Towels for removal, PC accessories, And levels of polish ?'s

[dank311]

Hey

Car: 05 350Z Black

Im still trying to choose an appropriate polish line, as well as other products to complete my detail setup. I will be buying a PC 7424...

For the PC, what pads do I need for :

Polishing
Pre wax cleaner/final polish
glaze
wax

Foam pad to hand polish/wax spots I cant get with buffer -
What brand of pads and what color would be appropriate for the above?
Also, I have read people using different size pads on different backplates...which combo is best? I basically looking for a easy pad/backplate setup to go with my PC 7424. Is there a PC kit out there that would fit my needs? Also, what is the differences between different flexible backplates, and counterweights? What is significant about buying different ones that what it comes with? Is it reccommended?

TOWELS -
I plan on getting a Pak shak, or Excel Monterey WW towels for drying.
As for removal towels, I need help choosing whats best for removing each polish, glaze, wax, etc...If I could get a pack of one kind for all, that would be fine...I dont want to get a seperate/different towel for everything If I dont need to. If I can get a bunch of one kind to use for everything, just to make things easier, that would work. But if different towels are neccessary for better results, than I dont mind doing that either. I just dont want to complicate things more than they are...Also, how many towels should I use for each step?

POLISH -

I still have a few more questions on polish...It seems I am sticking to Poorboys, Menzerna, and Optimum brands. I have heard best things about those, and they seem to be affordable. I understand the different levels of polish...but what products would work best on black with swirls (will include pics below)
Combo A - PB 2.5, 2, then 1
Combo B - Menzerna Intensive Polish then Final Polish
Combo C - Optimum Compound, then Optimum Polish

I have been told thatjust using a the Final Polish/PB 2/or Optimum polish should get out most of the light swirls and water spots. Should I just do this then follow with a glaze, or would I definately need the heavier polishes followed by the lighter ones then a glaze to remove the types of swirls in the pics?

Also, If I use a glaze like RMG, will I have prob applying a polymer wax like PB EX-P?
Also, I have read that topping EX-P with Natty Blue will give the ultimate in depth, shine, and protection. I dont mind taking the extra step...but is it a significant different in using both, rather that just using one of them?

[dank311]

[machboy]

Nice car first off.

POLISH/PAD Guidline

Try that link.

As far as Towels go Pakshak has all purpose MF Towels that do eveything from removing polish to lsp's and windows. Though WW's work the best on windows.

[EdgeOfSanity]

i have the same car in the same color, for the level of swirling you have you'll probably need something like menzerna IP. I used zpc on my car a week or so ago and it got rid of most of the light swirling, but none of the deeper ones. For removal towels i use concours towels, for drying i use ww's from pakshak.

[Neothin]

I would go with the Optimum polish combo that you had as option 3. The good things about optimum is that it doesnt dust and the work time allows you to get all your defects out with one application. menzerna and pb's products will dust up and if defects arent removed, you'll have to apply more polish to get them out. This will save you product in the long run.

For pads, check out excel. They have several pad/backing plate combo kits available that will suit your needs. I'd suggest buying both the smaller 4" pad kit and the larger 7" (i think its 7" anyways...) pad kit. the smaller pads will make defect removal easier by concentrating the PC's movement and making it harder for the machine to bog down while the larger pads will help you apply glazes, cleaners, liquid lsp's, etc to a larger area more quickly.

For towels, any of the common vendors on here will give you high quality products. I have towels from pakshak, excel, and autogeek. All work great. WW's for drying, plush towels for QDing, and regular towels for everything else (that's what i do anyways).

glazing the 350z would set the finish over the top. I love glazing dark colors, especially black. I don't know of any bonding issues w/ rmg and ex-p, but i've never used the poorboy's sealant so someone else needs to chime in here.

[3Dog]

I still am trying to figure out how people get dusting from Menzerna. I have yet to get it to anywhere near dry much less dusting. It could be because I prime my pads and that has never had any effect on how the product performs.

[chpsk8]

Of the three you listed I'd go with one of these...
Combo B - Menzerna Intensive Polish then Final Polish
Combo C - Optimum Compound, then Optimum Polish

Then top it with Nattys Blue.

