Suggestions for first pads

STBear said:
This thread has been great. I just got my PC and need to order pads.
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Classic Motoring Accessories is doing free shipping on orders over $75 (which is not hard to do with these things) now. Make sure you check em out - I got a weirdly shaped yellow pad from them and they sent me a replacement right away. Great service.
 
How about the pads that are in the Autopia garage sale?



White polishing = ?



Orange



Grey finishing



I am new with a PC as well. Will these work for me? I have fairly good paint with minor swirls.





Thanks,

Steve
 
SHICKS said:
How about the pads that are in the Autopia garage sale?......
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Those are good pads and the price is hard to beat. The orange and grey are what is called a "VC" style pad. Rather than being flat there is a small concave area (or "polish pocket") in the center of the pad designed to reduce splatter. The white polish pad is flat.



I'd suggest you order one orange (light cut/polish), two or three white pads (these polish pads will be what you'll use the most), and one or more of the grey (finish) pads, depending on how many different products you plan on using during one detail.



Don't forget to order a 5" backing plate if you don't already have one.
 
Thanks Eliot-



Will these pads work with the Sonus SFX polishes? And are the SFX beginner friendly? or should I go with Poorboys SSR series?



Any other suggestions would be great.



Thanks,

Steve



Eliot Ness said:
Those are good pads and the price is hard to beat. The orange and grey are what is called a "VC" style pad. Rather than being flat there is a small concave area (or "polish pocket") in the center of the pad designed to reduce splatter. The white polish pad is flat.



I'd suggest you order one orange (light cut/polish), two or three white pads (these polish pads will be what you'll use the most), and one or more of the grey (finish) pads, depending on how many different products you plan on using during one detail.



Don't forget to order a 5" backing plate if you don't already have one.
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SHICKS said:
How about the pads that are in the Autopia garage sale?



White polishing = ?



Orange



Grey finishing



I am new with a PC as well. Will these work for me? I have fairly good paint with minor swirls.





Thanks,

Steve
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Those are the LC pads, that many members like..... If they are really at 40% off, they are a great deal also :up



LC orange = Propel orange

LC white = propel green

LC gray = propel gray
 
AlexRuiz said:
Those are the LC pads, that many members like..... If they are really at 40% off, they are a great deal also :up



LC orange = Propel orange

LC white = propel green

LC gray = propel gray
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Not bad, I ordered 5 pads for $32. Now I just have to figure out what polish to get.



I have AIO, SG and S100. What to use before those, I have no clue. I have minor swirls and I want to remove a few scratches.



Steve
 
SHICKS said:
........Will these pads work with the Sonus SFX polishes? And are the SFX beginner friendly? or should I go with Poorboys SSR series?..........
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I haven't used the SFX series of polishes or pads so I can't really comment on them. The SSR's are pretty user friendly and would work well with these pads, and as AlexRuiz mentions they are made by LC. I'm sure they are being discontinued by Autopia only because of the DAS and SFX line of pads they now carry.



It would be hard to beat SSR2.5 and SSR1 as a beginning combo.
 
Well, I have to say that the last few days have done a number on my brain. I have learned more about surface treaments than I had ever imagined there was to learn. I've done nothing but read, research, and reference different pads, polishes, cleaners, waxes and sealants. Finally, at 1:00 am this morning I placed an order. I may have went a little overboard. Here's what I am expecting:



Sonus Polishing towels

Sonus Acrylic Spritz

Sonus SFX-2

Sonus SFX-3

Sonus Paintwork cleanser

Meg. #16

Sonus DAS green pad (1)

Sonus 5" flex plate

Garage sale DA white pad (2)

Garage sale DA grey pad (2)



....not to mention a PC from Coastal, with metal case. My wife is going to give me a stearn looking-at when I have to tell her why my $20 Wal-mart buffer and Autozone waxes and polishes are no longer acceptable. So how did I do for my first purchase? In a wierd way, I hope I don't get the awesome results that I'm expecting. If I do, I know I will become another detail addict and God knows I don't need another addiction.
 
Maybe some vehicle info would help.



2001 Dodge Ram 50K miles, white (light scratches and swirls)

2004 Honda Odyssey 12K, Red Rock Pearl (no flaws)



I was thinking about the PC, then SFX-2, SFX-3 (if needed), and a topcoat of #16 for my truck. PC, SFX-3, #16 for the minivan.
 
SHICKS said:
Not bad, I ordered 5 pads for $32. Now I just have to figure out what polish to get.



I have AIO, SG and S100. What to use before those, I have no clue. I have minor swirls and I want to remove a few scratches.



Steve
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From what I've read, you need a polish with a little abrasiveness. Like 3M Finesse-It II Machine Polish or Menzerna Final Polish. Maybe one of the experts will chime in here.
 
Steve530 said:
From what I've read, you need a polish with a little abrasiveness. Like 3M Finesse-It II Machine Polish or Menzerna Final Polish. Maybe one of the experts will chime in here.
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Thanks-



My new pads arrived today. I did not expect them to be so hard. I got the LC VC pads in orange, white and grey.



I also ordered some PB SSR1 and SSR2.5 from sports car care for $28.50 with shipping.



I am so happy. I actually tried to polish my dinning room table(not wood) with AIO, but the girlfriend got pretty nervous so I stopped.





Steve
 
Good luck :)



The orange pad is an excellnt pad at removing swirls and minor scratches, good combo with the 2.5 !



To start out, just put a heafty "X" on the pad and work a 2x2-2.5x2.5 area.



Once the pad is primed make the "X" alittle thinner, but not too thin :)



Oh ya, post some pics or the Detail Police will come find you :)
 
Do new pads need to be prepped before first use? And what is the best way to clean a pad? I imagine just hot soapy water and air dry.



Thanks,

Steve
 
To clean a pad I immediately put it in a bucket of hot/warm water with Dawn and let it sit there for as long as you have time. Massage the Dawn into the pads with your finger tips. Repeat this process until everything has come out. Then I let mine sit in a bucket of warm or cool water and rinse and rinse and rinse until clear water comes out of the pad. I put the pad in the sink and press down on it to get the excess water out. When ive got all the water i can i take I put the pad in between 2 towels and press together. This gets most of the rest out. I then let it sit in my room for it to air dry the rest of the way.
 
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