Nissan 370Z Forum

Nissan 370Z Forum (http://www.the370z.com/)
-   Detailing / Washing / Waxing / Cosmetic Maintenance and Repair (http://www.the370z.com/detailing-washing-waxing-cosmetic-maintenance-repair/)
-   -   Porter cable, best investment (http://www.the370z.com/detailing-washing-waxing-cosmetic-maintenance-repair/33175-porter-cable-best-investment.html)

azn370z 03-16-2011 12:10 PM

Porter cable, best investment
 
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.

ClemsonWill 03-16-2011 03:55 PM

What kind of pads are you using? Adams?

azn370z 03-16-2011 04:19 PM

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.

ClemsonWill 03-16-2011 06:57 PM

ok thanks!

Junkman2008 03-17-2011 07:30 AM

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.

ZeeingAround 04-26-2011 08:01 PM

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.

azn370z 04-26-2011 08:30 PM

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

c41006 04-26-2011 08:33 PM

Eight hours? :eek:

azn370z 04-26-2011 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by c41006 (Post 1075801)
Eight hours? :eek:

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.

c41006 04-26-2011 09:02 PM

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 04-26-2011 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azn370z (Post 1075825)
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.

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.

MacCool 05-08-2011 06:39 PM

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 05-08-2011 06:51 PM

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.

MacCool 05-08-2011 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azn370z (Post 1097481)
Did you polish the black b pillars? That's the only thing that has swirl marks.

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

Junkman2008 05-08-2011 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MacCool (Post 1097467)
... 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...

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