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View Full Version : First Post - A Few PC Questions



fjames
04-27-2007, 11:34 PM
First, thanks to all you people for sharing your experiences - the car I hope to, if not restore, at least get back to respectable, would have no chance if not for this place.



I used the PC for the first time today on my practice car, a `03 Accord, teal, in pretty good shape. Products are SSR2.5 and SSR1, with LC 6.5" orange, white and black pads. Car has some linear "swirls" but not terrible.



Based on what I accomplished with the stuff available, I`m having doubts whether I can do anything with the black `00 Honda I`m aiming at. It was buffed by a local "detailer" with a rotary, wool, heavy compound, and has mucho swirls from that. It had mucho swirls to begin with, plus some dog scratches. I`m hoping that it looks like what it`s supposed to look like after the rotary, and I`m telling myself that one swirl or 100 is meaningless (IOW it just looks bad, but to the PC it doesn`t matter I`m hoping.) A lot of what`s on the black car is what you guys call holographs I think. Some look like they`re inches under the surface in the right light.



Anyhow, I decided to buy, just now, some 4" pads. Got CCS orange, along with a white and red for tight spots. Question is - what do you think is more aggressive, a yellow 6.5" or an orange 4" with the same product (SSR2.5.) I`m hoping the answer is orange 4" because I don`t have the yellow 6.5" - forgot to buy it. But if I`m right about needing more than I have, and the yellow is the consensus, I`ll pick one up. I can`t believe how much money I`ve spent in the last week (RMG, EX-P, bug stuff, glass stuff, wax, PB-PP, and more in addition to already mentioned.) I plan to mix the RMG with the PB stuff to reduce dusting and increase work time, like scottwax does with the Mezerna (because I bought the RMG before I realized it didn`t play well with the IM 845 that I really want to use - hence the EX-P as a buffer.)



Geez, I really sound like a noob huh? Because I am! LOL



The question here though, is the 4" orange vs. the 6.5" yellow LC pads.



Thanks again, you guys are great.

fjames
05-08-2007, 08:29 PM
Well, I did it. The 4" orange pads worked well enough that I think I`ll stick with them and get a stronger product next time I get motivated to do this. The SSR2.5 worked pretty well on the swirls, but I still have a lot of scratches it wouldn`t touch. I`m thinking either OHC or the Four Star MCC. I don`t want to get carried away, this is a hard driven daily driver, 7 years old and a black Honda to boot. It`s been through countless tunnel washes and hasn`t been polished or waxed in several years - I basically gave up on the black paint, but thanks to Autopia I decided to try my hand at resurrecting it. I think I did okay though, I`m surprised by what I accomplished so far (so far being 30-35 hours of labor.)



You all like pics so I tried to take some. The flaws you see are mostly scratches, chips, stains, gravel bombs, touch-up blobs and my failure to clean the crevices yet (the door guard is embarrassing, I should have thought of that before the pics.) The trim is a disaster, as is the hood, but I`m done in now, so next time for the hood, and later for the trim. The pics are just to show the paint work, not the "detailing," since it hasn`t been detailed in any sense.



This is my first time doing anything like this, so noobs take heart, it can be done. I wish I had some before pics - the difference is startling. It`ll never be anything but a hard-assed daily driver, but it`s nice to know the paint that`s left can be respectable.



Process was simple:



PC

SSR2.5 4"CCS orange - speed 5

SSR1 6.5" LC white - speed 6

PB Pro Polish 6.5" LC black - speed 5

IM 845 6.5" CCS Red - speed 3



I didn`t really clay it. Never done that before so tried it a little and didn`t have the confidence since I got marring right away. Realized I was rubbing too hard but still I figured next time for that.



I gotta find some stuff that doesn`t dust. The Four Star M/LCC duo is sounding interesting - I hope the guy who was going to compare the MCC to SSR3 (or something like that) caries on :D



On with the pics:



http://www225.pair.com/redgrlnd/autopia/honda-SSR-IM845_001AR.jpg



http://www225.pair.com/redgrlnd/autopia/honda-SSR-IM845_004AR.jpg



http://www225.pair.com/redgrlnd/autopia/honda-SSR-IM845_007A.jpg



http://www225.pair.com/redgrlnd/autopia/honda-SSR-IM845_027A.jpg



http://www225.pair.com/redgrlnd/autopia/honda-SSR-IM845_029A.jpg



http://www225.pair.com/redgrlnd/autopia/honda-SSR-IM845_033A.jpg



http://www225.pair.com/redgrlnd/autopia/honda-SSR-IM845_035AR.jpg



http://www225.pair.com/redgrlnd/autopia/honda-SSR-IM845_049A.jpg

superchargedg
05-08-2007, 08:34 PM
great job,looks amazing but i wish i could see before pic,s.and i too like the 4" pads cause the larger one,s dont really measure up with the pc.

Najib_H
05-08-2007, 08:38 PM
very very nice

imported_Denzil
05-08-2007, 10:14 PM
From what I can see, it looks pretty good.

fjames
05-09-2007, 05:18 PM
From what I can see, it looks pretty good.That pretty much sums it up, although I appreciate the compliments above.



I`m caught between wanting to do more, and accepting it as good enough, especially considering whatever issues might loom for doing to much with compounds. I think once more on the hood with something stronger will be the end of it correction wise.



I`ve gotten some of the Danase 5"pads, and I can`t help wondering if using them (orange) with a 5" backing plate might be as effective as the 4" for correction. There`s a "feel" to having the plate and pad matched in size that`s very obvious. Plus, my 4" are the blue backed ones, and the Danase are just straight LC pads, no funny business.



The deal with the hood is a lot of random scratches, very strange looking - short and sort of splattered around. Plus there`s some odd bits here and there that could use some correction.



I think that next time, a full inspection, then mapping it so I can remember where they are will be the procedure. And the hood of course. Just have to decide on a product - really tired, after just once, of cleaning up the dust.

Changeling
05-09-2007, 05:26 PM
Awesome, you corrected/polished that car to perfection, beautiful job!! Congratulations, Changeling

kleraudio
05-09-2007, 05:42 PM
Looks pretty darn good to me!



Jim