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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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      08-24-2012, 10:51 AM   #1673
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Quote:
Originally Posted by taibanl View Post
Greg, I bought (from you) and had professionally applied (ImageAutoNY in Syracuse - did a great job) the Opti Coat based on another thread....from reading it seems like the sealant recommendations are all over the map? Can you briefly elaborate?
Thank you for the purchase, glad to hear the Optimum Opti-Coat 2.0 Permanent Paint Coating is protecting your paint. This type of product is in a category by itself above traditional sealants. This stuff is basically semi-permanent and should last two years plus.

Other sealants like the BFWD and PowerLock are great picks for about 4 - 6 months and they are two of my favorites. These are great for most detailers and doesn't require such an in depth application and prep that Opti-Coat requires. Chemical Guys HYBRID V7 - Optical Select High Gloss Spray Sealant is a great spray on sealant that is less durable than all of these but works great.

Let me know if you have any other questions and I'll be happy to help.

Greg @ DI
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      08-29-2012, 08:20 AM   #1674
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Pad cleaner

Hi Greg,

I just placed a large order from you (at least for me) of some Menzerna polishes, CG glaze, BFWD sealant, and CG Pete's wax along with a few other things. Several years ago I purchased the Flex kit from you with several pads and pad cleaners. I forgot to order more pad cleaners! Is there anything that I can use as a one time substitute to safely and effectively clean the pads? Thanks again for all the help!
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      08-29-2012, 08:31 AM   #1675
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Hi, I've been using this product with great success so far,

http://www.poorboysworld.com/poorboys-polish-blue.htm

However, my local detailer in the UK has said that this product does not really get rid of scratches and bird marks, etc. It just masks them by using a filler.

Is this correct?

If so, could you recommend me an alternative to try that is as easy to apply and remove?

Many thanks,

Andy R
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      08-30-2012, 11:04 AM   #1676
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Other Nerdist View Post
Hi Greg,

I just placed a large order from you (at least for me) of some Menzerna polishes, CG glaze, BFWD sealant, and CG Pete's wax along with a few other things. Several years ago I purchased the Flex kit from you with several pads and pad cleaners. I forgot to order more pad cleaners! Is there anything that I can use as a one time substitute to safely and effectively clean the pads? Thanks again for all the help!
Thank you for the continued support of DI, it's sincerely appreciated! Yes you can use a light degreaser to clean the pads as well or even regular liquid soap but that may be less effective. The P21S Total Auto Wash is a great choice as it's a gentle cleaner that is pretty effective. If you have a traditional degreaser just dilute it a bit before using it. Let me know if you have any other questions and I'll be happy to help.

Greg @ DI
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      08-30-2012, 11:14 AM   #1677
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Quote:
Originally Posted by craneboy View Post
Hi, I've been using this product with great success so far,

http://www.poorboysworld.com/poorboys-polish-blue.htm

However, my local detailer in the UK has said that this product does not really get rid of scratches and bird marks, etc. It just masks them by using a filler.

Is this correct?

If so, could you recommend me an alternative to try that is as easy to apply and remove?

Many thanks,

Andy R
Andy,

That polish with wax is non-abrasive so it can only help clean the surface, in general it will not remove the etchings from bird droppings, swirls, etc. If you'd like to remove the swirls before using this product I'd recommend a polish or combination of polishes like the PBW SSR 1 and SSR 2.5 or the Meguiar's M105 and M205. Two good combos for swirl removal that is not temporary and they don't hide imperfections.

Greg @ DI
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      08-30-2012, 11:27 AM   #1678
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Greg,

I ordered Menzerna Super Finish Polish SF 4000 (PO106FA) & Super Intensive Polish SI 1500. I have a jet black BMW with some bad swirls, minor scratches, and etching. I've been reading where the jet black is soft. Would using the Super Intensive Polish with an orange pad and the Super Finish with a white pad be too aggressive? Its been a few years since I've done this and it was last on an Atlanta Blue Z with no problems. This is my first time working on this car and it doesn't look like its ever been worked on before. Thanks again!
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      08-30-2012, 12:27 PM   #1679
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Another thing, and sorry for the multiple posts…using the Flex machine and the Super Intensive Polish with an orange pad and Super Finishing Polish and the White pad, what speed setting would you recommend? I'm afraid to crank it up at the risk of damaging anything.
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      08-30-2012, 09:54 PM   #1680
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Other Nerdist View Post
Greg,

I ordered Menzerna Super Finish Polish SF 4000 (PO106FA) & Super Intensive Polish SI 1500. I have a jet black BMW with some bad swirls, minor scratches, and etching. I've been reading where the jet black is soft. Would using the Super Intensive Polish with an orange pad and the Super Finish with a white pad be too aggressive? Its been a few years since I've done this and it was last on an Atlanta Blue Z with no problems. This is my first time working on this car and it doesn't look like its ever been worked on before. Thanks again!
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Other Nerdist View Post
Another thing, and sorry for the multiple posts…using the Flex machine and the Super Intensive Polish with an orange pad and Super Finishing Polish and the White pad, what speed setting would you recommend? I'm afraid to crank it up at the risk of damaging anything.
You can use the SI1500 on your paint, but I'd probably go down in the pads just a little bit. For the Jet Black BMW paint I would recommend the green/pink pads with the SI1500, follow that up with the SF4000 and a black pad. This combo would be less likely to cause hazing and leave the finish with more shine! As always when testing new combos do them on a small section first to ensure you are satisfied before doing the whole vehicle.

