Overwhelmed

[needsaboat]

Just picked up a Porter Cable 7424XP and don't have any product to speak of. I have two white Toyotas, my Camry is in pretty good shape and probably just needs a good cleaning/waxing. My Tundra however, is a different story. Small scratches, wet sanding marks ( I know ), chips, etc. I'd like to buy products locally, which is why I opted to post in teh consumer line area, but I am open to everything. I only have what came with my DA from Lowe's, so I'm sure I need to get pad's and other accessories as well. This site has SO much information it's overwhelming, if anyone has an easy answer to some of the products I should get, please let me know.

[fordf150]

Re: Overwhelmed

I'm by no means an expert, but I purchased my first DA a year ago and have never looked back. Best investment I have made to date.

As far as pads. LC (lake country) makes a wide assortment of pads for different purposes. Meguiars and their soft buff 2.0 pads are good although I have not used them. You might also look into their DA Microfiber pads for defect removal as I hear they are top notch.

As for the Consumer line products that you can find at many auto stores like O'Reilly Auto, Walmart etc... I would look into Ultimate Compound for scratch and swirl removal. SwirlX is also worth a look for light sratches or light swirls, but I have had my best results with Ultimate Compound and an Orange or white LC pad.

Try the least aggressive product first before going to a more aggressive product. There are lots of how-to-videos on how use a DA for removing swirls and fine scratches, so look into that if you are new to a DA.


I'm sure others who are far more experienced will chime in shortly, just thought I'd add what I have found to work for a weekender. good luck.

[needsaboat]

Re: Overwhelmed

Cool, glad to hear your success, with the da, without the YEARS of experience that many seem to have on here. I'm definitely going to try wally world and some autozone places this afternoon, first on my list to look for "ultimate compound".

[fordf150]

Re: Overwhelmed

Just a friendly reminder. Different auto manufacturers paint might react to abrasives differently. Toyota is no different. Pick up a bottle of SwirlX along with Ultimate Compound. SwirlX is less agressive and worth a try first to see if it does the job, if not... then you can always move up to UC. Another point is to match the correct pad to the proper compound with the correct technique. I can't stress enough about learning how to use these compounds with a DA through the different how-to sections here on MOL or elsewhere first.

Oh... and depending on how deep the chips and or scratches are, a DA can only do so much, so if it's all the way through the clear coat, the best you may be able to achieve is an improved look not total correction.