1999 Mercedes C230 Kompressor, AMG SL55, BMW X5 4.6is

Scottwax · 03-22-07, 11:07

1999 Mercedes C230 Kompressor. Owned by the preverbial little old lady...well, messy little old lady. New owner picked it up at an estate sale and wanted it cleaned up for resale.

The car had been sitting a few months and based on the condition, hadn't been cleaned in much longer. The interior was pretty disgusting. Since my son was leaving in the next morning to visit his g/f in Michigan and voiced his displeasure at cleaning something that nasty, I said if he would wash the car, clean the wheels and fenderwells, everything short of polishing, I'd clean the interior until he finished all that.

That stain on the side of the tunnel by the driver's seat track...squished Tootsie Roll I believe. I had already vacuumed.

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Yes, I got the door seal fabric at the edge of the door sill, noticed it after I took the pic. The area around the pedals is clean, just shaded.

I used Bio-Kleen's Traffic Lane Cleaner on the carpets, Woolite/water on the leather and vinyl and (in the last pic) dressed with Optimum Protectant Plus. I had everything finished other than the driver's seat and carpet on the front driver's side when my son finished getting the car ready for polishing. He was amazed I got the interior as clean as I did. Like I told him though "I cleaned interiors myself for 14 years before you started helping. I didn't forget how!".

Just a quick shot after an Optimum No Rinse wash:

After using Optimum Polish with green Edge Cyclo polishing pads and Poli-Seal using a white LC polishing pad (OPS was my final polish and LSP):

OP/OPS = very wet on white!

The wheels were deep cleaned with Wheel Wax.

Scottwax · 03-22-07, 11:23

2004 Mercedes AMG SL55. Detailed last summer, quick wax during the fall. Washed a few times by the dealer so the paint needed some polishing. I started off with Optimum Polish using green Edge Cyclo polishing pads and followed with Optimum Poli-Seal using white Edge Cyclo finishing pads. Sealed with Opti-Seal. The interior was really clean, just went over the mats with Bio-Kleen and dressed the leather with Zaino Z10. First time I had used it, really great leather smell.

==============

2003 BMW X5 4.6is. Same deal as far as detailing/waxing as the SL55 but only the hood needed any extra polishing. Again, OP and green Edge combo. Since I got several Zaino products to try (thanks to a fellow Autopia member who will remain nameless to prevent other's from pestering him for products), I went with Zaino All in One. The directions said to use by hand...that would be a real deal breaker for me...but I recall others here have used it via machine so I used my Cyclo and Edge white finishing pads. I found out very quickly you need very little product per section. Doesn't 'melt' into the paint like Werkstatt's Prime but instead dries to a light, easy to remove haze. Leaves a slick wet finish. I applied Z5 Pro over ZAIO and let it dry for 15 minutes before removing. Wiped off easily. I noticed that the new 'Pro' version is thicker than the original Z5. Has a better darkening effect than the original too. If I had to compare the look to anything, it reminds me very much of Meguiars NXT. Before any of you Zaino fans take that as an insult, it isn't. I really like how NXT looks on darker colors so I mean it as a compliment. Anyway, I was pretty happy with how easy the combo was to use and how the X5 looked when I finished. BTW, the paint is a metallic black, not a solid black like the SL55.

ttsoca · 03-23-07, 01:09

The Kompressor look much better. Those rims must have been fun on the SL55. The reflection looks amazing on the X5. Great work once again Scott!

justin30513 · 03-23-07, 04:01

Scott.............WOW! They all look good but boy, that SL55 is amazing!

Very nice work.

Glad you like the Cyclo and EDGE system. I'm getting a Cyclo this week. At Detail Fest Aaron demoed the system. It was so smooth that I could barely tell the polisher was even on!

gben · 03-23-07, 06:16

The C230 is amazing! Getting white to look that good is a real skill.

JoshVette · 03-23-07, 07:27

they look real good, as always. nice line up you have going.
I love most of the Zaino line, it's easy to put on and take off and with the correct prep work has incredible durabilility and depth.

I'm curious about something though? do you claybar your cars?? I read alot of you posts but rarely read about claybaring.

Do you feel claybaring is really neccassary if one will be polishing and buffing on a car?

just curious, thanks, Josh

DieselMDX · 03-23-07, 07:34

Judging by just those pictures alone I have to say OPS looks better then Zaino Z5 on those black vehicles.

