA as well.

As for swirl removal it's a time consuming process and you'll need to take your time and figure out what works on your car. BMWs and Saturns (GM) tend to have hard clear coats. I've actually never worked on a Saturn, but I know typically GM models have tough clears. Take your time and figure out what works. You'll be hooked once you start and find the process that works. Just being able to see the difference is enough to get me excited and wanting the next challenge to come in.
Thanks for the heads up!

[slickooz]

Congrats on the new purchase! DA can save you a ton of time and enables you to really get down and dirty with swirl removal.

Applying wax via a DA takes no time at all and what I really love about is you get a nice even uniform layer of wax. I personally still remove the wax by hand, but I know a lot of people remove the wax with the DA as well.

As for swirl removal it's a time consuming process and you'll need to take your time and figure out what works on your car. BMWs and Saturns (GM) tend to have hard clear coats. I've actually never worked on a Saturn, but I know typically GM models have tough clears. Take your time and figure out what works. You'll be hooked once you start and find the process that works. Just being able to see the difference is enough to get me excited and wanting the next challenge to come in.

DA is a very useful tool. When I bought my DA I used it on my car first. Boy did it take a long time just to remove light swirls. Took about 3-4 hours to polish the whole car. Used white pads with M205. And I removed about 95% of the swirls.

Good luck with yours Griot's DA is great. I have one myself. :buffing:

[Rhudeboye]

I have the GG also. Paint correction is no walk in the park just because you have the machine. It's still difficult to me. I guess it comes easier to some. The products that came with the GG pkg are good for newer cars or very light swirls. You’re going to need stiffer pads as the 2 that was packaged are pretty soft, (not much cutting power) and you’re going to need a good compound. The pads that came with the unit will work well for polishing afterward.

My unit came with a DVD and a book as well. Watch the DVD. It got me off my butt and in the garage. It really gave me confidence as I watched him correct step by step.

Enjoy.
:cruisin:

[slickooz]

I haven't watched the dvd yet. How does it compare to Mike Phillips videos?

[Rhudeboye]

Both are top notch and thorough.

The advantage of the GG video is that its focus is on how to get the most of what came in your pkg. So he goes through each product and educates you on what pad to use for applying and removing.

[slickooz]

Both are top notch and thorough.

The advantage of the GG video is that its focus is on how to get the most of what came in your pkg. So he goes through each product and educates you on what pad to use for applying and removing.

Thanks, now I need to find that dvd. lol

[BimmerFerret]

Thanks for your vote of confidence fellas. :)

Question:

If I have a tough time with the products in the kit getting the swirls out of my BMW, do I need to get a stronger polish like M105, or should I get a more abrasive pad?

[slickooz]

Your going to need a lot of diff combos to find what works for you. Most people use 5.5 inch flats with M105/M205. Get couple orange and couple whites, and your set.

[Mazda.Mark]

can't wait to unwrap mine on christmas day!