I'm just getting into the car detailing thing and I'm finding there's a TON of stuff to know (and buy!).

I've got the basic buffer kit with the assortment of pads with Menzerna PO106FA polish.
I'm thinking I need a little more aggressive polish for a black Acura ('06) but I was wondering if the PO106FA with a green pad would do the trick.

Anyone have some tried and trued polish/pad combos? One dark color and my IP G37...
Wheels down. Drive on!

 

I wouldn't say there are any tried and true polish/pad combos, it really depends on the condition of the paint.

For example, you may be working on a car that had rock hard clear which is heavily marred and need a more aggressive polish and pad. On the other hand, you may be working on a car that has super soft clear and needs very little correction.

The best bet is to start with the least aggressive method and continue moving more aggressively if you're not able to correct the paint. Again, it really depends on the paints characteristics, there are way too many variables to have a clear cut answer for every car/color.

 

I guess it would be best to assume a few things.

1. I'm referring to polish/pad combos for the G37. It's a late model car to begin with so I think it's safe to think most paint jobs are still in good shape.

2. If paint is in good shape, I would like to know what most folks use for the semi-annual/annual cut/polish. Again, this would depend on the conditions you live in and the driving conditions you encounter.

I'm considering using the Lake Green pad with Menzerna PO203 for scratch treatment and the orange pad with either Intense Polish or Poorboys 2.0. Finish off with White pad and PO106FA and sealant.

Thoughts?

 

This is a great combo to go with, Menzerna Power Finish PO203S / green and will give you a great baseline to determine how much more cut is needed and it's relatively easy to finish marring / hologram free on most paint.

To me, SIP / IP isn't a big jump up from Power Finish in terms of cutting ability. You may want to have some Power Gloss on hand as a deep compound and work that with an orange pad. Power Finish on Green > IP or SSR 2.0 IMO. IP / orange combo will offer a tad more cut than Power Finish / green but won't finish down as nicely.

Hope this helps.

George