Newbie here... quick question for you guys

[Mutilator]

I just found this site tonight and let me just say I've learned a lot in the last hour or 2 of browsing thru these forums. And I thought I knew my stuff before.



Anyway it looks like I'm going to go to Lowes this week and pickup a PC 7336 and then buy the PC accessory kit from CMA along with some 3M Perfect-It for dark cars. I've already got some zaino and have been using it for over a year now... but I've always done my work by hand. It's just too hot to be doing that now!



What I want to know is how many pads I'll need to apply and remove the 3m/zaino stuff on my Mitsubishi 3000GT. I think what I'll need to do is use the white pads for the 3m stuff and either some terry bonnets or microfiber bonnets to remove it (which is better?) and then the grey pad for applying the zfx zaino and then some more terry or microfiber bonnets to remove that.

Currently I can get bye with removing each coat of Zaino with 1 - 2 terry hand towels... what would that equate to in bonnets? I just want to make sure I get enough the first time around without having to reorder.

 

[thevolvoguy]

Mutilator, May I first say welcome to the board, and that you, just like all other autopians will find some of the most valuable detailing knowldge here. Seccond, out of curiocity... What color is your 3000GT? Convertable? Year? I love those cars. :up





Now to answer your questions: Nice choice on the orbital! Unless you want to clean and then dry the applicatior pad every time you switch products... I suggest you go ahead and buy a pad for the 3M and a pad for however many Z products you plan on using. IMO I prefer to buff by hand. If you must use your PC, you should get a couple microfiber bonnet, I find these are hard to come by in stores, in that case I guess a terry bonnet will do, but I have not had great sucess w/ my orbital and a terry bonnet w/ certain products (Zaino not being one of them). Good Luck and again, welcome.

 

[C. Charles Hahn]

just to modify slightly on what thevolvoguy said:



I only use one pad for all my Z stuff, and then one separate pad for each other prep product I have.



I figure that since all Z products are compatible and part of a "system" I can get away with just using one pad for my Z2/5.... and since I don't use anything but ZFX anyways, it works out well for me. :xyxthumbs

 

[Mutilator]

Volvo - I have a 1995 Caracas Red 3000GT... unfortunatly it's not a spyder (convertible) tho.

After I posted this I saw several other posts that said they apply the products with different pads for each one (like you guys said) but they still remove them by hand. I guess I can still do that since I have so many cotton towels.



I havn't tried any microfiber cloths yet - I reluctantly bought some NicSand ones from Walmart the other night along with my wash mitt but after reading about them here have decided to not let them touch my car. Knew I should have gone with my first instinct that said to keep anything that had nic and sand in the name away from my car.

Do they really work better than regular towels for removing wax/polish? If they do I may go ahead and get some Viper ones from www.properautocare.com when I get my PC stuff.



Edit - I went ahead and got 2 of their magic towels along with the pc kit and 3m smr. Now I just gotta get my paycheck and head to lowes and hope they have the PC 7336 in stock.