I need you advise on buffer/polish

A

aquasport

New member
I just joined the site, hello, and thanks in advance for you advise.

I have never polished my cars to remove swirls and blemishes so, I have been reading up on what equipment/products I need to bring back the luster to my wife’s 2007 jet black Mazda CX9. The car has mild oxidation and swirls. Below is a purchase list of item I think I’ll need.

1) Porter Cable 7424XP
2) Lake Country 5.5 white, blue, black and orange pads
3) Micofiber towel (not sure how many) ??
4) Meguires #105 and 205
5) Wax (long lasting)

Question: If I use the 3-step process rubbing compound polish, finishing polish then wax removing all the swirls in my paint. Will this process last for as long as the original paint in term of maintenance. Or will the paint looked marred and damage if I don’t wax every few months?
 
aquasport, welcome to Detail City.

Make certain you purchase the appropriate sized backing plate. You might already know this, but it wasn't on your list.

There are numerous products (chemical) that can help you to acheive your desired end results. It will take something of a learning curve as you work through working out the variables such as pad/product combinations, pressure and arm speed etc. and etc., but it isn't something you can't do if you really want to. And after that the process itself will take time. The final results will be well worth it.

Whether or not you get additional marring after doing all of this...yes you will. That is if you take it out of the garage. :) You can help to minimize some of that by taking precautions when you wash, and washing with some frequency to keep the inevitable road grime and avian/insect "leavings" from sitting too long on the surface. Keeping your surface "sealed/protected" with either wax or sealant it also key. With the available products once your vehicle is polished it won't be an ordeal to re-apply your chosen protection even every month or every 2-3 months if you prefer. But, if you want your vehicle to retain that new finish look follow-up maintenance is required.
 
Make sure you get the right backing plate if your planning to run smaller pads. A general rule is for your plate to be 1/2 inch small than the pad. The 105/205 combo will work well, but to answer your question, nothing lasts forever and eventually you will need to at least polish again. For longevity, use a sealant like Poorboys EX-P or Wolfgang 3.0 because they last months rather than weeks and product very high gloss. A lot of us like to lay sealant down first, let it cure for a few days, then apply wax. This will give you the lasting ability of sealant with the depth and slickness of carnuba. I hope this helps and welcome to DC :)
 
Mr. Clean said:
aquasport, welcome to Detail City.

Make certain you purchase the appropriate sized backing plate. You might already know this, but it wasn't on your list.

There are numerous products (chemical) that can help you to acheive your desired end results. It will take something of a learning curve as you work through working out the variables such as pad/product combinations, pressure and arm speed etc. and etc., but it isn't something you can't do if you really want to. And after that the process itself will take time. The final results will be well worth it.

Whether or not you get additional marring after doing all of this...yes you will. That is if you take it out of the garage. :) You can help to minimize some of that by taking precautions when you wash, and washing with some frequency to keep the inevitable road grime and avian/insect "leavings" from sitting too long on the surface. Keeping your surface "sealed/protected" with either wax or sealant it also key. With the available products once your vehicle is polished it won't be an ordeal to re-apply your chosen protection even every month or every 2-3 months if you prefer. But, if you want your vehicle to retain that new finish look follow-up maintenance is required.
Click to expand...

You beat me to it :)
 
Good advice ^^^^^ ;)

I'm also going to lend some advice from a slightly different perspective since I have worked with the same color Mazda you're gearing up for.

It is my opinion that the equipment (with the addition of the proper size backing plate) will be fine since the polishing will be somewhat new to you etc. The only thing that I would suggest to you would be the polishes you're planning on using. Although we haven't seen the car to know the condition of the paint etc; it is my educated guess that you would see the same results (in many cases better) with the use of Menzerna Power Finish as the polishing compound followed by a quality sealant and wax. It's my favorite polish and has been for many years now for the simple reason that it gives the results of a 2 stage polishing process while only applying a single stage.

Follow this up with a quality sealant and carnauba wax ........... your wife will swear you had the car repainted and you'll be looking for something else to work on!

Below is the most recent Mazda I detailed that just happens to be black.

IMG_1041.jpg

IMG_1042.jpg

IMG_1037.jpg
 
Thanks for all the advise, Okay, if I go with a 5.5" pad I should get a 5.0" backing plate roger that. I will post a few pics tomorrow to give you guys some idea what i am dealing with. Thank again
 
ShadeTreeDetail said:
Good advice ^^^^^ ;)

I'm also going to lend some advice from a slightly different perspective since I have worked with the same color Mazda you're gearing up for.

It is my opinion that the equipment (with the addition of the proper size backing plate) will be fine since the polishing will be somewhat new to you etc. The only thing that I would suggest to you would be the polishes you're planning on using. Although we haven't seen the car to know the condition of the paint etc; it is my educated guess that you would see the same results (in many cases better) with the use of Menzerna Power Finish as the polishing compound followed by a quality sealant and wax. It's my favorite polish and has been for many years now for the simple reason that it gives the results of a 2 stage polishing process while only applying a single stage.

Follow this up with a quality sealant and carnauba wax ........... your wife will swear you had the car repainted and you'll be looking for something else to work on!

Below is the most recent Mazda I detailed that just happens to be black.

IMG_1041.jpg

IMG_1042.jpg

IMG_1037.jpg
Click to expand...
Good call on Menzerna......I love their whole product line.....blows Meg 105 & 205 away...plus gives you longer working time, and to me the results are awesome.
 
Here are the pics. So far I think I'll go with your recommendation and purchase Menzerna Power Finish PO 203 with Wolfgang Deep paint Sealant 3.0 will I need a wax or is sealant good enough. which country lake pad should I use.

Thinks
 
From the looks of that 2nd pic, you do have some moderate imperfections. I think the Menz PF is the way to go for that. The Wolfgang 3.0 will give you great gloss and superior protection, but if it were mine I would wax it about a week after the sealant is applied. I like LC CCS pads personally. The ones I use the most are orange, white, and red. The orange pad is the most versatile pad Ive ever used. Nice ride btw. Keep us posted on how it turns out :)
 
Sealant is going to be your main protection. Any wax you apply will act as more of a beautifier to expand on the overall depth and gloss of the paint.

Regarding pads, I use white, green and orange pads depending on the severity of the paint surface and amount of correction is needed. I would say the green may be your best pic as it's density is between the white & orange. If you could, go ahead and purchase all three and see what best suits your needs.

Power Finish will do well with your finish.
 
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