Abused Mercedes exterior paint rejuvenation and extreme detail! sacdetailing is back!

[sacdetailing]

Hello fellow autopians! heaven`t posted here in a while! This 240+k miles Mercedes was so nasty and scrathed up i really dont know of anyone ever detailed it in its life before, when i drove that car my mood was always sad because it looked so cheap and boring, couple days later it was back to life at about 85+ percent.







http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6853.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6853.jpg)



http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6855.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6855.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6856.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6856.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6858.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6858.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6859.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6859.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6860.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6860.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6861.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6861.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6862.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6862.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6863.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6863.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6864.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6864.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6865.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6865.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6866.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6866.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6870.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6870.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6871.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6871.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6873.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6873.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6874.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6874.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6875.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6875.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6876.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6876.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6877.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6877.jpg)

had to clean inside rims about 3 times.. years of brake dust, grime and all that grap...

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6879.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6879.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6867.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6867.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6868.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6868.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6869.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6869.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6880.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6880.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6881.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6881.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6882.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6882.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6883.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6883.jpg)

painted the ugly scratched up and sad looking lug nuts.

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6886.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6886.jpg)

Polished inside of rim and outside with m105 and waxed them for even more fresh look



http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6884.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6884.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6885.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6885.jpg)



THIS is the REAR wheel well... cleaned various times with different brushes and chemicals then painted some black plastick and dressed the rest to prevent from cracking and for better look..



http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6887.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6887.jpg)



http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6890.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6890.jpg)

this is the rear wheel being soaked in in Sonax wheel cleaner.





http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6888.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6888.jpg)



preparing for polishing.. washing, claying, wetsanding some areas like the hood and the trunk...



http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6900.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6900.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6899.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6899.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6898.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6898.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6891.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6891.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6892.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6892.jpg)

[sacdetailing]

Next morning, happy and energized ready to polish and more cleaning.

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6901.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6901.jpg)











I did about 3 and some areas 4+ steps on the vehicle as my memory doesn`t lie to me i did m105 on heavy cut wool pad, second step orange pad and m105 then m205 on white pad but each steps i did 2 heavy kbm passes. The paint was so bad and in some areas thin so I really had to be careful as did not want to burn paint or leave the clear too thin, surprisingly when i was checking my paint gauge I did not remove too much clear even after i wet sanded. for example from .85 i removed clear to 77. I also touched up some scratches with paint touch up.

I also took some time to polish "Mercedes" chrome badges on the good and the trunk, it really started shining :)

After then for LSP I waxed it wit Meguiars Gold Glass paste wax.









http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6902.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6902.jpg)



after all polish was done i took my time to clean up in the areas around badges and around trip with lots of cotton swabs and my favorite m105 because it was making the car look like crap and its white so it was just standing out on white paint.







http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6911.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6911.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6915.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6915.jpg)



Ok here is afters!!! get ready guys! ;)

This is after so much paint and glass polishing, cleaning and waxing and painting and dressing rubber, plastics...



http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6918.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6918.jpg)



http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6919.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6919.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6921.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6921.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6922.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6922.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6923.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6923.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6925.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6925.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6926.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6926.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6927.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6927.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6928.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6928.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6929.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6929.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6932.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6932.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6933.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6933.jpg)





Also polished in door handles by hand with m105.





http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6934.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6934.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6936.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6936.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6938.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6938.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6940.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6940.jpg)







Spend so much time in here, the dirt was just so old and glued to paint.





Also forgot to take after pic of this but i taped it up and painted with plastic paint, and the side skirts i painted too because the black paint was old and ugly and was not polishing out.





http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6941.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6941.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6942.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6942.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6943.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6943.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6944.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6944.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6945.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6945.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6947.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6947.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6949.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6949.jpg)

http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/DSCN6946.jpg (http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/superalex_photos/?action=view&current=DSCN6946.jpg)











Hope everyone enjoyed the write up, comment and if you have seen some areas i can improve don`t be scared to say. We all learn and become better with each car we detail.



Ps: this was my one of the most exciting jobs ive ever done in my detailing career. I enjoyed every minute of this car how it transforms.

[DaGonz]

That car is happy again... nice work!

[pixelmonkey]

240k miles? baaa.... from the looks of the after photos, someone has been jacking with the odometer.



very nice turn-around for that car. taking something that has been quite used and making it look quite new is always a nice accomplished feeling when the work is complete.



congratulations!

chris<pixelmonkey>:D

[classictouchllc]

This post made me smile. Gotta love going all out on the used and abused. I had a `96 Camry daily driver that I did a full job on like this. I got compliments everywhere I went because its so unusual to see such a normal, typically abused car shining the way it did. Seriously, one of my favorite posts ever.

Thanks for sharing.

[kakeuter]

Great turnaround dude, that was a ton of work.



-Kody-

[imported_BretFraz]

These are the kind of detail jobs I like to see. Great job on the turnaround. Detail`s like this are great resume builders. If you can take that roach of a car and turn it into a jewel, you can do that to anything.



Keep up the great work!

[Accumulator]

These are the kind of detail jobs I like to see...



Same here! Great work sacdetailing! Good use of that ETG :xyxthumbs

[Scottwax]

Amazing transformation!

[sacdetailing]

thanks guys!! This was so much fun to do, i smile every time i see it. :)

[cptzippy]

Ditto on all the comments - super work.