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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > E90 / E92 / E93 3-series Technical Forums > Wash, Wax, Detailing and Cosmetic protection/repairs > Ask a Professional Detailer...



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      01-26-2011, 01:02 PM   #1321
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My cars are white and balck. im looking into a good polish and sealant combo. Im curently using meg's nxt and looking to get better results would klasse sealant glaze or wet diamond on top of the nxt produce good results? Any suggestion would be appreciated. thanks
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      01-26-2011, 04:27 PM   #1322
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First off I generally recommend a full detail 1 - 2 times per year which includes a wash, dry, clay, polish, sealant, wax (optional). In between you can wash and protect it as much as you'd like.

So after washing I HIGHLY recommend you use a clay bar which is going to deep clean the paint and enhance the results of all the following steps. The DI Packages DI Gentle Fine Grade Clay Bar 100g & Clay Lube is a great combo that will give you everything you need to deep clean the paint.

The NXT is a good all around product as it cleans, shines and protects in one step as it is a polish and sealant in one. However I think the results from breaking these steps up could provide a large benefit to both cars you listed. After using the clay bar I recommend using a light cutting polish. If you want a one step polishing process start off with just a light cutting polish. I would highly recommend using a polish like the Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205 first. It will help permanently remove swirls, oxidation and other blemishes on the surface so the clear coat is more optically clear.

After polishing protect the paint with a quality sealant like the Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger it will be protected for up to 3 - 6 months. This products should last noticeably longer than the NXT. The Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze (HGSG) is another great sealant that is very durable, however it can be one of the more challenging sealants to work with. Most people don't want the extra effort, especially when you get great results from easy to use products like the Wet Diamond.

You can certainly stop here and you'll have a great shine with durable protection. However if you really want some extra deep gloss and added protection some people like to layer a wax on top of a sealant. If interested I'd recommend the Chemical Guys 50/50 Limited Series Concourse Paste Wax or the Dodo Juice Rainforest Rub Soft Wax because they both look outstanding on all colors. If you are looking for something more cost effective try the Poorboy's World Liquid Natty's Blue Wax.

Upon completion you should step back and really admire the shine!

If you have any questions about these products or any step in the process I outlined above don't hesitate to ask or check out our detailing guide. As always save 10% off as well with your e90 forum member discount code "e90post". Good luck!
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      02-07-2011, 04:26 PM   #1323
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So, with this Black on Black spray, how careful does one need to be with overspray on paint surfaces? I don't think I'm going to tape off my car to spray the bumpers, mirrors, and window trim.
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      02-10-2011, 09:55 AM   #1324
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Originally Posted by UncleWede View Post
So, with this Black on Black spray, how careful does one need to be with overspray on paint surfaces? I don't think I'm going to tape off my car to spray the bumpers, mirrors, and window trim.
The Chemical Guys Black on Black is a pretty user friendly product. If it hits the paint just wipe it off quickly and you won't have any issues. If you want to be extra careful taping off the surrounding area certainly makes sense.

This product was formerly known as Fade 2 Black as of a couple of months ago until this new and improved version was launched. Check out this review for more details and pictures of the results - http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-P...roduct-review/
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      02-15-2011, 12:44 AM   #1325
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I've searched around a bit, and frankly am overwhelmed with the wealth of knowledge on this forum! I figured it might be easier to just ask.

I've taken delivery on my first BMW (2011 335d, titanium silver, black dakota interior) and am very impressed with the shine straight off the showroom floor.

I've done basic level detailing before so have a bit of knowledge, but the bay I worked in used all bulk supplies, and this was all about 8 years ago. I'd like to go through the process of the 'new car detail', and also find some good products to help keep my 193m wheels clean on a weekly basis. My mother has a 530i that has never really been kept dust-free, and now i can't seem to get the dust off, and I do not want that to happen to mine! (its just too pretty!)

Does DI have a good 'starter pack' of products that would be a good bet? Or could you help me piece together a shopping cart? Lets assume I have a bucket from home depot, and a 35 foot hose and nothing else... (i have a nozzle.. as long as my thumb is considered a nozzle...!)

Thanks!

Last edited by theskunk; 02-15-2011 at 12:47 AM.. Reason: George/Greg... i have no idea who i'm talking to yet!
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      02-15-2011, 03:42 PM   #1326
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Congrats on the new car. If you can care for it right away you are way ahead of the game. I'll go over some of the basics I do with a brand new vehicle.

