Advice on Polishing Systems

[OMRebel]

I've done a ton of researching and reading on this site over the last month. I'm now at a place where I'm ready to purchase polishes. I'm a system guy that tends to be brand loyal. Also, I tend to get a little confused when people are talking about all the various combos of polishes and pads. I'd like to make it dummy proof since I'll only be doing 2 cars maybe once or twice a year. My vehicles are an '02 F150 (green) with mild scratches and beginnings of clear coat failure and a '10 Altima. I'm using a Griot's 6" Random Orbital (VIP Baby!!!)

1. What systems/brands (polishes & pads) do you recommend for amateur hobbyists? Money isn't really a problem, I just expect the quality to match the price premium. I used a rotary for about 3 years at a car wash, but that was 10 years ago. I'm a little rusty.

2. What's the deal with Griot's Machine Polishes? I don't see much talk about it on here, and it seems the most dummy-proof (one size orange pads and numbered polishes). I'm guessing it doesn't perform like brands such as Menz, Megs, etc...

I'm sure you've been asked this a thousand times. Thanks for your patience - I tried to search as much as possible before posting.

[Hoytman]

Honestly, many of the products would fit the bill. It's just a matter of which one you decide to go with. Any line AG carries would work for you, in my opinion.

It might be good if you could post some pictures of your vehicles showing the defects. While you're at it, you might explain in detail your experience in using a rotary. What sort of "car wash" was it that you worked at? What speeds did you use, products, and so on?

Honestly, I fell into the products brand, pad brand, trap when I first joined here. I'm still there to a lesser degree. However, I'm finding out that if you buy quality products (AG doesn't really sell any junk, it's just a matter of knowing when to use a given product in a certain situation) your time is better spent researching, and even having a mentor show you proper technique.

[TornadoRed]

I was a dummy once and chose the Griot's system because it was dummy proof. For me, it was a great introduction to machine polishing and I would recommend it to anyone starting out. It gets the job done. The Griot's system is designed for the weekend warrior, however once you cross over to a true geek, you'll find yourself wanting more. Griot's may not be the "best", but I know I can always go back to them (I get it locally) and get good results.

[OMRebel]

It might be good if you could post some pictures of your vehicles showing the defects. While you're at it, you might explain in detail your experience in using a rotary. What sort of "car wash" was it that you worked at? What speeds did you use, products, and so on?

Thanks for the response. I had most of your requests in the original post but shortened it so I didn't bore anyone to death. I'll post some pics when I get them cleaned this weekend. I worked at a full service car wash. It washed about 100-150 cars a day, but no more than 5 "full details" per day. By full detail I mean it could contain shampooing interior, engine bays, clay bar, compounding with high speed rotary, and waxing. For my last year there I did 3-5 full details a week. Not much compared to most of y'all, but I can clean a little better than the average guy. I'm comfortable around 1800 RPM with a rotary, but that was 10 years ago and kind of irrelevant since I'm using a Griot's. I don't recall products - that was too many beers ago.


I was a dummy once and chose the Griot's system because it was dummy proof. For me, it was a great introduction to machine polishing and I would recommend it to anyone starting out. It gets the job done. The Griot's system is designed for the weekend warrior, however once you cross over to a true geek, you'll find yourself wanting more. Griot's may not be the "best", but I know I can always go back to them (I get it locally) and get good results.

I'm leaning towards this method too - buying the Griot's system to get my feet wet and buy more specific polish/pad combos as I become more experienced. Thanks for the help. I'm also thinking about buying the Menz/LC combo, and following Meghan's chart.