Funny to hear you using zaino tho, lol

JoshVette · 03-23-07, 07:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by DieselMDX

Judging by just those pictures alone I have to say OPS looks better then Zaino Z5 on those black vehicles.

Funny to hear you using zaino tho, lol

You can never "judge based on pics" since pics are so easy to manipulate and make something looke better then it is. (I'm not saying Scott does this at all, I'm just saying for example......I want to make that clear)

I post a lot of pics up here, and I could easily make a swirled car look totally swirl free just with a sliiiiiiightly different angle even using the same lighting and all.

Consider those are two different cars, two different conditions, two different clear coats and such, I'd bet the SUV is driven way more then the AMG for example as well as the AMG has no lines or creases in the hood where the BMW does which will greatly break up and distort any reflection and the overall appearance......??

Can not compare the two ecspecially when we know nothing about the history, or driving conditions or how the owner treats both vehicles.

Plus a couple of the close ups of the AMG hood are from different sides with different reflections then the close ups of the BMW hood shots.

If you want an accurate comparison, you would have to do a half and half of the same vehicle with the exact same steps and process on both sides and take pics of both in the same lighting and reflections and so on and so forth........

Plus I'd bet I just like looking at the AMG way better then the X5 thus kind of biassing my perception of how they look to me.......

I'm not defending Zaino or Optimum and I'm not saying anything about Scott, just trying to give equal favor to both products considering what we actually know about each vehicle.....

They both look great, Scott really does good work.

DieselMDX · 03-23-07, 07:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoshVette

Two different cars, two different conditions, two different clear coats and such, I'd bet the SUV is driven way more then the AMG for example....??

Plus a couple of the close ups of the AMG hood are from different angles with different reflections then the close ups of the BMW hood shots.

Can not compare the two ecspecially when we know nothing about the history, or driving conditions or how the owner treats both vehicles.

If you want an accurate comparison, you would have to do a half and half of the same vehicle with the exact same steps and process on both sides and take pics of both in the same lighting and reflections and so on and so forth........

Plus I'd bet I just like looking at the AMG way better then the X5 thus kind of biassing my perception of how they look to me.......

I'm not defending Zaino or Optimum, just trying to give equal favor to both products considering what we actually know about each vehicle.....

They both look great, Scott really does good work.

Agree 100%....... I was just going by pics alone, I have used Z5 on black and it is still the best I have ever used on that color. Cant wait to try OOS

JoshVette · 03-23-07, 08:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by DieselMDX

Agree 100%....... I was just going by pics alone, I have used Z5 on black and it is still the best I have ever used on that color. Cant wait to try OOS

I gotch ya, for me there are just too many good products out there, I just try to stick with what works best for me and what give the longest lasting protection as I'll probably be doing that car again and want it to be easier the next time I do the car.

rydawg · 03-23-07, 08:10

Great job on all of those cars Scott. Absolutely Amazing!!!

How do you like the Bio-Kleen and how does it work?

Scottwax · 03-23-07, 08:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoshVette

I'm curious about something though? do you claybar your cars?? I read alot of you posts but rarely read about claybaring.

Do you feel claybaring is really neccassary if one will be polishing and buffing on a car?

just curious, thanks, Josh

I clay as needed and only mention it if it was a major step. Just like washing, of course I do it but I don't make mention of it unless the car was really filthy or I tried something new.

DieselMDX-Since the Mercedes is solid black and the BMW is metallic black and has more orange peel in the paint, you really can't judge by pictures alone which is better simply by how one looks vs the other. I really didn't want to do a side by side on either because they aren't my vehicles. I will say that Opti-Seal is the wettest looking sealant I have ever used. Whether or not someone considers that a 'better' look is up to them. Personally, I am still applying it to as many colors as I can to see what specifically I am going to like it on and what colors I may prefer to use something else. Same with Z5.

Someone sends me products to try, I am going to try them. I really don't care what the label says, I do care what is inside the bottle. Being able to two step the protection and not needing ZFX if you apply Z5 over ZAIO makes Zaino more viable for me than having to mix and apply eleventy billion layers of product.

rydawg-I really like Bio-Kleen. 32:1 dillution ratio means a gallon goes a real long way! Basically, you spray down the carpets/fabric and allow a 5 minute dwell time. Aggitate with a brush, wipe up with a cotton towel and wet vac.