Brand New BMW 328i Recommendations Wanted

BigMike

New member
My neighbor Was spray painting his house and a bit of overspray drifted onto my dark green truck. Latex enamel paint. any suggestions on how to remove. [ The paint,not the neighbor!]
 
Paint cleaning clay was originally designed for this (well, for car paint removal but it'll work great on house paint).



Try washing your car first to remove some of the overspray. Then clay your car completely and wash again. You may have to do touch-up claying on the windows or small areas of the body.



You'll probably need to rewax the car after all this work. Perhaps something Mr. Inconsiderate Next Door can help you with? At the very least you should remind him to tell you in advance the next time he starts acting like Bob Vila.
 
Thanks I'll give it a try. Two years ago,when I painted my house I not only covered his cars but part of his house as well!
 
Ok Party People...:Dancing Dot:
before I submit my request for input I have to mention a few things.
I read Todd Helme's write up on the job he did on the Ferrari 458 Italia, and honestly it is intimidating to even post this, since it is probably considered so "basic" by the professional detailers on this Forum and I don't feel worthy. :notworthy:

Amazing write up by Todd though...and incredibly informative!!

Ok...so here are some questions that range from Polishing to Interior care.
My girlfriend just picked up her brand new BMW 328i last night. It is Blue Water Metallic in color and has an Oyster leather interior.

I planned to Clay the car with Blackfire clay using my PC7424, polish it and then seal it with BFWD.
One of the questions I have though is what Polish I should use on this car since I'm not familiar with how 'hard' the Clear Coat is. I have Menzerna Super Intensive Polish (PO83) and the Menzerna Ceramic Clear Coat Polish (PO106FF). I would like to use one of these polishes since I already have them. Considering I will only be using my PC7424 DA Polisher, will either of these be safe to use? Should I use the PO106FF since it is designed for the newer harder CC's and a new car?

There is definitely some orange peel in the paint, but my goal is not to fully correct this.

The next question I have is regarding the leather interior. Since the car is brand new...I would like to consider applying something that will protect the leather and potentially make it easier for cleaning up Mis-Haps later. :mad:
I have some Meguiars Gold Class Leather Cleaner/Conditioner that I have used on my 2001 Pathfinder, but I find that it creates a pretty glossy wet look. I've seen some people recommending Leatherique...so given this is a brand new car, any particular recommendations?

Thanks for the help!
:-?
 
Ok Party People...:Dancing Dot:
before I submit my request for input I have to mention a few things.
I read Todd Helme's write up on the job he did on the Ferrari 458 Italia, and honestly it is intimidating to even post this, since it is probably considered so "basic" by the professional detailers on this Forum and I don't feel worthy. :notworthy:

Amazing write up by Todd though...and incredibly informative!!

Ok...so here are some questions that range from Polishing to Interior care.
My girlfriend just picked up her brand new BMW 328i last night. It is Blue Water Metallic in color and has an Oyster leather interior.

I planned to Clay the car with Blackfire clay using my PC7424, polish it and then seal it with BFWD.
One of the questions I have though is what Polish I should use on this car since I'm not familiar with how 'hard' the Clear Coat is. I have Menzerna Super Intensive Polish (PO83) and the Menzerna Ceramic Clear Coat Polish (PO106FF). I would like to use one of these polishes since I already have them. Considering I will only be using my PC7424 DA Polisher, will either of these be safe to use? Should I use the PO106FF since it is designed for the newer harder CC's and a new car?

There is definitely some orange peel in the paint, but my goal is not to fully correct this.

The next question I have is regarding the leather interior. Since the car is brand new...I would like to consider applying something that will protect the leather and potentially make it easier for cleaning up Mis-Haps later. :mad:
I have some Meguiars Gold Class Leather Cleaner/Conditioner that I have used on my 2001 Pathfinder, but I find that it creates a pretty glossy wet look. I've seen some people recommending Leatherique...so given this is a brand new car, any particular recommendations?

Thanks for the help!
:-?

