[- Paul -]

I'm going to have a go at machine polishing my car and wanted some advice on which machine and pads/polish to buy.

All advice appreciated

Was thinking of this

http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acata...her-cat10.html

but which kit to buy????

[M3-FAST]

Hi Paul

I bought the following last year:

Sonus 'SON-UDMSFX-KIT' Ultimate Detailing Machine. It is basically a Porter machine which is well respected on detailing forums - it came with Sonus products and a variety of Sonus pads:

PADS:

• SFX-1 Restore - Scratch remover foam polishing pad,
• SFX-2 Enhance - Swirl remover foam polishing pad,
• SFX-3 Final Finish - Last step foam polishing pad,

Products:

• SFX-1 Restore Polish (Fast action defect remover - removes finish marring and restores aged finishes),
• SFX-2 Swirl Remover & Gloss Enhancing Polish (Improves depth & gloss, removes swirl marks),
• SFX-3 Final Finish Ultra-Fine Show Car Polish (Premium clear coat polish intensifies final lustre).

Also came with a couple of Sonus Microfibre buffing bonnets & cloths.

The Machine inc all products was about £150 off ebay - I haven't as yet though used it as was gonna do it last year with some help from Mark (Mark-II) but we never got round to fixing a spare sunday and getting to work. Hopefully this year will see the M properly detailed!! I figured that if each pad cost a tenner 'ish' buying it a package was quite well priced, especially as there is prob just enough products to do the car once.

Be interesting to hear how you get on

[- Paul -]

Shame you've not tried it out yet - I'd have been chomping at the bit to try it!!

Since read that BMW use "hard" paint so I need this kit

http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acata...MasterZDAS6HP0

[M3-FAST]

Originally Posted by - Paul -

Shame you've not tried it out yet - I'd have been chomping at the bit to try it!!

Since read that BMW use "hard" paint so I need this kit

http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acata...MasterZDAS6HP0

I was to be honest but with my little lad recently born, was finding it hard to justify the time along with other commitments (and play things like my track car etc...) - I was also a little apprehensive of doing the polishing myself for the first time, and as Mark had previous experience of machine polishing and he lived in Stafford, made sense to try and organise a bit of 'tuition' so to speak.

We just never got the date hooked up but defo need to try it this year, else I might as well just sell it on. It has lived under my desk at work now since it arrived ha ha (only just opened it to type the details off the bottles/pads in the above post!!)

[JLR1969]

I use the Kestrel DA polisher and get very good results. Menzerna is good on hard paints such as BMW and Mercedes.

Make sure you clay the car before machine polishing.

I use a polishing pad as that covers the amount of correction that I need and two different Menzerna polishes.

Power finish and then super finish.

Make sure you use a good wax or sealant afterwards though.

Any advice let me know.

[Mr Plum]

I bought the following kit last year...

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polish.../prod_675.html

I find it pretty good - 50/50 below on mate's Impreza...(windscreen not finished before someone comments!!) and a side shot.. Similar results on my BMW and wife's Passat (not that either car is in as bad a state as that impreza was!)

[Hotcoupe]

Originally Posted by JLR1969

I use the Kestrel DA polisher and get very good results.

I'd like to say the same, I have the polisher but have yet to get it out of the box in over 10 months!

It came with loads of pads and the Menzerna polish.

Just seen Mr Plums post and it's the same kit.

[G-10]

I would get a rotary. They are much better and you will get faster results. As for polish i would use 3m fast cut plus and 3m ultrafina

I would also practise on some scrap panels first as rotarys are deadly in the wrong hands. With a DA you will not get full correction.

[Hotcoupe]

Originally Posted by G-10

I would also practise on some scrap panels first as rotarys are deadly in the wrong hands. With a DA you will not get full correction.

That's why I got the DA!
The correction was done by 'Drive n Shine'.

[malc1]

Originally Posted by M3-FAST

Hi Paul

I bought the following last year:

Sonus 'SON-UDMSFX-KIT' Ultimate Detailing Machine. It is basically a Porter machine which is well respected on detailing forums - it came with Sonus products and a variety of Sonus pads:

PADS:

• SFX-1 Restore - Scratch remover foam polishing pad,
• SFX-2 Enhance - Swirl remover foam polishing pad,
• SFX-3 Final Finish - Last step foam polishing pad,

Products:

• SFX-1 Restore Polish (Fast action defect remover - removes finish marring and restores aged finishes),
• SFX-2 Swirl Remover & Gloss Enhancing Polish (Improves depth & gloss, removes swirl marks),
• SFX-3 Final Finish Ultra-Fine Show Car Polish (Premium clear coat polish intensifies final lustre).

Also came with a couple of Sonus Microfibre buffing bonnets & cloths.

The Machine inc all products was about £150 off ebay - I haven't as yet though used it as was gonna do it last year with some help from Mark (Mark-II) but we never got round to fixing a spare sunday and getting to work. Hopefully this year will see the M properly detailed!! I figured that if each pad cost a tenner 'ish' buying it a package was quite well priced, especially as there is prob just enough products to do the car once.

