A Designo SL500, S600, 325xi, and Sunset 350z *good week*

G35stilez

G35stilez

Ari Gold
Boy, did I have the luxury treatment this week :). I got to do all of the nice ones. Yes, they may have been a bit dirtier than I'd like, but its fun to gloat at some of the design and engineering cues from these amazing machines.


First up, the 325xi.


Ok, I guess I started with the dirtiest first, but it gave the owners (SL500, S600) a good idea of what I could do. The interior was trashed to say the least. The owner brings her 100lb Golden Retriever with her pretty much everywhere. The leather saved me time, but there was hair on the rear deck, ceiling, etc. Foreign substances galore and assorted candy wrappers and lollypop sticks. Final processes:

-APC 10:1 to clean everything
-Folex to pretreat, APC 10:1 to agitate, then extracted for all carpeted surfaces
-303 Aerospace on everything
-Gliptone Carnauba Body Gloss on wood trim and in jams


Before
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After
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The filter
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The exterior wasn't too great either. I really couldn't tell you the last time it was washed which was both good and bad. She had it detailed a while ago and there were buffer trails (common thing nowadays) but very very minor swirling. The lower half needed clay bad and the wheel area was atrocious. Final processes:

-PB SS&S Wash
-PB Clay with SS&S as lube
-Menzerna PO85RD via rotary and LC Polishing Pad @ 1500 rpm
-Poorboy's EX+ by hand
-Gliptone Carnauba Body Gloss by hand


-Wheels were cleaned with acid cut 50/50 x 3, then APC, then PB SS&S, and then sealed with OCW
-Tires and wells cleaned with APC cut 3:1, then the tires got Optimum and wells got Hyper Dressing (the tires were dry rotted which was why the Opt didn't look to grand)

Before
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After
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Next up the SL500.


The interior was the focal point of the detail. There was grime in every crack and crevice which is very common for a convertible. Unfortunately, it took me 2 hours for the interior (very long). I got it to about 95% as there was grime in places I literally couldn't get a Q-tip into. I, as well as the owner, was very pleased. Final processes:

-APC 10:1 to clean everything
-Folex to pretreat, APC 10:1 to agitate, then extracted for all carpeted surfaces
-303 Aerospace on everything
-Gliptone Carnauba Body Gloss on wood trim and in jams


Before
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After
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Before
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After
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The exterior had moderate to heavy swirling which is almost unheard of for Ceramiclear. Looking at their other vehicles, there are not great car washes nor detailers in the area :(. At the end of the vehicle lineup, the owner asked me to come back every weekend because the other places are so sh it ty. Anyways, final processes:


-PB SS&S Wash
-PB Clay with SS&S lube
-Optimum Polish via rotary and Wool Pad @ 1750 rpm on all horizontal surfaces (the worst parts)
-Optimum Polish via rotary and LC Polishing Pad @ 1500 rpm on everything
-Menzerna FMJ by hand
-OCW by hand

-BnB on tires
-HD in wells
-Flitz and #0000 Steel Wool on exhaust

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The S600 was "detailed" like a month ago, but I was disgusted at the work they did. There were buffer marks up and down it and the surface barely had tension. The leather was slippery and had too much sheen even a month later, etc. I just washed with PB SS&S, then quick waxed with Gliptone's Carnauba Body Gloss.

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It was such an amazing machine though...even more amazing that the owner's wife drives it fulltime :).



Last up, le Z. This belongs to a buddy of mine. He recently took a job that owns him for 60+ hours a week and he hasn't been able to keep up with it. He also got hit in a lot (hit and run :() and had a gash that needed some repairs. First up, the gash.

-Washed with PB SS&S
-Clayed with PB
-IPA wipedown
-Touched up x 4 (10 mins apart)
-Wetsanded with 1500 > 2400 > 4000
-Buffed lightly with FPII until a bright gloss appeared

The results were about 75%. The location was VERY hard to work around and the high points were thin. I did the best I could with what I was given.

