Hello all. I need some sound advice on car detailing. I just bought a BMW M3 in interlagos blue. It is a beautiful car and I really love it. Last night, my husband washed it and waxed it, and we found that it has tons of swirl/scratch marks in the clear coat. Now we know that BMW has soft paint (we had a red 335, but my husband sold it due to the swirls. He is super anal), but we got 20,000 off the M3 price and from what I have read on this board it can be fixed. My question is - If we do pay someone to detail it and get the swirls and scratches out, will they just come back? We have the oppurtunity to take the car back to the dealership today, and order a white 335, so I basically need to make a decision ASAP. Thanks so much.
Need Advice ASAP on a BMW M3
- Thread starter MKWBMW
- Start date
Street5927
New member
It depends on what the detailer uses. If he uses a product that uses "fillers", they will come back, however, if they do an "actual paint correction", they should not re-appear after washing, unless the proper proceedures for washing are not followed, then you can incur new swirls/scratches.
btmlinedan
New member
make sure to watch the videos on the proper way to watch a car...it'll help in not having the swirls come back once fixed...
No matter what color car you get, if you don't wash and take care of it using the proper techniques, you will still get swirls. You shouldn't fool yourself into thinking that you don't have swirls with metallics or whites. Its all the same 
Learn to take care of it properly and you will be rewarded with a minimally damaged surface
Learn to take care of it properly and you will be rewarded with a minimally damaged surface
imported_JoshVette
New member
The older BMW's were softer paint but the new BMW's are rock hard paint.
Just cause it swirls easily does not mean it's soft.
As mentioned if you get a good detailer who know's how to use a rotary and finish down properly they can be corrected but it's up to you to start using two buckets when washing to isolate the dirt in the one bucket so you don't keep rubbing it accross the surface and reintroducing swirls again. Also make sure you're using good quality and clean MF (micro fiber) towels and wash mitts.
Don't trade out or sell cars because of swirls, get them corrected and keep the color car you like.
Just cause one is anal about keeping the car clean doesn't mean they're using the proper techniques to keep it swirl free when cleaning it, and never wipe the car down in between washes....
Josh
Just cause it swirls easily does not mean it's soft.
As mentioned if you get a good detailer who know's how to use a rotary and finish down properly they can be corrected but it's up to you to start using two buckets when washing to isolate the dirt in the one bucket so you don't keep rubbing it accross the surface and reintroducing swirls again. Also make sure you're using good quality and clean MF (micro fiber) towels and wash mitts.
Don't trade out or sell cars because of swirls, get them corrected and keep the color car you like.
Just cause one is anal about keeping the car clean doesn't mean they're using the proper techniques to keep it swirl free when cleaning it, and never wipe the car down in between washes....
Josh
btmlinedan
New member
JoshVette said:
i thought it was the other way around...?
imported_rydawg1
New member
I've done a couple new M3's (paint corrections) in that color and I must have to say that they all come all messed up from the factory with severe swirls, rids, orange peel, hazed, and scratches all over.
The paint is the hardest I have ever seen in 19 years of doing paint correction. My next one I am sanding with 1000 grit just to break the barrier. It makes C5 Vette clear seem like a girl.
Ask a few of the pro's here that have done them and they will say the same.
Other than that, they are a wonderful car!
The paint is the hardest I have ever seen in 19 years of doing paint correction. My next one I am sanding with 1000 grit just to break the barrier. It makes C5 Vette clear seem like a girl.
Ask a few of the pro's here that have done them and they will say the same.
Other than that, they are a wonderful car!
imported_rydawg1
New member
I would keep it, seeing you got $20,000 off the price. It will be a spectacular looking car if you find a pro that will do a full paint correction and teach you the basics of washing it.
Where are you from?
Where are you from?
Accumulator
Well-known member
rydawg said:
So BMW has gone full circle from hard, to stupid-soft, to super-hard huh? Sheesh, that must drive you pros nuts.
Is it *all* M3s (in all colors), just M3s...what's the story? For some reason I find this topic pretty interesting...
Glossequation
New member
If your husband sold it because it had swirl marks, then he should never buy another car because they are inevitable. To boot, you can remove them.
rydawg said:
I live in York, PA. I have found a guy who seems really knowledgeable and is going to do a paint correction on it. I think I am taking it to him tonight. The dealership said they will wait to see what happens. The guys business is called Attention 2 detail. Anyone heard of him????
imported_JoshVette
New member
MKWBMW said:
Sounds familiar, I think he may be a member here, but not sure there are so many that have similiar names.
