It does not have a clear coat and it works out great. The rug will look brand new after a polish. Mc1337sause, what would be your advice for a budget buffer? I have already bought a nano mitt.
If you're not wanting to spend over $100 on a polisher, Harbor Freight is pretty much the only way to go - I have never used their product, but the general consensus is that it is the best
cheap one out there. From $100-150, the Porter Cable 7424XP, Griot's Garage Random Orbital, or Meguiar's DA are all very good units used by numerous professional detailers; I personally like the Griot's one. All three of these are available on Amazon. You really only need to spend more when you're working on very high-dollar cars/show cars, which a 4Runner most certainly is not.
The main thing that confuses many people is pad choice and product choice. I have found the Meguiar's Ultimate Compound and Polish products to be the best for all-around paint correction, and use their Ultimate Paste Wax by hand almost exclusively, as it is very long-lasting and looks great, especially on nonmetallic paints.
Pad selection comes down to personal preference and the paint you are working with. If your paint is heavily oxidized (looks matte in spots), I have heard good things about
this pad, as it does not clog up quickly when cutting through the oxidation, and has a more aggressive cut so it will do the job more efficiently. This would be used with a compound. For lighter compounding or polishing,
this pad is what I use, and it works well. You will probably want to pick up a 3 pack of the orange pads (not sure on the microfiber ones, as I haven't used them), as if you use 1 to do the entire truck, it will essentially disintegrate by the time you are finished; they must be swapped out and cleaned throughout the process. All of the pads and packs of pads are available on Amazon as well, which is probably where they will be the cheapest.
Lol [MENTION=86041]Mc1337sauce[/MENTION] I love the name!
Thanks man, it's from back when I still had time to play video games and I kinda carried it on to forums and other sites. Most people have no clue what it means.