For the Flex start off polishing around speed 3 - 4 and move up only if needed. Again test the speeds on one area and ensure you like the results. Good luck and thank you for the purchase!

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      08-31-2012, 04:23 AM   #1681
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Hi Greg,
Wondering if you can share your thoughts. I have a black sapphire 135i and have cleaned up the paint using menzerna 2500 on orange and SF4000 on white and then sealed. All swirls are gone and the finish looks great however there are a couple of RIDS that I can't seem to get out. They are only visible under certain light etc but they are annoying me. What do you recommend on getting them out.
Cheers Harry
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      08-31-2012, 08:42 AM   #1682
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Quote:
Originally Posted by softy180 View Post
Hi Greg,
Wondering if you can share your thoughts. I have a black sapphire 135i and have cleaned up the paint using menzerna 2500 on orange and SF4000 on white and then sealed. All swirls are gone and the finish looks great however there are a couple of RIDS that I can't seem to get out. They are only visible under certain light etc but they are annoying me. What do you recommend on getting them out.
Cheers Harry
Harry,

Glad to hear overall the detailing went well. You certainly can remove those deeper imperfections in most instances however it may not be worth the time and effort though. This is particularly true with many of the black BMW's because it seems to be such a difficult finish to work with for those who want perfection. To remove them you'd need to use a more aggressive combo which creates more haze which can be challenging to remove. You could try using the SF 2500 with purple foamed wool pad or a surbuf pad but you'll need to follow that up with SF 2500 (orange pad) and then the SF 4000 and a white or black pad. If the SF 2500 is not enough then I'd suggest the M105 with an orange pad or you could go all the way up to the Surbuf R Series MicroFingers Buffing Pads. This would help get rid of the majority of the fine imperfections, if they are any deeper a rotary polishing or a light wet sand would probably be the next step. Again my concern is with the black BMW paint it's generally harder to remove haze left over from these more aggressive steps. If you do try any of these please make sure you use them on a small section first before doing the whole vehicle. Good luck!

Greg @ DI
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      08-31-2012, 07:32 PM   #1683
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Turns out I dont have the green/pink pad. So for the Intensive Polish it looks like it's between the Orange and White Lake Country pads. Anyone know which I should go for?
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      08-31-2012, 08:47 PM   #1684
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Thanks Greg, I will start with the purple pad with 2500 and see how that goes before going to the more aggressive combo.
Thanks again
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      08-31-2012, 10:38 PM   #1685
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Other Nerdist View Post
Turns out I dont have the green/pink pad. So for the Intensive Polish it looks like it's between the Orange and White Lake Country pads. Anyone know which I should go for?
If you want to be conservative go with the white pad, it's less likely to leave haze behind. If you're really set on removing as many swirls as possible then I'd go with the orange pad. If you had white paint I'd say definitely go with the orange pad but again the Black BMW paint makes it a tougher call. You could also test both options instead of just one to see what you like best.

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      08-31-2012, 10:39 PM   #1686
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Quote:
Originally Posted by softy180 View Post
Thanks Greg, I will start with the purple pad with 2500 and see how that goes before going to the more aggressive combo.
Thanks again
Sounds good and good luck to you!

Greg @ DI
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      09-01-2012, 02:28 AM   #1687
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Detailed Image

If you want to be conservative go with the white pad, it's less likely to leave haze behind. If you're really set on removing as many swirls as possible then I'd go with the orange pad. If you had white paint I'd say definitely go with the orange pad but again the Black BMW paint makes it a tougher call. You could also test both options instead of just one to see what you like best.

Greg @ DI
Thanks again!
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      09-04-2012, 12:47 PM   #1688
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Hey Greg,

I'm not sure if you guys offer anything like this, but I'm in the powersports industry, and my company sells a product from Liquid Performance called "Top Kote" finishing spray.

The bugs down here in FL can be crazy, and I'm looking for something I can put on the front of my car to help make cleanup easier. It's a silicone based product that you apply after you have washed your car, and makes the surface a little more slick (and thus harder for the bugs to stick to)

What do you think?

