Getting ready for Spring cleaning, need advice on foam gun, polishing

[simplybao]

It`s getting warm outside and I`m dying to try out some of my new products. However, I`m still quite the newbie so I`m coming you all for advice. My partner thinks that I`ve become obsessed.



Anyway, I have some questions that I hope you can help me with.



I just acquired a Gilmour variable ratio foam gun. Sweet, but now what? LOL. I want to use it as a pre-soak for my wash routine and pre-polish routine. What ratio do I set the foam gun on?



For pre-soak for car wash:



I have no idea how much product to use in the gun. For wash shampoo I have Hi Temp Bubble bath, Optimum car wash, ONR, and Meg`s Gold Class shampoo (I like car wash shampoo :-)



I`ve read that you can put APC in it to help remove wax, etc... So if I use APC, how much do I put in it? And how long do I let it sit? I have Hi Temp APC and Optimum Power Clean. What ratio do I set the foam gun on?



On to polishing. I was wavering with buying a PC but I have a Cyclo and the general advice that you all have given me is that the Cyclo is better. So I`m sticking with it and I`m getting the edge quick connect adapter and pads. I`ve got green and orange pads. I have not yet mastered the usage of the Cyclo yet and have only tried it a few times. I got great results on my yellow jeep, but I`ve had problems with my black cadillac (seems to have soft paint). I think that my issue has been using the wrong product combo.



Should I also make a purchase of Blue and Yellow pads for the Cyclo? I believe Yellow is more aggressive than Orange and blue is between orange and green?



Last year, all I had was 1z PP and Pasta Intensiv. My procedure last year was wash, clay, polish with Pasta Intensiv on orange then follow on with 1z PP. I thought that 1z PP was going to be the finish polish, but I think I need something that has a finer cut, so I went ahead and bought 1z HG. In the mean time, I`m making a purchase of Gloss-It One Step Machine Polish. I`ve read some great things about it and it being specifically designed for the Cyclo.



The black cadillac has minor swirls and I`m not striving for perfection. I know that`s an autopian sin, but it`s a daily driver, and I think I`ll drive myself nuts trying to keep it perfect. I just want to remove the swirling that I`ve induced before learning the correct wash methods and have 80 - 90% paint correction.



So after I`ve polished, should I wash the car or do an IPA wipedown of the entire car before applying LSP? I`ve been reading lots of posts the past couple of days on IPA wipe downs and some do it, some don`t.



If I do a wash after the polish, should I wash with one of my shampoo`s or should I use Dawn, or just foam it with the APC?



As far as LSP, I have Collinite, Pinnacle XMT, and TOL Trade Secret.



I think that one of my problems is that I`ve read too much Autopia. I`ve gotten well stocked with product and now, I may have too many choices, LOL. Not a bad problem to have, but it does get confusing to someone as green as I am.



I think I need to find a set of products and stick to it. I am only a hobbyist, and I think I have enough supplies to start a business on the side, LOL.

[Accumulator]

..I just acquired a Gilmour variable ratio foam gun. Sweet, but now what? LOL. I want to use it as a pre-soak for my wash routine and pre-polish routine. What ratio do I set the foam gun on?



For pre-soak for car wash:



I have no idea how much product to use in the gun. For wash shampoo I have Hi Temp Bubble bath, Optimum car wash, ONR, and Meg`s Gold Class shampoo



I never get much out of the presoak, it`s a little helpful but it`s about it.



NOTING THAT I DO THE FOAMGUN THING DIFFERENTLY FROM MANY PEOPLE:



I mix up a gallon of concentrate- ~6 ounces of shampoo and the rest water. I fill the foamgun from that and use different settings at the gun depending on how strong a mix I think I need.



IME it`s not all *that* critical which setting you use as long as your shampoo isn`t too harsh.



I use the foamgun to provide constant flushing and lubrication, aiming its output at the point where the wash media contact the paint.