Exterior Protection
Wash - Most swirls come from the washing and drying process so make sure you use good technique (see our detailing guide) and use quality products. If you need to upgrade your materials check out these three package deals:
DI Packages Foamaster II Advanced Kit
DI Packages Washing and Drying Advanced Kit
DI Packages Washing and Drying Starter Package

Seal - Protecting the exterior right away will preserve the paint and make future cleanings easier. I highly recommend the Blackfire Wet Diamond w/polycharger because it looks amazing, applies with ease and protects for months (4-6). I also use it on the headlights, exterior glass and wheels for added protection. You only need about 1 oz per coat for a medium size car so apply it nice and thin for best results. Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger)

Full Detail
I generally just wash and protect my car throughout the year as desired. At a minimum do this every 3 - 4 months and the paint will look very good. If you want the paint to look exceptional try adding in a full detail 1 - 2 times per year. For the full detail I'd wash, dry, clay bar, polish, sealant, wax (optional)
- Wash and Dry (see above)
- Clay bar and clay lube (DI Packages DI Gentle Fine Grade Clay Bar 100g & Clay Lube)
- Polish (Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205)
- Sealant (Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger)
- Wax - sealants provide more than enough protection but if you'd like more protection and shine I'd suggest the Chemical Guys 50/50 Limited Series Concourse Paste Wax or you can use the Poorboy's World Liquid Natty's Blue Wax

Microfiber
Microfiber is paint safe and highly effective at removing the left over clay lube, polish, sealant, wax, etc. For this process I would suggest getting 5x - 10x of the DI Microfiber All Purpose Towel. These towels are also great for interior cleanings, apply protection, leather care, glass care and so much more!

Interior Protection
303 Aerospace Protectant protects just about the whole interior (vinyl, plastic, rubber, leather). It blocks out UV rays and preserves the finish so apply it to the dashboard, doors, console, arm rests, exterior trim, rubber moldings, etc. etc. Protecting the carpets and mats is super easy just mist the 303 High Tech Fabric Guard on them and you are done! It will help repel moisture while keeping the fibers flexible and soft.

If you follow these basic pre-cautions your vehicle will look great for years to come and keep the re-sale value up! If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. Take care!

Greg @ DI
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      02-17-2011, 10:58 PM   #1327
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Detailer to do new car prep on LI

I like the thread on doing your own new car prep, but don't have the time or skills for it. Any recommendations on someone who can do this for me on Long Island (NY)?

thanks
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      02-17-2011, 11:15 PM   #1328
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Detailed Image View Post

Seal - Protecting the exterior right away will preserve the paint and make future cleanings easier. I highly recommend the Blackfire Wet Diamond w/polycharger because it looks amazing, applies with ease and protects for months (4-6). I also use it on the headlights, exterior glass and wheels for added protection. You only need about 1 oz per coat for a medium size car so apply it nice and thin for best results. Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger)

Full Detail
I generally just wash and protect my car throughout the year as desired. At a minimum do this every 3 - 4 months and the paint will look very good. If you want the paint to look exceptional try adding in a full detail 1 - 2 times per year. For the full detail I'd wash, dry, clay bar, polish, sealant, wax (optional)
- Wash and Dry (see above)
- Clay bar and clay lube (DI Packages DI Gentle Fine Grade Clay Bar 100g & Clay Lube)
- Polish (Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205)
- Sealant (Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger)
- Wax - sealants provide more than enough protection but if you'd like more protection and shine I'd suggest the Chemical Guys 50/50 Limited Series Concourse Paste Wax or you can use the Poorboy's World Liquid Natty's Blue Wax


Greg @ DI
Greg,

Thanks for the information -- can all of this be applied by hand? or do I need to go ahead with an orbital for best results?
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      02-22-2011, 11:08 AM   #1329
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So, I started to wash the truck this weekend, it was covered with splatter from the rains. I rinsed everything off and was ready to get my bucket of suds when I find out one of the boys broke my bottle of suds.