First off, you don't ever need to feel intimidated here. There are detailers of all skill levels here, and everyone comes to get as well as give advise. That's how we learn. Todd happens to be at the very top of the profession, but he would be the first to jump in and help in any way he could.

As for the polishing, what condition is the paint in? Are there many swirls, scratches, RIDS, etc.? If the paint is in bad shape you may need to start with the SIP, and then finish with the 106FF. If the paint is in pretty good shape, you might be able to go straight to the 106FF.

Unfortunately, the only way to rid yourself of the orange peel, is to wet sand, and then polish out.

Since the car is brand new, I don't know if you need to use a cleaner/conditioner on the leather. Just use a good protectant that is safe for leather. Try Optimum Leather Protectant.
http://properautocare.com/sp2007p.html

Make sure to get some pics up after you clean her up.:rockon:
 
Darn it, Barry beat me to it. I wholeheartedly agree on the Optimum Protectant Plus (or Leather Protectant, depending on which label you get :huh:) for your interior. Great stuff!
 
All great advice already posted.

Yes, look at the vehicle in the sun or with a really good halogen light, etc., and determine the level if any of scratches.

Wash it and run a clean dry hand lightly over the washed finish to determine if it needs claybar work first; most vehicles - heck probably all vehicles need a claybar session before you do any polishing work.

I have used Menzena SIP and find it a great medium cut polish, depending on the pad you use, and the condition of your paint. In my experience with new Bimmers, they come pretty well polished from the factory, I have never bought one that needed work like we just saw in the awesome post Todd Helme put up today.
If yours is not scratched, then maybe you dont need this step; if it is, it would be a good choice to use, say with a white foam pad, or a tangerine hydrotech pad, etc.

I have also used Menzernz PO 106FF, but now prefer to use PO85RD. Your stuff will work just fine too.
Again, if your finish is really nice already, and you are satisfied with it, and just want to bring it up a little more, then this polish and a soft pad should help improve it.

Your Blackfire sealant is one of the best. I use it sometimes, but have found that Menzerna Power Lock Sealant to be about as good, and longer lasting.

I would put at least 2 layers of the BFWD on it, giving the first layer time to cure before the 2nd one if possible.

If you could sometime get their Midnight Sun Batch 24 wax and lay that a couple of times over the BFWD layers, whoa-baby, the paint would absolutely pop off the charts !! Yes, it is that good! :)

Congratulations on the new Bimmer - I love all the Bimmer family of vehicles myself.. :)

Dan F
 
Barry, Mike and Dan...
thank you for the input! I have some comments, follow up questions and a few new questions below.

Based on the initial inspections I've done, the paint really looks to be in pretty good shape. I'm going to go ahead and plan to Clay it, Polish it with the P106FF and then seal it with the BFWD. I would love to try the Midnight Sun over it...just need to decide if I want to spend the $70. :money:
I will definitely take Before and After Pics to post, it likely won't be for another 4-5 weeks though with my schedule but will do it.

One question on the 106FF...why is PAC no longer carrying this product?

I have a follow up question on a comment from Dan. You mentioned you prefer the Menzerna Power Lock Sealant. Is that similar to the FMJ that PAC used to carry? I still have some FMJ and love the stuff. If I recall correctly, I believe I remember reading that PAC had Menzerna's approval to develop other products besides Polishes, such as sealants, and market them under Menzerna right? Anyhow...was just curious what happened to the FMJ and if the Power Lock Sealant was similar.

I will definitely be picking up the Optimum Leather...so thanks for that recommendation!

Ok...a few new questions. Will the blue Painter's tape work just as well as the Meguiars masking tape? Just wanted to know if there was a big difference or if you might even have a preference on some other tape.

Next question...I know BMW's are notorious for the wheels getting dirty pretty quick with brake dust. I read a post a few days ago on a BMW Detailing where they mentioned some type of sealant that they used on the wheels to help keep them looking clean longer. For the life of me I can't find it now so was hoping someone might have a recommendation. Can I use a little BFWD on them?

