99 BMW 740il calypso red

[gmblack3]

Its got 75k on it and I thought the car looked ok. Maybe some water spots and a few scratches.



http://img330.imageshack.us/img330/7500/img01631jk.th.jpg (http://img330.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img01631jk.jpg)



But once I got it clayed the roof and hood has some serious deep water spots that came with the car, the trunk was looking like crap too.



http://img330.imageshack.us/img330/9108/before20id.th.jpg (http://img330.imageshack.us/my.php?image=before20id.jpg)



Some nice scratches too:



http://img330.imageshack.us/img330/615/img01853ez.th.jpg (http://img330.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img01853ez.jpg)



Of course the sides of the car looked good. A few scratches here and there but nothing major.



http://img330.imageshack.us/img330/9948/img01709tw.th.jpg (http://img330.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img01709tw.jpg)



I decided to spend a little cash and do it on my own. So I ordered a few items:



http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/4328/img01738ne.th.jpg (http://img71.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img01738ne.jpg)

[gmblack3]

I started out trying to use the Menzerna Intensive Polish and the orange pad, which I thought would be "rough" enough to get most anything out. Boy was I wrong, I worked the paint on the roof for like 45 mins on one 2`x2` section. The surface was smooth but I was not touching the water spots at all. Coem to find out I should of got a yellow pad which would cut more. So I went to a local paint supply place and got a foam 3m compounding pad and some 3M Perfect-Itâ„¢ II Rubbing Compound. The pad was not really made to work with the PC as its for a rotary, but I`m running out of time here already.



So another 45 mins or longer on the same area and I finally got it looking decent



http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/8619/after10ho.th.jpg (http://img185.imageshack.us/my.php?image=after10ho.jpg)



Its still taking a long time so I go out and try to find some heavy cut 3m stuff. I could not so I get some Meguiar’s #4 Heavy- Cut Cleaner. After using that for 20 mins or so I realize that its going to still take a while. The PC can`t get the #4 hot enough to work, this stuff is made to work with a rotary. But I march on and get the roof done. I then do the trunk. All of this is happening over a few days. Wife is soon gonna need the car back. Daddy thinks he can still get it all done.



Well I still need to use the Menzerna Intensive Polish to get rid of the clouding/hazing from the compounding products and then finish it up with the Menzerna final polish II. So I decide that I`m gonna have to skip the hood for now and work on that another day or days. [smilie=freak.gif]



So I use the PC with the orange pad and do each section 2 times with the Menzerna Intensive Polish. Most of the clouding/hazing is gone. I do the whole car sans the hood as I said before. Then I move to the Menzerna final polish II and a white pad. Its really looking good now as each section gets done twice again.



Its getting late again but I need to finish, so I quickly put a few coats of old Zaino Z5 with ZFX on. I figure I`ll do coats of Z2pro w/ ZFX which will shine even more after I do the hood. I finish off with Menzerna High Gloss Acrylic Shield. I hear the zaino Z8 is even better, but I`ll wait till I run out of this before I give the Z8 a try.



Here are a pic right after I got done



http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/8805/img02272tr.th.jpg (http://img32.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img02272tr.jpg)



A few from today



http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/1518/img02284ch.th.jpg (http://img32.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img02284ch.jpg)



Heck the hood does not look that bad in the right light. Remember no polishing here yet, just clay and zaino Z5



http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/5805/img02317vu.th.jpg (http://img32.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img02317vu.jpg)



Roof



http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/4670/img02331fi.th.jpg (http://img32.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img02331fi.jpg)



Other shots



http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/7919/img02348ga.th.jpg (http://img32.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img02348ga.jpg)



http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/166/img02352uf.th.jpg (http://img32.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img02352uf.jpg)



All the black trim still needs cleaned and dressed up. Will do that along with the hood, maybe sunday.



Sorry no full car pics, as the wife was on her way when I took the last few pics.

[mav63]

Nice work so far! What`s the condition of the interior?

[saling4]

Looks pretty darn good. Your comment that in the "right light" the hood looks good reminds me of my favorite technique...CLose my eyes let my imagination see what it should look like, grab a beer and watch football. Perfect shine everytime. :2thumbs:

[gmblack3]

Nice work so far! What`s the condition of the interior?



