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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum
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08-22-2007, 09:18 AM | #221 | |
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If you are pre-treating your vehicle before a wash, then the bug and tar remover is fine, however keep in mind some of them are strong enough to remove protection on the paint so you would have to reseal / rewax those areas. Let us know what you think of your new stuff! Thanks again for your support. George |
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08-22-2007, 09:35 PM | #222 |
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^^Hey George thanks, i also wanted to ask you about "ECOCARE" i ordered the "Optimum no rinse car wash" the same day i ordered from you but i have heard no word from the guy. Have you dealt with them before? Should i give them a call on their 1866 number?
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08-23-2007, 09:30 AM | #223 | |
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08-23-2007, 08:50 PM | #224 |
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Hi everybody - I wanted to share my experience and some thoughts on my detail I finished up yesterday (sorry in advance, it's long). This was all done with a lot of help from George through this thread.
Car: e90 335, black saphire. Delivery date October 11. Previous products: All Griot's products including car wash, Speed Shine (lube), clay bar, Machine Polish 3 (medium cutting), Machine Polish 4 (finish polish), Best of Show Wax. New products from Detailed Image: Magic Fine Grade Clay Bar 200mg, Poorboys Spray & Wipe (lube for clay, quick detailer for later), Menzerna Intensive Polish, Menzerna Final Polish II, Menzerna Full Molecular Jacket (sealant), Poorboys Natty Blue Paste Wax, 1 white pad (polish), 1 blue pad (sealant). Skill/Knowledge level: intermediate. I know a bit more then the basics, but not a lot more. Day 1: Washed car (yes, I know the proper way to do this), clay bar with the Poorboy. Stripped all old product off of car. Used Meraerna Intens. Polish with random orbital on hood, top, and top of trunk to remove scratches (used orange cutting pad, which I already had). Day 2: Used Merz. Final Polish on hood, top, and top of trunk with random orb (white pad). The rest of the car was clean, no scratches or swrills of any kind. Applied Merz. FMJ on entire car (blue finishing pad). Let cure for 24 hours. Day 3: Applied Merz. FMJ second coat. Let cure for another 24 hours. Day 4: Applied PB Natty Blue Paste Wax by hand (mf applicator pad). Let cure for 24 hours (you only need 12 hours). Day 5: Repeat from day 4. Drank 4-5 beers. Impressions/tips: Clay and lube were pretty straight forward. Good tip by George to dilute the PB Spray 1:1 with water. I used bottled water and mixed both in a 6 oz spray bottle. Made sure I got real good coverage so all my old product would come off. It did. I don't like to re-wash after claying, but that's just me. The Menzerna Int. Polish worked great. This is a med polish for fairly shallow scratches and swrills. I used my thin MF towels for removal. If you use this polish look out a bit on the removal, it can be a little tough. Don't worry about the dry flakey stuff that sticks a little to your surface, you can easily remove it with the same diluted PB Spray and Wipe. Comes right off. I was very pleased with the surface, all marks were removed (I didn't have many in the first place). The Menzerna Final polish applied very easily with my Lake Country white pad (much thicker then my old Griot's pad). I applied this only to the areas mentioned above, where I used the cutting polish. This polish breaks down very fast, so I didn't need a lot of passes. Removal was extremely easy, with no residual at all. The Full Molecular Jacket is the single most important thing I have put on my car to date. This is where the money is. Applied with a Lake Country finishing pad, it went on extremely easy with my orb. But the real fun is when I wiped it off (which was a simple, easy wipe). My black saph just exploded with a rich, deep color that I have never seen on my car. It was spectacular. It also leaves this interesting slick feeling to the touch. TIP: This is expensive stuff at $39.99 for the 16 oz. I used about 4 oz for 2 coats. I hope to only have to do this 1/year, so I've got about 4 years worth. You may not want to go for the 32 oz unless you're doing multiple cars (sorry George). As you can imagine the second coat went on even easier. After all that work with my orb, I was happy to apply my Natty Blue by hand. All it takes is a very thin coat, which applies very easily. I did the entire car, let it sit for about 20 minutes, then wiped it down with my thick mf towels. I didn't notice any additional shine or color coming out of my car, but I know it has 2 extra layers of protection. TIP: If anyone wants to give this whole process a shot, I think it's very important to continually go over your car with thick mf towels. For example after I wiped off my FMJ completely from the hood, I would go back over it with a clean, thick mf towell. Same with a door, trunk....ect. After letting the car sit overnight, the first thing I would do was spray a thick towel with a little diluted detailer, then wipe the entire car down again. Even though my car is always in the garage, there's still dust floating around. Finally (I know, thank God) I just wanted to thank George for all the help he gave me. I asked a ton of questions, and he always gave me a quick, professional reply. His product recommendations exceded my goals for a black saph. My car looks better then it has ever looked. I'll have some more pics of my car next week after I get my new Morr VS7's.
