Finally bit the bullet; Ordered new Griot`s D/A

**Accumulator** · 09-28-2010, 11:45 AM

Originally Posted by toymachine2009

Cool thanks for that.. One more question.. For griots should I order it in a package that comes with griots polishes and pads and waxes.. Or should I just get there polisher and get polishes from mezerna or meguiars.

I am just looking for best combination of pads and polishes like you said. And I don`t want to get there packages if there polishes are not as good as other brands.

I`d go with other brands of polishes and probably other pads (at least for many applications).

Griot`s Machine Polishes- Note that it`s been a while since I`ve used these (IIRC I was last using v2.0 or 3.0) and they might`ve been reformulated. But when I used them (both v1.0 an v2.0) they simply weren`t all that great and certainly not what I`d reach for for serious correction. I`d lean towards the M105/M205 twins or something from Menzerna.

Griot`s Machine Pads- their orange foam polishing pad is *VERY* nice for what it is, a regular polishing pad (much milder than the usual "orange foam"). It finishes *almost* as nicely as a black/etc. finishing pad from other vendors. The things to watch out for are a) limited cut (it`s not a cutting pad) and, also along those lines, b) it`s just a little big for that polisher so it tends to be on the gentle side (not always a bad thing). Their red waxing pad is fine IMO. So I`d consider some of these pads but I`d also want something more aggressive (and probably a bit smaller) for serious correction and if you have really soft paint you might want a dedicated/true finishing pad.

And remember that if you go with the M105/M205 twins you`ll need a lot of pads.

**Toymachine2009** · 09-28-2010, 01:56 PM

So I take it you use M105 and M205 and is that all you would need? no other polishes inbetween? or after?

**Dan** · 09-28-2010, 02:28 PM

Originally Posted by toymachine2009

So I take it you use M105 and M205 and is that all you would need? no other polishes inbetween? or after?

That`s all you need to start with, and lots of pads. You might be able to eek out a bit more gloss with a super fine finishing polish, on a dark car, but its really splitting hairs at that point.

**Toymachine2009** · 09-28-2010, 04:13 PM

Why do you guys keep saying lots of pads for only 2 products?

**Accumulator** · 09-28-2010, 04:34 PM

Originally Posted by toymachine2009

Why do you guys keep saying lots of pads for only 2 products?

With the M105 (and, to a much lesser extent the M205), it`s just the nature of the product; the pads get loaded up with dried-up product and cut-off paint and you can only clean them to a certain extent via brushing/rubbing with a towel/compressed air/etc. before you finally have to wash them out. They won`t work right with the products until fully dry, and that can be a problem when you`re in the middle of a detail.

With some other products you can get by with fewer pads, but whenever you`re doing serious correction IME more pads is better than fewer. Loaded-up pads don`t cut as effectively.

**Toymachine2009** · 09-28-2010, 04:43 PM

Originally Posted by Accumulator

With the M105 (and, to a much lesser extent the M205), it`s just the nature of the product; the pads get loaded up with dried-up product and cut-off paint and you can only clean them to a certain extent via brushing/rubbing with a towel/compressed air/etc. before you finally have to wash them out. They won`t work right with the products until fully dry, and that can be a problem when you`re in the middle of a detail.

With some other products you can get by with fewer pads, but whenever you`re doing serious correction IME more pads is better than fewer. Loaded-up pads don`t cut as effectively.

okay thanks. I guess that leaves me with one last question..

How many pads are you guys talking about 3 pads of each? or 2 pads or what?

**Dan** · 09-28-2010, 05:05 PM

Originally Posted by toymachine2009

okay thanks. I guess that leaves me with one last question..

How many pads are you guys talking about 3 pads of each? or 2 pads or what?

You can get by with 1 pad, but you`ll have to wash it and wait for it to dry. I use about 4 6.5" pads per stage of polishing on a car, though when I go up to a finishing polish, its usually down to 2 or 3. Clean pads work so much better than dirty ones, you`ll learn about that real quick.

**BigAl3** · 09-28-2010, 05:21 PM

buy the DA seperate and pick and choose exactly what you need for the rest...

**Dan** · 09-28-2010, 06:41 PM

Originally Posted by BigAl3

buy the DA seperate and pick and choose exactly what you need for the rest...

Agreed, the kits come with crappy pad selections. Check out the pad 6-packs most vendors offer.

**Toymachine2009** · 09-28-2010, 07:12 PM

Will do thanks for the tip guys. my OB g35 sedan is swirled up like crazy! I swear thats the softest clear coat I seen so far is my car. your finger nail will leave a scratch in the clear its rediculous.

I see older cars with minimal to no swirling. I have been doing the interior of a 6 year old van and I cant really see swirls in it and its been drive thru washed its whole life. Interior was a wreck though. Got that situated. I am really good at interior now I gotta learn exterior then ill be set

**Dan** · 09-28-2010, 08:32 PM

Just think, with soft clear, you`ll get to use your DA even more! LOL. You`ll have fun, its awesome to watch the swirls disappear.

**Accumulator** · 09-29-2010, 11:45 AM

Originally Posted by toymachine2009

Will do thanks for the tip guys. my OB g35 sedan is swirled up like crazy! I swear thats the softest clear coat I seen so far is my car. your finger nail will leave a scratch in the clear its rediculous...

Well...I`d expect a fingernail to scratch most *any* clear...I`ve done lots of fingernail scratches behind the door handles of Audis when some [individual] got careless. I assume that a *hangnail* will scratch even the hardest auto paint.

I see older cars with minimal to no swirling. I have been doing the interior of a 6 year old van and I cant really see swirls in it and its been drive thru washed its whole life...

You just need different/more demanding inspection conditions

Originally Posted by yakky

Just think, with soft clear, you`ll get to use your DA even more!

Heh heh, you`re just kidding, right? Soft clear + frequent correction = overthinned clear in no time

**Toymachine2009** · 09-29-2010, 11:56 AM

So Cant you only polish a car so much or so many times till you cant because the clear is so thin?

So what do you do when that happens? When there is swirls in someones paint but there is too little clear to polish?

**Dan** · 09-29-2010, 12:06 PM

Originally Posted by toymachine2009

So Cant you only polish a car so much or so many times till you cant because the clear is so thin?

So what do you do when that happens? When there is swirls in someones paint but there is too little clear to polish?

Many pros and some of us crazy hobbyists have electronic Paint thickness gauges. Once you get to a certain point, its time to stop polishing and start concealing or saving for a repaint.

**Accumulator** · 09-29-2010, 12:19 PM

What Yakky said :xyxthumbs

Once the clear gets too thin it loses its UV protection characteristics and then it`s repaint time.

SO...this gets back to my usual rant about the need to develop marring-free wash techniques so you only have to correct the paint once in a blue moon.

IMO if you have to polish more than once a year then something`s *VERY* wrong, and I don`t even do it *nearly* that often (even on the Carbon Metallic Yukon XLD that I use for a dog-hauler). While correction gets the lion`s share of attention here at Autopia, it oughta be a very infrequent thing.