335, 550, Element, Limo

Scottwax · 09-21-09, 09:17

2008 BMW 335i. Regular weekly wash customer, unfortunately the dealership gave her a free towel marred wash after servicing a few weeks ago. Not as bad as it could have been but the paint needed some light clean-up. Polished it with my G110 using a Meguiars yellow polishing pad and #205 polish. Sealed the paint with Optimum Opti-Seal.

Legacy99 · 09-21-09, 09:30

Very nice finish. What's under the OS?

Scottwax · 09-21-09, 09:33

2008 BMW 550i. Owner recently bought the car and dealership had already swirl prepped the car. To make matters worse, it has the dreaded butter soft jet black paint.

I started with my Dewalt 849 rotary using Meguiars #205 and a yellow Meguiars polishing pad. Seemed to be okay in some areas but not in others. I switched to #105 using another yellow polishing pad and it was hologram city, not much better than what the dealer's make-ready department did. I decided to try what I know of the KB method. I got my G110 and an orange Soft Edge cutting pad. I primed the pad with #105, working it into the pad with my finger tips until the pad was fully covered. I then added a few drops of #105 to the pad and started polishing with slow, heavy pressure passes with the speed on 6. I was very impressed with how well it worked. Honestly, I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it with my own eyes.

Half 'n half shot:

After shots:

As the sun baked out the polishing oils in #105, I did notice some minor hazing visible at certain angles on the hood and trunk lid (where the swirls were the worst and I used the most pressure)...and the dust! Wow, kind of messy, but not that much more than #105 with a rotary. When #205 and a Meguiars yellow polishing pad via G110 couldn't completely remove the light hazing left by #105 via the KB method, I switched back to my original starting point of #205/yellow/Dewalt. For the first time I can remember, after the sun baked out the oils, I could see light holograms after using #205 with a rotary. I had to finish out the hood and trunk with 3M Ultrafina using a blue UF pad at 1000-1800-1000 rpms. Twice. The sides didn't need as much pressure as the hood and trunk and I was able to follow #105/KB method with #205, Meguiars yellow polishing pad and my G110.

After all polishing:

After rewashing the car with Optimum No Rinse to remove the dust, I put on a coat of Clearkote's Carnauba Moose.

RustyBumper · 09-21-09, 09:37

Scott, did you use a 8006 Soft Buff pad? Were you able to get rid of the defects with the combo you went with? Reason I ask is because my neighbor has a BMW that he wants me to get ready for winter and I have a couple of the 8006 pads on plenty of 205 to use it with.

Legacy99 · 09-21-09, 09:40

Just one word... Awesome!

Scottwax · 09-21-09, 09:41

2003 Honda Element. Very long term customer. When I first started detailing cars for him, his daughter was 2. The Element is HER first car and she is now nearly 17. Really nice guy, shares my passion for cars. Takes exceptional care of his vehicles which makes my job easier.

Overall the Element was in excellent condition, only has 56,000 miles on it. Only real issue was the contamination on the roof, which took quite a bit of claying using ONR as the lube and Opti-Clay. Otherwise, same process as the 335i in the first post, #205 + Opti-Seal. I went over the plastic cladding with Meguiars Interior QD. The owner and I agreed with the rain forecast this week, using a true protectant would probably end up looking horrible after the rain. If anyone has a long term solution besides painting the plastic cladding, I am all ears.

That's the owner looking over the car, pushing dusk so I had to get the pictures quick.

Scottwax · 09-21-09, 09:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by RustyBumper

Scott, did you use a 8006 Soft Buff pad? Were you able to get rid of the defects with the combo you went with? Reason I ask is because my neighbor has a BMW that he wants me to get ready for winter and I have a couple of the 8006 pads on plenty of 205 to use it with.

Actually the 8007 pad (same pad, just a little bigger). I had to use the Soft Edge orange cutting pad with #105 to remove the defects, a combination of #205 via rotary and/or G110 to remove the hazing.

Scottwax · 09-21-09, 09:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Legacy99

Very nice finish. What's under the OS?

Polished with #205, sealed with Opti-Seal. That's it.

getcha · 09-21-09, 09:46

Scott, your solution for that cladding is Optiseal. It will darken it ever so slightly and unlike something water based will not wash off, it will bead water and unlike some type of solvent based dressing will not damage paint.

EDIT: but work it a little with your foam applicator, and you may end up needing to dedicate one to it as some of the oxidation may come off onto the pad.

RustyBumper · 09-21-09, 09:46

You'll have to forgive me for asking this silly question, but what is a Soft Edge pad? Is it from Meguiar's? If so, is it any one of these? Meguiar's Buffing Pads

Scottwax · 09-21-09, 09:51

2001 Lincoln Town Car Limousine. I've been taking care of this one a couple times a year pretty much since it was about a year old. Since the new Jerry Jones Boss Hog Football Emporium is now open for business in Arlington, the owner of this private limo takes his family to the games in style. Didn't have time to get to it prior to yesterday's christening of the new stadium, but I did have time today.

The paint really could use a deep polishing but the driver isn't that careful when washing it and the car cover for it really isn't the best. No point going nuts on it because it won't stay that way. Decided to polish with my G110, yellow Meguiars polishing pad and Optimum Polish II.

YouTube - Proper DA polisher technique

After polishing, I topped with a coat of Carnauba Moose.

This is the reflection off the hood. Not the almost complete lack of orange peel. what is odd is the original body of the car appears to have been wetsanded to a pretty much orange peel free finish, yet the section added to stretch the car has orange peel. Go figure.

getcha · 09-21-09, 09:56

Rusty Edge pads are these double sided pseude waffle faced design pads that I think were closed out.