Need some help!

[NY KID]

Hi members! I dont post much, but do visit and read all the great info! The only time I post is when I need some help, usually after I perform a search and recieve to much info. I`m going to be detailing my fathers `94 Jag, British racing green and cleaned by my father using his standards which would bring must of you to your knee`s. After telling him what not to do, and what he is doing is causing swirls for a couple months, he finally sees the effect of his work. I can see it bothers him, so I wanted to detail the car for him. This is where autopia comes in :xyxthumbs

Heres the questions

1) I`m going to get a PC, but which model, 7336 or 7424 is better?

2) after using 3m fine cut rubbing compound & smr, what pre-wax and sealant should I use? The car spends its life un-covered in the driveway. I found so much info on both these questions and now I`m confused, any help would be great. Thanks in advance!



Franky

[Dennis H.]

Sure you need rubbing compound? I bet you can get it done with out going that aggressive. Mothers Scratch Remover, 3M foam pad polish, Meg`s #2 will all do an outstanding job of removing a great deal of the imperfections with your PC. Follow it up with a glaze and a wax and viola a cost effective way to bring tears to your pops eyes.

[imported_BretFraz]

Both those PC models are the same except for the installed counterweight (5" on the 7424, 6" on 7336) and what accessories come in the box. It really depends on who you are buying from and what price you`re paying.



Jag paint polishes out beautifully if done right. I think the two products you`ve chosen will work fine but there are a zillion potential polish combos. If you have those polishes on hand, go ahead and use them.



As for sealants, there are lots of choices out there. For durability, Zaino and Klasse cannot be beat. Blackfire and Wolfgang give a nice carnauba look but don`t have the durability. There are many other choices beyond these. So it all depends on what your priorities are, I guess. Whatever you decide, be sure to posts some pics when you finish.

[NY KID]

Thanks for the info. Is there any difference between the 5" and 6" counterweight? or is it just the accessories that are available for the size. As per Dennis`s advice, I`m going to skip the rubbing compound and see what kind of results I get. Since its left outside, I`m going to try Zanio, I`ve been using on my truck since I picked it up and I think it`ll really look great on the green paint.

[imported_BretFraz]

The larger the pad, the bigger the needed counterweight. If you`re running 6.5" and under pads, the 5" CW is fine. Any pad larger than 6.5" should be used with the 6" CW to minimize vibration.



Personally I don`t think the 3M SMR will do much for you but give it a try and see how you like it.

[NY KID]

Bretfraz, what would you recommond on the Jags paint to remove the swirls? It has heavy swirls, but even after a cheap wax is applied by my father it looks ok. so I dont think the swirls are to deep. Last question on the PC, I promise! What speed do I use? BTW, thanks for the quick response!

[freedre]

No one has mentioned clay yet.



IMHO, this is the most important first step. If the contaminants are not removed, you will continue to drag them around when you polish with your PC. (Am I right everybody??)



IMHO, once again, Poorboys SSR`s are top of the line and won`t break your bank account. I would start with SSR2.5 and a polishing pad. If this doesn`t do the job, try 2.5 with a cutting pad. If the results are still not satisfactory, go to SSR3 and a cutting pad. The SSR3 will remove the swirls, but will leave the finish `dull` looking. This is corrected by using SSR2.5 or SSR1 with a polishing pad. All of the preceding steps are referred to as "prepping"; once the paint is prepped, follow up with a sealer and/or wax topping.



Before you do this, I have to tell you that I am a `newbie` myself and am just passing on what has worked for me, using the kind and comprehensive advice from other much more experienced members of the Autopia (and Detail City) fraternities.



Good luck and I love BRG Jags.

[freedre]

Oh, one more thing.



I use a Porter Cable 7424 and Lake Country pads. I have been finding that I cannot exceed 4.5 on the speed dial or the pads tear apart around the velcro backing pad. You may wish to try Edge or MacGuires pads or keep your speed down with LC.

[NY KID]

Forgot to mention the clay, but I`ll be using that after the dawn wash before the PC! I have never used poorboy`s products, but have heard from them here with good results. I just want to make sure I`m not using a product thats to abrasive, the car has alot of swirls, but I dont think they require a heavy abrasive material to remove. freedre, what size of pads are you using w/ the 7424, aslo, did you install a 6" counter weight? Thanks!

[65redcorvette]

Not sure if that early a Jag has a clear coat, probably not. Be rally careful not to get too agrssive.

[imported_BretFraz]

If it were me buffing I`d use Meguiar`s DACP or 1ZPP as the first polishing step, then maybe an SMR if needed. I`d use a Meg`s yellow polishing pad or the LC orange "all purpose" pad, crank the speed to 6 and go at it. There are plenty of how-to-use-a-PC posts here in case you need some tips.



Wipe down the car with an IPA/water mix to remove any oily residue then lay on a couple coats of Z2.

[NY KID]

After doing more research on this forum, I`ve decided to go with Meg`s DACP. I`m really looking foward to getting the PC now. I`m going to order it on Monday, along with more Zaino. I`ll post some pics when I`m done. Thanks again!