Eidolon

The only thing that touches my car is made by Adams. I gave it a quick bath first. Looks like it's going to be a late night. I want to clay it, then give it a polish. Then FINALLY get some wax on it. I might not have time to get the Americana on it, but I can at least get the Machine SuperWax on it.

Problem is that they match pretty closely with the motions I was making with the clay. I'm literally in the process of doing all this right now. At 9:30 at night. I'm smart! I'm continuing, but using more detail spray. It seems to help. *nods*

So I'm claying my 2009 G8 GXP which, unfortuantely, has a really soft clear coat. Using the baggie that one of my polishing pads came in, I can run my hand over parts of it and it feels like sandpaper. The car is three months old. This is not a good sign. So! Time to clay it. Problem. Claying it with an Adams Clay Bar leaves the paint looking like this: It's... pretty heavily scratched. Polishing is now a must. Thankfully, I DO have the D/A Polisher Kit. Any suggestions, though, to reduce the scratching? I'm using Adams Detail Spray, and I'm pretty sure I'm using enough. Should I knead the clay FAR more frequently, to make sure I'm not sanding the paint with the bar? Thanks for any tips.

Good to hear! I'll probably follow your lead on this, then. I'm going to Lowes to get some extension cords and halogen work lights, anyway. I already have some 1.5" painters tape, but it sounds like I ought to pick up some 1" (or narrower) painters tape as well. For the sidemarkers I'd actually intended to simply remove them. Pull them toward the front of the car and there's a hook at the rear of the marker that releases. Then they just rotate out. Probably don't want to do that too frequently because the tensioner to keep them in place is nothing but a white plastic clip. Oddly enough, I found out how to remove them after walking by and catching my shorts on one... Yanked it right out. Thanks for the tip on the curves, by the way. Y'know, the front fascia may actually be a darn good argument for the 4" pads... Oh yeah. Believe me, those I was going to tape up without fail. My Mazda6 had some of the same things on the roof. A PAIN. Roger that. Does detail spray help if I get it on too thick? Spray it down, then wipe it? Thanks for the tips!

Haven't watched all of them, but I'm working on it.

Good to hear that you met with success! The hardiness of the clear coat on this car worries me. And I just might need a hand! Seems a lot of people get frustrated with the PC on their first go, until they get the hang of it. If I find myself about to throw the thing around the room, perhaps we can schedule a dual-G8 polishing session! Thanks!

I think they do come with a backing pad... Might be worth the investment, especially for hitting headlights and the like as you're suggesting. I'd like to help my dad with his car, for instance, because his headlights are getting hazy. In the meantime, your idea of making sure to use clean pads on the lights sounds like a darn good idea. Good point, too. I'll definitely tape off the trim. On the mirrors, there's black plastic next to the painted surface, and I'll definitely be taping that off. I went ahead and bought two of the microfiber sponge applicators this time around, as well. Those ought to serve for hitting areas by hand. Nah, the paint's not trashed, thankfully. It does have a fair amount of swirl marks, though they don't appear to be very deep, thankfully. The clear coat on this car is soft. I'm not sure if I should start off with the SHR or the FMP. I figure I'll do a test section on the hood using the FMP and, if the swirls aren't dying or if it takes forever, switch to the orange pad and the SHR. I've got the microfiber applicator pads that ought to work perfectly for this. I bought them originally to use with the metal polish so I could polish my car's tailpipes, but I can set one aside for the paint and one aside for metal. Just got to make sure not to mix them up! Yeah, I'll have to see how easily they come out. They've got some sort of odd rubber backing under the hood. But then again, there's posts on other forums about people taking these things out left and right. So I at least know it's doable. I've noticed! I've got a lot of the car washing supplies already. The fact that I'm seeing so many swirls, though, worries me. I need to figure out what I'm doing wrong in my washing and correct it. I'll have to read up and ask questions. Yeah, I just watched the new video about the Gen2 pads. Glad those are there! Lots of good small tips that I dunno I would ever figure out on my own. Like using the water hose with no attachment to sheet the water off the vehicle to lessen the amount of water spots on the paint. Hey, I'm new to this, so I appreciate all the advice! Thanks for taking the time to write up a long-winded post. I think that's probably exactly what I'll do. I made the mistake a while back of trying to rub hard at some grime that had seeped into the pores of the clear coat and I left a good few scratches. That'll be a good place to start. If I can get those out, then I can definitely get out the swirls and anything else I encounter. Now in the meantime I just need to fix the rock chip on my door panel that cut clear through to the metal. -.-

I can oblige with a pic. Unfortunately a lot of the pictures I have aren't all that great, and this is about the best one I have. After I get through polishing the car, I want to park it under a street lamp and take some shots. And thanks for all the kind welcomes! Here tis:

Unfortunately, I don't have the 4" pad kit. And even if I did, I have no corded drill with which to use them. The Porter-Cable ought to be able to handle these with a lesser amount FMP, correct? Do a metal surface, work the stuff out of the pad, then use just a dab to quickly cover the lights and get the swirls off the plastic. If I don't tape the edges, I may be able to use the detail spray and a microfiber towel to clean the polish out, then use a toothpick to get at the wax. I guess I could tape up JUST the seam... That would keep me from polishing or waxing the paint under the tape, though. Any suggestions on that front? Roger that. It's only three months old, but the clear coat is unfortunately rather soft. Do you mean do the edges and the like by hand using the FMP, though? I figured the doors would be the things to tape up. And my car has the black rubber lines along the top, so I'll tape those up, too. Not sure what you mean about taping the fenders, though... All I have for machine polishing is the Porter-Cable, so I can either hit the scoops/vents as part of covering the hood, or find a way to pop them loose and do them separately. "by hand"? I'm guessing you mean hold them down separately and polish them as though you were sanding a block of wood? Yeah, the "delicate yet forceful" part is the one thing about this I understand. I'm guessing that's why xlr8rvette is recommending I try on another car first. Is it safe to let the Porter Cable pads hit logos, though, or should I be looking to tape those off?

But I only have the one car! ... Unless one of my roommates lets me polish their car. But that also means washing and claying... Oi.

Alright, so I have the Porter-Cable 7424XP, newly purchased. I'm going to get a halogen work light and extension cables. And then I'm going to tackle my G8 GXP with it after giving said car a full wash and clay. But this is my first time use. So I have many, many questions. First off, what should I polish? Originally, I'd intended to tape off all the lights and trim. But I noticed that even the taillights have some swirl marks on them. Would the FMP make short work of those without scarring up the lights? And should I wax the lights, even, with the SMW? I intended to follow up the SMW with the Americana wax. What's the rule for the Americana wax on the lights? What about rubber trim around, say, the doors? I bought painters tape so I could tape things up. Also, the hood scoops on my GXP, I believe, are plastic. Can those be safely polished and waxed with the FMP and SMW? Or should I pop those out of the hood so I don't have to get polish and wax out of the cracks? Any advice on how to polish around the lettered logos? Q-tips and toothpicks? Should I make sure the polisher itself stays away from the logos? Sorry, this is my first time using the PC Kit! Lots of questions!

Been a member of the forums for about half a month, now. Got a G8 GXP nearly three months back and have been keeping it clean with Adams products. Good stuff!