I partnered with a forum friend G35stilez on this one. Im glad I did, this was a beast to get corrected.... Up for grabs this cold New England weekend is an '08 550i. Carbon Black with Natural Brown Leather, Navigation and Sport Package, this was a well optioned example. We didn't see the sticker, but are quite sure the owner ordered the "Granite Paint" option. Every pre-08 BMW I've worked on has had very soft, finicky paint...not this. We polished the car with 7 different combos, ultimately deciding on a 3-step polishing process plus sealer and wax. Once you see the swirls, you will laugh. I thought this was a Z-PC and polishing pad on the PC + Z5 Pro. I was way wrong . Interior/Exterior/Engine took about 18 man hours... Interior was cake. Steam, Zaino Z10, and Opti-Seal for the wood. Looks great. Exterior took 90% of the time. Etchings, key marks down the driver side, and some swirl marks took their toll on us. We played around with a few combos and ultimately went with the following: BEFORE: Got etching? Me working Swissvax curing Final product: Owner inspection
I think I just got a detail hard on, that looks great. I've always used Zaino but not so good when it comes to using the electric polisher. I need a new one just not sure which one to get as I cannot use what the pros use out of fear of ruining the paint. I did wash and clay bar one side Sunday and used some 3M Rubbing compound on some scratches follwed up with some finishing glaze and then followed up with 2 coats of Zaino but still nothing compared to what you guys did.
Thanks all. Windows have Zaino Z-5pro on the outside and Fk1#425 (anti-static) on the inside. I tried to avoid listing product choices. I will say we ended up polishing this car 7 times before finding the right combo of pad and product. The clear was like granite. I plan on getting a 335xi for my wife in May with the same color combo, by far the best I have seen. I'm not a 550 customer yet.
Dont get discouraged, the results will come. Keep in mind that this is a $650 service and took 18 man hours to complete.
Can you suggest anything that will keep all the dust/dirt from settleing on the back of the Jeep. I'm so tired of cleaning it and after one drive it has tons of dust/dirt stuck to the back from top to bottom and rear window, and check your PM
I have the same problem with my Jeep. The back gets FILTHY after I drive. I have found that a few applications of a sealant will slow but not stop this. A carnauba wax application seems to promote the adhesion...go figure. I think the products are about 10% of the finished product.
I'm pretty sure they (BMW) still uses Glasurit paint products. At least, the old Bimmers were painted w/ Glasurit base and clear.... and it is a joy to detail. You can get such a better result with a higher standard of paint. :beer: This felt like the Cerami-Clear scratch resistant product that Mercedes uses. Really, I used the most aggressive foam pad I had with the Makits at 1800-2000rpm and sat on the paint. I'm actauly jealous, I have to have a BMW now.
looks absolutely awesome man! what orbital buffer do you recommend for a novice? i detailed cars for a porsche dealer when i was 16, but never really used a buffer on them. im not the most exp so i dont want to use something ultra powerful that i can fuck up my car with. any help would def be appreciated.
The safest and most common machine by far is the Porter Cable. I still use it in some cases. This particular job was done to 95% with a Makita rotary and finished with Porter Cable. Don't mentally focus on not burning the paint, it will keep you from doing a good job. Paint is durable, just keep the pad flat and move slowly. Watch what you do and you will be safe. See that picture with me holding all of my weight over the Makita spinning at 1800rpm?
This clear was like the Cerami-Clear that PPG makes for Mercedes. I used the most aggressive foam pad I had with the Makita on 1800-2000 rpm and sat on the paint. I finished completely swirl free after the compounding stage, I was shocked. I continued to finesse it through the wax stage as the gloss kept increasing.
Yep! The PC 7424 RAWKS! :rock: I've went through 2 or 3 of 'em over the years.... My current orbital is a Griots Garage model.... It ok, but a little heavier. You can buy this in a kit, but I wouldn't. I wasn't at all impressed with their waxes and polishes (The "Best of Show" wax does have a great shine, but it's a major PITA to wipe off).
