Choosing LC Pads for Griots - Help!

[CC268]

I have a boatload of both Black and Blue LC Pads on hand, and to tell the honest truth, I never used any of them! LOL But I have opened a couple packages, and it is hard to determine the softer of the two, they are that close IMO. Either would be good for applying sealants-waxes.

Me, I've always been a guy who likes getting more intimate when laying down an LSP, and there's a number of reasons for such. 1. By the time I yank out DA, Pads, Ext Cords, etc, I can have a coat of any wax or sealant laid down on the vehicle.
2 All I have for clean up, and put away, is an Applicator Pad, whether Foam, or MF.
3. By being able to more carefully apply the LSP, I'm not "digging out" powdery residues from every crack, seam, joint for the next 5 weeks. "I" put the product "where" I want it, and avoid these headaches seen later on.

Now, if I was a pro, or waxing a 40' Motorhome, sure, you bet I'll be wanting to machine apply a wax-sealant, but for my little shitbox daily driver, or other average sized cars, or even trucks, no thanks.

Although the Blue-Black-Red Pads are said to have no cut, trust that if you use Polishes, or more aggressive Liquid Compounds with them, you will get some degree of paint correction, just not as optimum-fast with a more aggressive Pad like Orange or Yellow LC. Meaning, they can be used in a pinch to correct on fairly pristine vehicles to Amp Gloss, and Shine. (and to remove ever so slight wash induced swirling)

My experiences with LC Pads so far have been that the 5.5" white Flat Pads are very good, they are durable, provided one doesn't run these pads flat out on high speed, and tries doing an entire vehicle with just one Pad. Overheating a pad is a sure way to destroy a Pad in short order. They aren't cheap.

But the White Flat LC Pads I have found, are quite versatile, and a very good Pad to have a good quantity of. 6-8 of these would not be a bad quantity to initially have on hand, and replace as time goes by.

I've found that with let's say the Wolfgang Trio of correction products, Uber, TSR, and Finishing Glaze, the White Pads can be used to excellent effect with all 3. The White Pads can be again used to great end results with other products, like Menzerna SF-4000/SF4500.

Final little tidbit of advice. Do buy yourself a good Pad Cleaner formula. WG, Pinnacle, Blackfire, XMT are all very good. They clean better IMO than many off the shelf APC products, will get the Pads very clean without tons of suds, and effort.

With Pads, and Backing Plates, also grab a 5 pack of the Fiber Backing Plate Washers. You'll be glad you have them on hand down the road.

Interesting...I do have (4) white and (4) red 3.5" LC flat pads that go on my Pinnacle Polishin Pal.

Originally I thought I was going to do this all by hand - I realized quickly that it would be a total PITA. I am thinking of applying the Pinnacle Cleansing Lotion using a white pad and using a Griot's DA (which I haven't bought yet) and then maybe applying Collinite (LSP) by HAND like you recommend.

Overall I am trying to figure out how to do this as efficiently as possible. I think the biggest PITA will be taping the truck off...luckily there isn't a ton of things to tape off (nonetheless I bet it takes me a good hour to tape everything off). I think if I did this though I could apply the cleansing lotion and the Collinite pretty quickly using the Griot's.

The only waxing I have EVER done at all was applying a Meg's Cleaner Wax to my previous trucks by HAND and then buffing by hand. It was a PITA and although it made the truck look nice, I don't think I ever got much "correcting" done. I am lucky that my current truck is brand new (600 miles) and the paint is obviously in superb condition. Now it is just about keeping it that way.

Anyways...it looks like I will order the following

LC 5.5" Flat Pads
Orange (4)
White (6)
Blue (2)

LC 3.5" Flat Pads
Orange (2 or 3)
*** I already have (4) Red and (4) White

[Dman81]

CC268,

How did it work out using:

LC 5.5" Flat Pads
Orange (4)
White (6)
Blue (2)

I have an 07 F150 quad cab I am getting ready to polish and need advice on the pad count as well.

and why more polishing pads vs compounding pads? I would think you would want more compounding pads due to more material being removed by them.

Thanks Everyone