Newbie questions

w0rM

w0rM

New member
Longtime member, third time poster...

I just purchased a used 2016 C7 Corvette a few weeks ago. It`s black and the paint has been really badly neglected. There are only a few deeper scratches. Most of the damage seems to be in the clear coat.

I`ve never done any serious paint correction. The extent of my experience is some hand polishing and waxing. I`ve never use a polisher of any kind.

I`d like to attempt to correct the paint myself. I`m a patient guy and not looking for a quick fix. I`ve read many posts here about newbies (like me) making things worse because they have no experience. That`s the last thing I want. My goal is to learn and get the paint of this car back to where it should be. Even if that means a long learning process and work on the car.

I`m considering the picking up the Porter Cable 7424XP and maybe a kit from the store here. My questions are:


  • Is buying a bundle a good approach to getting started?
  • Am I asking for trouble by attempting this with no experience?
  • What`s my best approach to learning good technique?
  • What other questions should I be asking myself?

Thanks in advance!
 
Get the grits 6" instead of porter cable you`ll get better correction once you get a 5" backing plate for it

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Or get something even more effective like a Griot`s Boss15.

wOrM- Welcome to Autopia!

I`d bet anything that this isn`t the answer you`re after :o but..I recommend doing more research, a lot more, and educating yourself about this before you buy. It`s not all that complicated but there are things you simply need to know to make an informed decision.

IMO the vast majority of newcomers expect the polisher (any polisher) to be *MUCH* more efficient than it is. While anything that moves a pad around will be effective (including your hand without a polisher), it can take *FOREVER* to do this stuff and being TIME-efficient can be very important. IF something takes hours and hours to accomplish even a minor improvement, it`ll get old fast.

I sure wouldn`t buy a PC..of any vintage, even the XP...as life is just too short. Doubt I`ll ever touch either of mine again, although they`re almost OK with little 3" pads.
 
w0rM said:
I just purchased a used 2016 C7 Corvette a few weeks ago.

I`m considering the picking up the Porter Cable 7424XP and maybe a kit from the store here. My questions are:


  • Is buying a bundle a good approach to getting started?
  • Am I asking for trouble by attempting this with no experience?
  • What`s my best approach to learning good technique?
  • What other questions should I be asking myself?
Click to expand...

Welcome & Congrats on the new car!!

I wrote a novel earlier and the power went out and lost all my work......so now the cliff notes.

- Bundling will get you items that you need and items that you don`t. I started off with the Griots 6 inch DA and the machine compounds and polishes (old versions) I never use them nor do I like them (love the BOSS creams though)
- No, you can do this with proper care. I was on the forums constantly (thanks guys) and endless hours on youtube watching "how to" videos. Started off practicing on my truck and girlfriend`s car before I would touch my C7.
- Make sure you have plenty of pads. I would say 6ish each (compound / polish) and different sizes as well. I can`t speak for all C7 paint but I know mine was on the harder side so I had to go a little more aggressive. Tape the plastic! I found out the hard way. It is very time consuming and daunting, but the time it saves in the end is worth it, once you get better you may be able to skip this process. I would also say that if you don`t plan on continuing your detail interest, it would be more cost efficient to have a pro do it. Another option would be to have a pro do it the first time while you hone your skill, OR if you live close to someone on the forum, I`m sure they would be wiling to help.... its just that kind of community on here.

Hope this helps
 
Does the XP still have that hollow shaft? The one that snapped on Barry and nearly did serious damage? Thank goodness it was *him* running that thing, most people would`ve been looking at a trip to the body/paint shop. Serious design flaw IMO...
 
WashRinseRepeat, that was a HUGE help!

I know I could save time and money by having a pro do it for me but I really enjoy the process of detailing. I don`t drive my C7 that much. It`s mostly a weekend toy so I don`t mind if this takes hours, weeks or even months to do. I`d like to learn.

Sadly, in Little Rock, there doesn`t seem to be many skilled professionals. When a "pro" tells me he can get it done in 3 hours, I know he doesn`t know what he`s talking about. By my estimate, based on the condition of the paint, I believe I`m probably looking at a minimum of 8 to 10 hours of work to get a 85% to 90% correction.

I may practice a little on my Honda Accord first. It`s white so the paint is pretty forgiving.

Thanks again for taking the time to post. I really appreciate it.
 
Like Accumulator mentioned above, really best to get a quality machine to begin with like the Griots boss 15....Get 6+ 5.5`` m/f pads as well as their foam pads... I <3 using Wolfgang`s uber compound w/ the finishing glaze. Use a good technique & take your time & I`m very sure you`ll be surprised of your results.
 
w0rM said:
WashRinseRepeat, that was a HUGE help!

I know I could save time and money by having a pro do it for me but I really enjoy the process of detailing. I don`t drive my C7 that much. It`s mostly a weekend toy so I don`t mind if this takes hours, weeks or even months to do. I`d like to learn.

Sadly, in Little Rock, there doesn`t seem to be many skilled professionals. When a "pro" tells me he can get it done in 3 hours, I know he doesn`t know what he`s talking about. By my estimate, based on the condition of the paint, I believe I`m probably looking at a minimum of 8 to 10 hours of work to get a 85% to 90% correction.

I may practice a little on my Honda Accord first. It`s white so the paint is pretty forgiving.