Thanks!



Pretty decent, drivers seat needs some leatherique again. Carpets are clean, but could be better. Floor mats are about 6 months old. Here is the only recent pic that I have, sorry so crappy



http://img499.imageshack.us/img499/9618/img01670yc.th.jpg (http://img499.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img01670yc.jpg)



Carpets and leather might get some work this w/e.

[gmblack3]

Looks pretty darn good. Your comment that in the "right light" the hood looks good reminds me of my favorite technique...CLose my eyes let my imagination see what it should look like, grab a beer and watch football. Perfect shine everytime. :2thumbs:



:LOLOL I just keep looking at the rest of the car for now.

[gmblack3]

Worked on the hood for 4 hours last w/e to reduce the water spots.



Megs #4 with PC and a 3m compounding pad.

Menzerna IP w/ LC orange pad 2x

Menzerna FPII w/ LC white pad 2x

Zaino Z5 1 coat





Washed the car yesterday morning w Z7 and tried some Z8 for the first time. The Z8 seemed to make quite a difference in the appearance and the paint is very slick now. I`m thinking of doing 3 coats of Z2pro w/ ZFX this w/e.



http://autopia.org/gallery/data/500/IMG_0302.jpg



http://autopia.org/gallery/data/500/IMG_0301.jpg

[Scottwax]

Wow! Massive improvement!



I am not sure how aggressive the orange pad is but the most aggressive I have used is the burgandy Meguiars cutting pad. Not sure if that would have saved you any time though.



I bet it feels good to have brought that paint back. :)

[gmblack3]

Thanks Scott!



I even tried an orange pad from propel that a friend sent me, but it would not do much either. I think the orange from propel and the megs burg pad are supposed to be in the same "cut class"



I just received a orange, green and blue from propel. I hear the new P2s won`t be out till after the new year.



If I knew how to use a rotary, I`m sure it would of been done in no time.



I might pull the front seats out this w/e and clean the carpets real good. They really don`t look that bad though. Drivers seat needs some leatherique, but I hate doing that when its cooler out.

[Scottwax]

You should find the carpets to be reasonably easy to clean. The carpets in the 7s are very dense, so stains normally stay towards the top instead of working in real deep.

[gmblack3]

You should find the carpets to be reasonably easy to clean. The carpets in the 7s are very dense, so stains normally stay towards the top instead of working in real deep.



Thanks!



I used the hoover carpet cleaner today when I did the beater (91 acura legend) I put about 8oz of 303 carpet and spot cleaner in the 1 gallon of heated water.



The little brushes on the hand attachment are a POS:



http://autopia.org/gallery/data/500/medium/IMG_0291.jpg



So I remember that I ordered a carpet brush w/ the PC



http://autopia.org/gallery/data/500/medium/IMG_0290.jpg



That worked much better. I sprayed the 303 FS on any bad spots.



So in the end I would use the hand attachment to spray the area down, brush with the PC and then use the hand attachment to extract. Worked ok, but maybe the shop vac would have more suction?



I layed the floor mats on a big towel and used the hoover itself, like I was doing carpets inside the house.



Here are the mats before:



http://autopia.org/gallery/data/500/medium/mats_before.jpg



After



http://autopia.org/gallery/data/500/medium/IMG_0298.jpg



At some angles they still look to be dirty.



Here is the right side after:



http://autopia.org/gallery/data/500/medium/rt_after_1.jpg



It was not that dirty to start with.



Tomorrow I will spray the 303 fabric guard on the mats and carpet.



Any tips?

[imported_hadboosttroy]

that carpet looks really really good, nice work.

[gmblack3]

Here are the final exterior pics after:



3 coats of Z2pro w/ZFX

Z6 after 1st and 2nd coat.

Finish up with Z8.



That was on sunday and these pics where taken tuesday after a drive into town.



http://autopia.org/gallery/data/500/IMG_0337.JPG



http://autopia.org/gallery/data/500/IMG_03421.jpg



http://autopia.org/gallery/data/500/IMG_0345.JPG



Few pics from inside



http://autopia.org/gallery/data/500/IMG_0359.JPG



roof



http://autopia.org/gallery/data/500/IMG_0354.JPG