Griots Polishers

[OTPAS]

This is my first posting on this great forum although my wife feels that I am just one more step closer to a full psychiatric commitment for my obsession over my 04 classic red Miata! (She drives a Volvo!) Anyway, does anyone out there have any experience with Griot’s random orbital polisher and or Griot’s mini pneumatic polisher? I have been using Zaino products since I bought the Miata new and have been happy with them. I am now seeing some fine swirl marks from daily driving and having a hard time sleeping at night. All suggestions welcome except for getting a new wife. Just too much work breaking in a new one.
Feed back please

[ltoman]

This is my first posting on this great forum although my wife feels that I am just one more step closer to a full psychiatric commitment for my obsession over my 04 classic red Miata! (She drives a Volvo!) Anyway, does anyone out there have any experience with Griot’s random orbital polisher and or Griot’s mini pneumatic polisher? I have been using Zaino products since I bought the Miata new and have been happy with them. I am now seeing some fine swirl marks from daily driving and having a hard time sleeping at night. All suggestions welcome except for getting a new wife. Just too much work breaking in a new one.
Feed back please

Hi and welcome. There is nothing wrong with keeping your Miata like new! I have a neighbor down the street who uses only Griot's - I could ask him when I see him. He has no swirls on his red 1996 vette and his 2002 HondaS2000.

But AG's stuff is great. I know you could top it with some stuff from here. Griot's is marked a bit high, too. Just IMHO.. To each his own.

Hey, post us a photo or two!!:Picture: :Picture:

Blessings,
Lauren
Red Cars Rock!

[Reddwarf]

Welcome to AG Forum! Great group of folks here with tons of experience and willing to share it. I have no experience with Griot's products but I'm sure someone here will. That being said, you will find lots of information about products AG sales that will help you get rid of those swirls.

Post some pictures of your Miata!

[Al-53]

There was a comparison test done on the Groits polisher and a PC on a couple other forums...and the results were the PC was a better machine...

The Griots was found to be a Dewalt 443 Chinese knock off...they showed the chinese site with the same machine as Groits...Plus I am not sure the backing plate is like the PC either..meaning single screw on type...so a regular backing plate does nor work or the edge adapter..I may be wrong since it was awhile sine I read it...

Thats all the info I can give..

AL

[Surfer]

I remember quite a few people on Autopia saying it bogged down to easily and din't have he torque of the PC.....thought that was odd as I just thought it was a relabeled/slightly different in design PC like Meg's.

[MikeyC]

There is one guy on my owner's club site who likes this machine. But most people seem to prefer the PC. Plus, the Griot's machine's backing plate attaches differently than those of a PC or a rotary. So, you wouldn't be able to use a lot of the accessories made for a PC.

[ryandamartini]

First and foremost the best investment you can make to keep your vehicle looking great and hold some resale value is investing in a Porter Cable Dual Action Polisher. It is also sold under the badges of 7336 / 7336SP, and finally the most popular 7424 which is available for purchase right here on autogeek. Great way to take advantage of that 10% off code!

Forgive me, I’m just going to reiterate some things maybe but here it goes:

Washing/Drying:
I CANNOT EMPHASIZE ENOUGH HOW important proper washing and drying is to maintain a swirl free finish.
For this, you want a proper wash mitt and drying towel. For a washmit, I recommend the Schmitt. It is a soft foam with a scrubber for lower areas. It can be machine washed, and many members here have nothing but great things to say about, me personally it’s the best wash mitt ever made.
The ShMITT Multi-purpose Foam Mitts (http://autogeek.net/shmitt.html)

And for drying look at the Cobra Guzzler! By far, the best drying towel I have set eyes on. It is 28" x 54" and will dry your bright red miata streak free every time. I suggest grabbing one for your car! This will help prevent water spots by sucking up the water effectively and completely.

The Ultimate Guzzler Waffle Weave Microfiber Drying Towel by Cobra is a large drying towel for big SUVs, trucks and vans! Towel-dry your vehicle with (http://autogeek.net/waffle-weave-drying-towel.html)

Claying:
about:
Detailing Clay Bars and Clay Bar Lubricants (http://autogeek.net/clbaandlu.html)

My picks:
Pinnacle’s Ultra Poly Clay is the single finest clay composition available today. (http://autogeek.net/piulpoclkit.html)
Wolfgang Elastic Poly Clay Kit is the only non-abrasive way to remove stubborn environmental contaminants, tar, and bugs! (http://autogeek.net/wg8000.html)



Wax and Sealants:
Now there is a difference here. Waxes are pastes and liquids consisting of either a Carnauba base [natural wax] or a synthetic polymer base [synthetic]. Waxes tend to give the best look of depth and shimmering out of the two, but do not last that long as far as protection is concerned.

This is why a lot of people use both! Sealants form a hard layer on your clear coat to protect your paint. They give a more reflective look to your paint and a very wet look. How do you combine these great elements you ask? Well you use them both. I prefer to lay down a layer of sealant, let it cure for a while and then put a layer of my favorite Carnauba wax on there. [24 hours curing time]

My suggestions for waxes are either DP Maxwax or Souveran. Both are at a great price point for their respective qualities and applications per container and will give you great results. However if your prepared to shell the cash out, Pinnacle Souveran for sure! Your red will look amazing!