Thanks again for taking the time to post. I really appreciate it.
Click to expand...

wOrM --
Welcome to the Forum ! Great advice above ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ !!!

You are so correct - One highly skilled, seasoned, totally dialed in, and wise, Detailer will never be able to completely correct your Black car or any car for that matter in 3 hours.. If this person that told you 3 hours is using the cheap swirl and fill products, the fillers will all wash out soon, and you will be looking at the original defects still there in the paintwork..

Your estimate of 8-10 hours for 1 person is actually very close, and I use Rotary Power..

Best advice I can offer is for you to find another black vehicle, or get a big black hood off a Mercedes or something, to practice on, until you are seeing the results you are wanting to achieve..

Nothing, I repeat, nothing, you ever watch on the internet will ever be the reality you experience when you do this yourself...

Hopefully your new C7 is all original paint and that will help..
Dan F
 
I`ve been helped through this forum so much, just trying to give back when I can.

Like Stokdgs stated, practice, practice, practice! Don`t know if you`re interested, but there`s a 2 day detailing course hosted by Mike Philips not to far from you in Memphis the 24th and 25th of Aug. I`m actually attending that class.
 
WashRinseRepeat said:
I`ve been helped through this forum so much, just trying to give back when I can.

Like Stokdgs stated, practice, practice, practice! Don`t know if you`re interested, but there`s a 2 day detailing course hosted by Mike Philips not to far from you in Memphis the 24th and 25th of Aug. I`m actually attending that class.
Click to expand...

Great News, WashRinseRepeat !!!!!!

Any time you can get an experienced professional to watch you work and help you work better, there is really no comparison..
Remember long, long, ago, there was a lot of "on the job training" going on, that had to have helped so many people...

Thank you for finding this class ! You are absolutely giving back !!!
Dan F
 
Thanks Stokdgs! I like the idea of working on a another black car part. I see what I can find around.

Thanks for the great advice! I do believe all the paint is original on my C7 except for the rear spoiler. It`s clearly been repainted.
 
WashRinseRepeat said:
I`ve been helped through this forum so much, just trying to give back when I can.

Like Stokdgs stated, practice, practice, practice! Don`t know if you`re interested, but there`s a 2 day detailing course hosted by Mike Philips not to far from you in Memphis the 24th and 25th of Aug. I`m actually attending that class.
Click to expand...

That sounds pretty cool. How do I sign up for that?
 
Understandable, I`ve been saving up for a while now.

Long shot idea..... I know Mike request cars for these events, maybe you could call, have it detailed for free AND stick around "to see what`s being done to your baby". Just a thought, but I know you want to detail it yourself.

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WashRinseRepeat said:
Understandable, I`ve been saving up for a while now.

Long shot idea..... I know Mike request cars for these events, maybe you could call, have it detailed for free AND stick around "to see what`s being done to your baby". Just a thought, but I know you want to detail it yourself.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Interesting idea. It would be worth it if i was able to see what he was doing.
 
Mmmm. So reading this thread has me thinking.
Griots BIG difference over the PC 7242XP?? How?
OP I have the starter PC and after what it did to my dads ack equinox... it’s a pretty damn good corrector... in my very novice opinion...

I do like spending and having the best, especially if it makes things easier. So I’ll read more and pry minds here. Maybe sell mine in a year or two and upgrade lol. I can be persuaded
(Mental note. Neighbour said he has a rupes?? Maybe I’ll ask to try so I can compare. Lol

Phats


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w0rM said:
... based on the condition of the paint, I believe I`m probably looking at a minimum of 8 to 10 hours of work to get a 85% to 90% correction..
Click to expand...

Heh heh, wonder if I`ve ever corrected a vehicle (that I cared about) that fast...can`t imagine that I have. But then it takes me about half that to do a good regular Maintenance Wash. IF I work really, *really* fast.

I`m a *BIG* advocate of newbies doing the "one panel at a time" approach- just doing a panel (OK..or two) after each of a series of regular washes and then doing a final all-over LSPing when it`s all been corrected. Just concentrate on a limited amount of work that won`t be overwhelming and won`t take so long that you lose focus, do that small area right, and let it take as long as it takes. And if anything starts to go haywire *STOP* (before it *has* gone haywire) and figure things out lest you make it worse instead of better. Note that you need to know your [stuff] to spot that sort of thing before it`s too late.

HAVE THE RIGHT INSPECTION CONDITIONS. Utterly critical IMO. I`d buy the right lighting before I bought a polisher since you can`t even see what needs doing without it.

On "how to get dialed-in", I gather I`m a complete outlier and might as well keep my opinions to myself (at least this time), but I really don`t think it`s wise to go about this stuff without first developing the requisite knowledge base. We *are* talking about the risk of irreparable damage..or at least the kind of damage that can only be fixed with a paintgun. It`s not all *that* tough of a subject compared to a lot of skills that people develop, but the time/effort involved to understand it can be considerable, just like any other subject. How long did it take to get proficient at [something you`re really, *REALLY* good at]? Detailing a car is probably as involved as whatever that [something] is, but people sometimes assume it`s more simple than it is. Which goes 100X for "how to wash a car", which is the most important part of Detailing, period IMO (if only because if you keep marring the paint the polishing is pointless in the long run). But that`s another rant..I mean "topic"....why does it need polished in the first place? ;)
 
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