I wanted to get you advice regarding my Audi. I'm an amateur when it comes to paint care, and I wanted to know if you could recommend the correct products needed to fix my paint issues. I have a dark blue Audi S4 with swirls, scratches, and holograming. I was thinking about getting a Porter Cable DA orbiter with Lake Country pads. I was thinking of starting with orange and then work my way up from there. I really am not brand loyal when it comes to polishes, and I know they are all different depending on your needs. Is there a type you could recommend? What pads do I need and what polished to correct it all? Would the orbital polisher work, or do I need a high speed buffer? If high speed is the answer I'm going to punt for now and take it to a professional, which could be the right answer. I've attached some pics so you can see the situation. Any advice will help. My other option is taking it to Detail Werkz in Dallas, but for that cost I could buy what I need to do it myself. Thanks

 

Great pictures...it helps a lot.

That's typical stuff we usually see, so my answer is YES...you can fix it yourself. You shouldn't need a rotary and I'd highly recommend getting a FLEX polisher over the PC. Flex is a great tool that won't be obsolete any time soon and you'll keep it longer than you'll keep your cars. Your initial thoughts of using an Orange LC pad as a starting point is perfect. A lot of times, all you'll need is the orange pad with Menzerna SIP and a white pad with Menzerna Super Finish. Audi paint tends to be a bit harder than other manufacturers, so a yellow pad wouldn't be a bad idea either. Here's our signature flex kit that's the best-seller:

http://www.glisteningperfectionstore...sh-Kits/Detail

This kit has the polisher, pads, polish, and towels to get you started.

If you don't have any wax, then einszett Glanz and a red pad with the flex would be ideal. You can apply glanz by hand too if you like.

http://www.glisteningperfectionstore...00mL%2C/Detail

Hope this helps a bit. Let me know your thoughts.

 

great thanks. One last question. What do you recommend for a polish remover. I purchased the car used so I want to make sure I take off whatever was on there before.

Also I've used Klasse wax and liked that. What do you think about it.

Great help thanks

 

If you do some solid surface prep, including a wash, clay, and then polish, that will remove whatever was previously on the surface.

Because the polish is an abrasive, it will remove any previous surface protectant layers that were applied before you purchased the vehicle.

After you finish polishing, be sure to follow up with a great surface protectant. You will have a bare clearcoat after you are done, so apply your Wax or Sealant right away.

Klasse is not a bad product, it has good durability but it really limits the gloss from paints, especially on dark colors. Sealants tend to work great as a gloss enhancer, but poorly when it comes to paint depth. Waxes are basically the opposite. Their organic nature really enhanced paint depth on dark colors, but doesn't enhance gloss as much as a non-organic paint sealant.

The P21s 100% carnauba is a good solution for a solid wax with good durability and strong cosmetic enhancement characteristics. It comes with its own applicator and really behaves a lot like some of the considerably more expensive boutique waxes, but at a fraction of the cost.

http://www.glisteningperfectionstore...uba-wax/Detail

 

Thanks for the help. I'll order soon.

 

in the long run, you would have more satisfaction if you learned to do this on your own

 

I would agree that the P21S is a great wax, great look. The only thing I don't like about it is that it doesn't last long on a daily driver.

 

I might try the synthetic wax for the base coat, and the Carnauba as an extra coat. I want to see how that works because that should give you the long term protection and the deep paint. Has anyone tried that?