The truth is that it comes down to what you do with the tool, not what the tool does for you.
Your skill and the skill of the people you see on this site is the number one factor in the job turning out right. You see people use everything from OTC Meguires to some obscure Haiku wax bought from a little boutique in the mountains of AboAbo, the differences are small. How it turns out is going to be a product of you and your skills more than the products you apply. Sure they will have a factor in the result, but not as much as your skills will.
Invest your time understanding the process of getting rid of those paint defects. All the polishes you listed will do the job. The speed, effort, and final result is more a product of the polisher first, then the polish.
Any of those combos will do what you're looking for. Half the fun is experimenting to see what does what.

As far as MicroFibers go, if you can get to a Sams Club, grab a big bag of their blue Micros. They are dirt cheap and every detailer should have at least one pack. You can start there and it will give you enough micros to get started with until you know what you need for specific jobs.

For pads hop over to ExcelDetail.com and pick up a sample pack of pads. You'll get one of every color and the savings is good. Also get a sampler of the small 4" pads and a backing plate. You can also pick up a can of Nattys there. For under $100 you'll have pads for a long time, and a can of Nattys to smooth up that Z.

[dank311]

Ok, in levels of aggressiveness...what is most aggresive on the clear coat? PB 2.5, Optimum Compound polish, or Menzerna Intensive Polish?
Judging from the pics I posted, would my car be in the light, medium, or heavy swirl category? It seems like I can only see them when the light hits them directly, or when Im up close..I can't usually see them if I am 5 feet away.

Also, If I went with PB, would I have to follow up PB 2.5 with 2, then 1? or Could I just use 2.5 for a "swirl remover" and PB 1 as a "Cleaner" before waxing?

Like said before, it seems I can't go wrong with either combo...but is there anything that might set one apart from the others? Ease of use, price per quantity, complete swirl removal, dusting, complete cleaning before waxing, hazing, etc...

[EdgeOfSanity]

your swirls look a little bit worse than mine were, i'd say you're in the medium category.

[chpsk8]

I'd say you're in the "light" catagory.
From the photos it looks like it takes harsh light to bring them out.
You need to get a few different levels of abrasion in your arsenal, then starting with the least agressive one start working the swirls out. If the least agressive doesn't do it, then move to a more agressive polish.
Harsher polishes are like sandpaper, you will need to use a finer and finer polish to remove the marks left by the harsher polishes. I think you should go with the Menzerna line. I would rather see you take longer to do the right job rather than take a harsh cut at it quickly and damage the paint. THe Menzerna line is forgiving. I have not used Optimum to any degree, so I can't say that it is equal. The PB line is pretty standard stuff, but I've seen more folks here end up with hazing after using to strong of a PB compound. Maybe you can get ahold of Flatstick and get one of his last samples of 106FF. That would be an effective polish on what you have.
You may want to add some Red Moose Glaze to the mix. That way if you miss any minor swiwls the RM will help fill that in.

[dank311]

Ok, Thanks for everyones help again. I am greatly understanding the process much better than I ever have now. I appreciate everyones response, as they have all helped me.

But as for OPC, PB 2.5, and Menzerna IP...which is more aggressive/abbraisive?
Here is what I have gathered...

They are about the same level off aggressiveness...PLEASE CORRECT ME IF IM WRONG ON THIS, B/C THIS IS JUST MY GUESS AT WHAT I HAVE READ.

OCP - no dusting, long work time wich is good so you can continue to break down the polish with out it drying or hazing...correct?

Menzerna - I have heard there is dusting and some say none to little. When dusting is concerned, how much dust are we talking about. Is this something that going to be hard to be cleaned up, or can I rinse my car with water after the polishinng steps to remove the dust?? Some hazing, but is corrected with FP II

PB 2.5 - Great with removing swirls, seem like it will be right for me...not sure if the PB 2 will take it all away from what I have read, so I will prob stick with 2.5 if I go with PB.
Heard that it does dust, but can be somewhat corrected if using a primed polishing pad, or using QD while removing...Please correct me on this issue...also, if there is dusting with this one, how much..and how hard is it to clean?

Sorry to bug everyone with my newbie questions..I know some are repetative, but Im trying to choose the right setup for ME. I will soon end all the questions a just pick one and try it, but I still want to do a few more days of research. AGAIN...THANKS TO EVERYONE!

[Neothin]

IP and SSR2.5 are going to have about the same cutting level with OCP being a little bit below that. Your descriptions are right on.