Which causes less scratching? 1) my new wash mitt with just water 2) a bucket of DoDo's clay lube. I went with the clay lube. Sure, it's a bit expensive, but less than the scratches I may have caused with just a wet mitt.
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      02-25-2011, 09:59 AM   #1330
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bimmergeek View Post
I like the thread on doing your own new car prep, but don't have the time or skills for it. Any recommendations on someone who can do this for me on Long Island (NY)?

thanks
Sorry for the super slow response. A good shop that is not too far away is Justin from Detailing Technology - http://www.detailingtechnology.com/. Good luck!
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      02-25-2011, 10:01 AM   #1331
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Quote:
Originally Posted by theskunk View Post
Greg,

Thanks for the information -- can all of this be applied by hand? or do I need to go ahead with an orbital for best results?
Everything can be applied by hand. However polishing is arguably the most important step and this step will come out significantly better if you use a buffer. Let me know if you would like more information about the safe and easy to use Porter Cable 7424XP Random Orbital Buffer. Take care!
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      02-25-2011, 10:05 AM   #1332
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Quote:
Originally Posted by UncleWede View Post
So, I started to wash the truck this weekend, it was covered with splatter from the rains. I rinsed everything off and was ready to get my bucket of suds when I find out one of the boys broke my bottle of suds.

Which causes less scratching? 1) my new wash mitt with just water 2) a bucket of DoDo's clay lube. I went with the clay lube. Sure, it's a bit expensive, but less than the scratches I may have caused with just a wet mitt.

Oh boy....I would personally just wait and get a bottle of shampoo or use something generic. If I had to choose I'd pick option #2 because it will help the mitt glide over the surface better. However clay lubes don't have the cleaning power that a shampoo will so you may need more pressure, which in turn cause more micro-marring of the paint. Maybe mix some generic shampoo from around the house with the clay lube if you are in a pinch?
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      02-25-2011, 11:32 AM   #1333
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I am planning on ordering teh Porter and Cable polisher from your site but have a few questions.

My car is a 2011 335i Coupe in Vermillion Red. It is about 6 months old and ha very light and fine swirl marks from a few bad hand car washes done by who I thought was a good detailer.

I recently purchased a few Swissvax products... Clay kit, Cleaner Fluid Regular and their Blau Weiss wax. The Swissvax site and Handbook only describe applying the products by hand. There is no mention of the process if using a polisher.

If I want to use the Cleaner Fluid properly so it is effective and getting out the swirls, what do you suggest I use for pads to apply, bush and polish when using cleaner fluid. Also, same question when applying, buffing and piolishing using the Blau Weiss wax?

I have a bunch of towels and polishing cloths from Swissvax as well, which I will use at some point, but for the first war on my swirls and the wax that will follow, I want to make sure I do this right the first time.

Your help is appreciated!
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      02-27-2011, 06:49 PM   #1334
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VWtoBMW View Post
I am planning on ordering teh Porter and Cable polisher from your site but have a few questions.

My car is a 2011 335i Coupe in Vermillion Red. It is about 6 months old and ha very light and fine swirl marks from a few bad hand car washes done by who I thought was a good detailer.

I recently purchased a few Swissvax products... Clay kit, Cleaner Fluid Regular and their Blau Weiss wax. The Swissvax site and Handbook only describe applying the products by hand. There is no mention of the process if using a polisher.

If I want to use the Cleaner Fluid properly so it is effective and getting out the swirls, what do you suggest I use for pads to apply, bush and polish when using cleaner fluid. Also, same question when applying, buffing and piolishing using the Blau Weiss wax?

I have a bunch of towels and polishing cloths from Swissvax as well, which I will use at some point, but for the first war on my swirls and the wax that will follow, I want to make sure I do this right the first time.

Your help is appreciated!
Thank you for the inquiry. It sounds like you have a good set up to start with but I think you'll need just a few more things for an outstanding detail. The PC is a great start because you'll need the extra power to really remove the swirls, not just hide them. The cleaner fluid is going to remove very faint surface imperfections if you apply it with a white polishing pad and the buffer at speed 6. However I think many of the swirls will still remain since this is just a cleaning formula and it doesn't have polishing particles. To get more noticeable results I'd highly recommend the Meguiar's M105 and M205. The results of this combination can be seen here - http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-P...ars-m105-m205/. Certainly you may want to start off with what you have but from my experiences I think you may be frustrated from the lack of swirl removal. The shine will be great and it can help hide some of them but permanently removing the swirls will require more polishing. Here are two kits to consider purchasing if interested:

DI Packages Porter Cable 7424XP, Meguiar's Polishes and Hydro Pads Basic Kit
DI Packages Porter Cable 7424 XP, Meguiar's Polish and Hydro Pads

The wax you listed is a paste wax and you'll need to apply that by hand. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Greg @ DI
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      03-05-2011, 05:44 PM   #1335
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A question that has bugged me for quite some time is what is the benefits of waffle weave? If I was to buy 70/30 plush microfiber towels, would 70/30 waffle weave perform better? Both are supposed to minimize swirls and both supposedly hold lots of water.

