Can I borrow your Flex, UDM, or PC 7424? SF, CA

[licensed]

Hi! I'm new to detailing. Just did my first clay last night and I love the results. However, I'm not sure if I want to go so far as purchase a machine polisher. I have seen all the pictures, and they are amazing. But I want to actually learn a bit to work the thing and try it before I buy it. I want to be sure it's worth my money. So if anyone in or near San Francisco, CA (I live in San Bruno) is willing to take an hour or so out of your day to show me your polisher and possibly show me the thing in action on my hood or let me use it on say my hood (nice and clean...covered in swirls ), I would really appreciate it. If anyone is going to wash the car anytime soon that would be the perfect time! So if anyone is willing to do that, answering here or sending me a PM would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Greg

[licensed]

i guess this forum is pretty slow? or not a lot of people in the bay area? i hope no one looked at this in the area and brushed it off. anyways, i decided on the Flex XC 3401 VRG. Ordering over the weekend from detailedimage.com. thanks anyways.

[SpoiledMan]

Most of the Cali guys are well south of you.

[BigAl3]

Originally Posted by licensed

I want to be sure it's worth my money.

trust me, it's worth every penny. also, a machine will outperform your hands, and give you better consistent results more than your hands ever will. you'll wonder why you haven't gotten one sooner...

if you haven't seen these videos, check them out... Porter Cable 7424 Dual Action Polisher - dual action orbital car polisher, car care kits, buffer kits, PC 7424, porter cable detailing machine

[mr.ikon]

I'm willing to show you how to use the rotary. But I'm here in Sacramento.

[JBs]

if you want to drive down to LA then i will show you haha


PC is the best investment you can make.

[Fly Bye]

If you would like to drive up to Sonoma, I will show you how to polish paint. I can assess your car's paint, and give you some good insight. If you give me $10 for gas, $5 for bridge toll, and some food and beverage, I'll come down down with the PC, ext. cord, assortment of polishes, pads ect.


Throw me a pm
Tony

[licensed]

Originally Posted by Fly Bye

If you would like to drive up to Sonoma, I will show you how to polish paint. I can assess your car's paint, and give you some good insight. If you give me $10 for gas, $5 for bridge toll, and some food and beverage, I'll come down down with the PC, ext. cord, assortment of polishes, pads ect.


Throw me a pm
Tony

thanks. PM sent.

[ruler318]

'I would\'nt mind showing you how to use a pc, but unfortunately I dont have any pads for it at the moment as I havent seen the need to use it since I\'ve stepped up to a rotary. I doubt I\'ll be buying some anytime soon as it\'s sorta difficult to find 6\" pads in this area.\r\n\r\n\r\nRui.'

[licensed]

Originally Posted by ruler318

'I would\'nt mind showing you how to use a pc, but unfortunately I dont have any pads for it at the moment as I havent seen the need to use it since I\'ve stepped up to a rotary. I doubt I\'ll be buying some anytime soon as it\'s sorta difficult to find 6\" pads in this area.\r\n\r\n\r\nRui.'

Thanks, but Tony (Fly Bye) actually came over today (all the way from Sonoma!) and taught me a bunch.
to you both

[Fly Bye]

Nice to meet ya Greg

Sorry it took so long for me to post, been kinda busy lately.

Hope the car came out great, did it? The Flex is a very nice machine, that was my first time using one. That was also the first time using those two polishes in a very long time, so I wasn't quite used to them. It was a learning experience for me to. The polish you had (refurred to as a cleaner by Megs) didn't let us work it very long at all. I wasn't quite expecting that.

The XMT polish lets me work it for a much longer time as it is breaking down. The XMT polish is finer than what we were using. It doesn't gouge the paint the way the Megs #1 did on that hood. I was able to remove the gouging from the hood though.

Being that you had the other Megs products is why I recommended that we buy the Megs #2 for cutting the paint/defect removal. The #2 still didn't let me work it for very long either, but it was a lot finer than the #1, thus minus the gouging.

I think that both the Megs #1 & #2 might work better with a rotary buffer, which is the direction I am headed toward. Don't get me wrong, I like my PC, although it won't hold a match to your Flex, I think that I can achieve the same results I get with the PC in a lot less time with a rotary.

I never went past 4 1/2 on the Flex, so I think it will be a great machine for you to hone your polishing skills on.

I would highly recommend the XMT polishes for you Greg. You would be able to accomplish a lot with the Flex/XMT combo. When doing paint correction, when the paint does haze, (using XMT #3 or #4) the hazing is ultra, ultra fine, unlike the gouging from the Megs #1 & #2. The hazing is also very, very consistent throughout, unlike the random gouging from the "other" brand

I think the XMT polish would be great for you to learn on.

Anyhoo, hope the car came out great. I wasn't able to do the whole car with you, but it was more of a learning process. We made like three trips that day. Orchard supply, Kragens, and the Restaurant. Plus I was rambling most of the day

How do you like the lights? I like mine, they work great for vertical panels or doing work at night outside the garage.


Laters for now, I'll talk to ya later Greg
Tony

[Fly Bye]

Btw Greg....