Thanks again for all the help! :cornut:
Todd
 
You are getting some great advice. I dont really have anything to add. I have another thread going where I am giving away some free samples of products so if you want to try any of them just browse through and let me know. Its people like you who I am targeting for the giveaway.

Product Giveaway

Jon
 
Barry, Mike and Dan...
thank you for the input! I have some comments, follow up questions and a few new questions below.

Based on the initial inspections I've done, the paint really looks to be in pretty good shape. I'm going to go ahead and plan to Clay it, Polish it with the P106FF and then seal it with the BFWD. I would love to try the Midnight Sun over it...just need to decide if I want to spend the $70. :money:
I will definitely take Before and After Pics to post, it likely won't be for another 4-5 weeks though with my schedule but will do it.

One question on the 106FF...why is PAC no longer carrying this product?

I have a follow up question on a comment from Dan. You mentioned you prefer the Menzerna Power Lock Sealant. Is that similar to the FMJ that PAC used to carry? I still have some FMJ and love the stuff. If I recall correctly, I believe I remember reading that PAC had Menzerna's approval to develop other products besides Polishes, such as sealants, and market them under Menzerna right? Anyhow...was just curious what happened to the FMJ and if the Power Lock Sealant was similar.

I will definitely be picking up the Optimum Leather...so thanks for that recommendation!

Ok...a few new questions. Will the blue Painter's tape work just as well as the Meguiars masking tape? Just wanted to know if there was a big difference or if you might even have a preference on some other tape.

Next question...I know BMW's are notorious for the wheels getting dirty pretty quick with brake dust. I read a post a few days ago on a BMW Detailing where they mentioned some type of sealant that they used on the wheels to help keep them looking clean longer. For the life of me I can't find it now so was hoping someone might have a recommendation. Can I use a little BFWD on them?

Thanks again for all the help! :cornut:
Todd

Todd,
The 106FF has been replaced by 106FA. For the most part, it is very similar. The 106FA has a bit more cut, and less dusting then the 106FF. WHat you have is fine though.
The FMJ has been discontinued from the Menzerna line, but I believe that it is being sold (or will be) now under the Eimann Fabrik name.
The blue painters tape will work fine.
There are a number of sealants that you can use for your wheels. I like Wheel Wax, or Optimum Opti-Seal. BFWD will work just as well as the others.
Good Luck.
 
Thanks again Barry for the follow up and additional info!

Thank you Jon for letting me know about that other thread...I'm going to go check it out.

I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the paint of this new car, and hopefully capturing some good before and after pics!
:thumbup:
 
Todd,

Glad you are getting excited to work on the Bimmer, it really is great to take something like this on, and see your results afterwards.

Barry is 100% on target with his last reply regarding the Menz 106FF and 106FA product. Believe they just tweaked 106FA a little for the OEM folks who requested it. Both are great finishing polishes and in my experience, just give your metallic finish that little extra pop to really let the light reflect off the metallic basecoat. You will be extremely happy with the result !

Regarding question Menz FMJ vs Menz Powerlock - I dont know the answer but PAC knows.. Angelo - please advise...
All I can say is - with my experience, the Menzerna USA Powerlock product works great - even with one layer. They might have tweaked it also, but PAC should know exactly what the difference is...

I have used the Meguiars detailer's tape extensively and find it a very adequate tape, its a little thinner than the lime green 3M 233+ Painters Tape I normally use, but seems to work fine for detailing needs. It is also much cheaper - compared with the Blue Painter's Tape.

Yes, anything you put on clean wheels will help slow down the brake dust issue. I currently also use Optiumum Opti-Seal after cleaning them, spraying it on a cotton towel and spreading it around the wheel by hand. This stuff is pretty pricey, so you probably dont want to spray it all over the wheel... And a product on the wheels will definitely make cleaning easier the next time you do it.
This is the BMW tradeoff for having great brakes that stop really nice when cold, and heated up.

Believe that others use a product called Rejex, but I dont know anything about it.

Good luck !! Sounds like you have a great plan started !!

Dan F
 
You'll like the BFWD - do two coats. BFMS wax on top looks great but the Wet Diamond by itself is stunning.

