New Black S500...any tips to prevent/maintain paint?

[Taurian32]

I`ve got a new car being delivered in 2 weeks. Any tips to keep this car looking immaculate? I like the "wet" look, show quality. I am worried that I`ll swirl marks galore if I`m not super careful.



Any advice would be welcome!

[imported_Luster]

Brand new black car!!!!!



How exciting!



This is what I did with my new black Grand Prix.



1. Don`t let the dealer do ANYTHING to it! Insist if you have to!

2. Do all the cleanup/prep work yourself.

3. Clay it.

4. Polish it.

5. Protect it.

6. Garage it!



Enjoy this black beauty.......



And be prepared for the wonderful world of DAILY DETAILING!

[gnahc79]

don`t let the dealer touch it (wash, prep, etc) unless you know they do a good job. Before signing off on the delivery, see if you can inspect it under fluorescent lighting for ANY swirls and other defects. Don`t feel apprehensive about rejecting it for even the smallest thing...it`s not like you bought a grocery getter like myself :).

[Spilchy]

Ugh, black... my worst nightmare. Unless you`re a detail demon like Luster, you`ll be in for a world of hurt. I can`t stand caring for black cars or looking at the zillions of poor examples on the road. However, when done properly, it`s a thing of beauty!



Be sure to choose the right tools for the job. That includes a quality wash mitt, quality soap, quality drying towels and a bunch of quality MF`s. You want to prevent scratching and swirls



1) Clay



2) Very mild polish (P21S Gloss-enhancing Paintwork Cleanser, EINSZETT Metallic PolishWax)



3) Glaze (Meguiars #7 or 3M IHG) Your wet look.



4) Carnuba Wax - Personally, I like the 3M Paste Wax on black because of it`s UV protection and durability. You can then top that with a coat of P21s wax to make the paint truly pop.



All this can be done by hand to start since the paint is so new. Look to invest in a PC for future full details down the line.



Weekly maintenance of washings and quick detailing with EF Clear Pearl since it adds tiny layers of further protection.



Keep her in the garage and you`ll be set! The trick is PROTECTION! Just get it protected ASAP.

[square]

OK, I suggest you check that you get a swirl free car. Because the dealer will cover it with glaze.



I worked in an office bulding in Coral Cables, FL. Mercedes uses the office building garage as an overflow lot for new cars. Maybe 50-70 new Mercedes parked there every day. ALL were loaded with swirls! Go walk around the back lot of your dealer.



My E430 is dark blue, almost black, delivered by a dealer in Virginia. They covered all of the swirls with glaze. I figured this out after a wash job, and swirls started to appear. Since Mercedes uses Mequires products, I suspect they use #7 or Show Car Glaze before delivery on new cars. I took the car back, they "buffed" it out and the car looked fine. But in reality they used more glaze, which washed off.



So I started from scratch, and will not let them touch the car. PC, SR#9, PS21 polish, ..... The car stays swirl free now.



Spilchy has a good suggestion, that is what I would do.



Not sure what to tell you, but I bet your car comes with swirls.



Lou

[pingable]

Same here goes for my brand new BMW.



I don`t know what the policy of Mercedes out here stateside is but I think part of it is the influence from the *corporate office* themselves.



Shortly after I picked up my car, a BMW NA rep called me and I was asked a series of questions with a answer of "1-5". I think the more "5`s" they get, the bigger the incentive is for the dealer.



One of the questions that was asked was if my car was delivered clean, etc. I think this is where the dealer tries to make it looks it`s best for this reason.



FWIW, I told my dealer that it was to not be washed, detailed, etc and that I don`t mind that the car was dirty upon delivery.



Good luck actually getting the dealer to listen to your requests!

[GoodnClean]

A car dealer`s CSI (Customer Satisfaction Index) score is very important to them. In fact, thats what I do for a living, I tell car dealerships how to make their customers happy when they leave, and provide them with gifts and products to make their customers smile, and keep them for service etc. A low CSI score means dealerships have to pay more for cars, they dont get first pick of what gets delivered, etc. This is one main reason dealers (especially luxury car dealers) are SO THICK about the pre-delivery prep and washing the cars after service. Basically what you need to tell them is "I dont want the car prepped, and I will answer on all manufacturer questionaires that it was delivered to me spotless." Issue is, the manufacturer puts pressure on the dealer, and the dealer management puts pressure on the underlings. Nobody wants to take a chance on being the guy that is "responsible" for delivering this S500 unprepped.

[Scottwax]

I would have it written into the contract that you will not accept a car with any buffer marks on it, period. Make them sign off that the contract is void if they let their makeready department touch the car with a buffer.



Once you have your car, make sure you use microfiber towels on it, you dry it in the shade so you don`t end up trying to dry an almost already dry car and end up with mars and streaks from running a dry towel on dry paint.



Initially, clay the car, go over it with a glaze or very light polish, then I would recommend using Car Polish`s Final Polish and top it with S100 (P21S) paste wax. Final Polish is a polymer that lasts 6 months and looks very wet for a synthetic, and S100 will add some real depth-your car will look as if it is covered in liquid mercury!



