Previous Owner Mistreated Mercedes!!! I`m shocked! How to clean?

[BLK98SLK]

Hello, everyone! I am a complete newbie to this forum. Please explain all products and where to get them if possible. I would really appreciated it. Thanks.

I bought this mercedes off the guy....its a 98 slk230 as mentioned in my previous post.....anyway, I finally got it the other day and WTF? Dirt particles are freakin stuck to the car. I can remove them with my nails but other than that, if you run a cloth through them, they wont come off........I dunno if this guy ever EVEN WAXED HIS CAR! I dont think he really cared much for it since he`s well off and all........but now that I have it, i gotta take care of mah baby. So anyway, what`s the best method for removal? Should I just do regular sponge bath? Wouldn`t that scratch up the paint even more? Or put some sorta oil on it first?.....no....wait.....that would cause paint to come off......lol...by the way, I did buy it because I got a good deal on it...17K, 36K miles.

pics (http://web.tampabay.rr.com/apatel3/)

[imported_kgb]

To explain all products would take years. Your best bet is to search these forums for a while and you will start to see what people like, dislike, and so on.

[Scottwax]

Wash and clay the paint.

[BLK98SLK]

Sombody else from another forum recommended this method:



If you choose option B here is a summary of what you`ll want to do (in the shade or a garage if you have one):

1.) Wash the car thoroughly (don`t worry about drying right now). This will require 2 buckets (1 w/soap, 1 plain rinse water) and a lambswool wash mitt. (AKA 2 bucket method, see Autopia for details)

2.) Clay the entire car... instructions can be found at Autopia. You decide if you want to buy clay off the net or get some Mothers stuff from a local Walmart.

3.) Wash & dry the car again to remove any residue left by the claying process. This time use a California Water Blade and/or some quality microfiber towels to dry completely. Don`t forget to open the doors/hood/trunk and get around all the edges.

4.) Polish the car. This part gets tricky because I can`t really recommend a certain polish/swirl mark remover without seeing the paint first... but a good generic all in one cleaner/polish would be Klasse All-in-One.

5.) Protect the car. You can use either Klasse Sealant Glaze to keep the Klasse system going, or top the AIO with a carnauba wax. I recommend P21S paste wax if you choose the wax route.



What do ya think?

[Scottwax]

That should work. Claying is the key to removing the grit.

[imported_jaobrien6]

Originally posted by BLK98SLK

but a good generic all in one cleaner/polish would be Klasse All-in-One.



Note: AIO (All-in-One) is not a polish, just a cleaner. It does not have the abrasives that you will need to get the swirl marks out, and it doesn`t contain fillers to hide them, either. If you want to get the swirls/scratches out, you will need to use a polish after washing/claying.



John

[acl99]

loose the sponge get a lambswool wash mit. wash+clay the car before you do anyhing else. No sense polishing grit into your paint.

[wash_me]

I think he going to need a compound to get those swirls/scratches out.

[Magellan498]

Might not, most of them look fairly thin.



Depends on if there are deeper ones hiding in there.

[acl99]

mercedes from what ive read on the boards here ususaly have pretty good paint. so hopefully those swirls arent too deep. I dont see any really deep scratches from those pics. Are you planning on buying a PC blk98slk? Post some pics of the car after you clay/wash so we can get a better feel for the swirls under all that crud, than you will probaly get some product recomendations.

[BLK98SLK]

okay guys, thax for the advice..will get to washin with lambswool wash mit and then clay.



Are you planning on buying a PC blk98slk?

what is a PC blk98slk???



Also, where can I find instructions on the "2 bucket method" and claying thats supposed to be on autopia.....I looks in some articles and I couldn`t find it.

[BLK98SLK]

By the way, there are a lot of slight scratches on the trunk and corners of car. They are like very light key marks. After all the cleaning and claying, how can I make them disappear?

[acl99]

your going to need a true polish to remove the scratch. Meguiar`s #83 Dual Action Cleaner/Polish (DACP) should remove them if there light scratches. Also the PC is the Porter-Cable Orbital Buffer 7424.

[BLK98SLK]

Also the PC is the Porter-Cable Orbital Buffer 7424.

Okay, so where am I supposed to get one for a black slk and what is it?

[imported_Jinx1309]

A Porter-Cable 7424 can be purchased from Here (http://www.coastaltool.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/a/port/pr7424.htm?L+coastest+xkbv6165ff0a7b0a+1068349327) . The PC is a Random Orbit Polisher that can be used in removing swirls/scratches that would otherwise take alot more effort to do by hand. You can also use it to apply waxes/sealants.