Be interesting to hear how you get on

I've been using all the same stuff with my Porter Cable since 2006 and had great results.
Also use the SFX-4 pads and sealant and their drying and buffing towels.

[JLR1969]

Originally Posted by G-10

I would get a rotary. They are much better and you will get faster results. As for polish i would use 3m fast cut plus and 3m ultrafina

I would also practise on some scrap panels first as rotarys are deadly in the wrong hands. With a DA you will not get full correction.

Why would a rotary get a better finish? Is it due to the speed it can run?

[- Paul -]

Rotary may be after the DA - I certainly don't trust myself with a rotary yet on my car!

[G-10]

Originally Posted by JLR1969

Why would a rotary get a better finish? Is it due to the speed it can run?

A rotary polisher differs from a Dual Action polisher by the fact that its pad spins only on a single orbit

Have a read of this http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/foru...ad.php?t=66024

Its a long read but its got all the info you need on polishing. IMHO Rotary is the way forward.

[willhollin]

Silverline do a rotary polisher that is good value for money.

[Pioneer]

You will get very similar results with the DA as you will with the rotary but it will take a lot longer. BMW paints tend to be hard but i have had some BMW's with soft paint and can be very hard to correct with a rotary.

Which is why i usually correct the paint with a rotary and refine the paint with a DA, but there have been times were i have just used the DA.

The menzerna kit would be the way to go along with the kestral as it will cover most paint types, and as it's a DA you can't really damage or remove too much of the clearcoat.

Read the guides over on detailing world before you do start as it will give you a world of infomation and give you more of an idea how to machine polish.

If you need advice or more info let me know.

[JLR1969]

Originally Posted by G-10

A rotary polisher differs from a Dual Action polisher by the fact that its pad spins only on a single orbit

Have a read of this http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/foru...ad.php?t=66024

Its a long read but its got all the info you need on polishing. IMHO Rotary is the way forward.

Thanks.

[- Paul -]

Originally Posted by Pioneer

You will get very similar results with the DA as you will with the rotary but it will take a lot longer. BMW paints tend to be hard but i have had some BMW's with soft paint and can be very hard to correct with a rotary.

Which is why i usually correct the paint with a rotary and refine the paint with a DA, but there have been times were i have just used the DA.

The menzerna kit would be the way to go along with the kestral as it will cover most paint types, and as it's a DA you can't really damage or remove too much of the clearcoat.

Read the guides over on detailing world before you do start as it will give you a world of infomation and give you more of an idea how to machine polish.

If you need advice or more info let me know.

Cheers - going to go for the Kestral with Hard "kit". I have swirls and a few deeper lines/scratches that are not through the paint layer.

[R80TER]

i have the kestrel and menzerna combo too. big thumbs up from me!

[- Paul -]

Kestrel for £70 delivered here:-

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/KESTREL-Electr...#ht_500wt_1156

[- Paul -]

Originally Posted by - Paul -

Kestrel for £70 delivered here:-

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/KESTREL-Electr...#ht_500wt_1156

or make an offer of £55 and it get's accepted!

£62 delivered

[Pioneer]

You will get the swirls out no problem with that kit but just be careful with the deeper scratches, because to remove them fully you could end up taking a fair bit of clearcoat from the car and without a PTG to measure the thickness of the clearcoat you are only guessing how much is on it. If the car has never been machine polished before you should be fine. You will be suprised how much better the car will look after, you will wonder why you never tried it before.

[- Paul -]

just included what the "hard" kit included on polished bliss and this is the result:-

FPDA0075 Flexipads Dual Action Backing Plate - 75 mm 1
£7.95 £7.95
FPDA0125 Flexipads Dual Action Backing Plate - 125 mm 1
£14.95 £14.95
LCSC0003 Lake Country Snappy Pad Cleaner - 3 Pack (saving of 5%) 1
£3.55 £3.55
MGTD0001 Meguiar's Triple Duty Detailing Brush 1
£5.95 £5.95
3MMT0003 3M High Performance Masking Tape - 3 Pack (saving of 5%) 1
£5.55 £5.55
MZFW0080 Menzerna 80 mm Compounding Spot Pad (White) 1
£3.95 £3.95
MZFO0080 Menzerna 80 mm Polishing Spot Pad (Orange) 1
£3.95 £3.95
MZFY0080 Menzerna 80 mm Finishing Spot Pad (Yellow) 1
£3.95 £3.95
MZFW0135 Menzerna 135 mm Compounding Pad (White) 1
£5.95 £5.95
MZFO0135 Menzerna 135 mm Polishing Pad (Orange) 1
£5.95 £5.95
MZFY0135 Menzerna 135 mm Finishing Pad (Yellow) 1
£5.95 £5.95
MZRE0250 Menzerna 85RE - 250 ml 1
£7.95 £7.95
MZRD0250 Menzerna RD3.02 - 250 ml 1
£8.95 £8.95


Do I need all that stuff?? I had to add a 125mm plate for the 135 pads