This is a black Acura RL that I used Final Polish and S100 on:



http://www.autopia.org/gallery/data/500/8781997_acurarl2.jpg



And on a Mercedes E320:



http://www.autopia.org/gallery/data/500/878s100_finalpolish_on_black.jpg



Oh yeah, don`t let them put a dealer emblem on your car either.

[GoodnClean]

Originally posted by Scottwax



Oh yeah, don`t let them put a dealer emblem on your car either.



Issue with this is a lot of dealers put them on the cars when they inventory them, so if you`re buying from a dealer that does this, its probably already been done. This is rare for Benz dealers though, usually luxury car dealers (Benz, Lexus, BMW) are respectful...

[Scottwax]

Originally posted by GoodnClean

Issue with this is a lot of dealers put them on the cars when they inventory them, so if you`re buying from a dealer that does this, its probably already been done. This is rare for Benz dealers though, usually luxury car dealers (Benz, Lexus, BMW) are respectful...



1. Dealer put it on, they can take it off or no sale. Unless they plan on paying you to advertise for them, you can demand they remove it or not put it on in the first place.



2. Unfortunately, even high end dealers love to slap those nasty thinks on the back of cars. He!!, a Cadillac dealer in the Dallas area brags about it in their ads, something like "Sewell cars have another advantage, the nameplate on the back that means service" or some crap like that. Park Place Lexus and Mercedes dealers also deface the back of the cars they sell.



We all need to put our foot down concerning dealer emblems and let them know we won`t tolerate doing their advertising for them without compensation. http://www.moral-decay.com/Smile/ranton.gif

[Tim Lingor]

Originally posted by Scottwax

1. Dealer put it on, they can take it off or no sale. Unless they plan on paying you to advertise for them, you can demand they remove it or not put it on in the first place.



2. Unfortunately, even high end dealers love to slap those nasty thinks on the back of cars. He!!, a Cadillac dealer in the Dallas area brags about it in their ads, something like "Sewell cars have another advantage, the nameplate on the back that means service" or some crap like that. Park Place Lexus and Mercedes dealers also deface the back of the cars they sell.



We all need to put our foot down concerning dealer emblems and let them know we won`t tolerate doing their advertising for them without compensation. http://www.moral-decay.com/Smile/ranton.gif





The dealer put their darn sticker on my wife`s car as well. I would not let the dealer take the sticker off as I heard one guy talking how he uses a razor blade to take it off!!:scared



So I brought it home at went outside at did it myself; no marks at all!! It may only be a Toyota but dang it, I want that car perfect!!!

[Taurian32]

Thank you all! Ok, so I`m to Clay, Polish, Glaze, and then Wax??? I don`t mind that, I just want to make sure that is the correct way. What do you all think of ZAINO wax and polish? I am going for 1) Protection and 2) a DEEP and WET finish (calm down guys!!!!)



As far as getting the car without swirl marks, I guess we have understand the whole history of the car. First, when the car is builit in Germany, does the factory do anything to add marks? When they put on the protective film for shipping? Also, when a Mercedes comes to the US, it comes through Maryland. That is where they add options (phone, etc.) and put the cars on carriers and trains. Once the dealer actually receives the car, no telling what`s been done. I am going to my dealer today to discuss, I will report back to the forum.



As for the badges, unless you are NOT going to take your car when push comes to shove, don`t even bother fighting with the dealer. They will NOT budge. Just save the anger and go to any shop, but the heat gun on it, and it comes right off w/o damaging the paint.

[square]

Taurian32



OK, you know you are inciting "religious" convictions when you ask about Zaino!



You can see my experience with dark cars on this thread:



http://www.autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=21902&highlight=Lou



I really like Zaino, if your car will be outside for long periods, that is what I would use. But the deep wet look seems to imply carnuba. Many here really like Klasse, Blackfire, UPP with a carnuba topper. I am going to give one of these a try next time I work on the finish. Good news is - they are all great!



I really wish I knew how the dealers (or delivery mechanism)swirled them up so bad. The cars I mentioned early in this thread, sitting in a parking garage, are that way after unloading. I have seen the delivery vehicles drop them off right into the garage. They sit there, some for a few days, some for many weeks. When purchased, they go to final preperation, deswirled, and a happy customer drives away with a new car.



I suspect many things can happen because many shipping channels exist. My car, per my dealer, came from another dealer. Supposedly my dealer traded, bought, borrowed ..... a group of cars from another dealer, mine was one of them. For all I know, my car may have sat for months at another dealer, it may have been prepped several times.



I would like to hear what they tell you about the delivery process and your car.



Lou

[imported_Luster]

Originally posted by Taurian32

What do you all think of ZAINO wax and polish? I am going for 1) Protection and 2) a DEEP and WET finish (calm down guys!!!!)





A lot of guys don`t like Zaino on dark-colored cars. Personally, I love Z on Black cars!



I use Zaino "straight-up" for everyday use, and for car-shows, I give it a nice coat of Carnuba for a little extra POP!



In a nutshell........Zaino is a sealant that will last for 6-12 months, Carnuba is a wax that will last for a month (but slightly wetter than Z).



This is Zaino only...







http://www.autopia.org/gallery/data/500/6491hoodclouds-med.jpg

[Taurian32]

Would you 1) Clay 2) wash 3) Zaino and 4) Carnuba wax? Is that going to give me a deep wet shine, but add protection?