Before
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After
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Exterior final processes:

-PB SS&S Wash
-PB Clay with SS&S lube
-Menzerna Final Polish II via rotary and LC Polishing Pad @ 1500 rpm
-Zaino Z5 by hand
-OCW by hand


-Wheels cleaned with TOL Wheel Wash, then sealed with #20 and OCW
-Wells and tires cleaned with APC 3:1, then dressed with BnB
-Trim got PB TS
-Gas compartment degreased with APC 10:1, then sealed/polished with #20 and OCW as did the license plates and exhaust


Before
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After
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Before
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After
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Enjoy!
 
Enjoy is right! I ran out of stuff to say ages ago so picture me grin from ear to ear every time I see your work. :D

Ah, the SL brings back fond memories of when I detailed them down the NJ Shore. Speaking of the Shore, that sure looks like it. Wherabouts is that? There's lots of amazing machines down there!
 
Good freak! Skill is too good! :bow How well does 0000 work on metal? I have Adam's Polishes and Flitz with a PowerBall ready. You should really use a Meg's Extractor for Dog Hair removal, by far the easiest sucker to use on hair.
 
Bill D said:
Enjoy is right! I ran out of stuff to say ages ago so picture me grin from ear to ear every time I see your work. :D

Ah, the SL brings back fond memories of when I detailed them down the NJ Shore. Speaking of the Shore, that sure looks like it. Wherabouts is that? There's lots of amazing machines down there!
Click to expand...

Dito! :bigups

Greg
 
As always great work Sean

All that dog hair is amazing, was the owner trying to build another one :lol
Beautiful work on touching up that scratch :bigups

"J"
 
Thanks everyone :).


Bill: Point Pleasant Beach. Nice cars at every house. One neighbor even had a Continental GT :cool

The Woob: It's the gentlest of wool. Most of the time, the exhaust is soo far gone that this is the only way to fix it. It puts light marrs in the exhaust that are barely visible and only when the sunlight hits them. My theory is that they'd rather have them clean and marred than dirty and unmarred.

Can you tell me more about the extractor?


tyltan: My buddy said the same thing! Actually, first thing he said. I spray the TOL Wheel Wash in there and let it sit. Then I agitate it with a Meguiar's Spoke Brush. I had to do the front wheels twice. IMO, it looks 100x better when a wheel is clean thru and thru.


klnyc: Didn't do any engine bays this time around, but yes I usually do. I spray and on and let it soak in, then buff off. The buff off part is very important as it will attract dust if not done.


Thanks again :).
 
GSRstilez said:
Thanks everyone :).


Bill: Point Pleasant Beach. Nice cars at every house. One neighbor even had a Continental GT :cool
Click to expand...

Ah ha! I know exactly where that is! Indeed ,yes that area has loads of nice cars! Rt 88, has ( or at least used to ) classic car dealers not far from there!That's all on the way to Zaino land too! :D

:( Man, a year too late, I could've met up with you there. I used to frequent Ortley Beach/Lavalette all of the time, where the Surf Club owner's SL I used to detail is.
 
Wanna talk classics?


This is his '56 T-Bird thats on the list for the next time I'm in the area. The car is in 90%+ shape but the paint has swirls and a ton of buffer marks from the local place :(. Amazing vehicle though, compliments everywhere he goes.

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I may very well have seen that one at a show. I'm pretty sure there's a similar year, white 'bird in Seaside Park.
 
http://www.autogeek.net/pet-hair-lint.html

The extractor works amazingly. I use it in conjunction with my vac and just scrub with the long or short bristles. Not hard to clean at all, and all you do is brush over the stuff and it makes the job a snap.

Been looking for good metal polishes, most are just the clearing/protective type. I'm looking more of the abrasive type that take off contamination and staining. I'll try the wool one day. :jump
 
Thanks Woob!


Bill: I saw it! 1956 in white while I was walking inside at their place. Just for a brief second but the owner was VERY surprised to hear there was another one around.
 
Amazing work!!!


From what I hear BMW paint is harder then most paints is this true ? Of course it is softer then the Cermiclear Mercedes Clearcoats, but harder then most. BTW, what does the Cermiclear paint swirl easier ?
 
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