Also a question on pads. I'm going to place an order from your website very soon and want to make sure my process is ok. I got a random orbital buffer and a set of pads for christmas =) So, I'm totally new at this.

M105 with the orange lake country pad for heavy swirls (I have a couple on the side of the hood)
M205 with the white lake country pad for rest of the swirls and refine the area from the 105
Glaze with black pad
Blackfire wet diamond with the blue pad
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      03-06-2011, 02:11 PM   #1336
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Quote:
Originally Posted by spiike32 View Post
A question that has bugged me for quite some time is what is the benefits of waffle weave? If I was to buy 70/30 plush microfiber towels, would 70/30 waffle weave perform better? Both are supposed to minimize swirls and both supposedly hold lots of water.

Also a question on pads. I'm going to place an order from your website very soon and want to make sure my process is ok. I got a random orbital buffer and a set of pads for christmas =) So, I'm totally new at this.

M105 with the orange lake country pad for heavy swirls (I have a couple on the side of the hood)
M205 with the white lake country pad for rest of the swirls and refine the area from the 105
Glaze with black pad
Blackfire wet diamond with the blue pad
I can tell you've done some research, our routine is spot on! This should make the paint look significantly better.

In my opinion there is no comparison between the absorbency of a traditional microfiber towel (even really good ones) and the Waffle Weave ones. The Waffle Weave Towels can hold about 5x - 10x times their natural weight when absorbing water, most other microfiber towels are in the the 2x - 3x range at best. In terms of safety both should be relatively equal, but the absorbency has not even been close in my opinion. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Greg @ DI
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      03-06-2011, 07:07 PM   #1337
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car is being fully repainted
i have no garage
i live in nyc

what can i do during the 60-90 day period to prevent damage to my new paint? I know i can't wax or seal it. what happens when a bird decides to unload on the car while i'm asleep and can't get to it quickly enough, or i am unable to remove the calcium deposits from rainfall?

is it pretty much a given that i'll need to have the car fully compounded and polished 3 months from now due to not having anything on the clearcoat to protect it?
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      03-06-2011, 07:56 PM   #1338
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I am looking to get a porter cable 7242xp in the next few weeks. I will be using it with the typical swirl/scratch, polish, glaze, seal, wax (i may do the latter 2 by hand).

With that said any recommendations on the Pads I should purchase, size, and the quantity of which I should purchase?

(for reference will be using a chemical guy's swirl/scratch remover, ez creme glaze, p40 polish, jetseal, and 50/50)
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      03-06-2011, 09:29 PM   #1339
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tofu- View Post
car is being fully repainted
i have no garage
i live in nyc

what can i do during the 60-90 day period to prevent damage to my new paint? I know i can't wax or seal it. what happens when a bird decides to unload on the car while i'm asleep and can't get to it quickly enough, or i am unable to remove the calcium deposits from rainfall?

is it pretty much a given that i'll need to have the car fully compounded and polished 3 months from now due to not having anything on the clearcoat to protect it?
Unfortunately there is not much you can do. At most you can put a glaze on the paint assuming it's one with no wax or sealant at all. It will provide extremely limited protection but it doesn't seal the paint and trap in gasses. You can also wash it as much as you like in the mean time to remove build ups. If bird droppings happen, clean it right away and polish it just like normal.

Greg @ DI
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      03-06-2011, 10:27 PM   #1340
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thanks greg, that's what i figured
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      03-13-2011, 12:34 PM   #1341
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I am in the process of a detail- so far-

wash
clay
wash
I am using pc 7424 with orange LC pad and menzerma IP-- it is not getting all of my swirls / minor scratches out. What should I do? press hard/ more passes?? My next steps are
klasse aio- white or black pad (which pad?)
the Klasse SG.

Help please!

car is sapphire black
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      03-13-2011, 02:08 PM   #1342
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Powder coated/chrome wheels

Recently purchased used wheels and need help on what products to buy to clean, maintain, protect them. They are 3 piece forged, face is powder coated matte black, with chrome lips. Chrome has water marks and grime build up. Also the inner barrels/rivets have a lot of build up as well. Faces are in very good condition. I'm trying to get them back to as close as new as possible. Thanks!
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