hey Gurus...i need your help!

[imported_jamesp]

hello all. i have a 97 MB c280. it has some scars from bird droppings, tree sap, light to medium scratches. but all in all i would say the paint is in pretty good condition. before i discovered sites like this one, i was using old rags or whatever i found in the shed to wash and wax the car. i have been reading lots of posts and think i am ready to improve my cars finish. i would like to clay the car, "cut" the paint with a paint cleaner, and start using MF towels for the entire process. BUT, what level of abrassive cleaner should i use? should i buy a porter cable or do it by hand? please advise on steps and products i should use. thanks in advance.

[chris0626]

Glad to have ya here. :welcome Sounds like you`ve already gained lots of good, basic info. You`ll find a ton of good info here that will save you a lot of grief. Let me offer a few of my favorites.



To get started, I’d recommend that you read the Autopia Guide to Detailing – it only costs $9.95, and that money helps to support Autopia … so it’s a good cause. :up You can also find lots of good, basic info for free by reading David`s articles at the "Learn" icon at the top of the page.



And reading the House Rules (upper left of the home page) will tell you a bit about our operating procedures here at Autopia. We`re a little different from some of the more free-wheeling forums. (Thank goodness!) We put a premium on civility as well as critical analysis.



Also on the home page you’ll find a link to all the acronyms (AIO, CWB, PC, PUPP, etc.) that get bandied-about regularly. In my early days on Autopia, I kept that page open all the time like it was my "secret decoder ring." lol



Then, what some new folks do is read thru the previous posts in the Autopia Univ forum; in addition to teaching you lots of the basics, that will give you a sense of which questions have already been asked and answered a gazillion times.



Also, a lot of folks take a while to discover our Reviews section, where we`ve posted lots of our own evaluations of products; it`s at http://www.autopia.org/review/index.php, if you`re interested.



And if/when you get ready to place orders, be sure to check on all the discounts Autopians get.



You`ll find that Autopians are really happy to share their info and experiences. Read, learn, be sure to ask us for more info. :up



You might think about editing your profile so that folks will now where you are (Arkansas, UK, Brunei, etc.), since we are literally a worldwide forum. You`d be surprised: Sometimes a person talks about having a problem, and somebody else can see their location, lives in the area, and offers to help. Similarly, once I saw a thread by a guy in St Louis who desperately needed Klasse SG that very weekend, and I volunteered to bring him some. So ... if you want to do this … click on "user cp" at the top of the page, then click on "Edit Profile," then (under the Additional Information section) put something in the "Location" box -- something as specific as your town name or as general as what state you live in.



Last of all, it`ll help us if you give us a sense of what you have on hand and what skills you already have. For example, do you have a Porter-Cable? and are you adept in its use? What products do you have on hand? -- Meguiar`s, Mothers, Klasse, Zaino, 3M, and so on. Sometimes, we can tailor recommendations based on what you have on hand or what you have access to.

[Scottwax]

No one here can determine your starting place without seeing the car in person. Always start with the least aggressive option. If the paint is rough, a PC would be a good investment, along with cutting, polishing and finishing pads.



Take Lynn`s advice, it is excellent.

[imported_jamesp]

as far as where i am now, i am at the intermediate level as far as detailing goes. my products include Zaino ZFX,Z2,Z6, Meguiars QD. unfortunately i got started a little late caring for it properly. i do not own a porter cable at this time. i was just wondering if i had moderate swirls and imperfections would it be better to just polish the paint by hand. i will continue to read through the posts and order the guide as well. and you are right, this is THE forum for detailing knowledge that i have come across. also i was hoping that someone would know off the top of there head whether there was a certain abrasive that worked best with MB paint/clearcoat. i read a post where someone recommended a particular product for Audi paint because of it`s hardness. but i will take your very good advice and go from there. thanks.

[chris0626]

jamesp, I haven`t done much paint-polishing yet; I`m definitely a newbie in that area. But if you look at the bookmarks in my UserCP, you`ll find I`ve bookmarked a couple of threads where folks have sorta systematically assessed the relative abrasiveness of polishes ... or just do a search on "relative abrasive polish" and that`ll probably turn up similar threads.



As for polishing MB paints, pay particular attention to MBZ500E`s posts. He`s quite accomplished in this area.



Sorry I`m not qualified to give you more specific tips on your questions.