As far as sealants, I only use two on my cars, and that is Duragloss or WolfGang Deep Gloss. Both give superior looks, Duragloss however leaves a shine for months that you will be proud of. I think of WolfGang as a super carnauba sealant in the way it looks. A great choice for solid, great looking protection for around 3 months, after that you will still be protected, however some of the look has faded.

Polishing:
As far as polishing goes, the Porter Cable 7424 is a great tool. While similar to many orbital polishers, it is more powerful than most around. The PC can do astounding corrective work once trained up on it and it a good investment. I suggest you look at the videos on this page as they might help you assess the damage and what polishes you will need on your beauty. XMT Series by Pinnacle; Xtreme Machine Technology polishes & glazes for dual action orbital & rotary polishers. (http://autogeek.net/xmt.html) , Porter Cable Random Orbital Video Demo (http://paintcare-n-detailing.com/video/) , and now the new one on Pinnacle Natural Brilliance car care products are made of natural ingredients & modern science! souveran, signature series, carnauba, paintwork (http://www.autogeek.net/pinnacleprod.html)

As far as pad choices go, I know the price is a little steep for the whole set, but go for the full set of Edge2k pads. They are double sided, so basically 2 in one on each pad. This kit gives you some pad care products, the pads, and buffing bonnets to take off waxes, along with the edge adapter. An EXCELLENT deal! The Edge Dual Action 6 Inch Kit includes The Edge 2000 DuraFoam Pads & a dual action Edge Adapter. edge foam pads, double side pads, polishing pads (http://autogeek.net/foam-polishing-kit.html)

Welcome to car OCD, and we hope you enjoy your ride! Don’t be shy to PM any one of out members for some help if you need it!

Polishes: Optimum Polish, Optimum Compound, no dusting, great lubrication, great results,

Pinnacle XMT : XMT 1 / 2 / 3 in order of abrasiveness from least [1] to greatest [3]. Minimum to no dusting, leaves a brilliant finish, and they are formulated FOR the PC.

Also some new favorites of mine are the Pinnacle Twins Polishes! They really leave a luster of a finish! I think they would be great for your fine swirl remover, and they both have a long working time and again, no dusting!

[abrcrombe]

Man I hope you have that copy pasted somewhere... I would hate to think you type that up everytime!!

Welcome and enjoy your time here!

[Nica]

OTPAS (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/members/otpas.html) http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/images/bullet/statusicon/user_offline.gif vbmenu_register("postmenu_60381", true);
Junior Member,

Welcome to Auto Geek, you will find this place helpful to help you detail your vehicles. The best thing about this place is that there is no "dumb" question. Trust me I know, I've posted some odd questions and hi-jack a few topics too...and people don't get too upset about it.

I hope you enjoy it here.

You get guys like ryandamartini that are willing to share lots of information and guys that have been detailing for a long time. Lots to learn my friend, lots to learn.

[OTPAS]

;) First of all, I want to thank all of you who have responded and those of you in the near future. This is a great community and I will be coming back to this forum quite often for advice (and, perhaps, adding my two cents). I will be posting pictures as soon as I can figure out how to do so. Being a newbie, I have never had the courage to take a machine to my “Little Red”. She has only been fondled by my human hands with micro fiber or 100% Egyptian cotton. At the recommendation of one of our Miata Club members, I have only used Zaino Bros. from wash to final Z8 and have been happy with the depth and wetness of her shine. She is my daily ride from April to November, covered and garaged at night and during the winter. Of late, I have noticed some swirl marks around her corners, most likely caused by too aggressive drying and buffing by hand as well as everyday driving. As a bribe to do their cars too, I was given a Griot’s DA polisher by my family. My greatest concern is taking down too much of the clear coat, especially on the non flat areas such as the front and rear fascia that gets most of the sandy air abuse. Zaino’s Z5 does not do well on filling in these areas. I have read about their new Z AIO and trying to compare it to other products from this site. Boy, am I lost! I guess what I am looking for is a product(s) that will make these fine swirl marks disappear without resorting to a cumbersome big DA polisher or small rotary polisher. As always, your input is very much appreciated.

[ScottB]

I have never seen a polish that truly removes swirls via hand, yes it might reduce them slightly but usually the fillers that hide it temporarily. Couple of washes and they are back.

Zaino's Z-AIO is there attempt at copying Klasse AIO which has been relished for years. It is a great AIO type product with a super chemical cleaner. Zaino does make ZPC which is a relatively light polish that is friendly to their sealants and might be a better choice. Keep away from surrounds as it can leave some light green coloring.

All in all , at some point a step of faith to a PC is needed. You will find that you had wished you had done so earlier. Very safe and easy to use. Get some great pads, Lake Country or Edge, and your products of choice and bring that little Mazda to the next level of bliss.

[Woob]

http://www.griotsgarage.com/images/products/lg/10925_LG.jpg

This Polisher is geared more for paint correction, hence the 7000 OPMs. PC's are good for the lower speeds that you can apply sealants over. Accessories can be a pain most of the time also.