So my car has some minor flaws, that should be relatively easy fix up. I am trying to figure out which route I should go. I don't know if I want to have it polished professionally, or if I want to get a polisher/supplies/kit and do it myself.

The exterior problems are two spots where bird poop had set in and ate a small layer of the clear coat. A couple of very shallow scratches that have not gone through the clear, and some minor swirl marks. The car has good paint for the most part being the 2006 factory paint.

My questions are:
How much would it run to have a good shop do this work for me?

If I were to do this myself, how difficult is it? I have a couple of older cars with rougher paint that I could practice on and get it down before I go to the car I care about.

Finally, if I am to do it my self, am I better off getting a kit with everything I need, or piecing it together?


Also, any other comments/suggestions are appreciated.

 

Since as of yet you don't have any experience with a polisher, you are going to want to stay away from rotary polishers. Without practice you can do incredible amounts of damage very VERY quickly.

The type of polisher that you would want to look into is a Dual Action polisher also known as a Random Orbital polisher. It is almost impossible to do damage to your paint with this type of machine. The industry standard is the Porter Cable 7424. They are available all over, just search. A good price is $100-$150.

I would recommend Poorboys polishes for the beginner, they are incredibly user friendly and quite easy to use. It is not very difficult to learn how to polish out your paint.

As a professional detailer I would charge anywhere between $250-$500 for a full paint correction, my prices are a bit higher than the typical detailer, but with how labor-intensive detailing is, you absolutely get what you pay for.

As far as kits available which include buffers, pads and polishes you can check and see if there are any deals at
www.autogeek.net
www.poorboysworld.com

And if you are looking for tips and tricks for learning how to use those products you can check out www.autopia.org


Good luck, hope this helps

 

along with the pc7424, ill add my suggestion of menzerna polishes.

with a da/orbital, you cant really hurt your paint unless you try to.

if you have the money, get the flex orbital.

as for kits, www.autogeek.net has put together nice kits with da, pads, polishes.
this site also has a nice forum you should join. dont forget nice mf towels as well.

 

I think I will be picking up the pc7424, with one of the kits they offer. Thanks for the help guys.

 

don't forget to look around and see if you can get a coupon code or something to save a little cash...

 

is there any other DA comparable to the PC as far as features thats cheaper?

 

oh yeah there is a new and improved pc 7424 coming out soon.

check ebay for the best prices on all these: pc, flex, etc.

 

There ARE cheaper alternatives, however the PC 7424 is by far and away the most robust, dependable and well engineered. Also being that it is the industry standard for DA machines just about any and all DIYs or FAQs related to detailing are going to be with the PC in mind.

Just one mans opinion though.
Plus the money you save would only be about 20 bucks or so.

 

In terms of picking a polishing compound, is it normal to use different compounds on different parts of the car?

Most of the car is nearly perfect, and could just stand a very light polish. There aren't really any large areas that need attention, just small scratches that are very shallow but would need a more aggressive compound. As long as you finish with the same polishing compound would it cause different finishes?

 

of course. some areas might need to be gone over more than once as well.

if you are looking for a light user-friendly polish get menzerna 106ff. hit the worse spots with a polish that has more bite. but yeah as long as you finish the whole car with the same step, it will look uniform.

 

I would recommend pads no bigger than 5.5" with the PC, I never had much luck turning a 6.5". I've used 4 inch for spot correction, or at least where I've had to ramp up the corrective capability.

Now with KBM and a combo like Megs 105/205 the PC is capable of some serious corrective work.

 

Do you guys use a backing plate or one of those adapters that snaps into the middle of pads?

 

backing plate (hook and loop) along with ccs pads, and like mentioned above anything bigger than 5.5" on a da will basically get you nowhere.

 

I've used both the Edge 2k system and the normal LC pads with the hook and loop. The Edge system is nice because the pad is centered every time and you can just flip the pad over when the one half is caked. However they don't offer their wavy pads in 4 inch size. I have some 4 inch Cyclo pads that I've used before and they aren't bad but I'm giving 4 and 5 1/2 inch Lake Country CCS pads a shot now.

 

you'll love the ccs pads

 

i personally dont like the ccs pads, they tend to wear out a little faster than the standard flat pads, but thats just me. as far as polishes go, i can back up the meguairs 105/205 combo, i have done my fair share of restorations.105 is more for intensive work though. and of course get a pc. thats what i started with. I have been using rotary for two years now and trust me, im still havent perfected it.

as far as backing plate go i love my 3M 3M-Perfect-it-III-Rotary-Backing plate but it was pricey. the W66 backing plate by meguiars is another good backing plate.

also pad conditioner is also key. you need lubricant between pad and polishes that way it wont create too much dust if not you will just create more swirls. and to maintain ur pads make sure you get a pad wash solution too.

 

Well i put in my order. I got:

PC DA
Poor brothers 1/2/2.5 compounds
5" backing plate
2 orange pads
one white/black/red
lambswool pad and bonnets for wax removal/buffing
pad cleaner/conditioner

Now I can't wait to get it. I'll make sure to post up some pictures of the car when it is finished. I hope it looks awesome to justify the $250 i just spent lol

 

i havnt used the poorboys polishes but im sure they will work just as good as their other products ive tried. did you look into techniques for the pc?

 

Yeah, i have read several articles and watched a few video tutorials.

 

ok cool, have fun, dont forget before/after pictures.

also do the 50/50 alcohol wipedown between steps