This site is incredible!

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SquiderM3

New member
Hello everyone

Found this site out of necessity and from what I've been reading I couldn't be happier with the find. I wish my first thread could be a 'happier' one but this is not the case. Here's my dilemma: Bought a 2004 BMW M3 two months ago, Titanium silver in color. Went on a vacation and the car unknowingly was parked next to the resorts sprinkler system. Temperatures reached 35 degrees C and as a result have water spots that won't come off. I have tried water/vinegar mix, claying and a cleaner wax all of which seemed to reduce the spots but not totally eliminate them. They are smooth to the touch and therefore suspect etching. Because the car is silver, the spots are not noticeable unless viewed at the right angle under a fluorescent light; however, they still make me lose sleep at night.

My choices are: professional detailing or tackle it myself. From reading I believe I can handle the task and have decided on the following products: Porter Cable 7336, Mother's Clay Bar, Meg Medallion Paint cleaner or 3M Finesse It II, Klasse AIO and finally Klasse SG.

What should I do, let the pros handle it, leave it alone as it is not too visible or work carefully through this? I am not new to detailing but have never taken it this far; however, the satisfaction and gratification from a job well done is second to none for me.

Any input would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

Squider
 
Well squider I say go for it yourself . This is how I got started detailing. I bought a '02 325Ci Tit. Slvr. I researched all the products like you have and got a porter cable and all the right polishes and waxes. You'll be more conscience if you do it yourself and you'll use the products long after removing those nasty hard water spots. You'll get good at using the buffer in no time. I use poorboys polymer sealant on my bimmer. got it at pakshak.com its called EX-P .Grab some microfiber towels too.

Congrats on the new ride , SMG or 6-spd?

Aloha and Good Luck
 
Thanks for your input.

The car is a 6 speed, didn't feel right without a clutch with the SMG.

A fellow silver owner, maybe you can help. I love the color but sometimes get bummed because like any lighter color, all the effort of polishing and waxing doesn't seem to bear the fruits of labor such as a black or even a red color. All the previous applications were done by hand and I'm hoping a PC will help but I'm not holding my breath. Do you find this to be the case or am I just using the wrong products. In the short two months, I have tried Rejex (sealant), Turtle Wax Ultra Gloss and now Meg NXT Tech wax, none of which have really impressed me. I haven't used a polish yet as the car is only two months old and I read somewhere before that the paint needs time to cure. Now that the spots are there though, the polish is definitely the next step. Do you find Poorboy products give the 'wet' look that I'm looking for?
 
:welcome , you'll get more replies if you post in the main detailing section ;).

See you there :)
 
I have seen some excelent results w/ EX-P topped W/ Natty's.
Can't wait to try out the combo on my wife's car :D
What type of pads are you using with the PC?

And :welcome

"J"
 
Squider I hear ya on the paint results. But a properly polished and prepared service will give the wax the boost it needs. I use to have 2.5 layers of Ultimate Paint Protection by 4Star Products and it looked great! I have a 2001 titanium silver car but the unique part is the sun can give duel looks. Sometimes the paint is more of a white and sometimes I see metallics like crazy. Gloss is amazing in full sun, its like blueish metal.

For PB stuff, definitely get Natty's Wax. It gives a boost like no other for sealants. You can go for either EX-P Or EX. I'm planning on 4 coats of EX-P to see what it can do. Welcome btw! :dcrules
 
To work out the spots I'd try Poorboys SSR 2.5 followed by SSR 1 or Pro Polish and I'd use my PC.

Using the PC and the products above I worked out tons of minor scratches, bird poop marks, and other marring on a ten year old car that had not been polished before. I ran the PC at high speed with a polishing pad for the 2.5 and a finish pad for the PP and sometimes I used a lot of pressure to get out the deeper scratches. Burgundy car so the marring really showed. It came out fantastically well. My wife was even impressed and made the comment that the car may not have looked that good when it was new. She's right.
 
SquiderM3,

First, welcome to DC! :bigups

Now, on to your vehicle.

If those water spots are etched into the paint, I have my doubts that the Finesse It II will get them out............. but it might work? The Finesse It II is very similar to Meguiar's #9 in abrasiveness, and neither are extremely good at getting out severe water spots. By all means, give it a try though. Still, I think you will need to step up in abasiveness to a product like SSR2.5 or DACP, and even they may not work. In the end, you may need to have them professional removed.

As for making silver "POP".............. I agree, there is only so much you can do. You have to keep experimenting with a few products until you find something you like. I think the Klasse AIO/SG combo you selected may be an excellent starting point. The other products mentioned in this thread may also work very nicely.

Good Luck
 
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You've got all excellent advice from some of thebest guys on the sight..You'll need to get some yellow pads and poorboys ssr2.5 .Its aggresive but wont haze or need alot of polishing to clean it up. Set your pc on 5 and let her rip..

Squider , you already got the Klasse right , try that and see how you like it . for me I like to use polymer waxes, ( non-carnuba ) it makes the lighter colors look deep and thick..

Soo, after your Klasse try some poorboys EX-P sealant .Throw on a couple of coats and let me know how you like it.
 
Thanks everyone for the replies, I'll add some Poorboy products to the mix and see how it goes.

Just discovered the arcade section, excellent way to pass time at work. Hehe.
 
After the EX-P, you might want to try Pinnacle Signature wax or Top of the Line Pizzaz to give it the final pop...both are made to bring out the final shine on sivler cars.

I put my first coat of EX-P on AIO today and am very, very happy!
 
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