Write ups and various forum posts about Rejex are generally good. Search for some of the Corvette forums.

HEY BILL - got any word on Rejex? (He's our resident Vette guru.)

Your profile doesn't mention what part of the world you are from - anywhere near Denver?

Regards,
GEWB
 
Ok Party People...:Dancing Dot:
before I submit my request for input I have to mention a few things.
I read Todd Helme's write up on the job he did on the Ferrari 458 Italia, and honestly it is intimidating to even post this, since it is probably considered so "basic" by the professional detailers on this Forum and I don't feel worthy. :notworthy:

Amazing write up by Todd though...and incredibly informative!!

Ok...so here are some questions that range from Polishing to Interior care.
My girlfriend just picked up her brand new BMW 328i last night. It is Blue Water Metallic in color and has an Oyster leather interior.

I planned to Clay the car with Blackfire clay using my PC7424, polish it and then seal it with BFWD.
One of the questions I have though is what Polish I should use on this car since I'm not familiar with how 'hard' the Clear Coat is. I have Menzerna Super Intensive Polish (PO83) and the Menzerna Ceramic Clear Coat Polish (PO106FF). I would like to use one of these polishes since I already have them. Considering I will only be using my PC7424 DA Polisher, will either of these be safe to use? Should I use the PO106FF since it is designed for the newer harder CC's and a new car?

There is definitely some orange peel in the paint, but my goal is not to fully correct this.

The next question I have is regarding the leather interior. Since the car is brand new...I would like to consider applying something that will protect the leather and potentially make it easier for cleaning up Mis-Haps later. :mad:
I have some Meguiars Gold Class Leather Cleaner/Conditioner that I have used on my 2001 Pathfinder, but I find that it creates a pretty glossy wet look. I've seen some people recommending Leatherique...so given this is a brand new car, any particular recommendations?

Thanks for the help!
:-?

Here are my suggestions based on my experience owning new BMW's (two in the last 3 years):

No need to try leatherique on the new Dakota leather IMHO. Leatherique was great for the aniline leather in my Ferrari but I am not certain if it makes a huge difference using it on new coated leather. If you notice when you drop water on the dakota leather it will bead up, as it is coated leather. I have been focusing on using "barrier" style protection with UV inhibitors on the Dakota stuff with the goal of reducing friction. I have used Ultima interior guard as well as HD protect. Make darn sure to clean "grainy" things off the leather as they drop there (sand, crumbs, etc) and make sure to dust and vacuum the seams in the leather well.
As for the BMW clear coat, it is on the hard side on the metallic cars. I spent three years detailing my old 335i with a PCXP and it was always an extreme workout. Both of my BMW's came new without significant rids or swirls, but this was probably because I insisted on no dealer prep prior to taking delivery. Using a rotary on my ceramiclear M-B was vastly easier and took less time overall.
At one time some idiot in a parking lot put something on the trunklid of my BMW and left fairly deep clearcoat scratches. I used the DA with SIP and a yellow compounding pad and it must have taken 2 hours of solid work to remove them. I ended up removing about 10 microns off the finish that had an average thickness of 140 microns.
The average thickness of my new 2011 5 series is about 105 microns, versus 140 for the 2008 335i.

Regards,
Pete
 
Thanks again for everyone's input. I just placed an order with PAC a week ago and here is what I bought:
Wheel Wax, Amazing Roll-Off (i'm going to see how I like this for cleaning the wheels), Optimum Leather Protectant, Optimum No Rinse Wash and Shine (ONR), and the Blackfire Midnight Sun.
I'm looking forward to using all these products since I haven't used any of them yet. Since the paint on the car looks really good...very minimal swirls/scratches that I can see I'm planning to do the following:
Blackfire Clay the car, Menzerna 106FF Polish, BFWD and then BFMS.
Not sure when I'll be doing this...but hopefully in the next few weeks. I'll make sure to take some before/after pics to see how much of a difference the process makes.

