I was given the 7424 porter cable for christmas and I'm going completely blind into the process of using it. I know there are many threads out there about the porter cable, but I need to start from the beginning.

The products I have are the porter cable, white pads ONLY, a hook and Loop Lambs wool polishing pad (no idea what that is for), and the new Z5 pro polish, Z2, and Z6.

First of all, do I have all the necessary products? I know there is other pads out there such as the orange pad, but are they necessary for getting rid of swirl marks?

Once I dawn and clay the car, what process should I use for best results? What should I apply on what and when? What sort of motion should I use? Precautions?

Sorry for my ignorance, but I have read the simple instructions and any idiot could have guessed what it said.

If it's easier please help me out in any tutorials or helpful links.

Thanks and Merry Christmas,
-Brian

 

im not a pro by any means, hopefully chupakabra or gipraw jump in here soon cause those guys have giving me a lot of good advice, but the orange pad is for cutting/breaking down products that remove swirls. like megs #80, #9, and #83? the white pads are for applying stuff like nxt. i think its best applied lest to right, then up and down. i dont think its good to go in circles or anything.

the stuff u have is zaino right? ive always heard form guys on here that zaino is best applied by hand. and best if multiple thin layers are applied. here's a link to a thread on the porter cable.

hope this helps some till the experts jump in here. i have the same machine and i love it. ive used it once the results werent the best they could be, but it was my first time using it. good luck

 

You didn't like the links I sent you for Autopia? Lots of tutorials there with pics and everything.

autopia-carcare.com (Non Sponsor)

In my opinion DO NOT use wool at all until you are a seasoned pro. Way to easy to damage/burn edges. JMO.

 

Yeah I lost those Ben, I'll have to PM you for them again

 

And for the record, I have no idea why the thread title says New porter cable Z... Sounds like a server glitch.

 

good advice there .. stash the wool pad away .. I can only think of a couple of times I have ever had occasion to use a wool pad with a PC.

outside of the stuff you already have, if you have swirls, you will need something to deal with those, possibly an orange pad, and some Menzerna, or Meg's, depending on how bad the paint is..

the PC is pretty safe, as long as you stay away from really bad combos of product and pads..(like a wool pad and some turtle wax red compound.. that would be bad)

autotopia, meguiarsonline, detailcity.. all have very good threads on how to use a PC .. there is also one on this site, but I am on my laptop, and don't have that link ..

 

I just got one as well and had alot of the same questions.. This site helped me out alot autogeek.net they have a video that shows you what pads to use and what products to get and how to use them.

 

OK, I've had a good night's sleep and a Chick-fil-a breakfast taco, so I'm ready. I'm going to go ahead and reply to your PM here in this thread, since there appear to be other people interested in the answers, and I always like to get other people's opinions on this sort of thing.

What type of pads? Sorry to answer a question with a question, but there are various types of pads out there, so knowing what you have will help me answer this better. Personally, I use Lake Country pads (from www.properautocare.com). These are color coded, based on how abrasive they are.

Yellow: Most abrasive. Should be used when compounding.
Orange: Moderately abrasive. Should be used with abrasive polishes (like Menzerna Intensive Polish).
White: Mildly abrasive. Should be used with finishing polishes (like Menzerna Final Polish II).
Black: Soft/Not abrasive. Should be used to apply glaze.
Red: Very soft/Not abrasive. Should be used when layering sealants.

I own (or have owned) all but the red. In my experience, I've found that you really only need an orange pad and one or two white pads, especially if you use Zaino as a sealant.

Also, I'm not a big fan of using Dawn as a car wash. Occasionally, it doesn't hurt, but if you're going to claybar, you don't need to use Dawn. The whole point of using Dawn is to strip off any old wax buildup, which the claybar will do. Personally, I prefer a good car wash concentrate and claybar session.


Part of it is practice, but I've found the following guides to be an excellent start:
http://www.properautocare.com/remswiruspor.html
http://www.properautocare.com/maxsurglosus.html



I know the Zaino bottles say "World's greatest car polish", but they're not polishes. Z5 is a sealant with a lot of fillers in it, to help mask (fill) fine scratches or swirl marks. This is NOT a bad thing, but now you have a real polisher, so why fill the swirls when you can remove them? To remove the swirls, you will need an abrasive polish. There are several available, but the most popular (because they work) are Menzerna and Meguiar's.

From my experience, the following pad/polish combinations work well:
Orange pad/Menzerna Intensive Polish
White pad/Menzerna Final Polish II

Alternatively, you can use Meguiar's products, which you might be able to find locally. I don't know as much about these, but Doug (Gipraw) swears by them and gets good results. As a general rule, you always want to use the least abrasive polish/pad combo to get the job done. You're working with a limited amount of clearcoat, so keep that in mind.

I found this handy link on the Meguiar's web site, to help understand their vast product line.
http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1293

I'll defer to Doug for pad/polish combos with Meguiar's.


The tool is really pretty fool proof. If you use an orange pad or lower (less abrasive), just keep moving and don't let the polisher sit in one spot.

Everyone has to start somewhere. Hopefully this helps.


-Mike

 

Also, if you want to get together some time (since we're both in the Houston area), I'd be happy to arrange something. Posts on the internet are great, but hands-on is still the best way to learn.


-Mike

 

im in the same boat as you, got one for christmas and cant wait to use it. going to start with the suburban so i can screw up. just waiting on some compounds from smj!!!

 

oh by the way let me know how it goes for ya

 

See Brian, I told you Mike was the ****!

 

Mike = teh ****.

I appreciate it! And obviously I don't have everything. I just have the 2 white pads and the Z5. So more than likely I'll just purchase the orange pads and the Menzera's polishes!

Another thing, the pc itself says 5" pads only, but the site you gave me recommended the 6.5" pads. Is this alright?

 

Does it have a backing plate? If so, the 6" and 6.5" pads will work great.

I love recommending this kit for people who want to try Menzerna:
http://www.properautocare.com/menpolandpad.html


-Mike

 

More shameless self-promotion:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=263061
https://ls1tech.com/forums/appearance-detailing/358966-full-menzerna-pics-56k-begone.html


-Mike

 

Thanks once again Mike! That really helps me out a buch

 

hey brian let me know when you work on this if you havent already....i have been wanting to get into this and id like to see how it works

 

looks like Mike has you all lined out Brian.. you will like the Menzerna stuff .. it performs well ..

yell if you want some help.. I am pretty close to you ..

 

I feel so loved Everyone wants to help me. Gipraw you shall be getting a PM soon to find out where in cypress you're located and Byron i'm waiting on a couple more pads and polishes to come in the mail so in about a week you're more than welcome to come help me out and see what we can't screw up.

 

sounds good brian...ill pm you my phone number and you can call me when youre getting started.