GerryC

1. Americana only needs a few minutes to dry before it's time to wipe it off. Do 2 panels of the car at a time, apply, and remove. Then move onto 2 more panels. 2. The white towel has a short nap side which is much more effective at removing the paste residue than the blue towels. use the short side to remove the residue, then flip over to the longer nap to buff the paint to a gloss. 3. You can put the paste directly over the MSW 4. MSW is a sealant. If you want a pure carnauba shine, use Americana. If you're tight on your budget, you can always use Buttery Wax, which is a liquid carnauba wax. 5. You can follow up wax with BSG, however BSG does not last long at all. It's more of a gloss enhancer which is best used right before a car show or when you need to have the car look its best. A day later the glaze will be mostly gone.

Ed, you pretty much already have the right idea with what to 'do next'. The MSW you put on will provide a nice base layer of long-lasting (6 months~) of protection, which is good for a car that stays outside. I have put MSW on my DD as well. I wash weekly, and Buttery Wax monthly to maintain the shine. Right before a show, give it some Spray Glaze to enhance the gloss and add the 'pop' that you need to win. In between washings and waxings you can use the Detail Spray to remove very light dust from the car.

We're on our third consecutive 80+ sunny day up here You're talking about Buttery Wax here, right? If you leave Americana on the car that long, regardless of how hot or cold it is, you're gonna have an adventure removing the residue

Are you sure the 6" counter-weight didn't come in the box with the Porter-Cable instead? That would be odd if it came directly from Adam's with the Gen2 pads...especially since we've always been told to use the 5" weight: <object width="425" height="344"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SDC3oYRaG8&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="425" height="344"></object> fast forward to 1:48

Let's clear this up: The washer that came with the PC is absolutely necessary to use. It goes on the shaft of the backing plate to give space between the plate and the polisher. The black plastic washer that comes on the backing plate itself should also be used. If you are using both then you are good The counter-weight that is already installed on the PC is the 5" counter-weight. If you are using Adam's 2nd Generation Pads then the 5" weight is the one to use.

I hear they attach to a ballpoint pen

Looks great Ron. Best looking AOM I've seen. And we finally had a REAL summer day today and NO RAIN

I had to use your first pic as reference to find it in the others. You can just barely see it in the last pic. Good job

I have a plexiglass top on my C4 and I treat it the same as the other glass: 1. Glass cleaner on the inside (great at getting rid of fingerprints, etc) 2. Detail Spray on the outside 2a. Revive Polish, if it needs it. If the glass is cloudy and not clear when you look through it, the polish should take care of that. I wouldn't use an aggressive polish on plexi especially if there aren't any scratches. 3. Wax. I put a coat of Americana on all the paint and glass, but the Buttery Wax will work just fine as well. 4. Right before taking the car out I put some Brilliant Spray Glaze on all the paint and glass. This product doesn't last long and is only meant to add the 'just detailed look' to the car for when you need it to look its best. I love the effect it gives on my windows, almost literally turns them into mirrors.

If it's an issue with the browser, they make Firefox for Mac. As far as I know you need to have an intel processor-based mac to run activex

Do it in the shade if possible so the surface of the car won't be too hot to the touch

You can certainly layer the MSW. Just make sure you've waited at least 12 hours after the first coat, ensure the car is clean (Detail Spray/MF wipe down, or re-wash if necessary) and lay down another coat. I put 2 coats of MSW on my daily driver for protection since it isn't garaged, and then 2 coats of Americana on top to add the shine.

You can do a Detail Spray/MF towel wipe down

http://adamsforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3015 Same stuff applies for the small pads as well

This part confuses some people I've seen. You let the wax cure on the paint for at least 20 minutes before wiping off the residue. Then 12 hours later come back and rebuff the paint with a clean towel. There are oils in the MSW that eventually make their way to the surface after the wax as set up which you'll want to wipe off, especially before putting another coat of wax on top of it.

Another reason washing after claying is a good idea is to prevent the Detail Spray from drying on the surface and making pink spots. This would happen if you do not have a garage and you have to clay in the sun, or if it's hot outside. The spots will rub off if it does dry, but re-washing the car will save aggravation

Awesome pics Ron! Atomic Orange + sunshine =

I like the red gauges and accent stitching

If you're talking about a different kind of pad, it depends on how many beers you drink while detailing :lolsmack:

I think I'm gonna try this on my shoes the next time I cut the lawn

Wait, are we talking mf applicators or machine pads? If the latter, it depends on the amount of correcting you need to do. You'll definitely go through the orange pad faster than you would the others. In that case take Brian's suggestion, because if the machine pad becomes too saturated you'll lose cutting power.

One for each product you're going to use I don't see a reason for more, simply because the car will already be clean before polishing so you don't have to worry about actual 'dirt', and if you keep each pad dedicated to one product then you can just apply less and less product to the pad as it becomes more and more saturated with polish as you use it....if that makes sense. However it certainly doesn't hurt to have extra in your arsenal to use as replacements when the 'in use' ones become too worn. I have 6 MF applicators from over a year ago and 4 of them are yet to have been used. I keep one on the detail bag to apply BSG at car shows, and one that I apply Buttery Wax on the daily drivers with

You made the right step in coming here You mentioned the swirls are minimal but that there is room for improvement. You should first determine if they are minimal enough for you to live with, or if you want to proceed with getting rid of whatever is there (take some pictures to get some feedback from the other members on the forum). This is an important decision because the correction process typically takes the longest and you mentioned time expectations. Swirls aside, there are a number of detail kits on Adam's website that offer a combined savings on products to fill out your arsenal and give you everything you need. My suggestion to start off would be the Basics Kit which includes the car wash shampoo, liquid wax, quick detailer, and trim/tire dressing, along with a tire sponge, wax applicator, and microfiber towel. If you want to expand on that, next I would go with the Perfect Interior Kit which includes carpet cleaner, glass cleaner (both of which are also great around the house) leather cleaner, and a leather conditioner, another microfiber towel and foam applicator, and the interior brush. The conditioner has SPF65 so it offers outstanding protection from UV rays and will prevent the dashboard, door panels, and seats from fading. Definitely get a Clay Bar to ensure your paint finish is as smooth as glass and free from any bonded contaminants before polishing. Adam's clay is a generous size and very easy to work with. If you are concerned mainly with the exterior, you can forgo the two kits I mentioned above and consider the Essentials Kit If you decide to tackle your swirl marks, you can take two directions. Depending on their severity you can apply the Swirl & Haze Remover by hand with a microfiber applicator pad to lessen the appearance of the swirls. Or, you can invest in a polisher and Adam's Foam Pads to completely remove them.

Washing isn't the only thing that will break down the BSG, so the number of washes will vary. Just sitting out in the sun or rain will break it down as well. BSG offers no protection - it's only a show glaze than enhances the gloss of the paint, which is why many people use it at or right before a show or cruise night, so the paint looks its best with minimal effort.