-Dave
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      09-13-2012, 08:11 AM   #1689
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Greg....as you may remember, I had opticoat applied professionally about two months ago...this was immediately prior to putting my car in long term outdoor storage, with the BMW Outdoor Car Cover
When I removed the cover, the result was this:Name:  photo (2).JPG
Views: 616
Size:  77.9 KB


As you can see there is marring on the trunk lip from motion of the cover in the wind...

1) Would you expect that this is in the opticoat or has it rubbed into the clearcoat

2) is that repairable

I have again put the cover on the car, this time using painters tape on that lip. Incidentally I noticed that there is an even softer felt in the area of the sharkfin antenna due to the increased friction there, but nothing for the trunk lip.

Am I doing the best I can for long term storage ( I travel frequently due to my occupation)?


Finally:

With the opticoat being a 2 year application, what do you recommend for inbetween jobs? I like to have the car professionally detailed about 2x a year. Once in the spring, and once before the Syracuse snow& salt season.

Would you recommend one of the "normal" synthetic paint sealants on top of the opticoat or just a normal wax?

Last edited by taibanl; 09-13-2012 at 08:27 AM..
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      09-18-2012, 04:07 PM   #1690
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MxRacerCam View Post
Hey Greg,

I'm not sure if you guys offer anything like this, but I'm in the powersports industry, and my company sells a product from Liquid Performance called "Top Kote" finishing spray.

The bugs down here in FL can be crazy, and I'm looking for something I can put on the front of my car to help make cleanup easier. It's a silicone based product that you apply after you have washed your car, and makes the surface a little more slick (and thus harder for the bugs to stick to)

What do you think?

-Dave
Dave,

I've not heard of this product or tried something similar so I can't really say how effective it is. We don't carry anything silicone based you put on to help with bug clean ups. Many variations of silicone were actually bad for the paint so the majority of mfgs have stopped using it on the paint, trim, etc. It's certainly possible a different formulation has proven to be more effective and safe but I'm a bit skeptical until I hear/see more. In general I've used products like the Chemical Guys Bug Bugger & Tar Remover to help clean them up and a traditional sealant and wax for protection. Keep us posted if you have more info and pictures of results.

Greg @ DI
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      09-18-2012, 04:15 PM   #1691
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Hey

Any tips or good products for eliminating that dreaded "butt mark" on leather seats?

Thanks!
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      09-18-2012, 04:19 PM   #1692
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Quote:
Originally Posted by taibanl View Post
Greg....as you may remember, I had opticoat applied professionally about two months ago...this was immediately prior to putting my car in long term outdoor storage, with the BMW Outdoor Car Cover
When I removed the cover, the result was this:

As you can see there is marring on the trunk lip from motion of the cover in the wind...

1) Would you expect that this is in the opticoat or has it rubbed into the clearcoat

2) is that repairable

I have again put the cover on the car, this time using painters tape on that lip. Incidentally I noticed that there is an even softer felt in the area of the sharkfin antenna due to the increased friction there, but nothing for the trunk lip.

Am I doing the best I can for long term storage ( I travel frequently due to my occupation)?

Finally:

With the opticoat being a 2 year application, what do you recommend for inbetween jobs? I like to have the car professionally detailed about 2x a year. Once in the spring, and once before the Syracuse snow& salt season.

Would you recommend one of the "normal" synthetic paint sealants on top of the opticoat or just a normal wax?
1. The Opti-Coat is similar to a clear coat and it can be scratched and it's hard to say how deep they are from that pic. It's hard to tell imperfections from the clouds being reflected above.

2. Again really tough to tell via pics. Lips, corners, edges, etc. are known to have less clear coat so it can probably be polished but it should be done carefully. If a pro has a paint thickness gage (ie DeFelsko PosiTector 200 B/Adv Coating Thickness Gage) that could be really helpful.

3. Car covers are a double edged sword with no right answer. They help protect against many forms of damage, sap, bird droppings, etc. but they are prone to marring the paint all over as the wind blows it. Your best bet is to look into some sort of garage or storage unit if you want a more safe option.

4. A traditional sealant (Blackfire Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection) can be used to add protection and gloss. The fastest and easiest application in my opinion is the Optimum Opti-Seal & Free Yellow Foam Applicator. Let me know if you have any other questions and I'll be happy to help.

Greg @ DI
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      09-18-2012, 04:22 PM   #1693
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GOTMH8N View Post
Hey

Any tips or good products for eliminating that dreaded "butt mark" on leather seats?

Thanks!
Usually this comes from just wear and tear from entering and exiting the vehicle. The material on your seat has physically worn off little by little so there is no easy fix. A semi-annual cleaning and conditioning (ie Leatherique combo) will help a bit but it won't solve it. Your best bet is to be extra careful entering and exiting the vehicle minimizing friction. So lift yourself up instead of twisting and turning on the actual seat. Good luck!

Greg @ DI
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      09-18-2012, 09:40 PM   #1694
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Good info! Thank you!
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