Where to start and what to do?

[bonoz]

I have only once done the deal with my car a few years ago using this:



Process:

Wash -- Mothers Gold California

Clay -- Mothers Clay Bar

Wash -- Mothers Gold California

Polish -- Orange LC pad/Menzerna IP (I found this to be the most frustrating experience)

Mother`s Chrome Polish hand buffed on chrome grill, and on exhaust tips.

Klasse AIO on the hood, roundels, and wheels (hand buffed) only.

Wash -- Mothers Gold California (Third wash because of too much dust from Menzerna IP)

Tyres -- Eagle One Tire Shine

Sealant -- Klasse SG (2 Coats)

Wax -- S100



After that I got so busy that I never got any chance to polish my car again. I did wash the car, clayed and waxed her, but never the whole deal from start to finish. It`s almost summer and I want to do it again. However, this time I want to improve my process. I used all Menzerna polishes before. They worked good, but some scratches just weren`t going away.



1) So this time I want to ask everyone here what the best products are? or, how do I go about getting the best products for my car? I drive a 1998 BMW 328i. I know it`s an old car but I want to preserve it`s beauty. I am not 100% on this but I just have a feeling that this car may have been repainted before. At least partially. Because there is orange peel on it.



2) This time I want to detail the interior, engine, boot, undercarriage, roof, outside, everything. How do I go about doing all that? Where do I start? I get overwhelmed just thinking about the task ahead. Where and how do I start with all of this? What do I do first?



3) Last time I did it, I got really frustrated by how much time it took. Also, I got frustrated by not being able to use my PC on some hard to reach places like under the sideview mirrors or somewhere on the boot. How do I make sure I get all the surface covered and not miss any spot?



4) Lastly, what can I do to speed my process? It took me a week the last time I did it. The polishing just took the longest time. I tried the whole doing the softest pad first, and then going my way up with the intensity of the pad and polish. How can I speed up my process?



Just need help getting back in the game and reparking my detailing libido.



Thanks!

[Accumulator]

1) So this time I want to ask everyone here what the best products are? or, how do I go about getting the best products for my car? I drive a 1998 BMW 328i. I know it`s an old car but I want to preserve it`s beauty. I am not 100% on this but I just have a feeling that this car may have been repainted before. At least partially. Because there is orange peel on it.



My `97 e36 had *VERY* hard clear. I wouldn`t plan on getting it better than maybe 85% unless you`re gonna get really serious, and I wouldn`t recommend that. Do the IP/orange or maybe M105/orange instead, using 4" orange pads, not big ones. Then follow up with a milder product/pad combo to bring up the gloss.



Those cars had some orange peel from the factory, I wouldn`t give it much thought but that`s just me.


2) This time I want to detail the interior, engine, boot, undercarriage, roof, outside, everything. How do I go about doing all that? Where do I start? I get overwhelmed just thinking about the task ahead. Where and how do I start with all of this? What do I do first?



Heh heh, no doubt it`s overwhelming, the question of "how to" is overwhelming to me too ;)



Unless you want to make a MAJOR (and I mean long-term) project out it, I`d just do a "super wash" with an APC. Use the same approach on the engine compartment and undercarriage/etc. You *could* spend forever on it the way I did...inch by inch, using a steamer and a boatload of different products and tools, but I`d just keep it reasonable.



I`d buy a bottle of FK1119 and a jug of potent APC. Clean the undercarriage/engine compartment with the APC and try to avoid spotting on the rest of the vehicle by keeping it wet. Then wash the vehicle with the FK1119. (You wash the filthy bits first because it`ll probably get filth on the rest of the vehicle anyhow.)



Give it another claying and rewash.



Do the polishing, rewashing/etc. as needed.



Do the Klasse twins, going for as many layers of KSG as you have time for.



Interior- Just clean it. Carpet is like carpet in your house; use "lane cleaners"/prespotters on stains. Rinse rinse rinse and make sure you don`t get things too wet to dry. Vinyl/etc. can be cleaned with specialty products (Griot`s Interior Cleaner) or diluted APCs. Leather you can do with Leatherique (big hassle) or LeatherMasters (good, my overall fave) or Sonus (OK too IME) or some other "made for leather" approach.






3) Last time I did it, I got really frustrated by how much time it took. Also, I got frustrated by not being able to use my PC on some hard to reach places like under the sideview mirrors or somewhere on the boot. How do I make sure I get all the surface covered and not miss any spot?



Work on mindset-this stuff can take a *LOT* of time and you have to stay focused. Do inaccessible spots by hand (yeah, that can take a long, long time). You avoid missing spots by working carefully and methodically.



That`s no BS lecture either, it`s simply how you gotta approach it. It becomes a trade-off; how much you can/will put into it vs. how good the end result will be.




4) Lastly, what can I do to speed my process? It took me a week the last time I did it. The polishing just took the longest time. I tried the whole doing the softest pad first, and then going my way up with the intensity of the pad and polish. How can I speed up my process?



You can only speed it up so much unless you`re gonna use extremely aggressive measures (which would increase the liklihood of a serious "oops!"). Use 4" pads on the PC for all correction and use effective products (M105 sure comes to mind, best thing I tried on my Bimmer for use with the PC, and I tried a lot of stuff).

[bonoz]

Nice. Thanks.



What should I do first? Interior? Exterior? Engine?

[Accumulator]

Nice. Thanks.



What should I do first? Interior? Exterior? Engine?



I`d do the engine compartment and undercarriage first. Then the exterior, then the interior. I work from nasty-to-delicate.