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The mkiv Supra Owners Club

Guide for 'Mopping' paintwork?


Jake

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do mask the window mouldings(i lent my mop to a mate and in my opinion he f**ked his car,not doing this)

do use a little water with the compound

a mirco fibre cloth is very good for removing compound once you've finished each panel

use a waffle head with machine polish after you have used compound and a cutting head

keep the mop just a few degrees off flat helps stop it pulling itself all over the panel

if you want to flat the paint 1st and you dont know how much paint is on there id use 2000 abralon pads you wont do too much damage in a hurry with them

 

dont get carried away on edges

dont keep the mop in one place keep it moving over the area you working on(alloy bonnets get hot n floppy quiet quick.fibreglasswill blow if you get it to hot and even loose the gloss in the paint

dont leave the compound splater all over the car too long(some compounds still like shit to a blanket)

 

 

there are probably lots more things i cant think of off the top of my head

 

machine wise i have a seally mop not the best or most expensive but they are quiet heavy compared to some but that does aid in controlling it on the panel to be honest and so id use that over more expensive lighter polishers

 

hth

 

baldy

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For excellent comprehensive guides to general car cleaning and detailing google 'polished bliss' and have a look at their site. I source all my cleaning products from these guys and they always give sound advice by phone, email or when I visit them. Any advice they give is totally free and they know their tradecraft.:)

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I bought a silversand rotary for £40 I think off ebay from an ebay shop. The actual shop was in Dorchester so ordered off website instead and at same time ordered pads I needed too :)

 

Ive found the rotary fine but if you think you may be heavy handed you'll need an orbital sander like a porter cable. Any good orbital polisher is above your price range though.

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For starters...

 

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/rotary-guide/info_29.html

 

No idea on the 240v tools, I got silly and went for the 110v Porter Cable setup, you should be able to find some info here though:

 

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/index.php

 

It's quite addictive.

I got the Porter Cable too, quality tool for idiots like myself, this site has some good products/info:

 

http://www.autopia-carcare.com/

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Thanks Simon, very useful info.

 

 

I doubt it :) I absolutely hate cleaning cars

 

Thanks for the info though. I'll have a read later.

 

I was saying same till time i used Porter Cable and Sonus compounds first time :D Be very carefull with rotary polishers, it is morethan easy to burn paint... I would go for PC, it is most forgiving machine you can get :)

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Broadly on the same subject, how much better is a Porter Cable and Sonus than a normal pro machine polisher using 3M products?

 

Sonus is more oily and more delicate then usual 3M products, it is very good for spider webs, very light scratches and holograms. Porter Cable is orbital polisher, which means there is almost no chance to burn your paintwork and you do not have to keep it in motion all the time. PC is also lighter than most of rotary polishers, you can hold it and polish car using one hand :) you can combine PC and small 3M white pads to polish exhaust using Autosol - gives incredible effect :)

I personally would advice PC with Menzerna Intensive Polish and after that Chemical Boys Wet Glaze stuff. I metioned Sonus, because autopia is usually giving good deal for PC kit with Sonus compounds and pads. Do not forget to order additional pads and small backplate + small pads.

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Ive found the rotary fine but if you think you may be heavy handed you'll need an orbital sander
James, my boy, mopping a Supra is like making love to a beautiful woman. You've got to take your time. Caress the bodywork. Make sure everything is suitably lubricated before you really get stuck in.

And try to decline politely if your neighbour says "You can do mine when you're finshed!"

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i forgot to say

 

when i need a new cutting head i always break it in by running the mop with a flat blade screwdriver on the mop face as if i was polishing the driver tip.run the mop moving the driver tip across the face center to edge and back till it looks worn,you will be less lickly to burn the paint once you have done this as cutting heads are quiet hard when new.

 

i also use this process to clean the mop face if it gets clogged up with compound

 

its also worth soaking the head in a bucket before using,but wring out the exess water before using or you'll get in a right state

 

as for these orbitall polishers ive never used one.ive been in the bodyshops for 18 years now and we always use rotary polishers rather than random orbital,so personally think thats the way to go,

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Sonus is more oily and more delicate then usual 3M products, it is very good for spider webs, very light scratches and holograms. Porter Cable is orbital polisher, which means there is almost no chance to burn your paintwork and you do not have to keep it in motion all the time. PC is also lighter than most of rotary polishers, you can hold it and polish car using one hand :) you can combine PC and small 3M white pads to polish exhaust using Autosol - gives incredible effect :)

I personally would advice PC with Menzerna Intensive Polish and after that Chemical Boys Wet Glaze stuff. I metioned Sonus, because autopia is usually giving good deal for PC kit with Sonus compounds and pads. Do not forget to order additional pads and small backplate + small pads.

 

Menzera IP and FP is brilliant stuff, I moved on to it from Poorboys, and it is brilliant, it does give such depth. Jake if you want to try some of the Menzera you are welcome to pick up a sample up to do your car with on your way home from work one day.

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James, my boy, mopping a Supra is like making love to a beautiful woman. You've got to take your time. Caress the bodywork. Make sure everything is suitably lubricated before you really get stuck in.

And try to decline politely if your neighbour says "You can do mine when you're finshed!"

 

Brilliant :D

 

Have to say, I like the results with the PC but wasn't impressed at all with the Sonus products that came with it. Each to their own and all, but really not impressed with the Sonus.

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