So I am upgrading to a Flex XC 3401 from a PC this summer. Along with that I am looking at a set of new pads and some new Menzerna products. At the moment I am considering THREE new pads at different abrasion grades and THREE new polish products from Menzerna. The car I will be mainly working on is my black 2010 Honda Si. Unfortunately the "detailer" at Honda gave it a "good" wash before I picked it up so there are some swirls. I know Honda's paint is pretty soft so SIP will definitely be one of the product in my list. Any other products I should be considering? Pads... I am fairly confused at the pad system that LC use. So many colors and textures!! I don't know which one is best match for my products... Also, those Surbuf pads, are they just really aggressive pads for one-stage polishing? If it helps, the wax and sealant that I'll be using in conjunction with my new polish are, Klasse AIO (red and grey bottles) and M16 wax from Meguiar. Since I am in Canada, my products will be from eShine.ca and/or Auto Obsessed (both in Canada), so I don't have as much products available to me compare to detailers in the states. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated!!
PB's black hole if you don't already have it get it! It works wonders on black paint and will hide those swirls when you're not wanting to correct the paint. It is one of the products you need when you have black paint.
Three steps usually means a compounding stage first. Unless the swirls are really bad SIP and PO85RD should be fine. I would get an orange, white, and grey CCS pad which will cover pretty much all your needs. Don't forgot to PM Eshine for your discount code.
SIP, 203, 106 and 85 are all great polishes, kinda hard to choose between those 4. if you get SIP, get either 106 or 85(only difference is 106 has double the cutting powder content of 85). if car is not that bad one step with 203 will do great job (i have black accord so i know about the honda paint) if you need compound then get Meguairs M105, if you want combo to that then use either M205 or Menzerna polishes.
what about pads? any specific reason to pair up with orange, white, and grey CSS pads? I am assuming orange is the one with greatest cut, so it should be paired with SIP or M105.
Orange is your light cutting pad, white will be your polishing pad, and grey will be you finishing pad. SIP and Powerfinish are very versatile and can be used with a cutting or polishing pad depending on the condition of the paint.
My first question is why are you spending even more money on a DA when you already have an excellent one? The PC will do everything a 3401 will if you take the time to learn to use it to its potential. Before you spend all that money on the 3401, get yourself a couple of Buff & Shine Yellow and Green pads and some Menz Power Finish. Unless your car is hammered, there is no reason why you can't achieve at least 90% correction with those items. Want it perfect? Use Megs 105 for the deeper stuff with the B&S Yellow and follow up with Power Finish on the Green. Done. For most people, the SMALL amount of extra gloss attained by using a finishing pad and polish simply aren't worth the extra 3 hours you'll spend polishing. Keep it simple buddy. You don't need a garage full of stuff to make your car look excellent. Just sayin....
I should've been more specific... my PC burnt out so I believe it is a good opportunity to upgrade. Do you think I should keep with the 3401? Just askin... And also referring back to my original post, I've stated that I'll only be getting my supplies from the two sites I have listed so I will not have to pay any UPS/FedEx duties and brokerage charges. Unless you know another Canadian supplier that sells Buff & Shine products?
I would replace it with another PC7424 or Griots Version. Both will save you around $200 over the Flex.
Buy a Flex PE 14-2 150 =p I know Troy has like a few in stock but they're on shortage atm due to high demand lol B&S pads, good ol Ken sells em. but yeah if you dont want to go up to a rotary, stick with a PC or Griots (griots has better warranty from what i hear and more power) but really an upgrade from a PC is a Rotary imo lol OR you can wait for edmonton autoshow and visit Troy's booth when the Griots guys are around and maybe they'll have a demo machine with them.
Iv'e had both and I think the Flex breaks the polish down faster and cuts more with the higher speeds. It's also a much more robust machine IMO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yht1uHJLNlQ
Iv'e had both and I think the Flex breaks the polish down faster and cuts more with the higher speeds. It's also a much more robust machine IMO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yht1uHJLNlQ
the difference between PC7424 and Flex VRG3401 is like difference between BMW 328 and M3. And trus me, there is a big difference. 328 may be powerful, but M3 has much more power. I'd go for Flex.
