Help a total newbie!!

[Elonheater32]

I have previously owned 2 black cars and this was before I discovered this website. Regardless to say.... I could get them clean easy, but that only brought out the marring and swirl marks. I vowed never to get another black car. But now that I have found this website, I am confident that I can make a black car beautiful and swirl free!!!



My question was would it be a bad idea for a total newbie to start using a porter cable buffer? I have only polished and waxed by hand and have no expereince with porter cable buffers.



I plan on getting a black Cadillac CTS and realize that the only way I can get rid of swirl marks is not to do it by hand. I would also like to use good products such as Zanio!!



Does anyone have recommendations for me? Should a newbie aviod using mechanical buffers on cars...espeically black cars. It would break my heart if I messed up the paint (burning the paint or putting holograms on the paint)

[Elonheater32]

Hello......anyone here (tumble weed passes by)

[BigAl3]

:welcome ! i would definitely look into purchasing a PC/UDM, it will outperform your hands and give you better consistent results more than your hands ever will. it`s pretty safe too...



http://autopia.org/forum/ultimate-detailing-machine/88388-ultimate-detailing-machine-project.html



Car Polisher, Auto Buffer - The Ultimate Detailing Machine (http://www.autopia-carcare.com/udm-1000-na.html)



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 (http://www.autogeek.net/po.html)

[Elonheater32]

Thanks BigAl3 for the welcome!!! Do you have to have a lot of experience with the UDM or porter cable buffer before you get excellent results? I was just wondering if I would need a lot of practice before I could really make my black car shine.

[BigAl3]

the more you use it, the better your technique and skill. there are some guys on here that get such amazing results with it, they really don`t have to use a rotary. three members of the top of my head that do amazing work via PC are 1CleanWS6, blkyukon, and Scottwax. check out their threads! :2thumbs:

[Accumulator]

Elonheater32- Welcome to Autopia!



You`ll do fine with the polisher, they`re not hard to get the hang of. You won`t instill holograms with the PC/UDM and you might even find it enjoyable to use.



For newbies, I *always* recommend 1Z brand polishes topped with Collinite brand wax (sources: Welcome to Exceldetail! (http://www.exceldetail.com/) or Aloha & Welcome to Our Oasis for All Your Auto Detailing Supplies & Accessories (http://www.pakshak.com/index.html) ). The Collinite`s durability will rival that of sealants, and the 1Z/Collinite combo is very user-friendly. I really can`t say enough about the 1Z polish, and I have a *lot* of polishes on the shelf that I can compare it to...for ease-of-use, foolproof nature, etc. it`s really something.



FWIW, keeping a black vehicle good enough for a sealant would be *very* tough, at least for somebody just getting started in serious detailing; sealants allow every little flaw to show. I`m pretty good at this stuff, and I only use sealants on two of our vehicles (and no, not the black one ;) ).

[Rob Tomlin]

FWIW, keeping a black vehicle good enough for a sealant would be *very* tough, at least for somebody just getting started in serious detailing; sealants allow every little flaw to show. I`m pretty good at this stuff, and I only use sealants on two of our vehicles (and no, not the black one ;) ).



Completely agree! :werd:

[theflyingturtle]

Do it!!! Just do it!!! I cannot believe the enjoyment I`ve found from having a rotary.

















And it polishes good too:getdown .



Seriously, I was very hesitant at first too. But believe me you will be stunned and amazed at what a PC can do for your car. There really isn`t any reason to be concerned about the PC learning curve. It`s actually quite enjoyable.

[itb76]

You really have to try to do damage with a PC, and it`s far more effective than doing it by hand! As a noob I`ve found that I didn`t get all the swirls out the first time, but with each successive polish my cars looked better. That`s because I only buy used cars. Eventually you`ll want to step up to a rotary but for now a PC is the way to go!

[Elonheater32]

Thanks guys! I have been doing a bit research and I think I will be purchasing a UDM in the very near future. I am now just learning what sealants are, what brands are good, etc. As of right now, I have Zanio as the product I want to try out first.