Since PAC has another 15% off promotion...I might be picking up a new tire dressing. I have a Mguire's Gel, and really don't care for it. I tried the Stoner's Aerosol before and really liked it...but it's tough to apply without getting over spray on the wheels. I have also used the Aerospace 303 which looks great too, but too costly really for putting on tires. I've read a bunch of other people's shared experiences on this...and so I'm just going to have to pick one and see if I like it. I was also planning to get some wheel cleaning tools. Is anyone using the Eimann Fabrik wheel woolies? If so...let me know what you think about them. Thanks again!
 
This is a pretty late update, but I finally had time to do an exterior detail on the new BMW 328i. I didn't get the best before/after pics, but captured a few.
I inspected the paint closely, and really didn't find defects that needed addressed, so I changed my game plan. Living in an apartment complex with nowhere to really wash the car was a factor too.
Here's a brief summary of what I did along with a few before/after pics.

Wash with ONR - 1BM :eek:
Clayed with Blackfire Clay and Lube :clap:
Klasse AIO applied with PC7424 and LC CCS Green pad
Wheel Waxed the wheels
BFWD - 2 coats with 16 hours cure time between coat 1 and 2
(applied with PC7424 and LC CCS Councours Finishing pad)
BFMS - 1 coat

I've only used the ONR now a few times, but I really like the product. It's especially great to have when you don't have a garage or location with a water source to wash your car - like an apartment complex! Feeling the paint through a plastic baggie revealed plenty of contamination, which I was expecting. I used a brand new clay bar and was amazed at how much contamination there was, unfortunately I didn't take pics of the clay bar. The car did sit on the coast of Africa for probably a month, and then on the transport ship for another month before it finally made it to the west coast though...so not surprising. I was actually amazed to see the difference the paint took on just from claying. Klasse AIO was then applied with results that I was very happy with and then the BFWD. I let the first coat cure over night before I buffed off the next day, applied a second coat and let it cure while I applied Wheel Wax to the wheels. Finally I applied the BFMS. I'm not sure how much of a difference I noticed with the BFMS...possibly because the car is a light metallic color. I know it's supposed to make a big difference on black and red cars. I definitely prefer the feel of the paint after applying BFWD...the BFMS takes away a lot of that slick feeling.
Anyhow...thanks for reading and looking!

Before Pics
DSCN0669.jpg

DSCN0672.jpg

DSCN0670.jpg

Tried to get some close ups of the paint condition. The only thing I could really spot is orange peel, which I don't have the equipment or experience to address!
DSCN0674.jpg

DSCN0673.jpg


After washing, claying and prepping for Polishing/Sealing
DSCN0676.jpg

DSCN0675.jpg


After Klasse AIO, 2 coats of BFWD and 1 coat of BFMS. Nasty weather day...so there were no sun shots to be had. The paint looked much more Liquid and had greater depth IMO.
DSCN0680.jpg

DSCN0683.jpg

DSCN0679.jpg

DSCN0682.jpg

DSCN0685.jpg

DSCN0678.jpg
 
She looks great Todd.

The BFMS will definitely take away from the slickness of the BFWD. On darker color cars it really does make a difference. Interesting about the orange peel though. I have never seen it on a silver BMW before.

I am happy it all worked out for you. Keep up the good work.:clap::thumbup:
 
Thanks Barry...
my girlfriend's 328i is actually Blue Water Metallic.
It's tough to tell in the pictures though with the lighting the way it was.
I'm looking forward to using the BFMS on a black or red car sometime in the near future. :D
 
Todd -
That is absolutely BEAUTIFUL WORK !!!:clap::clap::clap:

You really brought out the metallic in the paintwork - it looks really, really, great !

We are so proud of you !!!:rockon:

Looks like you did everything right, and the Client had to be so happy.

Thanks for taking the time to get those awesom pictures up.

Keep up the great work !:thumbup:

I used to live and work in Folsom, for a number of years - built the Verizon Wireless Campus just down from the corner of Blue Ravine and Folsom Blvd, and lived just off of Blue Ravine about halfway up the hill on the right side.

Always loved it there, and maybe someday will make it back.

Dan F
 
Back
Top