Confused for product purchase

[Blazern00b]

Ok, I am getting confused and a bit lost while reading about everyones product choice.



Here is where I am:



I have a white GMC Jimmy (aka blazer ). The paint appears to have been taken care of, there is a moderate scratch on the drivers door, but other than that, its pretty clean. Water beads up like it should when it rains and what not, so I assume there is something on the paint. I have only washed the truck with Megs gold class shampoo, however the water which i use comes from a well, so its a bit hard, and therefore there are some water stains, but not horrid. There is also sign of marring/swirling, however its difficult to see, with it being white and all.



Here is where I want to be:



First, I am looking for something to remove the water stains. I am thinking I need to clay this vehicle before moving on to anything else, right?



Second, with all of the choices for the after clay step, how much does it matter that i get product a over b, as i dont think white gives that "wow" factor as much as other colors but being new to this I am probably wrong. I am however looking for that mirror shine, and as wet as a look as possible.



Now, here is my current inventory of stuff:



Megs gold class shampoo (big jug of the stuff)

Megs 3 step stuff, just the wax and polish, and its kind of old ~5 years?

Megs QD

Megs WAUD



MF`s from target and wally`s, i think they are the same towels essentially

lambswool mitt (just bought tonight)



Now, for power tools, I have my fathers stuff, a Craftsman rotary tool, big, mean and powerful. I have used this to strip paint off cars with like 30 grit or less paper, good times!



:xyxthumbs



Also, some rotary orbit buffer thing, i think it is useless but I am not sure.....



No PC yet. I think i will need to get one for this job. Its been a long time since i have used anything like this, and last time i did any polishing, I used an airpowered grinder with a wool bonnet



So, oh great ones, can anyone help this n00b out? :wavey

[imported_Burlyq]

Clay first. Water stains try vinager, then AIO by klasse. I agree about white, I simply try the most durable sealant I know Zaino on that color. Sorry no thrills with white, but after you done it still looks cool, especially when you treat the tires. Nothing is shinier or more durable than Zaino/ZFX, but some are wetter. But I haven`t tried the new Z2 which is supposed to be wetter lookin.



Yes your wash mit very good choice. Mr clean autodry will help you with hard water stains (In future). And it sounds like you need a good polishing. Ever think about hiring a pro? Or are you ready to jump in? One good thing is the color of your car, white is forgiving if you make a mistake.

Just do a search about polishing before you ask direct questions. There is so much here about product choice and procedure that if you learn a little then ask direct questions you`ll get a better result on your car. If it was me I`d get a porter cable PC and menzerna IP and FPII and a white pad and finishing pad to start. This will set you back about 200, but you can wash your pads and they will last years if you only have one or two vehicles and you treat them right. main thing about polishing is let the polish do the work, don`t apply pressure, just the weight of the machine. Also, check autopiacarcare.com they have a good sale until the 31st, and the might have a good porter cable "package" that will save you bucks. Actually I`ll check and see.



Here`s a sick deal! I paid 179 for my polisher alone.

http://www.autopia-carcare.com/pc-7424-kit.html



Plus you can buy menzerna twins on the site too remeber IP and FPII. If you put "savebig" in coupon code you`ll get an extra 15% off. The one good thing about this particular machine is that you cannot harm your paint. It`s a machine for the begginer but good enough for a pro, you can get great results, just a little slower, so that means you can`t burn the paint like the faster ones.



Ouch, looked like autopia stopped carrying menzerna, man I kinda shocked at that one. I haven`t tried the sonus polishes so I don`t know if I can recommend those yet. Maybe ask others that have used the sonus, or buy mezerna somewhere else.

[JeffM]

Your fathers craftsman rotary should not be in your hands for anything except paint destruction.



Get a PC.

[Blazern00b]

Gotcha both, thanks for the input. It looks like I will be buying a PC here shortly. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!

[Blazern00b]

Ah ok. So, Sonus has the SFX1 & 2 replacing the twins. Anyone have any input into how well these work? And you recomended AIO, but what about NXT? Is that something similar that would work well? I understand it is a good protectant.







Biggest thing right now is to get the ducks in a row durring cold season, and when spring hits I can deal with things then. Swirls are ok for now as the truck is white.... cant tell much





One more ?... Should I even bother with using WAUD or will it be pointless right now? Like i said, the finish still beads water real nice, so I assume it has something on it.



Thanks!

[Camarorulz]

Just as an FYI, topoftheline is selling the PC polisher for $130:



http://store.yahoo.com/autopia/303-30340.html



That`s the best deal I`ve seen. I hope to take advantage of it pretty soon.

[Dvs Ndn]

i went to amazon and its for sale for 118.00 but its not the combo just the PC itself

[JasonD]

I think Autogeek has it for $129.95 (Holiday Special). If I were you guys, I`d buy it from Lowe`s for $99.95. Some are even getting it for $79.95. It`s the 7336 but it`s the same thing as the 7424 and it even comes with the 6" counterweight, which to me is better than the 5".



Camarorulz,



Your link is to the 303 page in the Autopia store.

[Camarorulz]

LOL, clipboard error. Here is the link:



http://www.topoftheline.com/tolae/po...-polisher.html

[imported_Burlyq]

With the discount right now it would bring it to about 150, but you get all the pads and backing plate. That`s still the best deal even at the 118, unless you get the plate with that. Pads are over 10 bucks and plates are closer to 20 right? I didn`t check all the other deals, do they include goodies?

[Blazern00b]

Yeah I was going to hit up Lowes on thursday which is my day off. We`ll see what they have to offer.







Any input on the use of wax as you dry for now?

[JasonD]

If you are referring to Eagle One Wax As U Dry, I love the stuff and use it after every wash.

[Gonzo]

As for products, just buy at least 2 of everything, so then you will like the rest of us! :xyxthumbs :wavey

[Blazern00b]

Two of everything is what its all about



You should see my toolbox at work. Now that you mention it, i should by a second snap-on box just to have a backup box, lol.....



Thanks for the tips guys!