Porter Cable model question - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

RandallNeighbour · 08-15-2005, 01:14 PM

Thanks 98, I bought one from Coastal tool just now. They're price is better and you get both the 4 inch and the 6 inch pad and counterweight.

Now my question is whether to move up to the 6 inch. Do you P/C owners use the 4 or 6 when working on your Boxsters?

gschiener · 08-15-2005, 02:10 PM

I've actually graduated to a 7 1/2 inch pad... benifits are detailed on this web page link... http://www.properautocare.com/ad712inhipa.html

RandallNeighbour · 08-15-2005, 04:08 PM

Does "graduating" to the 7.5 inch pad require the counterbalance be upgraded, or will the 6 inch one that comes with my new unit work?

slogans7 · 08-15-2005, 04:49 PM

As an undergraduate, I use the 6"pads. While I like the shape of the edge on the larger pads, I wonder how they would work on the sides of a Boxster. My experience is that even the 6" feels a little too large for the curves of the door area. I sometimes actually drop down to a spot polishing pad for the bottom of the doors.

Check my work here:
http://986forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3413

gschiener · 08-15-2005, 06:03 PM

Maybe "graduated" wasn't the proper word... I've used the 6" pads for years... I just tried the 7 1/2", and prefer them... To each his own...

St. Louis Boxster · 08-15-2005, 07:29 PM

I was on the very edge of buying a Porter. I have never used one and a local body shop scared the bejesus out of me by telling me horror stories of people bringing in their new cars all marred up and the paint removed from some of the edges of doors, removing swirl marks, and other visual defects by the inexperienced user.

Can anyone check in on this? Am I getting scared off for no reason?

Gus

RandallNeighbour · 08-15-2005, 07:45 PM

A guy who sells them online has been emailing me today. He was quite emphatic about the use of softer buffing disks and letting the buffer do the work, not the user. I bet those folks with burned off paint put far too much elbow grease into the use of the buffer and didn't do the job slowly and with a light touch.

I bet a cautious user like yourself would do fine with it. Check out this page I found on how to use it step by step with pictures:

http://www.properautocare.com/meninpol.html

I tell you what. I'll try mine out as a total nooby without anyone showing me what to do and post the results good or bad, with pictures, even if it's embarassing... but I'll start on my wife's old Honda and not my Boxster. I'm no idiot!