Carpro question??? I am so confused....

[Mrproduce]

Been a member in past but forgot id...
but question is I need to start fresh I have a 2015 rogue that hasn’t been waxed only washed once a year, has scratches here n there it’s silver, would like do a full detail on this car, wash, ironx, clay, compound, then polish, eraser, Then use carpro quartz lite, then reload? Also need to do headlight restoration on rogue looking at Wolfgang kit

And a new 2019 tundra crew cab magnetic grey, it has that paint protection film on hood(also asking in case I have do different steps for that film)....figure this truck would only need to maybe wash, ironx, clay,polish, eraser, Then use carpro quartz lite, then reload?
ok help me with what to buy... in past I used Wolfgang products, but really liking carpro
so I want to buy me a DA too and would like to use carpro quartz lite. I have your book too by the way.

I know I need to clay, and ironx, I have done that before in past cars.
So what do you recommend? Stick with all carpro products? I don’t want mess up and I never used a da polisher before...
what pads?
ugh to many choices I just want keep it simple and do it right so I will enjoy it. I just purchased me a pressure washer and loved the foam cannon I got from you guys last year...

i so so far have ordered new items
ironx, tarx, eraser, reload, quartz lite, snow soap, reset shampoo, carpro wool wash kit,
and want to use their compounds to polish and correct if needed...
but I am clueless if I am going over board or I can use products that won’t break the bank.. also need get me the DA so need get that and what padssss.. wish I lived near to go to a class
thanks mike for any help

[Mike Phillips]

Welcome back to the forum - give me a few minutes to see if I can help.

Don't have a ton of time today, I'm off starting tomorrow for a week of vacation and that means I have a TON of things to get done today. As soon as I'm done typing here, I'll be in the garage testing out the new PBL Tire Clearcoat.

I cleaned the tires yesterday so clean - you can eat off of them.




Coated under 15 minutes

[Mike Phillips]

I have a 2015 rogue that hasn’t been waxed only washed once a year, has scratches here n there it’s silver, would like do a full detail on this car, wash, ironx, clay, compound, then polish, eraser, Then use carpro quartz lite, then reload? Also need to do headlight restoration on rogue looking at Wolfgang kit


And a new 2019 tundra crew cab magnetic grey, it has that paint protection film on hood(also asking in case I have do different steps for that film)....figure this truck would only need to maybe wash, ironx, clay,polish, eraser, Then use carpro quartz lite, then reload?


ok help me with what to buy... in past I used Wolfgang products, but really liking carpro

Okay - so two vehicles to do full exterior details on and you want to use CarPro.

so I want to buy me a DA too

If you want to keep price down, go with the Griot's Garage 6" Random Orbital Polisher - Best bang for your buck for an entry level tool that can get any job done. Key with this tool is LOTS OF PADS.

If you want to spend some money, then for a gear-driven orbital I'd recommend the FLEX 3401. If you want to go long stroke - then get the RUPES BigFoot 21 Mark III


If you have questions about any of the above tools, then I'd recommend starting a new, dedicated thread for each tool you're interested in and you'll get lots of feedback. Guyst tend to be "Tool" oriented.


I'm not a fanboy for any company. I use what works and I'm honest in what I say, write and teach in my classes. Most of the pro work I do I use the FLEX 3401 because I prefer 8mm gear-driven orbital for power and speed. Other guys like to argue about this and that and I'm way past arguing.

With any tool - pads are vital. I use Lake Country Force Hybrid foam pads with the FLEX 3401 and I use RUPES pads with RUPES tools.

So what do you recommend? Stick with all carpro products?

I don’t want mess up and I never used a da polisher before...
what pads?
ugh to many choices I just want keep it simple and do it right so I will enjoy it. I just purchased me a pressure washer and loved the foam cannon I got from you guys last year...

i so so far have ordered new items
ironx, tarx, eraser, reload, quartz lite, snow soap, reset shampoo, carpro wool wash kit,

Going by what you've posted above - you're off to a good start.

Because you're new to machine polishing - I would keep it simple and go with the Griot's polisher and get a 5" backing plate and the 6" Buff & Sine Uro-Tec foam pads.

I posted this same advice yesterday for a girl in Alaska in this thread,

Hard water spots?



See this link, watch the video to see how easy it is to detail our own car.


Here's what you need to get into machine polishing - Recommendations for a beginner by Mike Phillips



Get the Griot's Garage 6" DA Orbital Polisher. This one,

Griot's Garage 6" ROP - Standard cord

Griots Garage 6 Inch Heavy Duty Random Orbital Polisher - HD Cord - 25' Heavy Duty Cord already pre-wired






Lake Country 5" Backing Plate


Some of these pads,

6 Inch Buff & Shine Uro-Tec Foam Pads


And watch this video...





The above is just a tiny portion of the overwhelming amount of info in the actual article, but enough to show you what's involved.


Here's what you need to get into machine polishing - Recommendations for a beginner by Mike Phillips

and want to use their compounds to polish and correct if needed...

I have not used any of the CarPro compounds since Fixer was introduced and it went the way of the Dodo Bird. I tested this product for CarPro, they didn't like what I had to say about it. After it launched, it pretty much got the same reviews as my feedback and now it's gone.


I do like their CarPro Essence Xtreme Gloss Enhancer 500 ml as a "finishing polish".

CarPro Essence Xtreme Gloss Enhancer 500 ml


For a compound, get the Wolfgang Uber Compound and never look back.

