ilogikal1

YouTube tells me it's the best thing to protect my car in a nuclear war, and way cheaper than an Obiekt 279. Says it all really.

If science has taught us nothing (and judging by this place, it hasn't) at least we can all rest assured that the very best tyres to put on any car are the prettiest ones.

Yeah, but "gains" because YouTube says so (clicky) , so totally worth it. Because YouTube. Or something.

Pad cleaning machines are awesome but not essential - they're an expensive, non-essential appliance that clean pads in seconds without any real effort. Pad cleaning detergent is one of those things I won't pay the detailing tax for (like APC, which actually is a perfectly viable alternative), but if it works for you and you're happy to spend out for it I'm not going to sit here and tell you you're wrong either. What I will say though, regarding "softening" left over product, putting spent pads in a bucket of water to soak whilst you finish up (or pack up) will prevent any product from hardening in the first place. I couldn't agree more with the notion of trying different things to find what works for you, so long as you're happy with something then it doesn't really matter if anyone else likes it or not - case in point, some people on here swear by Auto Glym products because they can pick them up from Halfords, other people like decent products instead. When starting out, I would tape up religiously. As I've got more confident with the machine I find I tape up less these days and it tends to be key areas or where I know residue will be a pain to remove (prevention > cure, and all that). Also, I've said it before and I'll say it again; washing up liquid doesn't remove LSPs. It just doesn't.

Nope, I just use any liquid soap and water - massage the soap through the pad until it's clean, rinse through thoroughly to remove the soap and then leave to dry. Again, nope. No one will be able to tell the difference, it'll just determine how much you have to work at it to get the result you're after really. Rupes DA is more simlar to the DAS6 Pro Plus - it's got the larger throw and the typical rotary-style look to it, etc - however Flex and Rupes and Flex make their own machines whilst all the DAS6 and DAS6 Pros (at least the ones I know of) are all made in the same factory, or at least using the same parts and assembly instructions. There are no stupid questions. Yes, carbon fibre can be polished in the same way, just go gently at first as it's possible (perhaps likely) that the gel-coat/top-coat will be a different hardness to the paint. All the same principals apply though. Not really any difference when using a DA to be honest - there's a small need to be more aware of heat build up when using a rotary on a plastic panel than on a metal one, but a you'll struggle to generate any heat related issues with a DA unless you're really, really, trying.

It is. That was me not reading all proper and/or failing to pay attention. Having read it properly this time (!) you'll defintely want to avoid relying on fillers to get the best out the coating. I'd go for 2-3 pads (in total), to be honest. It's possible to do it with just one pad, but you won't get round a full car before you need to clean the pad - usually at that point, I chuck the pad in a bucket to soak whilst I move onto using the second or third pad and then wash them all properly when I'm finished; whilst washing a pad can be done reasonably quickly, because they're dense foam they do take forever to dry afterwards (although, again, there are ways around that if you're determined - including, but not limited to, using the machine to spin dry or if you've got the time and space to allow the pad to air dry over night, for example). That might give you a good reason (excuse) to try out flat versus dimpled/hex pad though by getting one of each. I definitely recommend getting a couple of spot pads for the smaller areas, it's so much easier than trying to find a work around. If you're using spot pads you'll most likely be fine with 2 large pads and one (or two, if you have a lot of fiddly areas) spot pads to do the whole car in one go. Just to touch on the machines again, if it helps at all, I've had a Kestral DAS6 for over a decade and used quite a lot of "different" machines over the years; I've never been tempted to change it out for anything else I've used except for the Rupes.

Well that's almost as disappointing as the Rocket Bunny Z.

No problem at all, happy to help. Just remember to post pictures of your work to show your gratitude. S30+ finishes down really well even on soft paint so you shouldn't need anything lighter to finish - you might want to consider a finishing pad (red one of the LC Hydrotech range) but I wouldn't say it was essential, especially on harder paint, to be honest. That said, if you're planning on polishing regularly (or other cars even) then there's no har in having one to hand, even if you don't use it this time. Fillers serve a purpose, especially where you're looking to get a good finish without removing as much paint, but in my opinion unless there's a reason to rely on fillers it's better to get the paint perfect and not have to rely on fillers. The biggest downside to fillers is that they will both reduce the durability of your LSP/protection and ultimately the swirls will reappear sooner than if you correct them. It's a trade off but there's no right or wrong answer. You don't mention what LSP you're planning to use in your first post, but things like coatings don't work well with fillers and it won't bond, so the coating will fail much sooner. Similarly most sealants will strip the fillers due to the solvents anyway. Waxes and fillers get on better, but again the wax is bonding to the fillers rather than the paint so tends to fail sooner than when applied to bare paint. You did mention an IPA wipedown after polishing though which will also remove any fillers, for reference. As with many, many dtailing products, if you ignore the marketing; simply personal preference to be quite honest. Any differences, largely beyond how you clean them, will be imperceptible. I find unworked polish tends to gather in the dimples/hex so the polish isn't worked evenly, compared to a flat pad where the polish has nowhere to hide as it were. They are much (or in most cases when talking about DAs, literally) the same machine under the casing. Pretty much all of the machines on the market are actually the DAS6 - the exceptions being the Rupes and Flex offerings. Megs is, I believe, "based on" rather than the same machine in a Megs casing, but you're basically paying for the name. The main difference is between the DAS6 and DAS6 Pro - the latter having a slightly more powerful motor. The standard 6 is a good machine that will serve you well, the Pro is just a little bit more powerful but won't be revolutionary in its difference. There's also the Pro Plus model these days, which looks different and is based on the Rupes - again, slightly more powerful but not revolutionary. Choose one you like the look of and is priced at what you're willing to pay, you won't be missing out on anything over any of the others - just try to stick to the known brands, if it does develop a fault you're either relying on it being replaced/fixed or being cheap enough to be disposable.