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07 335i sedan | Steptronic | Black saphire | Terra | ZPP | ZSP | Cold Weather | CA | PDC | Nav | OEM Alarm
Last edited by normtrum; 08-24-2007 at 09:32 AM.. |
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08-23-2007, 09:27 PM | #225 |
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normtrum, very impressive!
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2007 E90 335xi || Sparkling Graphite || Terra || Burl || 6MT || Premium || Sport || Cold Weather || Sirius || Comfort Access
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08-23-2007, 11:39 PM | #226 |
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Normtrum, your paint looks spectacular. Menzernas polishes have worked great for me also. They really dig deep and cut down on the swirls if combined with the correct pads.Great work. Although the price is steep for the FMJ, it definitely seems more than worth it, not only for looks but also for protection purposes.
oh and George, i called up Eco car care today and i spoke to them about my miscommunication with them, fortunately i recieved my Optimum wash a few hrs after our conversation with a free spray wax as a preview. thanks for your concern. |
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08-24-2007, 07:22 PM | #228 |
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Hey, George I just bought some pads from you orange/white/black and i never used zaino z-pc before so would using a orange pad be fine for it? and then a white for z-aio? thanks in advance
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08-24-2007, 10:36 PM | #229 |
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Nortrum, the car looks amazing!
George, I have a Jet Black 335i that I picked up a few weeks ago and let's just say that I am slightly obsessed with keeping it clean. Currently I am washing with a sheepskin mitt and Meguiar's Gold Class, drying with a chami. I'm not new to washing cars, just new to washing one this nice and I would like to keep it in the best shape possible. Could you work with me on a list of products to really make the paint "pop" and the wheels/tires really stand out? Also, any recommendations for in-between wash care? Chris |
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08-25-2007, 05:56 PM | #230 | |||
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normtrum - Excellent work on that detail. Your paint looks phenomenal and has tremendous depth and gloss. Thanks for sharing your pictures with everyone as well as providing us with a helpful writeup.
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Sounds like your off to a good start with the sheepskin mitt and Meg's shampoo. For your wash phase, to minimize adding imperfections, consider substituting a waffle weave microfiber drying towel for the chamois as a slightly safer alternative. A chamois is relatively flat surface and does not have a place to trap and pull contamination into, where as a textured microfiber towel has "pockets" to pull contamination into when drying so it helps minimize adding swirls and scratches to the paint. Also, consider picking up a Grit Guard Insert to glide your wash mitt across in your rinse bucket, as well as helping keep contamination on the bottom of the bucket. For $9.99 it's a solid investment to make to decrease the odds of adding imperfections to the paint. To get the maximum results out of the paint, almost all of the work is during the prep phases. This means you want to remove as much surface contamination as possible (washing & drying as well as using a clay bar if needed) and also removing as many imperfections, such as swirls, water spots, etc. To remove imperfections from the paint, this means using an abrasive polish. Depending on the condition of your paint, you may only need a light finishing polish or if there are many swirls and other imperfections this could mean multiple polishes to get the job done. Once you've properly prepped the paint, then you want to follow up with a quality sealant and wax. A great combination for a sealant and wax on Jet Black is Poorboy's EX-P along with Natty's Blue Paste Wax. The sealant will give you 3 - 4 months of protection as well as increase the shine on the paint. The wax will layer on top of the sealant and give you additional depth and gloss as well as another protective barrier that excels in preventing bird droppings and water spots. Great bang for the buck combo with the Poorboy's products. If you are going for the absolute most pop out of jet black paint, consider using ClearKote Red Moose Glaze topped with Pinnacle Souveran. This combination has very little durability, but the results are dripping wet. Expect anywhere from 2 - 4 weeks of protection out of this combination of products. I usually recommend this for car shows and other special events. Souveran excels on flat colors as well as dark colors, like black, red, and blue. I'll warn you in advance, it is very addictive if you get a chance to try it. I like to use a spray on wax, like Poorboy's Quick Wax Plus after a wash to add more depth and gloss and a thin layer of protection between using the paste wax. For wheels and tires, the only two products I use on them are Poorboy's Wheel Sealant and Poorboy's Bold 'n Bright. Wheel Sealant adds a protective barrier to your wheels, which makes future cleaning significantly easier with just automotive shampoo and water. I keep a dedicated wash mitt just for my wheels so the brake dust and other contamination does not get onto my paint. Wheel Sealant also leaves a nice glow to your wheels after applying it as well. I try to get 2 - 3 coats on my wheels and found that it lasts roughly 2 - 3 months before needing another application. For the tires, I clean them first with an all purpose cleaner, then dress them with Bold 'n Bright. This is a water based dressing so it's not an intense high gloss, however it is much safer for your wheels. This product gets absorbed into the rubber, which helps keep your tires flexible and prevents sling onto your paint. This is opposite from the silicone based tire dressings that can dry out, brown, and crack your tires, as well as slinging up onto your paint. If you care for your vehicle regularly, which it sounds like you do, those should be the only products you need for your wheels and tires. Let me know if there's anything else I can give you a hand with. If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask. George |
