I've had my Porter Cable 7424XP random orbital buffer for about a year.
Owning a black Lexus ES350, I used it weekly on bird droppings and paint sap.
Thankfully, I no longer own a black car.
Way too much work.






First step is always McGuires clay bar for me. I like how it removes pollution from the
paint and leaves a buttery smooth finish.
I start with Menzerna Intensive Polish and a cutting pad, to remove swirls and light
scratches. I slowly work the Porter buffer from about 3000 to 6000 rpm, then
clear the residue with microfiber towels.

I repeat the above steps with Klausse 2 in 1 wax and a medium pad, then finish
with Klause Sealer and a soft pad.

Pretty fair results for a 2004 Jag. 9 Canadian winters and 60k later, she still
shines up nicely. Not showroom new, but very close.










I also removed the wheels to clean and wax the inside of the rims.
It gives me a chance to re torque the lugnuts and paint the calipers.





I didn't go crazy on the time process ... perhaps 3 hours.
Today was a good shady day for waxing.

 

Nice job and the car's looking great

 

Looks Great! I always want to attempt to take the porter cable out on the jag, but I'm pretty sure ill end up going down to the metal, lol.

That paint looks perrrfect and looks deep! Awesome work.

 

Pretty much impossible to burn the paint with an orbital buffer. Even with an intense polish and a cutting pad, best I can do is remove light scratches. For true paint correction, you would need a different machine than the Porter XP.

I love the quality of the Jaguar paint. I've owned 3 Lexus cars, and their paint was very
thin by comparison. The X Type's paint is really impressive for an entry level lux sedan.

Now, if only Jaguar had seen fit to equip the X Type with an interior trunk release and an actual locking door button on the interior!

 

Great result.

I moved on from my black XJ8L for exactly the same reason you did with the Lexus. A black car has to be spotless and that meant washing it every other day and polishing it far too often!

Both surprised and pleased to read your comment about using your Porter Cable so frequently. I only use mine once a year in case I remove too much clearcoat but I'll be less concerned after reading this.

Graham

 

You definitely won't hurt the clearcoat by using the Porter a few times per year.

The paint was so soft on my Lexus, that it was impossible to remove bird droppings without leaving a stain in the clearcoat. Plus, my hood had some very deep scratches in it from an animal. I would put all the weight I could into the Porter, with an orange cutting pad and intensive polish, and barely get into the scratches.

No color looks better than a properly detailed black vehicle. As everyone knows, this
level of shine lasts perhaps a few hours, then a dusting is required. Not for me anymore.

 

Nice! Looks great. I remember the days of using Klasse, great stuff, but KILLER to buff off.

Curious as to how you've managed to get your wheels brake-dust free. I've tried EVERYTHING and I can't get baked in dust (from lack of keep-up in the winter) to come off. My Mercedes factory wheels have a clear coat and thus are cake to clean, but the Jag ones are a b----h. Please share.

 

I agree, I have never been able to get the wheels really clean, particularly behind each of the spokes. I've tried every spray on wheel cleaner you can think of and have used a stiff bristle brush before hosing the cleaner off. But I have never been able to really get them clean.

I hate Cayman wheels...
================================================
Jaguar: Grace, Pace, and Space - Sir William Lyons

 

With my wheels, I've used an engine degrease and SOS steel wool pads.
I'll do the inside of the wheels, plus the coves.
If I need to do the surface of the wheel, I'll use a very light touch with the SOS pads.

Regarding Klausse products, I agree, they can be brutal to buff off.
You definitely need a shady area and have to work small areas of paint, and use
plenty of buffing cloths. The sealer is the worst ... a very small amount goes a long
way, but you have to buff the same area multiple times.

 

I've found engine degreaser isn't very effective on the inside of the rims and use 'Autoglym Alloy Wheel Cleaner'.

Here's the before............



............and after:



I take the wheels off twice a year to give them a thorough clean like this. Good opportunity to check the inner tyre walls for damage plus brakes and suspension at the same time.

Graham

 

Cayman wheels are the devil. Their ugliness is directly matched by their inability to be cleaned. Wish I had extra scratch to get some BBS wheels.

SOS Steel wool sound kinda harsh, but considering they're not clear (or powder) coated and I've pretty much tried everything else out there, I'll give the inside a try this weekend.

I remember the Klasse Sealer had to be left to cure overnight. I dreaded the next day to have to buff it off. I've since switched to Duragloss TPP for the sealant and Autoglym HD for the final coat, great combo. Still use Mazerna for polish.

Never gave Autoglym's wheel cleaner a try. I'll def. keep that in mind next time I resupply my detailing supplies. Thx.

 

Great job, GGG, on the wheels.

The steel wool takes me a long time, with tons of elbow grease.
Perhaps 30 minutes per wheel.

I'll try the Autoglym next time I attempt the wheels!