I feel like I've missed something interesting....

For first time polishing, it might take a bit of trial and error to get the right pad/compound combo for the paint - German paint is typically hard, but it's always best to start with the least aggressive combo and work your way up until you get the cut you're after. That said, I'd probably start with a medium combo and go in with Scholl S30+ on an orange Lake County Hydrotech pad, as a starter and possibly move up to S20 and/or blue pad if needed - don't step up both at the same time, either change the pad OR the polish first (although it doesn't really matter which you step up first, I typically prefer to change the polish before the pad personally). I'm a fan of Scholl polishes because they don't contain fillers but are well lubricated and do contain deminishing abbrassives so they finish down well (when worked properly). Similiarly I prefer flat pads to dimpled/hex pads simply because I find it easier to manage clogging and working the polish evenly on a flat pad, but others may have different preferences. Other than that, standard advice really - work the polish properly and thoroughly before moving on or adding more polish and focus on working on smaller areas rather than trying to cover too much of the panel at once; less is more especially when you're still learning what works for you and the paint. Focus on technique and controlling the machine properly at first, and consider smaller spot pads (and backing plate) when tackling curves or smaller areas - you always want to keep the pad flat on the surface at all times. Provided you're sensible, pay attention to what you're doing and take your time you can't really get it wrong. Oh, and practice on horizontal panels first. Those machines are heavier than they look when you're working on vertical panels!

Someone made it uglier than Nissan. Who knew that was even possible?!

If it doesn't have it's own Disney franchise, it's not super...

It worries me; every now and then I think you're a sensible person but then you go and entertain banal comments like this as if they have any rational thought behind them. SMH.

It depends where the fault is. If the car isn't registering any movement on the a brake pedal, it won't record anything (or activate the brake lights). What Tesla's statement fails to address is the important bit of information; whether the brake pedal was working at all and whether the "back end data" was complete and/or reliable.

Overlooking the increadibly mysogynistic YouTube viedo (spoiler, I don't). Modern cars may well have more power, but the driver has much less responsibility for it. Traction control, ABS, automatic gearboxes, power steering, activie suspension,torque limitors, torque vectoring, various engine modes, in the case of the Ferrari there's even FDE+. Modern cars do more of the driving than ever before. Now, a 'MODEL' driving a car... that's amazing!

Yeah, but they're ugly so no one wants them...

Loose interpretation of the rule book to hand a driver a championship... sounds just like last year actually! Admittedly he would just have won it at Austin, but that (and the budget cap farce) doesn't exactly paint the FIA as the reformed governing body it's trying to convey.

At least they weren't ugly tyres - we all know that pretty tyres trump mixed tyres, pal.

In that case, detailing brushes (such as these) and a lot of disposable (i.e. cheapest cloths you can find - Amazon ones are good for this job) microfibre cloths - and when I say a lot, buy as many as you think you'll need. Twice. Then add some more. Don't use your decent cloths, you'll ruin them - are an absolute must. I can't understate how many cloths you'll need in order to do it properly! Bilt Hamber Surfex HD - diluted as needed (at least 5:1). Work in sections and don't let it dry, especially on plastics. Use the brushes/coths to loosen as much dirt and grease as possible before foaming. Most importantly, don't forget to post the pictures!

For straight up cleaning; Remove any parts you want to get under properly first (and clean those off the car to save your back!). A steam cleaner is by far the easiest route if you have, or just want an excuse to get, one Or, if you've got an abundance of energy to burn and you're a masochist, then a f**ktonne of elbow grease, eleventy billion cloths and some decent degreaser (Bilt Hamber Surfex HD). Followed up with a snow foam, agitate with a detailing brush and rinse (with the pressure washer if you're confident, open hose if you're not - avoid any sensitive bits like the battery and air intake), follow up with some APC if needed (any cheap supermarket brand will do the same thing as anything more expensive/branded). Replace any removed parts if you haven't already. To dress, AutoGlym Rubber and Vinyl Care (spray on everywhere, liberally, close the bonnet and walk away). Admire your efforts when it's dried naturally (don't try to force dry it) and job jobbed. Until the next time.

Now, are we sure that's camoflage? I mean, I wouldn't actually put it past Nissan to release exactly that as a "special edition"...

Blah, blah, blah. Just go wth the prettiest tires, pal.

@ZMANALEX

Proven is subjective. If in doubt, just ask VW.

Seems it's been a while.