Depending on how deep and heavy the swirls are, he may have to cut it with a wool pad first and step it down and refine it, probably looking at an easy 10 hour job knowing how hard the clears are on the new BMW's.... did he tell you what he thought he may need to do to get rid of them?
Josh
Apollo_Auto
New member
Accumulator said:
I've heard mixed opinions about the paints in the States; some say crazy soft and others say ridiculously hard. Out of the umpteen BMW's that I've done here in Hungary, there wasn't a single on that was soft... same with the Merc's and VW's... unbelievably, diamond hard finishes. I hate working with them honestly.
imported_rydawg1
New member
I think some may assume it is soft due to the fact it scratches and marrs so easy. Most of all the damage comes from the factory due to mis-handling the parts.
Accumulator
Well-known member
rydawg said:
Well, I was assuming (and we all know about assuming things!) that people here would have an accurate take on whether the paint really was hard/soft. Like the Jet Black that people are marring with soft MFs...
imported_rydawg1
New member
Some of the older ones (02-older) have softer paint, but the newest generation all have the harder clear. The 08's have extremely ultra hard paint, especially the metallics like the dark blues. When they come out of the factory, most have that hazy mucky look.
The only thing I like about newer BMW paint is that they will outshine all other paints when done right. My favorite color to polish is the Imola Red and the longer you polish it, the glossier it gets.
I have noticed the longer you polish the newer hard paints, more surface tension is added so marring will be cut down to a minimum in the end. You also have to IPA in between steps or you will have a polishing film barrier build up on the paint from the heat and the film will marr.
BMW has amazing purities in their paint.
The only thing I like about newer BMW paint is that they will outshine all other paints when done right. My favorite color to polish is the Imola Red and the longer you polish it, the glossier it gets.
I have noticed the longer you polish the newer hard paints, more surface tension is added so marring will be cut down to a minimum in the end. You also have to IPA in between steps or you will have a polishing film barrier build up on the paint from the heat and the film will marr.
BMW has amazing purities in their paint.
Envious Eric
New member
keep it, detail it, love it, drive the hell out of it!!!!
Like eyesack said, all cars will swirl, some just show it better/easier. Best bet is just to plan on having it maintained and do a light detail on it every few months. Afterall, you did just buy an M3, should you want it to look really good all the time?
Detailing is not something that is done at the start and at the end of a cars life with you. It should be done on a routine basis, as in every 3-4 months
Like eyesack said, all cars will swirl, some just show it better/easier. Best bet is just to plan on having it maintained and do a light detail on it every few months. Afterall, you did just buy an M3, should you want it to look really good all the time?
Detailing is not something that is done at the start and at the end of a cars life with you. It should be done on a routine basis, as in every 3-4 months
Kevin Brown
New member
I was working with a guy last summer. He is a consultant (in our industry).
Anyway, over dinner, he was telling me that his expertise was called upon at a BMW plant in Europe.
This particular plant used THREE completely different paint/coating systems for the cars.
If memory serves me well, one system was water based, one was not, and one was powdercoat!
As a paint polisher, if it seems that you are trying a method that worked on one car and then not on another, don't necessarily toss that method out the window.
In my opinion, ultra-fine abrasive liquids paired with pads that tend to ride atop the paint surface (rather than cut into it) seem to be the best option for efficiently finishing these tricky paint jobs.
As fast as buffing products are improving... those dang paint guys keep moving the target!
At least it keeps things interesting for all the expert paint polishers... :faint:
...Which seem to be increasing in value because of these changes! :woohoo:
Anyway, over dinner, he was telling me that his expertise was called upon at a BMW plant in Europe.
This particular plant used THREE completely different paint/coating systems for the cars.
If memory serves me well, one system was water based, one was not, and one was powdercoat!
As a paint polisher, if it seems that you are trying a method that worked on one car and then not on another, don't necessarily toss that method out the window.
In my opinion, ultra-fine abrasive liquids paired with pads that tend to ride atop the paint surface (rather than cut into it) seem to be the best option for efficiently finishing these tricky paint jobs.
As fast as buffing products are improving... those dang paint guys keep moving the target!
At least it keeps things interesting for all the expert paint polishers... :faint:
...Which seem to be increasing in value because of these changes! :woohoo:
Accumulator
Well-known member
Kevin Brown said:
Hey, that's some interesting info there!