Complete Detail - 05 CLK 320 - Red

David Fermani · 09-30-07, 08:44

Detailed my neighbor’s 2005 Mercedes CLK320. He’s the original owner; it’ never been waxed and takes it through the tunnel wash weekly. I think the biggest thing that hasn’t turned the finish into a disaster was the ceramic clear coat (CeramiClear) that it used on these vehicles. The car was in nice shape and helped allow me to 100% correct and clean the entire vehicle.
Here’s the product/process:

*Hand washed with EDGE ShMitt & Auto Magic (AM) Wash & Wash
*AM Red Hot pre-soak on engine compartment
*Power washed (1500 psi) complete exterior & engine compartment
*AM MAGnificent on wheels, tires & wheel wheels
*AM blue Clay Magic with AM Body Shine
*Goof Off’d tar & road grime
*AM White Magic with Yellow EDGE foam pad
*50 / 50 IA wipe down
*Malco Paint Sealant – (2nd time using)
*AM Magic Dressing on tires
*Rain X Windows
*AM Special Cleaner / (scrubbed complete interior with toothbrush)
*EZ Clean HD on carpet/floor mats
*AM Leather Conditioner on seats/trim
*AM Clear Difference on Windows

Before (hood)

After (hood)

Completed:

zoomzoom mazda5 · 09-30-07, 09:17

Awesome work on the CLK David, great shine and correction on the finish, i see you use a toothbrush on the seats with Am special, how long did it take you to do that? i got a light blue interior one coming up and i was thinking of using a toothbrush too with woolite. Thanks for your post on this great car.

.........Angelo

P1et · 09-30-07, 09:24

Oh wow, for never having waxed it and always taking it through the carwash, that paint has stood up quite well. A testament to ceramiclear!

Great job getting her to look perfect again.

David Fermani · 09-30-07, 09:27

At the 4 hour mark I had the wash, prep & interior finished. The total job took about 9 hours. I'd say the interior took atleast 2/2.5 hrs. I've never tried Woolite. Isn't it intended for fabric and not leather/plastic?

TH0001 · 09-30-07, 09:34

Great work Dave!!!

zoomzoom mazda5 · 09-30-07, 09:36

I use it on some plastic and leather interiors and it work fine for me, i'm always looking for something to work better and faster because some interiors are totally trash and so hard to clean up. One can use it on fabrics too but i use Quilk N Brite for some sensitive fabrics (spot cleaning). I got turn on to this went my wife gave birth to my daughter at home and the carpet was full of blood, after 10 hrs at the hospital i came home and use it for the first time and was amaze on how well it took it off. That was 14 yrs ago and the carpet was a beige color. Like i said i'm always looking for better products for leather cleaning. Thanks David for your input.....Angelo

mr.ikon · 09-30-07, 09:41

beautiful work. at first, i thought that toothbrush was a tear in the leather. interior looks new again. and spectacular job on the paint. looks very wet

fishbonezken · 09-30-07, 10:56

The whole car looks sharp and crisp. Beautiful work on the paint, gorgeous reflections.
I am also curious about the toothbrush, why not use a soft interior brush that is bigger?...

David Fermani · 09-30-07, 11:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishbonezken

I am also curious about the toothbrush, why not use a soft interior brush that is bigger?...

Thanks for everyone's comments.

I sometimes do, but this car has heated/air-cooled seats and I was afraid of getting them too wet. Instead of spraying the cleaner directly onto the seat, I sprayed it onto the brush and scrubbed each 6 X 6 area and immediately dried it. Plus, a toothbrush works really well on the small areas like the steering wheel/shifter/pedals/controls. When I clean the radio electrical components, I wipe the tooth brush with a towel and scrub/aggitate. It's not totally dry(95%), but damp enough to clean out the pores/cracks/crevises.

fishbonezken · 09-30-07, 11:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Fermani

Thanks for everyone's comments.

I sometimes do, but this car has heated/air-cooled seats and I was afraid of getting them too wet. Instead of spraying the cleaner directly onto the seat, I sprayed it onto the brush and scrubbed each 6 X 6 area and immediately dried it. Plus, a toothbrush works really well on the small areas like the steering wheel/shifter/pedals/controls. When I clean the radio electrical components, I wipe the tooth brush with a towel and scrub/aggitate. It's not totally dry(95%), but damp enough to clean out the pores/cracks/crevises.

Thanks for the reply, I appreciate it very much

zoomzoom mazda5 · 09-30-07, 02:59

Thanks David!

Scottwax · 09-30-07, 07:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Fermani

I've never tried Woolite. Isn't it intended for fabric and not leather/plastic?

Yes, but Cadillac used to recommend it specifically by name to clean leather back in the 90s and a Lexus owner's manual says to use a 5% solution (which would be 20:1) wool safe detergent. I've found that 6:1 dillution for very dirty leather and vinyl works well but for general cleaning and typical dirt levels, 8-10:1 is fine. Cleans the leather very effectively and leaves it feeling softer. Plus it is a lot cheaper than typical leather cleaners.

Anyway, the CLK looks great! The interior looks absolutely factory fresh.