In about 10 days I'm going to have an opportunity to use a friends garage for 2 entire days and 1 night (my garage has no power or lighting). I plan on washing the whole thing down with dawn and then using a clay bar and a 2 speed high speed polisher and then a buffer to apply the final wax (Zaino).

Now, exactly what 3M compound (part number please, I was thinking 3M Fine Cut) should I use with the high speed polisher and what RPM should I have it at??? Should I mix it with anything like water? I want my car to be perfect and this is the first time I have ever really used the high speed polisher and buffer on my car. Also, what kind of applicators should I use on the polisher and the buffer?

Any and all of your guys advice on this subject is welcomed and appreciated. I know a couple of you guys here actually do this for a living, that's why I posted here. I'll take before and after pictures. It has Zaino on it now but it's 8 months old and I didn't use the polisher and the buffer, I did it all by hand before and there are some fine swirls on the hood that I want to remove with the new polisher.

Thanks!

The clay bar and Zaino sound like a fine idea...but

Is this the first time you have used a buffer/polisher? If it is I would strogly advise not to use it on your car, from my understand it takes lots of time and practice to become a pro w/ the buffer, no offense but most amateurs can really mess up a car if they have never done it before.
(practice, practice, practice...on somebody elses car, lol)

I have never used a buffer or polisher personally, and i am very leary of them, i have seen too many buffer/polish jobs gone bad.

I dont see why you couldnt get the same results w/ a good application of the right zaino products. (unless their are weird imperfections in the paint)

Best of luck..i look forward to the pictures

Actually I have the hood from my old 82 S/E I've been practicing on that's why I said first time on MY car. It turned out great but I don't know, it's a big step going to my GTA. I may just use the buffer but I'm afraid it doesn't have the RPM to be effective with the compound.

Maybe I'll do the hood on my Toyota right before I do my GTA to make sure I'm good enough I plan on repainting my GTA in the next 5-10 years in a full all out resto with EVERYTHING taken off like weather stripping and stuff anyway so no BIG deal if I have a small screw up you know. I fell I'm pretty good now but then again the hood I was using is a Dark Gray metallic and may not show the imperfections as much as my GTA would.....

BTW, I'm also going to be removing my GTA fender emblems and installing them in the correct place on the fender when I do this next week. My 1992 Hardback 500 page Firebird manual tells me the exact measurements in like in mm's on the fender where the emblems should be, the nose emblem too It doesn't have the exact location of the sailpanel emblem though But I think my sailpanel emblems are already in the right place.....

just don't put too much pressure on the corners, i work in a detail shop and have seen alot of nice cars come out with burn spots from the buffer being pressed too hard on the corners, good luck

Thanks. I'll keep it nice and cool with water (I'm assuming the 3M stuff is water saluable right?) and I'll be gentle on the corners. I probably won't even hit most of the corners anyway, they look fine and I know that that's where the clear is the thinest.....

dont use water. it will come out cloudy.. it hazes up when water and 3M rubbing compound come together.


ok 92GTA here is the deal that you need.

take the buffer get a FOAM PAD 3M HOOKIT and use some perfect it III Foam Pad Glaze. and just glaze the hood and stuff.

i would suggest not doing this if you are an amatuer but you will do whatever you feel comfortable with so if you arent worried about messing up go right ahead. and since you arent wetsanding dont worry about getting all the deep scratched out. and since that it will buff up nicer and faster.

after you buff then glaze then wash then Zaino. you should have a perfect car then.

sorry so short im tired. if you have any questions please ask.

Ok, no water. So I need to buy somehting called a "FOAM PAD 3M HOOKIT" and some "Perfect It III Foam Pad Glaze" right? I also noticed you said to use the buffer, you did not mention the polisher. So with this setup you've given me I don't need the polisher just the buffer? Is that right?

Talk to Kat if you find him here or on NEThirdgen. He's the **** when it comes to cleaning cars.

I agree with Rare Roc. Your car is already shiny, so rubbing compound isn't necessary. A mild hand glaze will bring the color back to life and isn't as dangerous for an amature. BUT, since the car already shines anyway, I'd go 1 step further and apply the hand glaze by HAND, doing a small spot at a time.

I use a buffer when I need to wetsand and buff. That's it. I do everything else by hand.

oops! Double post.

Having worked in a new car dealership and seeing the boneheads they have running high speed buffers, and the cars they've done after working there for 6 months, I'd still be extremely hesitant about having one come near any car I own. I wouldn't touch a car that has even half decent paint with one.
Plenty of people get great results without any power assists, why chance it.

ok all paint that isnt factory applied needs buffed and some factory should be buffed.

ok here is the deal the buffer is one tool.
then there are buffing pads that screw down on the buffer and the hookit pad is a polishing pad. that is the foam pad.

and you will need:
buffer
3M buffing pad 5704
rubbing compound 5974
foam pad Hookit it velcros on to the hookit which is a bare pad that screws on the buffer.
and perfect it III foam pad glaze.
then the rest of the stuff that you think you need. but hand glaze 3M imperial is the best in my opinion


just a list of some things. have fun and ill be back to check on any more questions.

Sorry I dont know nothing about buffing out cars





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Kat