Wolfgang Uber Compound 3.0 16 oz



Everything I listed above is great quality for your money. You get what you pay for in this life and the LAST thing you ever want to do is buff out a car twice because it doesn't look good after the first time. See this thread,


Newb needing some assistance


Here's what micro-marring looks like,



Pictures of Micro-Marring - DA Haze - Tick Marks - Compounds - Polishes - AIOs - Clearcoat Paints




And I wrote this last week, good info about great products.



Must Have Microfiber! At least my opinion



That should get you going....


Now I have to go work on cars

[Mike Phillips]

And...


What I consider to be the most important article I've ever written - no matter what products or tools you like - we all have to wipe paint with microfiber towels.


How, why & when to inspect your microfiber towels when detailing cars

[The Guz]

Been a member in past but forgot id...
but question is I need to start fresh I have a 2015 rogue that hasn’t been waxed only washed once a year, has scratches here n there it’s silver, would like do a full detail on this car, wash, ironx, clay, compound, then polish, eraser, Then use carpro quartz lite, then reload? Also need to do headlight restoration on rogue looking at Wolfgang kit

And a new 2019 tundra crew cab magnetic grey, it has that paint protection film on hood(also asking in case I have do different steps for that film)....figure this truck would only need to maybe wash, ironx, clay,polish, eraser, Then use carpro quartz lite, then reload?
ok help me with what to buy... in past I used Wolfgang products, but really liking carpro
so I want to buy me a DA too and would like to use carpro quartz lite. I have your book too by the way.

I know I need to clay, and ironx, I have done that before in past cars.
So what do you recommend? Stick with all carpro products? I don’t want mess up and I never used a da polisher before...
what pads?
ugh to many choices I just want keep it simple and do it right so I will enjoy it. I just purchased me a pressure washer and loved the foam cannon I got from you guys last year...

i so so far have ordered new items
ironx, tarx, eraser, reload, quartz lite, snow soap, reset shampoo, carpro wool wash kit,
and want to use their compounds to polish and correct if needed...
but I am clueless if I am going over board or I can use products that won’t break the bank.. also need get me the DA so need get that and what padssss.. wish I lived near to go to a class
thanks mike for any help

Mike has a few articles on using a DA polisher. There is also a video of him demonstrating the technique on the autogeek youtube channel.

As far as a a polisher folks like to start off with the Griot's 6" or Porter Cable. The Griot's is favorite as it has more power than the PC but also the warranty. I would recommend the 5" backing plate with either machine

A good thread to reference

Mark Your Backing Plate - Makes it easy to see Pad Rotation

Mike has this article on the number of pads needed

How many pads do I need to buff out my car?

If you ask me the Meguiar's thin foam pads work well. The Lake Country Flat Pads have always been a popular option as well.

First off you are going to get a lot of options when it comes to polishes and compounds.

You don't necessarily have to stick with CarPro specific products for the correction aspect. Although they do have some nice products. If you do want to stay in the CarPro family then Clear Cut is a good compound with a good cut and finish. It does dust quite a bit so if that is a concern then I would look elsewhere. Fixer is their medium cut polish which again does a good job but can dust. Leaves a nice finish for one step. Then their is reflect which is their finishing polish. I have not used this one but people like it. And finally their is Essence which is their primer polish prior to applying one of their coatings. It is not necessary but a good option.

Other polishes that do well are the following. You will have to decide for yourself which brand to go with.

Two good combos that would make a good option for someone starting out.

Meguiar's M110 and Meguiar's M210
Sonax Cut Max and Sonax EX 04-06

If you wish to stay with CarPro then I would look at

CarPro Clear Cut and Essence

The key thing is prep after polishing to remove the polishing oils prior to applying the coating. Cquartz Lite is a nice coating to work with. I have a review on this forum with good information on using it.

[jjackkrash]

I am not a pro and just got into working my own vehicles. I have a Rupes: Nano, Mini, Bigfoot 21, Mille, and the new Rotary. I use all of them. I gave away some of the cheaper orbitals I started with.

If I had to pick one it would be the Mille. You can crush cars/paint and boats/gel with it. And it is easy to use. If I got to pick another it would be the mini because its nice to have something to work smaller pieces or tighter angles. I like the Rupes pads (foam and wool) and paste because they are color coded and work and are idiot proof and I don't like to think or experiment much when I find something that works.

I am confident other brands can get you great results, but overall I am pretty pleased with the Rupes system and glad I went that route.

I also just did my first coating job on my Wife's 2015 ML400 DD. I used the recommended Car Pro products including the CQuartz UK 3.0 and Gliss topcoat. Prep was a lot of work (wash, then clay, then iron/tar decon, then two/three step polish depending on panel, then eraser, then 3.0, then Gliss) but the results were pretty impressive. Worth the work, IMO.

Good luck.

[rlmccarty2000]

I was going to suggest the CarPro Essence too. It’s a nice Finishing Polish That also acts like a primer for coatings. I like to apply it wit CarPro Gloss Pads for some extra shine. Enjoy it sounds like you have a good list.

[Mrproduce]

Thanks everyone for all the helpful info, yes it can be overwhelming.. but with such limited time, wanna get it done right.. but thanks so much again


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[Mrproduce]

When will griot DA be available again? R they redesigning reason it out of stock? Or just out?


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[The Guz]

When will griot DA be available again? R they redesigning reason it out of stock? Or just out?


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FYI as this was posted on the sister site. You may want to jump on it.

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