So sorry I'm still at the shop working. We had to re establish a new Internet access account and it's supposed to be active today but it's not!! I can't update the inventory with my iPhone.

I can't do it until I get back home in another hour or so. Sorry!

 

The store has been updated with the latest inventory...so go ahead and order! Hmm I got tons of CosmoNot...anyone want some???

 

I'm gonna be needing some of that...

 

Order placed.

 

To OP, Picked up my wifes new 10' MCS back in Nov and made it doubly/triply clear I wanted them to NOT wash or wax the car in any way shape or form and they complied. They will steam clean the cosmoline off at the port of entry but you can control how many hands touch your new ride a bit.

I did clay/touch up swirl/amigo/epic/best of show'd it shortly after

 

Ohhhhh it suddenly dawned on me who placed that last order with me..hahah..I woke up in a stupor this morning and saw the email notification...and was thinking....why is my customer ordering all these polishing pads...without making this more confusing than it is...I'm working on a car for a guy who has the same last name.

All I saw was the last name and the order....and I was puzzled as I fell back asleep.

Now that I'm more awake..if you can call it that...cause I'm feeling sleepy again 11 hours later...I just realized that was YOUR order....hmm I'm rambling. Better get back to work.

If you're still with me...THANKS!!!!

Richard

 

OK, its been over 24 hours now; why hasn't the stuff I ordered shipped ground traveled the 3000 miles yet? My baby will be here any week now!

 

Sorry!! I have it all packed and ready to ship tomorrow..been really swamped at the shop, and lost my assistant..so I'm short handed. It will be on its way soon! lol.

 

No problem.

 

Hahaha...I almost missed your Title.

 

okay, so i had never used a clay bar on either of my cars, ..tried it out after hearing everyone rave about the prosses. Now I am a total believer in using the clay bar, -worked awesome, especially on my Porsche which had much build-up.

Now i am researching and learning about PC polishers. I like what your site offers (OctaneGuy) and am seriously considering getting one of your PC's, pads, etc... I am totally confused as to what to get and where to begin.

brief history and expectations:
I mostly want to remove very fine swirls in my Porsche's paint (red paint) and on the black areas of my MINI (hood and window pillars). I have PS21 cleanser which seemed to work okay using by hand, but not great.

Questions:

1) do you offer detailed instructions on how to use your PC w/ the various products you offer?

2) does a PC offer better results than by hand?

3) what "cleanser/polish", and pads do you recommend? (to remove fine swirl marks)

4) I see blue tape on cars whenever a PC is used, ...is this just blue contstruction tape? -or is it some special low adhesive tape that you sell/recommend?

5) ...last got to ask, any discounts for NAM members?

If these questions are redundant, just point me to a URL where most can be answered. ...i am totally new but slowly learning the joy of detailing.

I am expecting a huge check this Friday, so I may place my order this week for a PC, pads, etc..

 

Richard, I noticed you didn't mention Amigo, actually not many people do, why is that?

 

Hi Eric,

That's great news about your experience with clay! It really is a crucial part of the detailing process regardless of whether you polish, wax, or both or work by hand or machine.

Here is a Red Cayman S I worked on using Prima Swirl







1.) Well I created the first Porter Cable DVD that actually shows you how to detail a car in a whole day from inspecting the paint to waxing it and everything in between. So yes, I have that available, and everybody who has watched it told me that the DVD gave them the confidence to be polishing their car within minutes. Along with that I offer both telephone and email support as well as support here on the forums.


2) The PC makes polishing easier and thus results in more consistent results. Whether you use a PC to wax a car or polish the paint..for either intent, a machine will do it faster, better, and easier than working by hand. So yes, it will give you better results.

3.) Have a look at my Detailing Articles in the now defunct Motoring Alliance Magazine. You can download the free issues here at www.NorthAmericanMotoring.com/alliance

I have written extensively about the Prima polishes.

