After 2 days and about $200, I experimented with the wifey's car. I know it's not a Z, but in the last pic you'll see what will be detailed next.

Thanks to Classic Motoring Accessories at www.properautocare.com for helping me decide what to get.

My Porter Cable procedure included...

1. Claybar using Power Pad Clay applicator. This plus the claybar made the surface feel like glass!
2. Manzerna Final polish
3. Manzerna Finishing Touch glaze
4. Maguire's NXT Tech wax

Now some pics...

 

Nice job.

I've got a Porter-Cable coming in the mail today or tomorrow and will try the thing out on my silver SUV before launching it on my Super Black Z. I've been to several formums and nobody seemed to have a bad experence with the PC and the proper pads.

 

Man that looks good. I bet it looks even better in person.

 

if you have any before pics, please post those

 

xziteme that looks great. Can you give a little review on the Power Pad Clay applicator. Any pics of what it looks like after use. I'm either getting old or just to lazy to do the clay by hand again and I've been thinking about one of these. Thanks.

 

what did the misses say when you told her that you were going to “practice” on her car?

 

what do you recommend for someone who has NEVER used a rotary or orbital on a car before?

I think the Z really needs it, but I don't want to royally fubar it, you know?

 

The Power Pad clay applicator works like a dream. A 30sec pass over the area and the surface was smooth like glass. Before I used the clay bar on the car, the surface was very gritty and rough. This was the first time I ever used a clay bar on any of my cars. I was scared at first, but after testing it out on a small area it was very simple and easy. I would recommend the Power Pad clay appilicator.

I don't have any before pics of the wifey's car before my experiment. I was too excited to conduct my experiment and forgot to take some before pics. But, after I finished my experiment, I couldn't stop running my fingers on the paint because it was so incredibly smooth and glossy.

When I detail the Z, I will have some before and after pics.

 

First off, don't attempt to use a rotary polisher. Use the Random Orbital like the Porter-Cable.

Here are a couple of good sources of info on using the PC polishers...

http://forums.roadfly.com/forums/det...1430487&page=1
http://autopia.org/forum/showthread.php?t=14421
http://www.roadfly.com/magazine/7/po..._buffer.1.html

 

Thanks xziteme. Look forward to the Z pics. I've been using the PC for 3 years on the Z (Saturday is her 3rd B-Day) and she looks just about as nice as the day I picked her up. Menzerna and Zaino are great products. I'll be ordering the Clay Pad to go along with all the other pads I have.

 

Dang.

The Porter Cable came tonight and using Zanio Z-PC and a bit of water on a yellow pad was unable to put a dent in the finish of my Super Black. I'll try some 3M Swirl Mark Remover next ... it's possible that I'm just seeing too much but I see lines in the reflections that run fore and aft along the hood like I use the "Zanio Brothers Approved" towels when applying the juice. The thing shines like the dickens I'm just looking for that flawless look that any silver car gets with a five minute Turtle Wax effort.