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08-27-2007, 10:08 AM | #231 |
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George,
Thanks for the response and the advice. I have ordered the waffle weave towel so as to not do any more paint damage. I will drop the larger order for supplies in a few weeks when it cools down a bit around here. Chris |
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08-27-2007, 10:22 AM | #232 |
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George, what all purpose cleaner do you use on your tires? I've been only dressing my tires, which does remove a lot of grime, but probably not as much as if I really focus on removing as much grime as possible before dressing. Thanks.
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08-27-2007, 12:44 PM | #233 | ||
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You'll notice that water based dressings will work noticeably better with a properly prepped tire. More gloss and longer durability. George |
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08-27-2007, 07:33 PM | #234 |
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Hey George,
I just got my package today, a day earlier than expected! I haven't looked through it yet, but wanted to get your suggestion on something. Do you recommend diluting the spray and wash lube? I need something to wipe down my car every night and was thinking If could dilute it? Thanks again for all the info! |
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08-28-2007, 07:51 AM | #235 | |
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Glad to see everything arrived for you early. We greatly appreciate your support. Keep us posted on how everything turns out. George |
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08-29-2007, 10:52 PM | #236 |
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chrome/metal protection
Zaino works great for me on the paint, but what about on chrome and metal? Not so much the E90, but I have had a HELL of a time with the chrome on my bike. I just got a new headlight because the old one was so corroded I couldn't remove the bezel to replace the lamp. I got a much better cover for the bike now, but want to keep the bezel ring that faces the wind clean so I don't have to pay $180 if the lamp goes again.
And with the recommendation, is there something different for chrome that gets hot, like pipes? |
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08-30-2007, 12:31 AM | #237 |
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i have a question,
what is the difference in applying wax with a wax applicator when compared to using a mf towel for waxing? i know people say to use wax applicator to put on the wax then use mf towel to wipe it off. can't i use mf towel for both processes? wondering what could be the difference. also the second question is that i want to use zaino but i don't want to use that many products since i'm lazy. is there anything such as a ALL-IN-ONE zaino thing where i can just apply one layer and be done with? something that has the wax, sealant, etc etc. all together. |
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08-30-2007, 01:40 AM | #238 |
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Drives: BMW 335i
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I need to Paint My Wheels
Does anyone know a place in California, Los Angeles
where I can get my Wheels Custom Painted ??? Plz guys, if anyone knoe's let me know MSG Me THANX |
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08-30-2007, 09:41 AM | #239 | ||
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You could treat the chrome afterwards with something like Poorboy's Wheel Sealant, which will work great on chrome and make future cleaning significantly easier. Quote:
Also, you'll ruin your towels significantly faster if you are directly applying the product with them as the product can quickly cake up and render that section of the towel unusable if not cared for properly. In this case, I'd rather replace a $1.50 foam applicator than a $3.99 towel. Zaino does make an all in one product, called Z-AIO. It polishes and protects in one step. Keep in mind while these are great time saving steps, you will get better results by using a dedicated polish then a dedicated sealant afterwards. Great questions! George |
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08-30-2007, 09:53 AM | #240 | |
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08-30-2007, 11:27 AM | #241 |
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I guess that's really what I'm looking for, something to PROTECT the metal/chrome. PB wheel sealant will hold up to the heat on the pipes? I've always liked the BlueJob for polishing the surfaces, but with all the fertilizer in the air around me, and I never had anything to apply after the BJ to protect.
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08-30-2007, 11:34 AM | #242 |
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You can use a sealant to protect metal/chrome.
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