In addition to this, there are 4 polishes to choose from, depending on your need. 3 of them do actual work while 1 of them improves the look more than doing any kind of paint leveling.

Cut
Swirl
Finish listed from Most Aggressive to Least Aggressive.
Amigo the odd one out because it really doesn't have much abrasives in it to level paint.

So of the first 3, Cut, Swirl, Finish....Cut is never used on the whole car, just spots that Swirl can't touch. I use Swirl for the majority of my work and every once in awhile, I'll need Finish instead.

If you stick with Swirl, you will vary your aggressiveness by the pad choice. With that you've got Yellow, Orange, White. Again listed from most aggressive to least. Yellow is like Cut...you only use it in special circumstances. Most of the time you will be using Orange or White. Which one you use is determined by your paint. Try a white pad with Swirl with the proper techniques and if the results are not to your expectations, then try an orange pad. If that still isn't good, then may try a yellow pad.

4.) The blue tape is just painters tape found at Target, Home Depot, Walmart, etc.. It removes easily from the paint. You want Medium Tack and comes most commonly in 3/4" or 1" widths. It's good to have both, but 3/4" is a little cheaper and more flexible especially when taping curved areas like around the headlights.

5.) Before you place your order, send me the list of what you want and I will see what I can do.

Give me a call toll free at 866 707 9292 aka 866 SOS WAX2 and we can discuss things as well. I will be in Florida tomorrow to Monday for a detailing event but will be reachable by phone.

Richard

 

I love Amigo!!! Where did I not mention it? For me Amigo is a must on any color other than Pepper White or Pure Silver on the MINI.

In less than 2 weeks I will have a boatload of 3" and 4" CCS pads in both orange and white densities for those waiting for them.

 

Maybe I was mistaken, I just dont hear it mentioned as much as some of the other Prima products

 

Amigo is a special product and I don't think everyone really knows how to use it. Also I don't know of any other polymer glazes on the market. A glaze is used to add shine to a car without sealing the paint. It can also usually hide defects.

Amigo adds shine/gloss, fills in imperfections, and it helps improve the paint richness. But since it doesn't really protect, it needs to be sealed in with a wax, like Epic.

Amigo can make a huge difference on some cars and little difference on others. I just have a simple rule of thumb. If the paint isn't white or silver, then Amigo will make the paint look even better.

 

Amigo over wax or wax over Amigo?

 

Mark

 

Depends on what you are after. I always do wax over Amigo because I want to seal in and protect the Amigo properties. If you do Amigo over the wax, you might improve the final finish a bit, but the Amigo will wear away since it doesn't have the durability of a wax.

 

Maybe use Banana Gloss over the Epic rather than Amigo, just wondering.

Mark

 

I go Amigo, Epic, then Banana Gloss

 

Richard/OctaneGuy,
Sorry I haven't called, ...the past couple of days have been insane w/ work. I have deadlines w/ all my clients all on the same week (next week) -arghhh, been working like 15 hour days and it's still not enough.

So, once the dust settles I'll take a look at getting a PC + products, then give you a call,

thanks,
eric

 

I seem to recall reading, in the context of similar products from other makers (perhaps on the Meguiar's forum), that wax over glaze is not a good idea, because the 'oily' finish of the glaze will keep the wax from bonding with the paint.

Does this make any sense?

 

Anyway, after leaving my car on the boat when it left the local port, BMW finally delivered my baby to the dealer this AM. It will reputedly be ready in 4 hours.

 

No problem, I'm in Florida doing a show right now, so been pretty busy too. Take your time and call me when you are free. I'll be around.
It depends on what kind of wax you are talking about. Putting a synthetic polymer wax over a polymer glaze has no issues because they are "compatible". Amigo doesn't use oils to get it's shine like the Meguiar's products. Even so, there are many combinations that do work in real practice that people on the forums will try to dispute despite never having done it themselves. It's the nature of online forums and so called experts hashing out advice.