Porter cable, best investment

azn370z

I couple months ago something hit my passenger door on the highway and it left scuff marks. I tried clay bar and it didn't remove it so a couple minutes of polishing did the trick. Yesterday I happened to scuff up the entire side of my bumper, from bottom of my lip to all the way up to the fender, luckily the fender didn't get touched. It looked like the bumper was painted beige. A few minutes of polishing removed the paint, and most of the scratches. However some of the scratches went down to the plastic, which I will try with dr colorchip.

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2010 k23
H&R sport springs / Spc rear camber arms / SSR SP1 / Berk cbe / Varis cf lip / Nismo S-Tune side skirts

ClemsonWill

What kind of pads are you using? Adams?

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azn370z

I think they're made by lake country. I use white pads and a finishing polish. I have black pads too but found whites are enough.

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2010 k23
H&R sport springs / Spc rear camber arms / SSR SP1 / Berk cbe / Varis cf lip / Nismo S-Tune side skirts

ClemsonWill

ok thanks!

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Junkman2008

Black pads are for applying wax and will do nothing to remove scratches. The white pad is a finishing pad and is normally used after a orange pad. With the damage that you are describing, you should have started with the orange pad and finished up with the white pad.

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"Marines - Making the other guy die for his country for over 200 years."

ZeeingAround

My new porter cable arrived yesterday and the Adams pad collection arrived today. I will practice on the Fiero first and then the Z. I have never been so excited to detail a car! I really love the attention to customers that Adam's polishes provides. upon opening the box, There was a nice bottle of cleaning solution provided. Sweet!
The whole adams detail kit is in my garage along with the new parts. Now it is time to take a quick review of the Junkman's videos.

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Get some roosters for eggs and Bulls for milk . Then you will see that gender matters. Especially at milking time.

azn370z

Be sure to set aside about 8 plus hours to polish.

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2010 k23
H&R sport springs / Spc rear camber arms / SSR SP1 / Berk cbe / Varis cf lip / Nismo S-Tune side skirts

c41006

Eight hours?

azn370z

It can take 8 hours if you wash and dry the z twice, clay, and polish. It can take longer if you don't use spray wax. but yes it takes along time, that's why I do it once a year.

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2010 k23
H&R sport springs / Spc rear camber arms / SSR SP1 / Berk cbe / Varis cf lip / Nismo S-Tune side skirts

c41006

Ya I guess it depends on how detailed you get. I did all that in 3 hours this morning but I could have spent more time on it and done a better job I guess.

Junkman2008

It can take longer or shorter, depending on how anal you are, the condition of the paint and the speed of the person working. I spent 3 days claying my car the first time I did it. It must have taken me months to finish the entire car. Now I was going for perfection so it was not your normal detail but I have never had to do that much to it since.

I'm a firm believe in prevention and thus, I have never had to do a "major detail" annually. I maintain my paint's perfection and thus, I only do touch-ups now and then. This has been going on for the last seven years.

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"Marines - Making the other guy die for his country for over 200 years."

MacCool

OK...I've always kept my trucks clean, pretty much, but my new Z has instilled a whole new level of obsession/compulsion, especially now that I have become an Adam's/Junkman disciple. My wife was amused at the volume of boxes that have come from Adam's over the last week, followed by concern over the amount of time I've spent on detailing, then alarm when I asked her if we had any old bedsheets, preferably microfiber, to keep dust off the car in the garage.

And yes...8 hours. At the minimum (for me, as a noob). I started yesterday morning with the foam lance on the pressure washer (what a hoot THAT was), then the leaf blower, then the clay, more washing, then hours with the PC from orange to grey pad and their associated chemicals. The car came from the dealer having been "detailed" by their "detailer". OMG...holograms all over the car as well as gouges, marks, scuffs, and a set of fingerprints on the hatch lid that defied anything by hand.

I gotta say though...that system is like magic. After finishing with the machine superwax, the finish is amazing. I parked right by the door at Mother's Day brunch this morning and watching out the window, I was amazed at the number of people that felt compelled to stop, stare, and touch. I literally had to buff out fingerprints when I got home. The down side is that it has instilled a level of compulsion in me that actually has me contemplating spending another $100 on glaze and wax alone. I want more.

Sigh...

azn370z

I can't believe people feel the need to touch other peoples cars. I'm polishing mine this weekend, been looking forward to it for awhile. Did you polish the black b pillars? That's the only thing that has swirl marks.

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2010 k23
H&R sport springs / Spc rear camber arms / SSR SP1 / Berk cbe / Varis cf lip / Nismo S-Tune side skirts

MacCool

Yes. Mine were badly swirled, now they're like glass.

Junkman2008

Welcome to Zion. The dance is at 4:00 PM. Wear your man cloth.

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"Marines - Making the other guy die for his country for over 200 years."