I ordered the PC 7424xp, what products now?

[LOL]

Hello everyone. I have ordered the PC 7424xp alone on amazon.ca as i'm Canadian. I did originally order it from autogeek to support the great community but I ended up getting my payment refunded because it just was not worth it for me with the exchange rate and shipping, my apologies! I tried but it was honestly over 100 dollars in savings buying the unit from amazon.ca.. for us Canadians anyhow!

Anyways, i've got a few pictures here of the swirls and scratches in my paint. I have a jet black Z4. It looks great from far, but far from good. It was hard to capture the swirls well because it is cloudy out, actually makes the car look flawless but it's not.


My question is now that I got the porter cable on the way, i'm going to need pads besides the one that it comes with and some quality product. I have some meguiars compound and polish, and black wax which might be useful? I have these products already for my Meg's drill attachment buffer which just doesn't have the power I find. It's good to apply a nice coat of wax but doesn't help with the swirls much, so very excited to receive the PC soon.

The pictures actually make the swirls look pretty serious, it's not super bad in person but they are definitely there. If you guys could recommend some products that you think will get the job done, along with the corresponding pads for each product please let me know. I've never used a machine polisher before so don't be afraid to dumb it down a little bit for me lol. The picture I listed above is actually from the lid of the trunk, seems to be the worst spot on the vehicle.

Here is the product that I do have already at home and a picture of the car as of today. Been doing a lot of work on it but it's time to tackle the paint.


So basically all in all if you guys have any recommendations on some compound, polish, wax, pads, etc please let me know. Do the pads just stick onto the porter cable backing, do all of them fit, do I need another backing plate to support different pads, which pad should I use for the polish that you recommend? Do I even need to use a compound? How many steps are required for the paint? These are just a variety of the questions I could be asking lol..

I prefer to use amazon.ca at the moment as i'm a prime member there and there seems to be good deals, if the pads/product is on there that is better yet.

I appreciate all the help!

[The Guz]

Use what you have. Those are quality products. I would recommend the Meguiar's 5" foam disks and a 5" backing plate.

[Priyaka]

To find out if you need to compound, do a test spot. You want to use the least aggressive product/pad combination to get the results you desire. Then, if needed, switch to a more aggressive pad or polish.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...test-spot.html

[Kamakaz1961]

Megs is a top notch company. Look into compound, polish and then wax or sealant or both.

The thing you should look into for your PC is Lake Country or Equivalent Orange Pads (for compounding)

White Pads for polishing and the Black or Red for the last step product. Get the 5" Pads.

Priyaka nailed it with the "Test Spot".

Overall, I think you are doing pretty good with your product.

The only thing I would make sure you are doing as well as everyone here will agree.....HAVE FUN!!

[AZpolisher15]

To be honest, if I were you, I'd give it a once over with the black wax, work on your technique, and see how she looks! The black does have a small degree of cut. And you'll likely see an improvement. Or do the ultimate polish, then black wax. Either way, you'll get a feel for the machine and have a better idea of where to go from there.

When i asked similar questions as you, I was directed to the Lake Country flat pads, as they're somewhat forgiving for a new guy. Orange (for compound/polish), white (for polish) , and gray (for polish/seal/wax) might have you covered.

With that said, a lot of people like the newer "thin" or microfiber pads. And on hard BMW paint, they might be just the ticket. But again, I was told that the flat pads are better for new guys. Hopefully you'll get a few more tips here.

The crew will also point out the importance of a test spot- and using the "least aggressive method to get the job done". When I started out, I aimed for "better", rather than "eliminating all defects". So as not to wear out my clear coat before I actually knew what I was doing

[dlc95]

Those products will work. I use the Ultimate Compound and Polish a lot. I use the compound with a green buff and shine pad, and polish with a blue one. Wax goes on with a red one. I also like the Lake Country Hydrotech line of pads.