Can a DA handle this ?

[PursuitSE]

About 2 weeks ago, I got a great dealer on a 2005 Mini Cooper convertible that was very slightly damaged in the back, and a few dents here and there. My brother used to work at a bodyshop for a few years (prep+paint+polishing) and he fixed it for me, than painted the trunk panel, both bumpers and the hood.
He will wetsand the car for me this week, but now that he is a truck driver, he won't have the time to do the polishing step. I am attending a wedding in 2 weeks and would like my car to be looking it's best.
He has a Makita rotary and he uses Presta produtcs.

Now here is my question :
Can I do the polishing step using my G100 DA ? I've corrected/polished a few cars using this G100, but will I be able to acheve great results using it for this job ? I've never tried a real rotary buffer and I am afraid to try on my new baby. I don't want anything to go wrong.
I do have in hand a big variety of Meg's compounds and polishes, such as M105, M205, M83, M80, D151, D300, as well as the MF 5,5 pads and all the Lake Country 5" foam pads.
My Mini is Hyper blue metalic, which is a bright blue.

BTW, I haven't post a lot on here this spring. I spent a whole week at the hospital at the end of April because of an appendicitis that turned wrong. But now I am back on track and ready to fire, so expect to see pictures of my detailing shortly.

Thanks !
Patrick

[MaxImage]

Re: Can a DA handle this ?

Will he be removing the wet sanding marks for you? If so, then given what you have, you will be able to perform the polishing steps as well as the waxing/LSP step. If not, it will require use of the rotary with a wool pad and 105. But keep in mind that the newly painted areas need to outgas and cure before they receive any polish or wax. Please ask your brother on the amount of time the paint is required to do so before you are able to go over it with polish. I believe most paints are about a month. Also, since you a have G100 (vs a G110), the correction power achievable is significantly less per pass. Thusly, requiring some patience to achieve the desired look. But remember, it's not about speed, it's about quality.

If you would rather, the MF system will give you a better optical look in a shorter amount of time and with less effort than using the Mxx polishes as you would spend less time correcting the car to perfection step-by-step (multiple step process vs the two-step MF process) before waxing. The best thing, though, would be to experiment using your G100 with different product/pad combinations to see what achieves the look you're going for on previously painted panels (not on the ones just recently painted). With the "M" series, you'll have to layer products, and may even have to put on multiple coats, or make multiple passes of a product before going on to the next layer. It depends on the condition of the paint, and the level of gloss you are happy with. Do you have a LSP such as M21 or NXT Tech Wax or Ultimate Liquid Wax?

IMHO, I would forgo the rotary if all at possible until you can increase your comfort level and confidence in using the machine and stick with using the DA.

Good luck and let us know if you have any further questions!

[PursuitSE]

Re: Can a DA handle this ?

Do you have a LSP such as M21 or NXT Tech Wax or Ultimate Liquid Wax?

Thanks for your reply.

I have all of them.
M21, NXT, Ultimate Liquid, Gold Class Carnauba Plus, Opti-seal, etc... I actually have an impressive inventory of Meguiar's stuff and very few from others brands. My friends who are not in car detailing always think that I'm crazy...

I've been doing detailing on the side for a few years now. But most of my business is about cleaning cars inside/outside, light polishing and waxing. I've actually never done a project of this magnitude.

I am considering about buying a Griot's Garage DA, but with the slow business due to weather, money is a little tight right now.

Tonight, I used Meg's Chrome polish from the Motorcycle line and shined all the chrome trims and grills on this little Mini. Then I used PlastX and polished the headlights and taillights. I will be attacking the interior later this week.

My brother should do the wetsanding next week-end when he gets back home.
He said we can polish now since it's been a few days since the respray, but it would best to wait about a month for the wax.