I`ve read that you can put APC in it to help remove wax, etc... So if I use APC, how much do I put in it? And how long do I let it sit? I have Hi Temp APC and Optimum Power Clean. What ratio do I set the foam gun on?



I dunno...I wouldn`t do that. I wouldn`t worry much about the remaining wax, just use a strong shampoo mix and see if it`s an issue when you start polishing (probably won`t be but if it is you can use IPA to compromise the remaining LSP).




Should I also make a purchase of Blue and Yellow pads for the Cyclo? I believe Yellow is more aggressive than Orange and blue is between orange and green?



"No" on the yellow, "maybe" on the blue. I don`t think you`ll need the yellow if you already have the orange.



I do think you oughta have something milder than the green, especially for the Cadillac, either Cyclo brand white or blue.




Last year, all I had was 1z PP and Pasta Intensiv. My procedure last year was wash, clay, polish with Pasta Intensiv on orange then follow on with 1z PP. I thought that 1z PP was going to be the finish polish, but I think I need something that has a finer cut, so I went ahead and bought 1z HG. In the mean time, I`m making a purchase of Gloss-It One Step Machine Polish. I`ve read some great things about it and it being specifically designed for the Cyclo



No experience with Gloss-It, and Meguiar`s M105 has pretty much replaced my 1Z Pasta Intensiv.



You might want to try the 1Z HG with a milder pad than the green one, at least on the Cadillac. IF its paint is really soft you might need a finishing polish with less initial cut, maybe Menzerna FPII.




So after I`ve polished, should I wash the car or do an IPA wipedown of the entire car before applying LSP? I`ve been reading lots of posts the past couple of days on IPA wipe downs and some do it, some don`t.



I wouldn`t think it necessary if you use the 1Z HG (and don`t use excessive product). I hardly *ever* do IPA wipe-downs, basically I just don`t do `em period. Unless you have a specific reason for needing to do it, I wouldn`t bother.




If I do a wash after the polish, should I wash with one of my shampoo`s or should I use Dawn, or just foam it with the APC?



Depends what you want to do. I`d use regular shampoo but you could use Dawn if you`re concerned about polishing oils. I dunno...why strip off any concealing agents if you`re not shooting for 100% perfection? This sounds like another step I wouldn`t do unless you have a specific reason for it; I`d just polish and then apply the wax.


I think that one of my problems is that I`ve read too much Autopia.



I agree ;) ...you`re making this more complicated than I think it needs to be. Wash, clay, maybe rewash, polish, wax. No APC, no Dawn..I`d spend more time inspecting your progress and making sure things are going smoothly and less time doing a lot of different steps.

[simplybao]

Accumulator, thanks for the response. I`ve learned so much from you.



I can`t wait to try out this out again. I`ll be sure to post up my results.



One more question about cyclo pad aggressiveness. Is this the order of strength for the pads, from most aggressive to least?



Wool --> Yellow --> Orange --> Green --> Blue --> White?



And thank you for your patience. I must be driving you nuts with my questions.

[Accumulator]

One more question about cyclo pad aggressiveness. Is this the order of strength for the pads, from most aggressive to least?



Wool --> Yellow --> Orange --> Green --> Blue --> White?..



Yeah, that`s the progression with *Cyclo* brand pads.



Sorry, when I posted my previous reply I was thinking blue *SONUS*/Edge finishing pads. I`ve used the blue 4" Sonus pads as finishing pads on the Cyclo with 1Z HG and that worked well for burnishing hard clear.



I haven`t tried the bue *Cyclo* brand pads (assuming they`re different :nixweiss ).



The white Cyclo brand 4" finishing pads are kinda aggressive as finishing pads go. I doubt they`re *too* aggressive for anything you`re doing, but they`re not like LC brand gray/black/red/gold finishing pads (they`re more aggressive than that but as long as they`re functionally nonabrasive I guess it doesn`t really matter).

[simplybao]

Thanks! I`ve placed my order for the pads