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

S

stilez

New member
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

DSC05942.jpg




After

DSC05944.jpg






The filter

DSC05968.jpg
 
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

DSC05941.jpg






After

DSC05947.jpg




DSC05949.jpg




DSC05951.jpg




DSC05958.jpg
 
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

DSC05966.jpg




After

DSC05970.jpg






Before

DSC05967.jpg




After

DSC05969.jpg
 
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



DSC05993.jpg




DSC05988.jpg




DSC05990.jpg
 
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.



DSC05998.jpg






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

DSC06008.jpg




After

DSC06014.jpg
 
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

DSC06011.jpg




After

DSC06012.jpg








Before

DSC06005.jpg




After

DSC06024.jpg






DSC06020.jpg




DSC06028.jpg




DSC06025.jpg








Enjoy!
 
Simply flat out GORGEOUS work Sean!!! :bow



I love the Bimmer and the Merc's but that Z is just scrumptious.... :drool:
 
Awesome work as always Sean...especially on the 350Z. Still waiting for you to do mine lolol



:grinno: :grinno:
 
Sick work man! My folks have two of those 325's and the brake dust is INSANE.



What did you use to treat the leather on the cars?



Half those details HAD to be down the shore in Jersey. I can tell in a second. Those are nice summer homes - Belmar? Bay Head? Or is that a residential area?



Anyway, awesome jobs!
 
Wow, that is amazing work. is the front right rim of the bmw, bent? nice work on the gas compartment on the nissan haha, such attention to detail is nice.
 
Thank you everyone!





Raveendra: Wish I could answer that one :nixweiss





Porkanbeans: I like it, but it's not strong enough for the really bad stuff. If you don't encounter rims like the bimmer up top, then you should be ok. You can dilute it as well. Just to note, it doesn't sud whatsoever...like putting on colored water. Some people like suds.





The Z is such an amazing car. The entire day all I was looking forward to was the 40 minute trip to drop it off. I got a few nods and thumbs up, not to mention an exhilarating ride :D.





Seth: 303 Aerospace. I was VERY limited on what to bring. I did this details on vacation btw :). The house (more like estate) is on the ocean in Point Pleasant Beach.





andrew: Yup, bent. Looks like the reminence of a big pot hole hit at a decent clip.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top