Too much trial and error!

[Mike Phillips]

Hi vette66aircoupe,

You can use the Porter Cable backing plate, but be careful, because it has a 6" diameter, the edge of this backing plate will extend to the outer edges of the foam pads. It shouldn't extend past the edge of the foam pad, but it will be close.

The risk/danger is that you could gouge your finish if you are not careful. This is why Meguiar's backing plate has a 5" diameter, it provides a extra measure of protection.

I think Joe of Superior Shine uses 6" diameter backing plates in his detailing business but he has years and years of experience and safe buffing techniques are second nature to him.

Grab a rule or measuring tape and measure the diameter exactly of the backing plate and post it back here.

Mike

[Mike Phillips]

I went out into the garage and placed a measuring tape across the back of a Meguiar's W-8006 foam polishing pad with one of our W64DA backing plates attached to give you an idea what the safety margin looks like.



As you increase the size of the backing plate, the edge of the backing plate will be placed closer to the edge of the foam pad. The thing you want to avoid is to be in a position where you might gouge the edge or side of the foam pad into the paint which could potentially gouge the edge of the paint with the backing plate.

A 6" backing plate will still give you some room around the edge with foam pad extending further than the backing plate, so as long as you are careful you will be okay. The key will be to focus on the task at hand.

Hope this helps...

Mike

p.s.

From the sound of your finish, then M80 Speed Glaze will be a good polish for both of your cars with the W-8006 foam pad. Then follow this with two thin coats of your favorite wax.

We polished out this Challenger with M83 first followed by M80 Speed Glaze.



The results you see in the paint in the above picture is after removing the M80 Speed Glaze, no wax has been applied at this stage of the polishing process yet.

[vette66aircoupe]

Mike,

The backing plate measures 5 and 13/16's of an inch. How does the #80 product differ from the deep crystal polish I have currently?

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by vette66aircoupe
Mike,

The backing plate measures 5 and 13/16's of an inch. How does the #80 product differ from the deep crystal polish I have currently?

Both polishes will add richness to any color of paint and clarity to clear coats, but the Deep Crystal Polish is a pure polish while the M80 Speed Glaze is a cleaner/polish.

Meguiar's pure polishes are completely non-abrasive, this means they do not offer the ability to remove below surface defects.

Meguiar's cleaner/polishes contain diminishing abrasives and offer the ability to remove fine swirls and scratches.

Here' some information on our polishes from our FAQ

Meguiar's 5-Step Paint Care Cycle



Step-3 Polishing



Meguiar's offers two types of polishes, Cleaner Polishes and Pure Polishes. Cleaner Polishes are for removing very light or fine defects while restoring a crystal clear, smooth high gloss surface. Pure polishes are for finishes already in excellent condition and are for the purpose or creating brilliant high gloss with deep dark reflections.

If you look in Webster's Dictionary under the word polish, one of the definitions they include reads like this:

"A preparation that is used to produce gloss, and often color for the protection and decoration of a surface."

This definition best describes Meguiar's Pure Polishes. Meguiar's pure polishes are designed to create brilliant high gloss while preparing the surface for the application of a protective coating. Meguiar's pure polishes accomplish this without the use of abrasives.


Another definition found in Webster's Dictionary for polish is,

"To make smooth and glossy by friction."

This definition best describes Meguiar's Cleaner/Polishes. Meguiar's cleaner polishes are formulated to very gently abrade the surface with Meguiar's Diminishing Abrasive TM and Buffered Abrasive TM technology to remove the finest defects and create a perfectly smooth, high gloss finish.

Depending on what type of paint you're working on, traditional paints like lacquers and enamels, or catalyzed clear coats, Meguiar's has the products specifically designed to work on both types of paints, not to mention many other surfaces such as plastics and polyester resins (Fiberglas Gel-coats).


Meguiar's Trade Secret Polishing Oils
The trade secret oils Meguiar's uses in both types of polishes are unique to the industry and to this day have never been surpassed for creating deep, dark reflections and brilliant high gloss by any of our competitors in over 100 years.

The oils Meguiar's uses are also important in maintaining the original condition of the paint by filling in the naturally occurring microscopic pores and surface imperfections thus preventing detrimental substances and elements as simple as water, or worse, acid-rain, from entering into these pores and microscopic surface imperfections thus causing oxidation and chemical etching. These oils act to replace the original resins as they wear away through natural processes.

When paint is new, it is the most impermeable it will ever be, this means it is a very smooth non-porous, continuous film. With age, exposure to the environment and micro-scratching caused by day-in, day-out wear and tear, your paint develops micro-fissures in the surface along with other defects. These micro-fissures and other defects act to make the continuous film or coating of paint more porous. As this happens, your car's finish becomes more vulnerable to corrosive elements that will attack and degrade your finish.


Remember, waxes, synthetic or otherwise, are meant to be Sacrificial Barriers with the intended purpose sealing the surface, while blocking those things that would attack your paint, from coming into direct contact with the paint.

"Waxes protect your finish by sacrificing themselves so that your paint doesn't have to"

An analogy is your skin. In the same way you can clean, polish and protect your skin, you can clean, polish and protect your car's finish. Soap can be used to clean your skin and remove dirt from the pores. Skin lotions can be used to moisturize your skin, conditioning it and making it more clear and beautiful. Protection products like lotions used to protect hands from exposure to chemicals and UV protectants can be applied to help protect your skin from the things that would attack your skin if these harmful things could come into direct contact with your skin.

While human skin and automotive paint are very different, the analogy is very similar. With Meguiar's, you can:

* Wash your car's finish to remove unwanted and accumulated dirt contaminants
* Clean your paint with our special paint cleaners and cleaner/polishes
* Polish your paint with our pure polishes to create unequaled beauty
* Protect your paint with our advanced paint protection products
* Maintain your car's finish using our fast and easy to use maintenance products.


The unique thing about Meguiar's highly specialized trade secret oils is their ability to restore and maintain the Optical Clarity of both single stage and clear coat paints in a way that waxes alone cannot match, (both natural and synthetic), the results of which are demonstrated in side-by-side comparisons.


(The above is only the section on polishing, there is a lot more information on the different steps you can read by clicking on the above blue link)

M80 Speed Glaze is a very safe but effective light cleaner/polish, a favorite with many serious enthusiasts.

Mike