Griots correction cream and perfecting cream

[slapjack]

I have a black 2015 Silverado that has some light swirls spider webs and scratches that I am planning to try fixing. This will be my first time using a da. I bought four 5.5” orange lake country force pads and three 3.5” orange along with griots correcting cream (regular kind not the fast correcting cream). I also got one of each size of the white polishing pad. I am wondering if I should grab 2 or 3 more of the white pads and get the perfecting cream and try starting out with polishing and see how that works before I go right in with the correcting cream and orange pad. There are some deeper scratches but for the most part there is just a lot of swirls from washing it looks like. I just got the truck.
I’m also wondering in general do these trucks have normal harder paint or will it be soft? I guess that is another reason I am considering starting off with the polish and white pad to make sure I’m not starting off too aggressive with the orange pad and correcting cream. I was hoping to do just a one step with the orange and correcting cream cause I read the correcting cream finishes very very good and doesn’t really need to be polished after. This is my daily driver so it doesn’t have to be 100% perfect. And I’m a beginner so the one step process sounded very good to me. Any advice?
ag has 20% off right now so hopefully someone can get back to me quick so if you think I should start with polish and white pad I can get the order in before midnight and get the 20% off

[Eldorado2k]

Yes get 2 polishing pads instead of 1. And yes start with a test spot using the polish before the Correcting Cream.

However, the Force pads are better suited for use with the Flex 3401. If you’re using a regular DA like the Griots GG6 or the Porter Cable, you’re probably better off with Lake Country Flat Foam Pads.

[slapjack]

Yes get 2 polishing pads instead of 1. And yes start with a test spot using the polish before the Correcting Cream.

However, the Force pads are better suited for use with the Flex 3401. If you’re using a regular DA like the Griots GG6 or the Porter Cable, you’re probably better off with Lake Country Flat Foam Pads.

If I do the whole truck with polishing only how many pads total would I need? I got 4 orange but maybe I don’t need as many for polishing? Are you saying get 2 white pads total for the whole truck?
I thought the same thing about the force pads but I watched a couple videos and there were a couple reviews that say they work jus as good on short throw DA’s and I liked that they were thicker and have a larger rounded edge. I figured it would help me with working around body lines and stuff. I was actually considering sending them back and getting the flat pads but I already opened a couple of the plastic bags so I doubt I could return them now. But I don’t see any reason why they wouldn’t work just as good on the free spinning short throw da’s

[Eldorado2k]

If I do the whole truck with polishing only how many pads total would I need? I got 4 orange but maybe I don’t need as many for polishing? Are you saying get 2 white pads total for the whole truck?

You could survive on 2 polishing pads if you’re polishing after compounding... However if your only step is going to be polishing with the white pads you’re going to want 4 because even though you’re polishing you’re in a sense treating it the same as you would the compounding and therefore will have an increased level of residue coming off of the paint and onto your pads.

[ski2]

Here's a write up by Mike Phillips regarding how many pads you need per step: How many pads do I need to buff out my car?

[Eldorado2k]

You can still survive on 2 small pads no matter what, because you’ll only be using them in limited spaces.

[slapjack]

Just grabbed some perfecting cream and 3 more 5.5” so I’ll have 4 white and 4 orange and then I’ll have 3 orange and 2 white 3.5”. Also grabbed a red in case I feel like spreading power lock with the da. Most likely I’ll do that by hand tho.
So as far as starting with the least aggressive I’ll start with white and perfecting cream. Is that’s not removing the swirls should I go straight to orange with correcting cream or should I maybe go to a white with correcting cream or maybe orange with perfecting cream?

[Eldorado2k]

Just grabbed some perfecting cream and 3 more 5.5” so I’ll have 4 white and 4 orange and then I’ll have 3 orange and 2 white 3.5”. Also grabbed a red in case I feel like spreading power lock with the da. Most likely I’ll do that by hand tho.
So as far as starting with the least aggressive I’ll start with white and perfecting cream. Is that’s not removing the swirls should I go straight to orange with correcting cream or should I maybe go to a white with correcting cream or maybe orange with perfecting cream?

If white with Perfecting Cream doesn’t work, go straight to Correcting Cream with Orange pad. Anything less will just result in you overworking and therefore creating more heat than if you were to nip it in the bud and use the correct pad & product and get the job done right.

[Firehouse Mike]

If white with Perfecting Cream doesn’t work, go straight to Correcting Cream with Orange pad. Anything less will just result in you overworking and therefore creating more heat than if you were to nip it in the bud and use the correct pad & product and get the job done right.

Everything Eldo said here! On my 2-steps I run Correcting or Fast Correcting with BOSS or LC orange pads followed by Perfecting or Finishing Sealant with whites. This is on my G21 and / or GG6 (5")

Mike